Patent GB-368252-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to talking machines
IPC: G11B17/00
Filed: 1930-09-25
Abstract: 368,252. Magazine gramophones. COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE CO., Ltd., 102, Clerkenwell Road, London. Sept. 25, 1930, No. 28762. Convention date, Sept. 25, 1929. Addition to 309,873, [Class 40 (ii), Phonographs &c.]. [Class 40 (ii).] In a magazine gramophone of the kind described in the parent Specification, in which records are transferred automatically to the turntable from a stack, and each one is returned in reversed position to the stack after one side of the record has been played, means are provided whereby both sides of each record are played in succession. This is accomplished by providing mechanism which causes each record, after it has been returned to the stack when one side has been played, to be at once transferred again to the turntable with the other side uppermost. Each record, when transferred to the turntable for the first playing, is delivered from the bottom or rear of the stack, and it is returned after each playing to the top or front of the stack. A hand-lever is provided to prevent the successive playing of both sides of any record if desired. Record-storing and transferring devices.- The record-storing magazine consists of an open-fronted receptacle 38, Figs. 1 and 3, mounted on horizontal trunnions 37 between upright arms 33 of a framework 34. Pins 44 projecting forwardly at the bottom of the magazine support the records, which can be stacked in any order, irrespective of size. In front of the magazine is arranged a device which assists in the transfer of the records to and from the turntable, and which consists of a ring 88 pivotally mounted between brackets 89. The ring is formed with stepped recesses of different diameters corresponding to the different sizes of records, and the inner diameter of the ring is large enough to allow it to surround the turntable 25. Normally disposed at one side of the magazine is a device 198 which assists in the reversal of the records. This consists of a flexible plate 199, Fig. 3, carrying a spring frame 200. The plate is mounted on an arm 196, fixed to a stud 194 which is pivoted on the bottom plate 42 of the magazine, and means are provided, as subsequently described, for rotating the arm so as to swing the device 198 in front of the magazine when a record is to be reversed. Actuating-mechanism and general operation. -A continuously running motor 22, Fig. 4, drives the turntable shaft 24, which is also adapted to drive, when an electrically operated clutch 50 is thrown into action, a transverse shaft 61. This carries a disc 62 having an edge cam and cam grooves on both faces, by which levers are actuated to effect the record transfer operations. Another cam disc 107, and a cam 125 having an extending arm 127, are also fixed on the shaft 61, and serve respectively for raising the pivoted arm carrying the sound-reproducing pick-up and for swing- ing it outwardly to the starting position after a record has been played. A short shaft 168, which is driven by 1 : 2 reduction gearing from the shaft 61, carries a cam 171, which is adapted to actuate mechanism by which the recordreversing device 198 is brought into operation when necessary. Assuming that sound-reproduction from both sides of a record on the turntable has just been completed, a circuit is closed by the pick-up as explained below, and a solenoid 58, Fig. 4, is thereby energized and operates means for throwing the clutch 50 into engagement. Thereupon the shaft 61 rotates, and the cam 107 causes the pick-up to be lifted off the record by forcing upwards, against the action of a spring, a spindle 111 extending down from the pick-up carrying arm. As the shaft 61 continues to rotate, the pick-up is swung to a position beyond the edge of the record, by the action of the arm 127, projecting from the cam 125, upon 'an arm 119 which turns the spindle. The pick-up is subsequently brought in to a point at the edge of the next record to be played, by the action of a spring- actuated lever 132 upon an arm 122, Fig. 17, this return movement being controlled by the action upon the arm 119 of the cam disc 125 and a wing 128 thereon. Due to the eccentric shape of the cam 107, the pick-up descends during the inward swinging movement. This inward movement is limited by means of a stop 139 on the pick-up engaging the edge of the record. The stop, Fig. 17, is mounted on a spindle 140 on the underside of the pick-up casing, and normally lies flat against the casing. It is protruded into the operative position as soon as the pick-up is raised from the record, by the action of a lever 145, which engages a finger 151 when the pick-up swings down about its pivots 27. Just after the stop 139 has engaged the edge of the record, the end of the spindle 111 enters a notch 109 in the cam 107, Fig. 9 ; thus the pick-up needle is lowered on to the record and the stop 139 is automatically put out of action. A weighted lever 156, acting