Record player

A record player comprising a container, a cover attached to said container, a turntable rotatably mounted on said cover, a record on said turntable and having a relatively deep groove at the end of its playing side, an electric motor in said container for driving said turntable mounted in said container and being movable substantially axially towards the turntable under a spring bias, a tone arm having a stylus movable with the speaker towards the turntable so as to engage a record on the turntable, a switch operable by the speaker as the speaker moves towards the turntable to break a circuit supplying driving current to the motor, the switch being operated only as the cover is opened or the stylus drops into a said relatively deep groove at the end of the playing side of the record.

The present invention relates to a record player, particularly but not 
exclusively for dolls. 
It is known to mount record players in dolls. In a known record player, 
when the record comes to the end of its playing side a switch mechanism is 
operated by the tone arm to break the electric circuit to the motor. In 
order to replay the record the tone arm is moved back to the start of the 
record again. This can be performed automatically by releasing a catch 
allowing a bias to swing back the tone arm and connect the electric 
circuit to the motor. 
Owing to rough treatment of the toy, the tone arm may be released 
accidentally and may skid across the surface of the record causing damage 
to the record and even the stylus. 
An object of the present invention is to provide a record player which 
overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
The invention provides a toy record player comprising a container, a cover 
attached to said container, a turntable rotatably mounted on said cover, a 
record on said turntable and having a relatively deep groove at the end of 
its playing side, an electric motor in said container for driving said 
turntable, a speaker mounted in said container and being movable 
substantially axially towards the turntable under a spring bias, a tone 
arm having a stylus movable with the speaker towards the turntable so as 
to engage a record on the turntable, a switch operable by the speaker as 
the speaker moves towards the turntable to break a circuit supplying 
driving current to the motor, the switch being operated only as the cover 
is opened or the stylus drops into a said relatively deep groove at the 
end of the playing side of the record.

