Abstract:
A spring operated record player organ includes a base apparatus, a driving unit, a gear set, a fixed axle unit, a record player, and a rotation speed governor. The record player is able to rotate with the stable restoring force of a manually wound up coil spring so as to play rhythmical music pleasant to the ear. As this apparatus does not require electric power, it is conveniently usable anywhere.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a record player organ and, more particularly, to a record player organ which is driven by the restoring force of a spring. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
     FIG. 4 , is a schematic view of a conventional motor operated record player organ. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a comb leaf spring  71  is provided on a base apparatus  7 . A set pin  72  and a driving motor  73  are, respectively, installed on each side of the comb leaf spring  71 . The driving motor  73  is geared with a double helical gear  74 , while the double helical gear  74  is geared with a ratchet wheel  75 . Several pawl wheels  751  and a player driving gear  752  are coaxially installed on the shaft of the ratchet wheel  75  in order. The player driving gear  752  is for driving a record player. 
   The base apparatus  7  installed at one side of the motor  73  has a fixed axle  76 . A hasp  761  is provided at the terminal end of the fixed axle  76  so as to fasten the fixed axle  76  to the set pin  72 . 
   When it is intended to play music, the record player is set on the set pin  72 . The hasp  761  is engaged with the set pin  72  such that the record player is set between the ratchet wheel  75  and the fixed axle  76 . The motor  73  is energized from the power source so as to drive the double helical gear  75  and the player driving gear  752  which in turn drives the record player to rotate. By mutual action between the apertures formed on the record player and the driving gear  752 , the comb leaf spring  71  is actuated to play rhythmical music. 
   However, the conventional spring operated record player organ constructed as such has the following shortcomings, namely: 
   1. A power supply is necessary to operate this apparatus. Thus, it is unable to play where there is no available power source. 
   2. Electrical wiring is necessary in the apparatus that makes its construction complicated and frangible. Thus, very careful attention for operation and transportation is required. 
   As these shortcomings are noticeable on the prior art, an improvement is seriously required. 
   A novel spring operated record player organ as provided in this invention eliminates the shortcomings mentioned above. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a spring operated record player organ which is operated with a spring wound around a rotating shaft Thus, the record player is driven by a restoring force of the spring instead of an extra power supply. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring operated record player organ whose rotating shaft is erected to pierce through the spring cover and the base apparatus. A rotary switch to twist the coil spring is provided on the top end of the rotating shaft so as to wind up the coil spring before rotating the record player. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring operated record player organ capable of operating only by the restoring force of the spring so that the organ is usable anywhere and anytime without seeking another power supply. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring operated record player organ which does not have to be turned up side down for operation by providing a rotary switch on the spring cover to twist the spring. The assembly process is facilitated by placing the base apparatus horizontally on a bottom plate when assembling the organ in the mechanism. 
   To achieve these and other objects mentioned above, the present invention includes a base apparatus, a driving unit, a gear set, a fixed axle unit, a record player, and a rotation speed governor. 
   The base apparatus is composed of a comb leaf spring, a ratchet wheel shaft provided with equal numbers of actuating ratchet wheels as that of the teeth of the comb leaf spring, and a player driving gear. All of the actuating ratchet wheels and the player driving gear are coaxially coupled to the ratchet wheel shaft. The comb leaf spring and the ratchet wheel shaft are mutually coupled in a state such that the actuating ratchet wheels can tap the teeth of the comb leaf spring to output various octavant musical sound. 
   The driving unit has a spring cover fitted at one side of the base apparatus. The spring cover has a rotating shaft piercing through its top surface. A first crown gear is enclosed underneath the spring cover. A rotary switch is provided at the other side where the rotating shaft is coupled with the first crown gear. A coil spring is wound around the rotating shaft. The rotary switch is utilized to wind up the coil spring. When the rotary switch is released, the restoring force of the coil spring drives the rotating shaft to rotate which in turn drives the first crown gear. 
