Bell’s Inventions Ltd.
14 St. Georges Tce. Perth WA

John Bell, a young, keen inventor was one of the founders of Bellmont Radio in 1930 and when the company was liquidated in January 1931 he formed Bell’s Inventions Ltd. to raise finances to pursue his audio recording and television inventions.[1]

In May 1931, he patented a method of making phonograph records on discs of aluminium which were light, unbreakable and unaffected by heat. He sold these discs through Phonographs Ltd., as ”Your Own Voice” records. The customer would record their voice onto the disc at Phonographs Ltd. and for 3/6 received a double-sided recording and a wooden needle for playing the recording.[2]

In May 1932 he travelled to London to patent his inventions.[3]

While in London, patents were taken out protecting the invention, however first tests were not as satisfactory as had been hoped for, but subsequent experiments showed that certain variation of design was necessary. Possibly for financial reasons he could not continue to remain in England and in August 1932 returned to Perth.[4]

In September 1932 at the fourth annual conversazione of the Science Society of the University of W.A. held in the Physics Department, Irwin-street Perth, John Bell demonstrated a television camera and receiver of his own invention.[5]

At present it is not known what happened to John Bells Televisor or his later life history.

A newspaper article from the Daily News is reproduced below on his early life.

                                   Young Man and His Dreams

BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Working in a small upstairs laboratory in this city is a young man who is confident that he has developed the most successful television apparatus yet made and he has already investigated at first hand several systems employed in other parts of the world For four years he has worked at, thought of and dreamed about television, and now he is convinced that his dreams are coming true and that his four years of work, during which time he frequently worked 12 hours a day, are at last going to bear fruit.

The system he has employed departs from the lines on which other experimenters have been working, he says, and because of this, special light valves had to be made to his specifications, a task which called for the assistance of the technical experts of the firm of Pressler, of Leipsig, Germany. Today he asserts that the system has proved itself and indeed is prepared to support his statement with practical tests but admits that some minor adjustments and variations of the apparatus are

necessary before he himself will be satisfied that it is perfect as a commercial proposition. He is positive that the televising of the next Perth Cup or the ring events at the Royal Show present no technical difficulties.

Although only 24 years of age, John Bell has crowded a lifetime of experimenting into his last eight years of work. Born in Manchester, England, he came to Australia at the age of 12 and from early childhood showed a flair for mechanical construction. Pulling to pieces and re-building bicycles was one of his first hobbies and with the advent of radio he found a new attraction which became almost an obsession. From this he went on to experiment with sound reproduction and has recently patented a method of making phonograph records on discs of aluminium which are light, unbreakable and unaffected by heat. His unflagging enthusiasm is only equalled by his untiring patience.

Four Years' Work

He told me today that when working on the phonograph record, he realised at one stage that success was only one step away. For four years he worked to complete the link which was missing in the chain of successful experiments. One evening after having devoted nearly 12 hours to experiments he had a happy thought. He tried it, and in less than a minute the seemingly unconquerable had been conquered. To demonstrate the success of his aluminium records he played several of his own making and now having returned from London a few days, John Bell says that at least two of the world-famed makers of phonograph records are taking an interest in his invention. From records, he went on to 'talkie' films, but left experimentation with them to concentrate on television. He has practically completed a hand picture-and-sound camera and when in need of relaxation from his television experiments takes up the other "child of his dreams".

Dream of Television

Bell’s first dream of television came about eight years ago. He devoted what spare time he could afford to the study of optical matters, so that he would be conversant with all features of the work, for the radio side of it he knew and it was a matter of combining the two to achieve the result he wished. Eight months ago, a syndicate of Perth business men met John Bell, heard his scheme and decided to give him the opportunity to try it out. He left for England, taking with him his plans, and for the past, five months has been developing his television camera and receiver, under the watchful eye of Messrs. Morton and Co., the well-known London brokers, who acted as agents for the Perth syndicate. While in London, patents were taken out protecting the invention, and laboriously the apparatus was assembled. First tests were not as satisfactory as had been hoped for, but subsequent experiments showed that certain variation of design was necessary. He could not continue to remain in England longer, he says, and has returned with his apparatus, here to put the finishing touches to what he has no doubt will be an outstanding success in television.

