Patent GB-371864-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with mechanism for effecting an automatic delivery and removal of records to and from a gramophone
Filed: 1931-01-28
Abstract: 371,864. Magazine gramophones. WICKES, H. J., Royston, Whitehouse Common Road, Sutton Coldfield. Jan. 28, 1931, No. 2732. [Class 40 (ii).] Records, which may be of one size only or of two different sizes, stored in a magazine, are fed successively to a turntable having a rising and falling movement by a conveyer operated in synchronism with the vertical movements of the turntable to feed the records thereto and deliver played records therefrom. Provision is made for omitting or arresting the playing of any record and delivering it. Magazines. Gapped supports provided in the magazine each receive a record which if of the smaller size, e.g. 10 in. diameter, rest on ledges 36b, Fig. 3, and if of the larger size, e.g. 12 in. diameter, rest on ledges 36a. Records, changing. The record magazine is supported on a cam 35, Figs. 3 and 4, and the bottom record is fed therefrom to the turntable along guides 48a, 48b by a Y-shaped conveyer 49 carrying two upstanding pins spaced apart and of different length so that the record is engaged by one or other of these whether it is supported on the ledges 36b or on the ledges 36a. The conveyer is reciprocated to feed a fresh record by a pivoted arm 50, Figs. 1 and 4, actuated through levers 52, 53 from a bar 54 which is moved forward by an arm 58 on a shaft 22 and returned by a weighted cord. The shaft 22 is driven at a slow speed during playing of a record and at a quicker speed during record changing from gears 87, 20 loose on a shaft 19 carrying a splined clutch 86 and driven through a clutch 89 and worm and wheel gear 18, 16a from the turntable spindle 13. The cam 35 supporting the magazine is driven by worm gear 33, 34, shaft 32 and bevel gear 30, 31 from the shaft 22 to lower the magazine during feeding of a record. The turntable spindle 13 has telescopic driving connection by a pin 13a with a power-driven shaft 14 and is supported by a collar 27 bearing on balls 26 resting on a support 25 carried by a pivoted counterweighted lever 24 which is rocked by a cam 23 on the shaft 22 to lower and raise the turntable during record changing. Tone-arms, returning and positioning. The vertical pivot to which the tone-arm 67, Figs. 1 and 4, is mounted by a horizontal pivot has an extended rod 65 with arms 64, 68 through which the record-changing operation and the positioning of the tone-arm for starting playing of a fresh record are controlled, and a link extending from the end of the rod 65 is arranged for lifting the reproducer clear of the record during changing. In starting the machine the tone-arm is moved clear of the turntable and a button 91a is pressed to disengage a clutch 89, whereupon a knob 28 on shaft 22 can be turned until a pointer 29 is opposite a starting mark. The motor is now started and drives the turntable spindle 13 which through the worm gear 18, clutch 86, and wheels 20, 21 drives the shaft 22 whereby the cam 23 acts on the lever 24 to lower the turntable and the member 58 acts on a collar 56 on the bar 54 to slide the bar and rock the lever 50 so as to move the conveyer 49, one of the pins on which engages the lowest record and advances it along the guides 48a or 48b so that the turntable now rising under the action of the cam 23 can engage it. As the bar 54 completes its forward movement an extension 54b thereon engages and rocks a pivoted lever 62 which engages the arm 64 on the rod 65 to swing the tone-arm, which is finally positioned for playing by a spring plunger 59 on the bar pressing the arm 64 against spring plungers in one or other of the stops 79, 80 according to the size of record fed. If a large record is fed it depresses a lever 83 to rock a lever 82 and lift the stop 79 clear of the arm 64. The spring plunger in the stop reacts to move the tone-arm inwards slightly for correct engagement of the stylus with the outer groove on the record. The record is now played, and the rapid spiral groove therein at the end effects a movement of the tone-arm, causing the arm 68 on the rod 65 to strike a pivoted arm 69, Fig. 8a, carrying a jaw 72 and complete a circuit through a blade spring 71 to a magnet 73 whereby the armature 74 is retracted. This operates through a link 78 to pull the rod 65 and thereby lift the tonearm so that the stylus is clear of the record, and also through link 84 and lever 85 moves the clutch 86 into engagement with the wheel 87 whereby the shaft 22 is driven at a greater speed whilst the turntable 'is lowered by the cam 23 and the played record is pushed forward by another pin at the forward part of the conveyer so as to fall into a receptacle, whilst a fresh record is fed forward in the manner already described. The pivoted arm 69 and the leaf spring 71 move with the tone-arm during playing, leaving the circuit through the magnet 73 completed through a leaf spring 75 until the tone-arm is swung outwardly and the arm 69 can follow under the action of a spring 69a thereby breaking the circuit at 75. When this is broken the armature is released and the clutch 86 is engaged with the wheel 20 by the spring 89a. The magazine is progressively lowered by the rotation of its supporting cam 35, and a further lowering movement after the last record has been played is arranged to break the circuit of the driving motor.