   The gear set is equipped between the comb leaf spring and the driving unit. The gear set is composed of a second crown gear, a first step spur gear, a second step spur gear, a double helical gear, and a speed reducer. As the first and second crown gears are in mesh with each other, the rotation of the first crown gear puts the gear set in motion which in turn drives the ratchet wheel shaft. Thereby, all the ratchet wheels are actuated to tap the comb leaf spring. 
   The fixed axle unit is provided with a set pin and a fixed axle. The set pin is located in the base apparatus at the position distantly apart from the driving unit and extended in the direction apart from the base apparatus. One end of the set pin is pivoted to the spring cover. The other end of the set pin is provided with a hasp to fasten the fixed axle in parallel with the ratchet wheel shaft. Additionally, several rotating wheels are fitted with the fixed axle coaxially in series. 
   A record player is provided with a drilled hole formed at its center to allow the set pin to pierce there through. The record player is provided with a plurality of tapping apertures distributed at random on its surface. A plurality of driving holes are formed around the record player at the positions near its fringe. Thus, when the record player is driven to rotate by the player driving gear, the driving holes formed around the fringe of the record player will never fail to mesh with the player driving gear since the record player is pressed by the rotating wheels of the fixed axle. 
   The rotation speed governor is provided beneath the bottom apparatus and the driving unit. It is composed of a speed stabilizing cam and a speed stabilizing wheel. The speed stabilizing cam is mated with the rotating shaft at the end distantly apart from the rotary switch for the coil spring. Additionally, the speed stabilizing wheel is in mesh with the speed stabilizing cam. With the aid of the rotation speed governor, the operation of the mechanism is defined to take place during the time interval the restoring force of the coil spring is at the most stable state. Thus, the music can be played pleasantly to the ear with the stabilized rotating speed of the mechanism. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings disclose an illustrative embodiment of the present invention which serves to exemplify the various advantages and objects hereof and are as follows: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative exploded view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is another illustrative exploded view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention observed downwardly; and 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a conventional spring operated record player organ. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 3 , the spring operated record player organ comprises a base apparatus  1 , a driving unit  2 , a gear set  3 , a fixed axle unit  4 , a record player  5 , and a rotation speed governor  6 . 
   The base apparatus  1  is composed of a comb leaf spring  11  and a ratchet wheel shaft  12 . The ratchet wheel shaft  12  is provided with actuating wheels  121  and a player driving gear  122 , whit both coaxially fitted to the ratchet wheel shaft  12 . The comb leaf spring  11  is equipped at a position where it can be tapped by the actuating wheels  121  to output a rhythmical music when the ratchet wheel shaft  12  rotates. 
   The driving unit  2  has as spring cover  21  fitted at one side of the base apparatus  1 . The spring cover  21  has a rotating shaft  211  piercing through its top surface. A first crown gear  212  is enclosed underneath the spring cover  21 . A rotary switch  22  is provided at the other side where the rotating shaft  211  is coupled with the first crown gear  212 . A coil spring  23  is wound around the rotating shaft  211 . The rotary switch  22  is used to wind up the coil spring  23 . When the wound coil spring  23  is released, the restoring force of the coil spring  23  drives the rotating shaft  211  which, in turn, drives the first crown gear  212 . 
   The gear set  3  is equipped between the comb leaf spring  11  and the driving unit  2 . The gear set  3  is composed of a second crown gear  31 , a first step spur gear  32 , a second step spur gear  33 , a double helical gear  34 , and a speed reducer  35 . As the first and second crown gears  212  and  31  are in mesh with each other, the rotation of the first crown gear  212  puts all component parts included in the gear set  3  (second crown gear  31 , first step spur gear  32 , second step spur gear  33 , double helical gear  34 , speed reducer  35 ) in motion. The second step spur gear  33  mated with the second crown gear  31  then, in turn, drives the ratchet wheel shaft  12 . Thereby, all of the ratchet wheels  121  are actuated to tap the comb leaf spring  111  with a proper rotating speed under control of the speed reducer  35 . 