Televisor Camera

The televisor camera differs from those of other experimenters in several different ways, but the first to appeal is that of size, for the whole of the apparatus is contained in a metal cabinet about half as big again as a biscuit tin and weighing about 25lb. The image or scene to be televised is focused through a quick adjusting lens on to a vertical plane, and by means of a mask only a certain amount of light is allowed through. The actual size of the image allowed through is approximately the size of an ordinary "frame" of a motion picture. On passing the mask the light impinges on a rotary drum about 12 inches in diameter, which is pin pricked with holes around the circumference.

Many experimenters John Bell says have used a scanning disc which travels at right angles to the beam of light carrying the image, but in his apparatus the drum travels in the same direction in which the light is coming. When the light strikes the rotating drum, it travels through the perforations and is picked up by a photo-electric cell. This cell, which has the property of converting light variations into electrical variations, creates a wave which follows the lights and shades of illumination of the image televised. From the cell the image, which is now an electrical impulse, is efficiently amplified, and is capable of being passed from there to any inter-mediate amplifier or radio transmitter, and then broadcast.

What is the most successful wavelength to use he cannot say; it may be a matter of test, but he has an idea that five metres may prove successful for transmissions over the distance of sight range from a transmitter.

Special Lamp Used

The television receiver is slightly less bulky than the camera, and in most cases could be made to fit at the bottom of the standard radio console. The incoming radio wave bearing the image in electrical form is received on an aerial in the way of the ordinary radio and is passed through one stage of radio frequency and then through a super-efficient screen-grid detector. Theoretically it is an ordinary radio receiver, although there have been some departures from standard practice to meet the unusual requirements of television. The impulses are passed through a 10-watt amplifier and conveyed from the plate of the output valve to the special television lamp made by the Leipsig firm to Mr. Bell's specification, and which, according to the makers, can handle frequencies up to one million cycles a second.

The scanning drum of the receiver is of the same size and diameter as the televisor camera drum, but instead of having tiny holes perforated in the metal, there are tiny lenses of about three eighths of an inch diameter, let into the peripherical band of the drum, which, in appearance is not unlike the brake-drum of a motor car. There are the same number of lenses in the receiver as there are pinpricks in the camera-drum, and the incoming electrical impulse, after being passed through the radio receiver and power amplifier, is transferred to the "spot" lamp, which is placed inside the rotating' drum.

Off House Current

The light liberated by the lamp is passed through the lenses of the spinning drum on to the ground glass screen, which is Mr. Bell's present model is seven inches by six in size, but shortly may be 12 inches by 10. By an adjustment of the "spot" lamp within the drum, it is possible, he says, to throw an image on to a screen six feet square at eight feet from the receiver.

All the apparatus works off the ordinary alternating current mains such as are used by householders,

and Bell is satisfied that with one or two minor improvements he will be able to claim the attention of the scientific world.

Already it is understood he has the interest of a number of professional men in this city and overseas. Demonstrating the television receiver today, he tuned in to 6WF during a vocal item, and while the music was being reproduced by a loud-speaker by the radio side of the apparatus, was able to demonstrate visibly the variations of electrical current taking place; in other words, to present a television picture of the singer's voice.

If diligence and application represent success, John Bell certainly deserves it.

Daily News (Perth, WA), Thursday 25 August 1932, Page 6.
Text sourced & downloaded from Trove – National Library of Australia

[1] Sunday Times (WA) Feb 14, 1932, Page 11.
[2] West Australian (WA) Nov 18, 1931, Page 8.
[3] Daily News (WA) May 30, 1932, Page 7.
[4] Daily News (WA) August 25, 1932, Page 6.
[5] Sunday Times (WA) Sep 11, 1932, Page 3.