Patent GB-304070-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in sound reproducing machines
IPC: G11B17/00
Filed: 1928-03-12
Abstract: 304,070. Oyston, W. R., and Lakin, F. A. March 12, 1928. Magazine gramophones. --A gramophone by which a predetermined selection of records is played, the records being automatically taken in turn from a magazine. placed on a turntable, and replaced in the magazine after being ', played, is characterized in that the records are positioned vertically in the magazine, and are played upon a vertically arranged turntable, to and from which they are transferred by electrically controlled means. The electric circuit is automatically broken at the end of the playing of each record and is re-established when the played record has been replaced in the magazine and the tone-arm and sound-box have swung back to the starting position. Means are provided for enabling the playing of any particular record to be repeated. The needle is automatically changed after the playing of each record, and provision is made for enabling either of two kinds, of needles to be used. Driving mechanism. The machine is driven by an electromotor 4, the spindle of which bears a pulley connected by a belt 6 to a pulley 7 on the spindle 9 of the, turntable 8, Fig. 3. The spindle 9 is controlled by a, governor 10 of ordinary type, and also carries a pulley 11 which drives by a belt 12 another governor 13, Figs. 3 and 13. This comprises a hollow spindle 39 carrying a pair of pivotal weighted arms 32 which, when the weights swing outwardly, move nuts 37 into engagement with a screwed spindle 25, slidable within the spindle 39. The lower end of the spindle 25 is provided with a spring- pressed pin 24 engaging a cup bearing on a bellcrank lever 20, Fig. 17, which is fixed to a shaft 18. The lever 20 carries a recessed catch 28, adapted to coact with a lug 44 on the spindle 25. With this arrangement, when motor 4 is running, the governor 13 is rotated, and the spindle 25 is moved downwards, rotating the bell-crank 20 and with it the shaft 18. Tone-arm and sound-box, arranging and mounting. The tone-arm 47, loosely connected at one end to a conduit 45 leading to the horn, has attached. thereto a bracket 48, Fig. 12, pivotally mounted on a fixed rod 49. At the other end of the tone-arm is loosely attached a bracket 53, Figs. 7 and 10, carrying the soundbox 54. The bracket 53 is linl:ed by a rod 56 to a forked block 57, slidable on the rod 49, the block being connected by a link 59 to the bellcrank lever 20. A tension spring 81 holds the sound-box steady in the non-playing position shown in Fig. 7, and when a record is on the turntable and a needle has been fed to the needle-socket 83, the sound-box is rotated, to bring the needle against the record, by the action of the links 59, 56 moved by the parts 20, 57 respectively. Needle feeding, holding, and changing devices. Needles are fed automatically to the sound-box from a magazine. Fig. 2, comprising two compartments 94, 95, one for loud tone needles and the other for soft tone needles, the compartments being mounted on an inclined plate, and having a number of louvred partitions to prevent the needles from crowding at the delivery end. Apertured sliding plates are provided, one at the bottom of each compartment and when one of these is reciprocated a needle is delivered into a shoot 104. The delivery movement of the plates is effected during the operation of the machine by a bell-crank lever 106 actuated by an arm 112 on the main shaft 18, and a connecting rod 111. Either type of needle may be selected by sliding the lever 106 along its support 107 into engagement with either the one or the other of the delivery plates. When a needle 88 falls into the shoot 104, it passes down a flexible tube 84 into the socket 83 mounted on the stylus-bar 82 of the sound-box, Fig. 7, and the end of the needle rests on a spring controlled pivotal support 86 carried by an arm pivoted on the sound-box. The latter also carries a spring-actuated finger 89 having lugs 89<1>, 89<2>, one of which normally abuts against a needle-shoot 65. By the action of these devices, when the sound-box is moved about its axis by the pull exited by the link 56, the needle in the socket 83 is firmly held against the walls. thereof, in an inclined position, is freed from the support 86, and its point is pressed against, the record. On the return pivotal movement of the sound-box after a record has been played, the used needle is released and falls down the shoot 65. Records, storing, transferring to and from turntable, and securing in position for playing. The record magazine comprises a box or drawer 151, Figs. 2 and 18, divided into a number of compartments and mounted to run on rails 148. The bottom, of the drawer is inclined so that the records in the compartments rest against a pad 155. An index card for the records is provided on the magazine, and also a number of keys 154 slidably and frictionally mounted as shown, one opposite to each record compartment. The drawer is pulled out against the action of a strong spring 189, Fig. 22, and keys corresponding to the records selected for playing are depressed ; the drawer is then held by the end of one of the depressed keys abutting against a double!