In the drawings, a record player is housed in a container having a top 1 
and a base 2 connected by means of screws 3. A base cover 4 is hingedly 
attached to the base 2 by means of hinge pins 5 and is held fast by a 
slidable catch 4'. 
An electric motor 6 is mounted in a carrier 7 provided with trunnions 8 
pivotably mounted on trunnion bearings 9 integral with the base 2. The 
motor 6 has a spindle 10 extending through an aperture of the base 2. The 
spindle 10 carries a friction sleeve 11, which in operation drives a 
turntable 12 rotatably mounted on a spindle 13 fixed to the cover 4. The 
motor is biased by a spring 6' to ensure frictional contact between the 
sleeve 11 and the peripheral rim of the turntable 12. The turntable 12 has 
a central boss 14, a central hole accommodating the spindle 13, and a 
plurality of circumferentially-spaced, resiliently deformable tangs 15. In 
use the turntable 12 carries a record 12' having a central aperture firmly 
engaged by the resilient tangs 15. When the cover 4 is closed the sleeve 
11 bears tightly with the periphery of the turntable 12 so as to be in 
frictional engagement therewith. However, when the cover 4 is hinged open 
the turntable periphery moves out of engagement with the sleeve 11. 
A speaker frame 16 carrying a speaker diaphragm 17 has two trunnions 18 
pivotably supported in trunnion bearings 19 attached to the base 2. The 
speaker frame 16 has a depending leg 20 on which a stepped pick-up arm 21 
is slidably mounted. The pick-up arm 21 is biassed in a radially outwards 
direction by means of a coil spring 22 mounted on the leg 20 and engaging 
a slot 23 in the end of the leg 20. The coil spring 22 also urges the 
pick-arm 21 upwardly so that a pip 24 on the upper surface of the arm is 
maintained in constant contact with a diaphragm support 25 connected to 
the speaker frame 16 and to the apex of the diaphragm 17. The end of the 
pick-up arm remote from the leg 20 carries a stylus 26. Thus, vibrations 
picked up by the stylus 26 from the record 16 are transmitted directly to 
the diaphragm 17 and emitted as sound, which escapes from the top 1 
through holes 27. 
As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 6 the speaker frame 16 is pivoted 
downwardly by means of a spring 28 mounted at one end on a support 29 
attached to the underside of the top 1 and at the other end in the apex of 
the diaphragm 17. The diaphragm frame 16 may be pivoted upwardly against 
the bias of the spring 28 by means of a button 30 mounted in a guide 
aperture 31 in the top 1 and resting on an extension 32 of the speaker 
frame 16. 
The support 29 is slidably mounted on a boss 33 on the underside of the top 
1 and is axially adjustable by means of a screw 34 to alter the bias of 
the spring 28. 
A first terminal of the electric motor 6 is connected to a first battery 
terminal (not shown) directly by means of a conducting wire (not shown). A 
second terminal of the electric motor 6 is connected to a second battery 
terminal (not shown) via a speed controller (FIG. 7) and a switch 
mechanism shown in detail in FIG. 8. 
The speed controller (FIG. 7) comprises a spindle 35 pivotably mounted in 
the base 2 and having a slotted end 36 protruding through an aperture 37 
in the top 1. The spindle 35 has a finger 38 engaging an aperture 39 of a 
metal wiper 40 mounted on the spindle 35 and pivotable therewith with the 
aid of a spring washer 41. The wiper 40 has an arm 42 connected to a wire 
43, which is connected to the second terminal of the electr motor. The 
wiper 40 is slidable over a wire 44, which extends between two studs 45, 
one of which is shown in FIG. 8. The wire 44 passes over the top of each 
stud 45 and is held firmly thereon by means of a metal eyelet 46 fitting 
tightly over the respective stud 45. 
The switch mechanism (FIG. 8) comprises a movable metal strip 47 attached 
to the base 2 by means of a screw 48 and having an end 49 fitting over the 
stud 45 thereby electrical connecting the strip 47 to the wire 44 and 
hence to the second terminal of the motor 6. The strip 47 is resilient and 
has an end 50 engaging a fixed metal strip 51, which is electrically 
connected to the second battery terminal. The battery terminals (not 
shown) are accommodated at opposite ends of a battery housing 52 arranged 
in the base 2 and containing a battery 53. 
The speaker frame 17 has a depending finger 54, which contacts the movable 
strip 47 and moves the end 50 away from the fixed strip 51 on downward 
movement of the speaker frame 16. 
Instead of the normal spiral turns at the end of each side of the record 
12' there are two relatively deep, e.g. 1.25 mm, circular grooves 55. When 
the stylus reaches a groove 55 it drops into the groove under the bias of 
the spring 28 urging the diaphragm 17 and speaker frame 16 downwards. As 
the speaker frame 16 moves downwards, the finger 54 moves the end 50 of 
the strip 47 away from the metal strip 51 thus breaking the circuit 
between the battery 53 and the motor 6 and stopping the turntable 12. In 
order to replay the record, the button 30 is depressed so as to pivot the 
speaker frame 16 upwardly against the bias of the spring 28. As the 
speaker frame 16 moves upwards, the tone arm 21 also moved upwards under 
the axial bias of the spring 22, and the finger 54 moves upwards to allow 
the strip 47 to contact the strip 51 and again complete the circuit to the 
motor 6. As soon as the stylus 26 completely emerges from the groove 55 
the spring 22 swings the tone arm 21 radially outwards. When the button 30 
is released, the speaker frame 16 moves downwards under the bias of the 
spring 28, and the stylus 26 via the diaphragm support 25, the pip 24, and 
the tone arm 21 is brought into contact again with the rotating record 
12'. 
As will be understood from the above, the rest state of the record player 
is when the stylus is in the groove 55 and the circuit to the motor 6 is 
broken. The stylus 26 is held firmly in the groove 55 under the bias of 
the spring 28, thus preventing unintentional movement of the stylus across 
the record, e.g. in movement or shaking of the record player, thereby 
preventing damage to the record and/or the stylus. 
In order to change a record, the catch 4' is released and the cover 4 is 
opened. The tone arm 21 is now freed and moves radially outwards. 
Simultaneously, the speaker frame 16 moves downwards under the bias of 
spring 28 so that the circuit to the motor 6 is broken. Thus whenever the 
cover 4 is opened, the motor 6 stops. The record 12' may be replaced by a 
different record. When the cover is closed the record urges the stylus 26 
upwards, thus raising the speaker frame 16 and completing the circuit to 
the motor 6 so that the new record is played. 
The speed of the record may be adjusted by inserting a screw driver in the 
slot 36 and turning the spindle 35 to increase or decrease the effective 
length of the wire 44 and hence decrease or increase the speed of the 
motor 6. 
Various modifications may be made to the above-described record player. 
Thus, the motor may be belt driven by means of an elastic belt extending 
between the spindle 10 and the turntable 12. Conveniently, the turntable 
has a peripheral groove accommodating the belt. Since the belt is elastic, 
the cover 4 can still be opened. 
Furthermore, it is not essential that the cover 4 is hingeably attached to 
the container, but may be attached by any suitable fasteners, e.g. sliding 
catches. If record changing is not necessary the cover 4 may even be 
fixedly attached to the container.