Patent GB-853991-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to gramophone record playing apparatus
Inventor: RAE ALEXANDER JAMES
IPC: G11B19/26
Filed: 1956-05-11
Abstract: 853,991. Automatic gramophones. ELECTRIC & MUSICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. May 3, 1957 [May 11, 1956; Jan. 19, 1957], Nos. 14664/56 and 2039/57. Class 40 (2) In an automatic record player the records are supported on a centre post which has means for releasing the lowermost record to an intermediate supporting position while automatic means associated with the pick-up gauge the size of the record and set a stop which determines the subsequent setting down position of the pick-up after which the stop is released to enable the pick-up to track the record. The centre post supports the stack of records by means of primary supports 3 which are withdrawn, and secondary supports 13 forced outwardly, Fig. 4, to support all but the lowermost record 4 when a centre rod 2 is drawn downwardly. The lowermost record does not immediately fall to the turntable because it is temporarily supported by the lower ends 9 of the primary supports 3. At this moment, during the automatic cycle of a cam-disc 25, the pickup arm makes a primary inward traverse until arrested by the engagement of an abutment 54 thereon, Fig. 11, with the edge of the record 4. The primary inward traverse of the pick-up arm is produced by an abutment 33, Fig. 5, on cam-disc 25 which moves the pick-up arm via lever 42, friction coupled arm 41 and a link 38 connected to an arm 23 rigid with the pickup arm shaft 22. Carried along with the arm 23 is a stop member 35 freely movable on the pick-up arm shaft 22. When the abutment 54 engages the edge of a record, Fig. 7, slip occurs between lever 42 and arm 41 at an early or late stage according to the diameter of the record. Further rotation of the cam-disc 25 brings a cam sector 30 into engagement with an arm 46 which causes a brake pad 51 to lock the position of the stop member 35 until the pickup arm has been moved -outwardly by an abutment 32, the lowermost record released on to the turntable, and the pick-up arm fed inwardly again by an abutment 34. As the pick-up is lowered on to the record by means of a sunk sector 28 in the cam-disc 25, the cam sector 30 is leaving the arm 46, to release the brake pad 51 on the stop member 35 which is subsequently restored to its initial position by an abutment 31 on cam sector 30 when the next cycle of the cam disc 25 commences. Initiation of the cam-disc cycle is effected, in well-known manner by a tap-tap lever 90 frictionally coupled to the bar 38 via an arm 91, link 56 and bell-crank 39. At the tripping of the tap-tap lever 90, a pin 87 thereon moves a jockey pulley 69 into engagement with the stepped motor shaft 70 and wheel 71 to establish a drive to the cam-disc 25 through a gear train 72, 74, 75, 76, 77. The lever 79 carrying the jockey pulley 69 is locked on by a slotted disc 84 having an over-centre acting spring 85 connected thereto. The lever 79 may also be operated by a START lever 98 which actuates a bell-crank 102 and draws a link 83, coupled to lever 79, to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5. The link 83 is moved back at the end of an automatic cycle by a projection 68 on the camdisc 25. The record release is operated by means of a cam surface 104 on a cam 103 mounted on the shaft 75. During the inoperative period of the cam-disc, a notch in the cam 103 is in the downward position and allows the pivoted sliding plate 110, which operates the record release, to be moved under the tension of spring 107 to a position in which the centre post can be easily withdrawn for record removal. When there is no record left on the stack, the pick-up arm moves inwardly unopposed to a point at which a post 67 on lever 41 unlatches a lever 64 from an abutment 66 on a spring-loaded lever 61, so that an upturned end 60 thereon rests against the side of link 56. When the pick-up arm is then moved to its outermost position beyond the edge of the turntable the lever 61 latches in a notch 59 in link 56 and thereby prevents an inward traverse of the pick-up which is subsequently lowered on to a switch 68 to stop the machine. Speed changing is effected by operation of a pressbutton 117 on a lever 118 which, via a claw 132 successively rotates a shaft 125 to one of four positions indicated on a barrel 124 visible through a window 123, and adjusts the height of a bracket 114 carrying a jockey pulley 112 coupling the stepped motor shaft 70 to the turntable rim. At each moment that a speedchanging operation is taking place a cam 119 on lever 118 moves a lever 120 to temporarily disengage jockey pulley 112 from the shaft 70. This disengagement is also effected by the stop switch 133 by the movement of a bar 134 coupled to lever 120. Specifications 617,864, 846,461, 853,992 and 853,993 are referred to.