Name/Title
Graphophone Type K – Spring‑Driven Bell‑Tainter Dictation and Playback MachineEntry/Object ID
150Description
American Graphophone Company, USA, early 1895
Early business and dictation machine – incorporating parts from the Treadle drive
The Type K is a very rare, fully original Bell‑Tainter phonograph made by the American Graphophone Company. Introduced in early 1895, it was structurally based on the Graphophone Treadle model (foot‑powered).
Because the treadle drive proved impractical in the marketplace, Columbia re‑engineered unsold units at the factory, fitting them with a spring motor – thus creating the Type K.
It was designed primarily as a professional dictation machine for offices, law firms, and government departments, but could also be used for music and speech playback.
Technical Features
Spring motor with hand crank, factory‑adapted
Treadle‑model mechanics – nickel‑plated bedplate, and uperwork similar like the treadle.
Integrated shaving knife – for paring down the surface of cylinders to allow fresh recordings
Mandrel for standard wax cylinders (2‑minute format)
Solid oak case with original factory finish
Pause and Clutch Mechanism
A distinctive feature of the Type K is the engage/disengage clutch for the cylinder drive, operated by two control knobs on the front panel.
While the motor continued running, the cylinder could be mechanically disengaged at the touch of a knob.
This stopped the cylinder’s rotation without shutting off the motor.
Ideal for dictation: the operator could take short pauses without restarting or interrupting the recording.
Pressing the other knob re‑engaged the drive, allowing the cylinder to resume exactly from the stopped position.
Historical Context
One of the last Bell‑Tainter‑type machines in Columbia’s product line before the more compact “Standard” models took over the market.
The reuse of treadle‑frame components reflects Columbia’s pragmatic manufacturing approach – turning unsold foot‑powered machines into fully functional spring‑driven units.
Parallel version: K Electric with direct‑current motor.
A complete dictation and playback system with recording, reproduction, and shaving functions.
Significance in the Edisonium Mariazell
The example on display is entirely original, showing all the hallmarks of late Bell‑Tainter design: spring drive, original shaving mechanism, and clutch system for dictation pauses.
It represents the transitional phase from early experimental drive systems to professional, practical office phonographs.
