Patent GB-1183243-A (GB)
Title: Record Changers for Phonographs
Inventor: OSBORNE FRED HENRY
IPC: G11B27/00
Filed: 1968-02-28
Abstract: 1,183,243. Disc record changers. WURLITZER CO. 28 Feb., 1968 [1 March, 1967], No. 9644/68. Heading G5R. In a record changer for an automatic phonograph comprising a base, a record magazine having a generally circular shape mounted on the base for holding a plurality of records, a turntable mounted on the base, and record transfer means mounted on the base for moving a selected record from the magazine to the turntable, the central axis of the turntable is substantially parallel to the central axis of the record magazine. The record changer described in the present Specification, together with the record selector assembly described in Specification 1,183,242 and the counter assembly described in Specification 1,183,244, preferably constitute a complete apparatus. Fig. 1 (not shown), is a general view of the record changer (see Fig. 1 of the abridgment of Specification 1,183,244). Sequence of operations.-When one side of a record has been selected, and the selection " sensed ", a drive motor rotates the record magazine shown partly in Fig. 4 about the axis of a hub 210 until the selected record is located beneath a frame assembly 300. The magazine drive motor then stops, and a motor (not shown) driving a cam-shaft 444, Fig. 18, starts. Record transfer assembly mechanism 108 controlled by the cam-shaft thereupon rolls the record slightly up and left to the full-line position of Fig. 4 for gripping by the frame assembly, rotates record and frame assembly clockwise to position 330, Fig. 4, twists record and frame assembly about a diametral axis so that the side to be played faces left, and continues the clockwise rotation to position 376, Fig. 4, where the record is on a turntable, Fit. 18. At this stage, the mechanism operates a switch which partly re-sets the control circuit, but cam-shaft rotation is maintained. If the record is of 33<SP>1</SP>/ 3  r.p.m. type, its centre hole engages only the small spindle 674, 676, of the turntable shown in Fig. 32, and the weight of the record forces down the large spindle 672 in the manner described in Specification 1,183.241. A rod 688. Fig. 32. at the lower end, is also forced down, and thereby operates a switch 690 which causes a solenoid 732 to be energized: this results in a drive wheel 718. Figs. 32 and 39, being raised to lie adjacent to (but not yet touch) the smaller portion 724 of a drive shaft 716. Clamp arm 308, Fig. 18, is then retracted and the turntable carriage 470, Fig. 39, is swivelled slightly about pivot 476, to free the record from the frame assembly 300. One of the cams then releases a cable 780, Fig. 39, to permit drive wheel 718 to touch drive shaft 716. At the same time, the counterweighted tone arm 114, Fig. 23, is moved positively inwards to its starting position and then left free to be traversed by needle engagement, by rod 514; it is lowered, at the starting position, towards the record, which now starts to rotate. Immediately thereafter, cam-shaft rotation stops. When playing is completed, a positioning lever 540, Fig. 23, attached to the tone arm 114, operates a switch 544, which re-starts the camshaft drive motor and stops the turntable drive motor. The tone arm 114 is then restored to its original position by cam action. Cable 780, Fig. 39, is pulled to separate drive wheel 718 from drive shaft 716, and the turntable carriage 470 is swivelled and clamp arm 308 released so that the record is re-gripped. The record transfer assembly mechanism 108 is re-started, and during return of the record to the magazine, mechanism 704, Fig. 39, and 706, Fig. 32, operates to raise the turntable spindles, whereupon solenoid 732 is de-energized and drive wheel 718 thereby lowered. (If the record had been one of 45 r.p.m. type, the turntable spindles would not have been lowered, and the spindle restoration would have been a minor adjusting movement). When the record is back in normal position, cam-shaft rotation stops. Other features.-The turntable drive motor is resiliently suspended. Lost-motion connections are provided in certain of the linkages to allow for jamming of parts such as the tone arm. The main drive wheel of the cam-shaft ineludes a member which operates a switch which actuates circuitry to lock the record selection mechanism during the cycle; this prevents change of record selection, once made.