Patent GB-358876-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in magazine gramophones
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1930-05-09
Abstract: 358,876. Magazine gramophones. STOCKTON, J. P., 100, Worth Street, New York, U.S.A. May 9, 1930, No. 14338. [Class 40 (ii).] A magazine gramophone comprises a turntable C, Fig. 3, adapted to support a plurality of records, a movable reproducer D and stylus for playing the top record on the turntable, a record magazine E located at one side of the turntable and substantially on the same level as the turntable, and automatic record-transferring mechanism for urging the top record in the magazine into proper position for being transferred and for transferring it on to the previously played record on the turntable on the completion of playing of such record. The records are stacked in the magazine E, Fig. 3, on two inclined supports 70, 71 having end stops 73, 74 to engage the records so as to locate the record centres in a predetermined position. Record-transferring means.-A record-transferring arm 75 is pivoted at the upper end of a shaft 95, Fig. 10, extending through a sleeve 96 and having at its lower end a cam 94 which is oscillated by a rod 93 and arm 92 on a shaft 91 driven bv an auxiliary motor 40 as shown in Fig. 2. The arm 75 is raised and lowered by the engagement of a roller 110 on the arm with a cam 111 which has raised ends 111b and is mounted on the sleeve 96. A heavy head 100, Fig. 16, on the arm 75 has a roller 104 mounted on a spring-pressed finger 101 and an additional roller 105. At the end of playing a record, the arm is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the operation of the motor 40 causes the cam 94 to shift the arm 75 in anticlockwise direction and the cam 111 lowers it on to the top record in the magazine. The finger 101 engages the centre hole in the record, and causes the record to ride up a pair of inclined guides E<1>, E<11>, Fig. 3, which have their upper edges on a level with the top of the turntable spindle 85. The record, in its further movement, is engaged by a depending member 131 carried by the electric pick-up and subsequently moves the latter outwardly until the centre hole of the record engages the spindle 85 and the record is deposited on the turntable. In its return movement the arm 75 is supported by the cam 111, which subsequently lowers it so that the head 100 engages the top record in the magazine and moves over the same, the roller 103 on the head tending to push the record rearwardly and position it correctly against the end stops 73, 74. The cam 111 then lifts the arm 75 from the magazine. The electric pick-up D is carried by an arm 122 mounted in a shoe 120 which is pivoted on a post 123 extending upwardly from a bushing 124 surrounding the shaft 95 as shown in Fig. 10. The arm 122 is raised or lowered by a plunger 115 under the action of a cam 114 on the cam 94. The upper surface of the plunger has a pair of notches, either of which may engage the shoe 120 according as to whether the record to be played is of ten or twelve-inch size. During its lowering movement the arm 122 is provided with a rapid inward motion under spring action so that the stylus may engage the record groove. At the completion of playing a record, a trip switch G, Fig. 2, is actuated to close the circuit of the motor 40. The switch G includes a pivoted plate 148 carrying contacts 150, 151 in circuit with the motor 40 and also a pivoted arm 152 under the control of a spring 154. The lever 152 has a wheel 155 adapted to close the contacts 150, 151 and is held in the open position by a spring- controlled detent 156. A projection 160 on the lever 156 is adapted to engage a worm 145 which is driven by the turntable motor 34. An arm 147 carried by the reproducer arm 122 is adapted to engage the plate 148 near the end of the record and cause the member 160 to engage the worm 145. When the special control groove at the end of a record suddenly moves the arm 122 inwards, the levers 152, 156 are separated and the contacts 150, 151 are closed. An extension 161 on lever 156 engages a stop 162 to effect such action should no control groove be provided. The switch is reset by a spring-pressed pawl on the cam 94 engaging an extension 163 on the switch plate 148. Records may be played in succession without an intermission or with an intermission of one minute, three minutes or five minutes according to the setting of a time switch 45, and this intermission may occur after every record or sequence of two, three or four records according to the setting of a switch 44. The spring contacts 27a, 27b, 27c of a switch 27 are operated by cams on a shaft 13, Fig. 5, controlled by a knob 15 on the baseboard so as to engage respectively contacts 28, 29, 30. The contact 29 is connected by a wire 33 to the turntable motor 34, Fig. 1, having a return lead 35 to a plate 25, and this contact is also connected with one contact of the trip switch G, the other contact of which is connected by a plate 38 with the motor 40. The contact 30 is connected by a wire 57 with a rotary brush 68 driven by the motor 34 and engaging with the four fixed segments 64 .. 