   The fixed axle unit  4  is provided with a set pin  41  and a fixed axle  42 . The set pin  41  is located in the base apparatus  1  at the position distantly apart from the driving unit  2  and extended towards the direction apart from the base apparatus  1 . One end of the set pin  41  is pivoted to the spring cover  21 . The other end of the set pin  41  is provided with a hasp  421  to be inlaid into a circular slot  411  formed around the upper portion of the set pin  41  so as to fasten the fixed axle  4  in parallel to the ratchet wheel shaft  12 . Additionally, several rotating wheels  422  are fitted with the fixed axle  42  coaxially in series. 
   A record player  5  is provided with a drilled hole  51  formed at its center to allow piercing the set pin  41  therethrough. A plurality of tapping apertures  52  are distributed at random on the surface of the record player  5 . A plurality of driving holes  53  are formed around the record player  5  at the position near its fringe thereof. Thus, when the record player  5  is driven to rotate by the player driving gear  122 , the driving holes  53  are able to positively mate with the player driving gear  122 , since the record player  5  is pressed by the rotating wheels  422  of the fixed axle  42 . 
   The rotation speed governor  6  is provided beneath the base apparatus  1  and the driving unit  2 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , it is composed of a speed stabilizing cam  61  and a speed stabilizing wheel  62 . The cam  61  is mated with the rotating shaft  211  at the end distantly apart from the rotary switch  22  for the coil spring  23 . Additionally, the wheel  62  is in mesh with the cam  61 . With the aid of the rotation speed governor  6 , the operation of the mechanism is defined to take place during the time interval the restoring force of the coil spring  23  is at its most stable condition. Thus, the music can be played pleasantly to the ear with a stabilized rotating speed of the record player  5 . 
   The speed stabilizing wheel  62  of the rotation speed governor  6  has a plurality of equally sized, equally spaced, similarly shaped teeth and one differently shaped tooth. The number of similarly shaped teeth matches with the length of the coil spring  23  and the stable restoring force acting time interval of the coil spring  23 . 
   To operate the mechanism of the present invention, the mechanism is put on a platform or a desk. The hasp  421  is released from the circular slot  411  formed around the set pin  41 . The drilled hole  51  of the record player  5  is inserted onto the set pin  41 . Then, the hasp  421  is again inlaid into the circular slot  411  so as to mate the player driving gear  122  on the ratchet wheel shaft  12  with the driving holes  53  formed along the fringe of the record player  5 . With the aid of the rotating wheels  422  of the fixed axle  42  pressed onto the record player  5 , the driving holes  53  keep in mesh with the gear  122  without the worry of disengagement. The rotate the rotary switch  22  is rotated to wind the coil spring  23  around the rotating shaft  211  thereby storing the energy in the twisted coil spring  23 . 
   After releasing the rotary switch  22 , the mutually mated speed stabilizing wheel  62  and cam  61  begin to rotate together until reaching the last tooth. The coil spring  23  is able to drive the first and second crown gear  212  and  31  depending on its own restoring force. The gear set  3  is in turn actuated to rotate and drive the player driving gear  122  so that the record player  5  is driven to rotate. As the record player  5  rotates, the combined action of the driving holes  53  and the actuating wheels  121  makes the latter to tap the comb leaf spring  11  to output a pleasant rhythmical music. For stabilizing the operation of the mechanism of the present invention, action of the speed stabilizing wheel  62  and cam  61  cooperate to define the operation of the mechanism to take place during the time interval the restoring force of the coil spring  23  is at its most stable condition so that the music can be played pleasantly to the ear. 
   In addition, the position of the actuating holes  53  on the player  5  can be varied in accordance with the different melody so that it provides the individual user with a wide selection. 
   It emerges from the above description that the spring operated record player organ has several noteworthy advantages compared with that made of any conventional technique, namely: 
   1. The mechanism is operated by a manually twisted coil spring associated with several gear combinations so that any other extra power supply such as utility power or a battery unit is not necessary. 
   2. The rotary switch for twisting the coil spring is provided on top of the rotating shaft so it is convenient to wind up the coil spring without tampering with the base apparatus before rotating the record player. 
   3. The operation of the mechanism is defined to take place during the time interval the restoring force of the coil spring is at its most stable condition thereby the music can be played pleasantly to the ear. 
   Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.