Patent GB-358999-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic talking machines
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1930-06-18
Abstract: 358,999. Magazine gramophones. GREENHILL & CAMBDEN, Ltd., 845, Salisbury House, London, and DAVIES, J., 122, Aldborough Road, Seven Kings, Essex. June 18, 1930, No. 18672. [Class 40 (ii).] A gramophone adapted to play in succession both sides of a series of records has a rotatable platform surrounding the turntable with record-raising arms hinged to this platform. The turntable 1, Fig. 1, is located, when the parts are in playing position, in a hole in a platform 13, hinged at 14, which carries the tone-arm 5. At the end of playing of a record, a pair of contacts in series with a hoisting motor 15 is closed by a quick inward movement of the stylus to start up the motor 15 which drives a kidneyshaped cam 17 on whose surface bears a roller 19 attached to a push-rod 20 so that the platform 13 is tilted upwardly and after a certain angle has been reached the tone-arm 5 swings outwards under its own weight. The turntable is braked by a pad 12a held out of contact with the turntable when the platform 13 is down by the engagement of a rod 39 with the brake spring 12. As the platform rises, the circuit of the turntable driving motor 3 is opened by the operation of a member 47 which releases a spring-biased rod 24 to change over a switch 23. Attached to the face of the cam 17 is a crank 25 carrying a connecting-rod 26 pivotally connected to a swinging arm 28 whose end 30 is connected with a link 32 adapted to rotate a shaft 35 mounted in bearings 36 on the lower side of the platform 13. The shaft 35 carries a pair of rubber-coated arms 37 which, after a certain movement of the platform 13, are swung upwardly to lift the record off the turntable so that it engages with a movable stop 40 and, on the continued rise of the arm 37, the record is turned over falling against a guide flap 41, Fig. 4. On the return movement, the arms 37 move more quickly than the platform 13 so that the turned-over record slides thereon in the reversed position. Towards the end of the downward movement the tone-arm is returned to correct playing position by the engagement of an arm 10 with first an inclined member 43 and then a spring member 44. Accurate engagement of the stylus with the first grooves of the record, whatever its size, is ensured by means of a downwardly depending rod 45 freely pivoted to the pick-up 2 at 46 and adapted to engage the edge of the record. The final movement of the cam 17 through the action of the rod 49 changes over the switch 23 so that the hoisting motor 15 is stopped and the driving motor 3 started. After the reverse side of the record is played the hoisting motor is again started, this time to replace the played record by another. Attached to the arm 28 is an extension 47 to which is pivoted a tappet 48 adapted to pass through a slot 51 and press against a swivel block 52 which is mounted to be rotated about an axis 53. Following an upward movement of the arm 28 and tappet 48, a step 54 of the tappet engages the lower end of the swivel block 52 to rotate the latter, and, according to whether the long or short end of the block 52 is engaged by the step 54, the tappet 48 is deflected to a greater or less extent. A lever 57 pivoted about a horizontal axis 56 is provided with a slot 59 which, when the record has been played on both sides and the tappet 48 has been deflected by the long end of the block 52, is adapted to be engaged by a pin 60 on the tappet 48. In this case, the latter lifts the lever 57 so that the end 58 is moved out of contact with a rod 61, Fig. 6, and thus the stop 40 is brought below the surface of the platform 13 to allow the record to slide into a magazine 63, Fig. 4, for played records. The magazine for unplayed records comprises a shoot 65 provided with a pin 66 passing through the record apertures. The pin is carried by a rod 67, Fig. 5, integral with a block 68 which can be rotated about an axis 69 to alter the amount of projection of the pin 66. On this same axis is mounted a U-member having an arm 71 carrying a striker 71a and an arm 72 biased by a spring 73 connected by a member 74 to the arm 28. The U-member carries a rod 75 projecting across a step 76 cut in the lever 57. Continued rising of the arm 28 releases the spring tension on the U-member until, to change a record disc, upon each alternate cycle of operations, the lever 57 strikes the member 75 to lift it until the striker 71a clears the top record disc which then slides out against the upturned arms 37. Further movement of the cam 17 lowers the platform 13 to bring the parts back into position to play the new record. A switch 78 in series with the main switch is held closed by the weight of the unplayed records which hold down a button 77. When the last record slides off the shoot 65 the switch 78 opens and the machine stops. The magazine may then be recharged and the machine can be restarted to play first the last record of the previous charge.