Patent GB-460501-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic mechanisms for magazine gramophones
IPC: G11B17/16
Filed: 1936-07-16
Abstract: 460,501. Magazine gramophones. COLLARO, C:, and COLLARO, Ltd. July 16, 1936, No. 19720. [Class 40 (ii)] A magazine gramophone is provided with a divided bridge structure 5 carrying means for supporting a stack 6a of records to be delivered in succession to a turntable, such structure normally spanning the turntable as a complete bridge, but being adapted to be opened to facilitate the removal of records from the turntable 6 or the mounting of records to be played. Alternatively, the stack of records may be carried by an arm which is mounted so that it may be swung about a substantially vertical axis near the edge of the turntable from a position in which it projects over the turntable and the records are adapted to be delivered in succession to the turntable without moving the arm, to a position in which the removal of played records or the mounting of records to be played is facilitated. The bridge 5 comprises a pillar 20, Figs. 1 and 2, of channel cross-section, and an L-shaped member 22, also of channel cross-section, which is pivoted to the base 21 so that it may be swung laterally about a vertical axis to bring the horizontal arm clear of the turntable. The records are threaded on a post 1, which depends from the horizontal arm 22 of the bridge member and comprises, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, two movable members 3, 4, and a fixed part 2 which is in the form of a flat web provided at its lower end with a cylindrical extension 8 so as to present a shoulder 7 for supporting a stack of records 6a. The member 3 consists of a bell-crank lever which is pivoted to the part 2 and has two prongs 3<a>, 3b lying one on each side of the part 2, as shown in Fig. 7. The member 4 is located between the prong 3b and the fixed part 2 and is provided at its lower end with a toe 12 which, when the member 4 is rocked about its pivot 11, pushes on the edge of the centre aperture of the lowermost record in the stack and slides the record laterally until the aperture registers with the portion 8 to enable the record to fall downwardly on to the turntable, being guided by the spindle 13. The lower edge of the toe 12 slides in a groove formed in the extension 8 and the depth of the toe is such that only the lowermost record can be engaged. Recesses 14 are provided in the prongs 3<a>, 3b to permit the lateral sliding movement of the lowermost record. The member 4 is operated by the action of a cam 41, Fig. 1, on a pin 40 which is connected through links 34, 38 with a connecting rod 33 having its bent-over upper end in engagement with an extension 31 of the member 4. The shaft 42 of the cam 41 is clutched to the driving motor by means such as described in Specification 439,016 so as to operate the lever 33 and thereby swing the member 4 against a spring 43 to effect the release of a record. The link 38 is urged leftwards by a spring 44, and a member 45 is provided for pushing this link so that the pin 40 is outside the path of the cam 41 when it is desired to repeat the playing of a record, such mechanism being described in Specifications 439,016 and 460,500. The L-shaped bridge 22 can only be moved clockwise as seen in Fig. 2 on account of the shape of the interengaging ends of the part 22 and pillar 20 which are formed as shown in Fig. 9. A latch 23, Figs. 1, 2 and 9, which is pivoted in the part 22 projects into the pillar 20 and is caused by a spring 25 to engage a wall 23<a> on the pillar 20. The records on the post 1 are steadied by a pair of pivoted arms 15, Fig. 1, which bear on the uppermost record under the action of a spring 19 and are connected together by a pin-and-slot connection 18. When the last record is discharged from the post 1, the arms 15 move downward and a pin 49 on one arm 15 engages a lever 47 so as to lift a rod 46 disposed in the pillar 20 and cause a pin 50 to operate stop mechanism such as described in Specification 460,500. When it is desired to change the records, a handle 26 on the bridge 22 is turned so that a pin 28 on the spindle 27 of the handle engages a cam slot 29 on one of the arms 15 so as to raise both the arms 15, and, at the same time, a projection 30 on one of the arms 15 engages the latch 23 and moves it clear of the wall 23<a> of the pillar 20 to permit lateral swinging of the bridge 22. A pin 51, Fig. 4, on the spindle 27 also engages the horizontal arm of the member 3 and swings the latter, together with the member 4 due to the interengaging surfaces 53, 54, against the action of a spring 52. The outer ends of the latch 23, arm 31, and lever 47 are thereby brought to the same substantially horizontal position so that they can pass through a gate 20<a>, Fig. 9, in the side wall of the pillar 20 when the bridge 22 is swung laterally. This movement of the members 3, 4 brings the post 1 into the smooth condition shown in cross-section in Fig. 7 to permit threading of records on the spindle. With the bridge 22 in outward position, a new stack of records is placed on the turntable, and the bridge is then returned and the records lifted so that they may be threaded on to the post 1. As the records are lifted, the uppermost record pushes a cam finger 55, Fig. 1, which has been previously brought to a depending position by the handle 26, so as to turn the spindle 27 and cause the arms 15 to move downwardly, the latch 23 to lock the two parts 20, 22 of the bridge, and the parts 3, 4 to move to a position in which the shoulder 7 supports the records. The movement of the pick-up is controlled in accordance with the size of record to be played by means of two feelers 57 which project inwards from the vertical portions of the bridge and each consists of two pivoted parts 57, 57<a>. Both parts are pivoted at 58 to the bridge, and the part 57<a> has a tongue 59 lying beneath the part 57. When a record of greater diameter than a certain predetermined size is released from the post 1, it engages the parts 57 and swings them, and the parts 57<a>, about the pivots 58. The parts 57<a> of the two feelers are connected by links 60, 61, 66 and bell-crank levers 62, 63. The link 66 controls the pick-up by mechanism such as described in Specifications 439,106 and 460,502. The feelers 57 are moved downwardly when the bridge is to be loaded with new records by means of the handle 26 through the medium of a link 68, bell-crank lever 69, and a link 71 which has a slot 72 for engaging the pin 73 serving as a pivotal connection between the link 61 and associated feeler member 57a. The feelers are returned to operative position by a spring 67 acting on the lever 66. Should the records be lifted from the turntable without operation of the handle 26, the records will engage the feelers 57 and swing them upwardly about the pivots 58, as far as the records can be lifted. The magazine post 1 may be constructed as described in Specifications 439,106 and 454,337.