67 of an intermission switch L, such segments being connected respectively with the contacts 0, 1, 3, 5 of the switch 45. The contacts 2, 3, 4 of the switch 44 are each connected to contacts 51, 52, 53 which are normally engaged by movable spring contacts 55, 54, 56 connected together and to the contact 30. The motor 40 is adapted to drive a one-revolution shaft 205, Fig. 24, by chain-gearing, and a cam 206 on this shaft is adapted to close a switch 42. Gears 207, 208 on the shaft 205 engage respectively gears 209, 210 associated with cams 213, 214, 215 cooperating with the spring contacts 56, 55, 54. The gearing and cams are so arranged that the contacts 56, 55, 54 are opened once every two, three, or four revolutions respectively of the shaft 205. The brush 68 engaging the fixed segments 64 .. 67 of the switch L, Fig. 24, is carried on a rim 188 of a disc 187 on a drum 185 which is loose on a shaft 181<1>. This shaft is driven by gearing from the motor 34 and drives the drum by a spring 184. To reset the brush 68 to zero position, a mutilated gear 220 on the one revolution shaft 205 meshes with a pinion 222 carrying a disc 223 on which is mounted a spring-pressed lever 224 engageable with a pin 231 carried by the disc 187. In resetting, the pin 231 is picked up by the lever 224 and carried around to a predetermined position in which the disc 223 is held by a spring, the brush 68 then engaging with the segment 64. Operation.-The switch 27 is set so that the spring contacts 27a, 27b engage the contacts 28, 29. For automatic operation without any time interval between records, the record selector 44 and time selector 45 are placed as shown in Fig. 1, a number of records are placed in the magazine and one record is disposed on the turntable and played. At the end of playing the record, the trip switch G is closed and the motor 40 operates the record-transferring arm 75 to place a new record on the turntable and also closes the switch 42 to complete a circuit in shunt with the trip switch, which is closed by the return movement of the arm 75. This circuit includes the brush 68 and segment 64 of the switch L so that the motor 40 will continue to operate as long as the circuit is closed. When the arm 75 is fully returned the switch 42 opens by virtue of the completion of the cycle of the shaft 205 so as to stop the motor 40, and by this time the stylus has been lowered for playing the next record. For providing an intermission of one, three, or five minutes after every record, the time selector 45 is moved to the appropriate contact, thereby providing a different shunt circuit about the trip switch G, such circuit including the switch 42 and brush 68 as before and one of the other segments 65, 66, 67 so that although the switch 42 is closed the motor circuit will remain open after opening of the trip switch G until such time as the brush 68 rotates into contact with the relevant segment so as to complete the cycle of the motor 40. This intermission occurs while the transferring arm 75 is above the turntable and supported by cam 111. For providing an intermission after every second, third, or fourth record, the selector 44 is moved to the appropriate contact so as partially to complete an alternative shunt circuit about the trip switch G. This circuit may be completed or not according to the sequence of playing. For example, with the selector 44 on contact 2, the circuit will be closed between contacts 53, 56 at every other revolution of the shaft 205 so that for each alternate transfer operation the time selector circuit is shunted and the motor 40 continues to operate. When, owing to the fact that there is no record in the magazine, the arm 75 moves without a record, the spring contact 27c of the switch 27 engages the contact 30 by engagement between a finger 101 on the arm 75 and an arm on the shaft 13 of the switch 27 so that the two selectors 44, 45 are short-circuited and the motor 40 completes its cycle. The stylus is then moved into initial position corresponding to that for a ten-inch record and replays the record on the turntable. After this reproduction, the trip switch G again effects operation of the arm 75, which on again moving to the turntable rotates the shaft 13 of the switch 27 far enough to disengage the spring contacts 27a, 27b from the contacts 28, 29 and opens the circuits of the turntable motor and amplifying apparatus. A record may be repeated indefinitely with or without time and sequence control by placing the switch 27 so that it cannot be operated by the finger 101 on the arm 75.