-toothed catch 160, in such a position that the first record to be played can be moved by the transferring device,. The means for transferring a record from the magazine to the turntable and back again comprise, an arm 185, Figs. 17 and 18, fixed to a shaft 177, and carrying a pair of curved arms 186 having grooved rollers adapted to engage the records edgewavs. The shaft 177 is connected to the bell-crank lever 20 through a lever 178, and when the member 20 is initially depressed by the governor 13, as de scribed above, the shaft 177 is rotated, rocking the arm 185, which causes a record to be. pushed out of the magazine on to a platform 126. This is mounted on a rod 122, secured to a pivoted spring-controlled bracket 123, Fig. 22. The platform is supported by one or other of two stops 135, 136 on a. rod 134, according to the size of the record in action, the rod 134 being moved by the record itself, if a large one, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 18 so. that the platform can sink to the lower position. When the record is resting against a stop 129 on the platform it is correctly centred with respect to the turntable, and is then held firmly against it by a pin 16 on an arm 17, Fig. 17, moved upward by the lever 20. The platform 126 is thereupon slightly depressed by the interengagement of a member 120 associated therewith and a sector 116 on the shaft 18, leaving the record free. to rotate. After the record has been played, the motor circuit is broken as described below, and the arm 185 is swung back to its original position, carrying the record back to the magazine. Switching devices. - A switch in the motor circuit is provided on the sound-box, and comprises a fixed insulated contact 72 and a contact formed as a leaf spring 71 attached to an insulated post 69, Fig. 10. Another leaf spring 63 is associated with the spring 71, and passes through a notch in an insulated lug 67 mounted on a bell-crank lever 62, which is pivoted at 61 on the bracket 53. The lever 62 is controlled by a spring 80, and is adapted to be engaged, when the sound-box is in the inoperative position, Fig. 7, by a stop 75 on a rod 63 passing through the lever and anchored at one end. The pivot spindle 61 also has fixed to it an arm 77 which carries a brush 79 adapted to engage the record grooves when the sound-box is in action. This brush serves to operate the contact-device, as subsequently described. Included in the motor circuit, are also a manually-operable switch 175, Fig. 22, and a switch 195 which automatically closes when the record drawer is pulled out. The operation of the machine as a whole is as follows. The record magazine having been drawn outwardly and held in the forward position by the catch 160, the motor 4 is started by completing its circuit through the switch 175. Thereupon the governor 13 causes the bell-crank lever 20 to rotate the shafts 18 and 177 and to operate the arm 17, so that, a record is transferred from the magazine to the turntable, and at the same time the sound-box, which must have previously been supplied with a needle, is rotated into playing position by the means previously described. Also, depression of the rod 134 by the platform 126 moves the tone-arm by mechanism 137, 145, 48, Fig. 12, to the correct starting position. The record is then plaved, and at the end, when the needle reaches a circular groove on the record, the brush 79 continues to travel forward. This causes the lever 62. through the block 67 acting on the spring 68, to separate the contacts 71, 72, so that the motor stops. The governor 13 then allows the bell-crank lever 20 to return to its normal position, by the action of a spring 113 upon the main shaft 18. In consequence, the played record is returned to the magazine, and by the action of an arm 167 on the shaft. 177 and connecting members 166, 165, Figs. 17, 22 the catch 160 is shifted to allow the, record drawer to spring back until the next depressed key encounters The catch. The next selected record is then in position to be transferred from the magazine to the turntable. The link 166 is controlled by a pneumatic delay-device 171 which can be blockad by a hand lever 172 when it is desired to repeat the playing of any particular record. During the replacement of the played record in the. magazine, the sound-box is rotated away from the turntable, the used needle is discharged and a fresh one substituted, and the tone-arm swings back by gravity to its initial position. The rotation of the sound-box causes the stop 75 to close the motor circuit again at the contacts 71, 72, this closure being timed to occur when the plaved record has been returned to the magazine. Tha sequence of operations is then repeated, until finally the switch 195