Patent GB-748055-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic phonographs
IPC: G11B17/30
Filed: 1954-02-09
Abstract: 748,055. Magazine gramophones. SEEBURG CORPORATION, J. P. Feb. 9,1954 [Feb. 12, 1953, Feb. 12, 1953; April 8, 1953; Sept. 18, 1953], No. 3855/54. Class 40(2) A magazine gramophone having means for selecting a record or records to be played, is provided with a relatively movable magazine and playing unit and means for rotating the player unit through 180 degrees whereby either side of the records may be played. The embodiment described comprises a mechanism mounted under a transparent cover on the top of a cabinet, and includes a stationary rack for the vertical storage of records having a standard diameter and a large centre hole and a traversing carriage 11 on which is mounted a playing unit comprising a motor, turntable and pick-up arm for playing records in a vertical position. The playing unit is so arranged that while the carriage is traversing to the left the turntable faces the left so that a left face of a record selected from the magazine may be played, but when the carriage reaches the end of its traverse the playing unit is swung through 180 degrees so that the turntable faces the right ready for, playing of the righthand face of a record. The carriage 11, Fig. 2, travels on a rod 12 and roller track 13, and is driven by via a lead screw 14, chain 194, Fig. 3, reversible counter-shaft 195, worm 202 and motor 204. The reversing of the shaft 195 is effected at the end 'of a traverse of the carriage 11 by means of a keyed clutch member 205 which is moved to engage bevel gear 197 or 198 according to the position of a slide bar 213 which is coupled to the clutch member 205 by an overcentre snap spring 211 and is tripped at the end of the traverse by the engagement of one of the pins 218 on the carriage 11 with one of the arms 214 carrying the slide bar 213. At the same time, the upper rack 17 as viewed in Fig. 3 on the carriage 11 comes into contact with one of the pins 21 and rotates the playing unit through 180 degrees, said unit being held in one or other positions by overcentre snap springs 18. Before the completion of the 180 degrees rotation the lower rack 17 as viewed in Fig. 3, comes into contact with one of the pins 24, and prevents a heavy thump occuring due. to the action of the snap springs 18. 'The machine is set in motion by one or more of the selectors 103, 104, Figs. 3, 17 and 18, being pushed into an operative position by an arm 116 which is made to traverse a rod 118 by a manual control 7 via a chain 132, and which is pushed inwardly by a notched bar 123, Fig. 14, moved by a solenoid 131 whose circuit is completed by a swtich 135, Fig. 3, closed by the operation of a push button 8. The setting of any selector 103, 104 to an operative position moves a bar 139 to close a switch 140 to set the turntable motor and motor 204 in motion. The selectors 103, 104 have projections 114, 115, respectively, set at different levels to each other. If the carriage 11 is moving to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the projection 114 of any operated selector 103 can engage the tooth 154, Fig. 21, of a member 147 mounted on an arm 143 pivoted at 144 on the carriage 11. When such engagement occurs, the member 147 rides up over the projection 114 and causes a switch 142 to be closed whereby solenoid 224, Figs. 3 and 23, is operated so that a lever 219 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 23 and disengages the clutch 205 and interrupts the traverse of the carriage 11. At the same time, a latch 235 moves into the position shown in Fig. 23 to hold the lever 219 in position. A worm 226 on the shaft 195 is moved axially to engage the gear 201 and is thereby rotated to drive a gear 227, Fig. 22, on a cam shaft 242. A cam 241 thereon at the completion of a half revolution, opens switch contacts 261 to stop the motor 204. During this half revolution a cam 176 on the cam shaft 242 moves away from a hinged bail-bar 174 and allows a linkage 171, 177. Figs: 2 and 3, to be moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, under the influence of a spring 175, whereby a pusher 168 removes a record from the rack on to a guide 51 which is tilted to guide the chosen record into a. playing position, and the link 177 moves a dog 158, Fig. 3, to engage the end of lever 143 which is pushed back to restore the appropriate selector 103 to the irioperative position. At the end of the movement of the guide 51. it engages a pin 48, Figs. 2 and 4. on a bellcrank 46 carrying a crooked pin 47 which engages a lug 42 on a rocking member 36 pivoted about a central position behind the turntable 30. The lug 42 engages an outward acting spiral cam surface 44 in the back of the turntable 30 so that the member 36 is flung counterclockwise to cause a tongue 75 thereon to engage one track of a crossthreaded track on a member 71 on the turntable shaft 84, whereby the shaft 84 is drawn inwardly so that lugs 95 spring outwardly, under the influence of snap springs 94, to engage the record 89 and clamp it on to the turntable 30. The inward movement of the shaft 84 allows a roller 66, Fig. 5, on a lever 67 to be with drawn from a U-shaped member 62 so that, under the influence of a torsion spring 53. Fig. 5 the stylus 55 is lowered on to the record. As the stylus traverses the record, a wire extension 63 on the U-shaped member 62 comes into contact with a lug 43 on the member 36 and at certain point at the end of the record the lug 43 engages the spiral cam surface 44 in the back of the turntable. whereupon the member 36 is flung clockwise so that a tongue 74 engages one of the tracks in member 74 and the shaft 84 is withdrawn to cause the roller 66 again to encounter the U-shaped member whereby the stylus 55 is lifted from the record. The member 62 also comes into contact with a sloping surface 72, Fig. 8, so that the pick-up 52 is swung to its outermost position. The withdrawal of the shaft also releases the record from the turntable. The rocking of the lever 67 draws a detent 83 over a switch member 80 so that the circuit of motor 204 is again established and the rotation of the camshaft 242 completed whereupon the record is returned to the magazine. At the same time. a pin 240 on the gear 227 releases the latch 235 so that lever 219 returns to the position shown in Fig. 22 and drive of the leadscrew 14 is restored. The carriage 11 is thus traversed until another selector 103 is engaged and the operation repeated. When the carriage reaches the end of its traverse it is reversed as previously described, and at the same time a member 153, Fig. 3, engages a pin 152 on the member 147 which is turned through an angle of 90 degrees to the position shown in Fig. 18 so that on the return journey of the carriage 11 the projection 156 on the member 147 may engage the projection 115 of any of the selectors 104 which may have been set to the operative position. When all selectors 114, 115, have been returned to the inoperative position, the bail-bar 139 drops and the switch 140 is broken so that the machine stops.