Junk 45s

I've decided to clear our by boxes of 45s. They've become crammed with junk: novelties, educational discs, kids releases, How-to discs and inexplicably oddities. I'm filling a file box and dropping it behind the Goodwill after dark. Below are a few of the weirder ones. 

Transcription Mystery Disc #60

This one is not so much of a mystery. It was recorded in Wildwood New Jersey August 24th 1959. It's an interesting disc being a 45 rpm disc. It starts at the outer edge and was obviously recorded after the debut of the 45 and intended for playback on those early RCA devices. The recording ends abruptly with a few of the last grooves cut into the paper label, the audio ends abruptly there.
These three girls: Karen, Noel and Faye took the name "the Pips" probably from Glady's Knight and the Pips; a R&B group that operated from 1953 to 1989. Interestingly the song they sing "Lonely Girl" Is a play on the Paul Anka song "Lonely Boy" which was record in 1959. So their cover was cut at a Voice-O-Graph booth while it was still on the Billboard chart.

The 45rpm Adapter

In 1949 RCA Victor introduced the 45 rpm record. They did not invent the 45 adapter. major oversight. I've covered this previously in the broader context of vinyl. But the adapter has an interesting lineage that really allowed it to carry forward form novelty to standard. More here.
The Adapter didn't take long though. It's patent was filed September 1949; granted February 12th 1952. As you can see by the two above, they were in use long before the patent was granted. They were invented by Paul K. Bridenbaugh and Frank A Jansen for the Webster Chicago Corporation. I don't know another damn thing about them.

The design was simple, even elegant. It converted the 1.5" spindle hole to a 9/32nd spindle hole. It also added a small amount of weight, a tad more than 7 grams. This had the added benefit of increasing frictional contact between records in a stack. This allowed a stack of 45s so sit in an automatic record changer with the 9/32nd spindle. The patent refers to a few other patents, mostly phonograph related. But one single reference indicates a derivation. It's for a flexible bushing that is inserted into a worn spindle hole and bent outward to conform and adhere to the record allowing regular play. That is patent #1755743. Later revisions produced the more similar lightweight plastic adapters.