on the arm 122, assists in bringing the needle into the beginning of the record groove. With the entry of the end of the spindle 111 into the notch 109, a switch 164 in the solenoid circuit is opened automatically, and the shaft 61 is thus stopped after completing one revolution. Whilst the pick-up movements are occurring as described, the record-changing operation is taking place. The played record is returned to the magazine by the ring 88, which is swung upwards about its pivots by the action of the cam 62. A groove 76 in a face of this cam engages a pin on an arm 78, Fig. 1, which arm operates, through a lever 81, a segmental gear 84 on a shaft 82 ; this gear is in mesh with teeth 86 formed on an extension 87 of the record-transferring ring. When the ring 88 is tilted rearwardly, the record it has taken from the turntable is dropped on to the supporting pins 44, Fig. 3. Meanwhile, the rearmost record in the magazine 38 is being separated from the rest, and its lower edge passes over a cross bar 41 of the magazine so that the record rests vertically on pads (not shown) arranged behind the magazine. The separation of the record is effected by a " chopping lever " 72, on the tapered end 74 of which the rearmost record rests when in the magazine. The lever 72 is rocked, to dislodge the record from the stack, by means of a lever 64, Fig. 1, which is connected through a rod 68 to the lever 72 ; the lever 64 is actuated at the proper time by a cam 63 on the edge of the disc 62. Next the magazine 38 is swung from the full-line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted-line position, and simultaneously the ring 88 is swung back again towards and eventually below the level of the turntable by the action of the lever 78. During these movements, the record that has been separated from the stack is first raised by the tongue 87 projecting from the ring 88, and it is pushed forward by a flaring rear portion 102 of the magazine 38 as the latter swings on its pivots. The record is received into the recess of corresponding size in the ring, which lowers it on to the turntable. The turntable has a surface of smooth material such as that known under the registered Trade Mark " Bakelite." Swinging of the magazine 38 is effected by means of a cam groove (not shown) in the disc 62, in which groove engages a pin actuating a beam 93. This beam is operatively connected to the magazine through links 95, 99. After the playing of the first side of the fresh record, the clutch 50 is actuated as before, and another revolution of the shaft 61 occurs. During this second revolution, the cam 171, Fig. 4, on the slower moving shaft 168 is brought into action. The cam swings outwardly a lever 179<1>, which through members 180<1>, 181, 182 rotates a member 185, Fig. 3, carrying a segmental gear. This gear rotates a shaft 188, the end of which enters a notch in the stud 194 carrying the arm 196. Thus the device 198 is swung in front of the record magazine 38, so that when the ring 88 lifts the record off the turntable, the record fails to enter the magazine, but is brought up against the resilient member 198 ; consequently as the ring 88 swings down again, the record slides on to the turntable in reversed position. As the member 185 rotates the arm 196, it also causes the lever 64 to be shifted laterally along its pivot so as to be clear of the cam 63, Fig. 1. By this means, the " chopping lever " 72 is put out of action, so that at this time the rearmost record is not removed from the magazine. Means are provided for latching the stud 194 when the member 198 is in operative position, and also for swinging back the member 198 to its normal position after the reversed record has been put on the turntable. In addition to actuating the lever 179<1>, the cam 171 also controls means whereby, during the return of the record in reversed position to the turntable, a swinging movement is given to the magazine which is smaller than the movement required for transferring an unplayed record from the rear of the magazine. A handlever 178, Fig. 4, is provided for enabling the cam 171 to be shifted along the shaft 168 to an inoperative position, if it is desired to prevent the record reversing mechanism from acting. For closing the circuit of the clutchoperating solenoid 58 at the end of the playing of a record, a switch is provided on the pick-up, and comprises a fixed contact and a movable contact carrying a small brush which engages in the record groove behind the needle. When the needle reaches the end of the groove, the brush continues to move, and causes the contacts to close. The contacts separate as soon as the pick-up is lifted from the record, but the solenoid circuit is maintained closed by the contacts 164, Fig. 9, until the pick-up is again lowered, as previously described. A pushbutton switch is also provided in parallel, to enable an operator to set the record-changing mechanism in operation at any time. A safetydevice, comprising a weighted lever, is provided for throwing the clutch 50 out of action