Patent GB-200548-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to gramophones and analogous machines
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1922-03-11
Abstract: 200,548. Seymer, V. H. March 11, 1922. Multiple machines; returning soundbox to starting-point.-A gramophone for automatically playing a series of records comprises means whereby successive records are transferred from a container to the turntable, each record being removed from the turntable after playing, and, if it is a doublesided record, reversed and replaced on the turntable and afterwards delivered to a container for used records. In the machine shown, a magazine 35 is provided, having two series of shelves forming oppositely-inclined compartments, the upper series containing the unplayed records, and the lower ones serving to receive the records after playing. The magazine is movable upwards intermittently, so that as each shelf of the upper series passes a guard 73 the record carried by the shelf slides out and is received between pairs of jaws 39 of a carrier. The jaws are pivoted on a forked arm 38, mounted on a shaft 37. The shaft is movable rotatably and axially to transport the records successively to the turntable 1 and afterwards to deliver them to the lower part of the magazine. The tilting and swivelling movements of the jaws 39 necessary for receiving, reversing, and finally discharging the records are effected by a rack and pinion 56, 57, the rack being reciprocated by a lever 46 and a cam 44. The cam, which is loose on the shaft 37, is moved in equal steps by pawl and ratchet mechanism, so as to make one complete revolution during each cycle of operations of the carrier-shaft 37. The requisite movements of this shaft and the step-by-step movements of the magazine are derived from a spindle 7, which is intermittently clutched to a spindle 6<a> directly driven by the continuously-running turntable spindle 2; the clutch is so operated by differential gearing, controlled by the tone-arm, that the spindle 7 is driven only when the tone-arm is station A slidable bar 61, actuated by a cam 58 on the spindle 7, effects rotary movements of the shaft 37 by means of rack teeth 63, and also operates a lever 66 whereby the magazine is raised intermittently. A cam 76 driven bv the spindle 7 operates a lever 78 for raising and lowering the shaft 37, the lower end of the shaft bearing on a disc 95 which is moved intermittently by gearing driven from the magazine-holder 36. A series of double notches 97, 98, Fig. 5, are provided on the periphery of the disc, corresponding to the records to be played. Any one of the notches 98 may be masked by a slidable piece 100 (there being one such member provided for each notch 98), if the record corresponding thereto is single-sided. Each descent of the shaft 37 is timed to occur when the jaws 39, holding a record, are over the turntable, the jaws being then forced apart by fixed stops (not shown) and the record deposited on the turntable. Such movement is, however, prevented in the case, of a single-sided record, owing to the blocking action of the corresponding part 100. Raising and lowering of the shaft 37 causes the sound-box to be raised or lowered from the record, by means of a link 83 connected to a toothed sector (not shown) which gears with a pinion on the goose-neck pivot. The tone-arm is moved to the starting-point by contact of the record-carrier therewith, each time the latter moves into position over the turntable. In modifications, the requisite movements of the recordcarrier and of the magazine are effected by electromagnetic or pneumatic means. The turntable may be stopped temporarily when a record is being transferred thereto, or removed, and it may be finally arrested automatically when the last record of the series has been played.