Patent GB-352980-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to record changing mechanism for gramophones and the like
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1930-01-13
Abstract: 352,980. Magazine gramophones. BANNISTER, A. R., 61, Mount Arrarat Road, Richmond, Surrey, and STOKES, V. J., 20, St. Mary's Crescent, Hendon, London. Jan. 13, 1930, No. 1201. [Class 40 (ii).] Apparatus, which may be applied to existing gramophones, for supplying records from a stock to a turntable and for returning the tone-arm at completion of playing comprises means for supporting separately the superposed stock of records at diametrically opposite points above the turntable and means operated from the turntable spindle and initiated by the tone-arm at completion of playing of a record to return and reposition the tone-arm and to release the lowermost record so that it descends gently on to the turntable above the played record and engages over an elongated turntable spindle. Record magazines. The records in a pile are separately supported at one point on rods 9, Figs. 1 and 3, extending between endless chains or the like and the pile rests at its diametrically opposite point on a fixed support and guide 10 which is adjustable radially to suit the diameter of the records and supported in spaced relation from the motor board by rods 105. The chains extend round guides 8 in a member 11 mounted on an inverted U-shaped member 13 which is adjustably fixed to suit the size of the records on a plate 15 supported in spaced relation from the motor board. Supplying records to turntable. The turntable spindle 4 drives constantly by pulleys 5, 40 and a belt 41 a pinion 34a which normally engages a gap in a wheel 34 connected by a link 60 to a lever 61, Fig. 1, for effecting the return of the tone-arm on completion of playing of a record. At this stage an arm moving with the tone-arm contacts an adjustable pivoted stop to permit a spring to tend to move the lever 61 which acts through the link 60 to rotate the wheel 34 into gear with the pinion 34a so as to be driven thereby. A cam 31 on the wheel 34 operating in a slot in a pivoted lever 24 rocks this to pull down a lever 23 by means of a catch 24a which engages a flange on the lever to permit of the adjustment of the members 11, 13. This movement of the lever 23 operates pivoted levers to project an arm 51 between the rods 9 of the chains and withdraw an arm 49, and a spring 53 subsequently operates the arm 51 to advance the chains so that the bottom record is released and falls on to fingers 22 on pivoted levers 21a, which are advanced to receive it and subsequently moved back to release it and permit the opposite edge of the record to ride gently down the guide 10a of the support 10 on to the turntable as the cam 31 completes its revolution and resets the various levers before the wheel 34 comes to rest. Tone-arms returning and repositioning. Adjacent to the tone-arm mounting and spaced from the motor board by supporting rods 65, Figs. 1 and 11, is arranged a plate 62 carrying a vertical pivot 75 for a bracket 77 within which a T-shaped lever 79 is pivoted at 78 and extends through a slot 71 in the plate 62 to contact a slide 69 below the plate. The head of the T-lever has adjustably connected thereto one end of a rod 85 extending through a loop 86, Fig. 1, near the end of the tone-arm 2, and also an arm 92 with enlargement 92a. On completion of playing of a record the part 92a is carried against a lug 94a on a pivoted lever 94 normally engaging the slide 69, and rocks it to release the slide which has a pin-and-L slot connection with a pivoted lever 61 connected by the link 60 with the wheel 34, Fig. 3. When the slide is so released a spring 68 tends to rotate the lever 61 whereby the wheel 34 is turned to gear with the driven pinion 34a previously described. The wheel 34 and link 60 now act to rock the lever 61 whereby the slide is first moved forward to act through the T-lever 79 and rod 85 to lift the tone-arm and sound-box, and a part on the lever 61 then acts against the side of the limb 79 of the T-lever to swing the rod and tone-arm so that the sound-box is carried clear of the record, leaving the limb 79 in contact with a pivoted resetting lever 67 for the tone-arm. During the continued movement of the lever 61 a fresh record is supplied to the turntable as previously described, and towards the completion of its movement the resetting lever follows it under spring action to move the limb 79, or the limb is positively moved by the lever 61, against a shoulder on the slide, thereby bringing the tone-arm into position over the starting groove of the new record and finally the slide is drawn back to permit the sound-box to descend on to the record, the spring-operated resetting lever ensuring that it is pushed along to the first groove. The rod 85 may be slightly cranked to permit of adjusting the tone-arm initially by loosing the nut 84 and rotating the rod slightly. Provision may be made for lowering the turntable automatically when each new record is supplied, and for stopping the motor automatically when all the records have been played.