Patent GB-346742-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic gramophones and the like
Filed: 1929-10-14
Abstract: 346,742. Magazine gramophones. ANSON, H. A., 53, Tregunter Road, Redcliffe Gardens, London. Oct. 14, 1929, No. 31151. [Class 40 (ii).] An automatic gramophone having a turntable smaller in diameter than the smallest record to be played, means for imparting to the turntable substantially axial movement, downwardly from a playing position to release a record and upwardly to the playing position to receive a record, and record-removing guides extending from a position traversed by the turntable and spaced apart by a distance greater than the turntable diameter, has for inverting a record two grips disposed between the playing position of the turntable and the recordremoving guides, means for moving said grips, as the turntable moves from the playing position, towards one another to bear resiliently against the periphery of, and to receive, a record from the turntable as the latter passes therebetween, means for rotating said grips about their common axis to invert a record, and means for moving said grips apart as the turntable passes therebetween on its return to the playing position. The apparatus may play in succession one or both sides of a number of previously selected records, or one or both sides of a single record may be repeated continuously. The gramophone turntable 25 is preferably rotated continuously by means not shown. During reproduction all parts of the apparatus, except the turntable, are stationary in the positions of Figs. 1 and 2. Playing both sides of a number of records in succession. The records to be played are carried by a table 22 and are positioned by a pin 21. A pin 52 carried by a sliding carriage 45 is moved so as to bear upon the top of the pin 21. This closes a circuit through a solenoid 33 so as to move a gear 27 driven by a motor 134 into driving connection with a shaft carrying a pinion 36. The table 22 which has a gear 35 engaging the pinion 36 is carried bv a fixed screw 34 so that as the table rotates the top record thereon is transferred to the pin 52, the upward movement of the table 22 ceasing when the top record separates the members 21, 52. Before any additional movement of the pin 52 occurs the pin 21 which is slidable in the screw 34 moves downwardly due to the action of a cam 147 actuated from a gear 47, and thus ensures complete disengagement of the top record and the pin 21. When the motor ceases from driving the table gear 36 it drives a shaft 28 and through gears 37, 38, a cross shaft 39. The latter is connected by members 42, 43 to a bracket 40 pivoted on a shaft 41 and carrying at its free end the turntable 25. The shaft 41 is geared by a double set of members 46, 47, 48, 50 to racks 51 on the carriage 45 so that as the turntable swings downwardly about the shaft 41 the carriage 45 moves to the right. After a preliminary movement of the carriage 45 the latter carries with it the pin 52 and the record thereon slides over guides 23. These are pivoted at 63 and each carries a channelled clamp 24 with a pair of rollers 70, the clamps 24 being urged towards one another by a spring 68. During the feeding movement the record engages projections 69 on the guides 23 to position the clamps 24 so that the record is eventually gripped between the four rollers 70 as the carriage 45 finishes its stroke. At the same time the pin 52 is raised. The turntable which is then at the bottom of its swing and the carriage 45 return to their initial positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As the turntable 25 passes between the grips 24 its centre pin 82, which is flexible, engages the record, and the grips are separated by links 75 which are operated from a shaft 79. The latter is rotated by a pawl 81 and ratchet 80, the pawl 81 being carried by an eccentric 111 mounted on one of the gears 46. The pick-up 84 has a wire supporting member 98 which engages a notch in a pin 99 on one of the guides 23, and as the turntable is just returning to its playing position the record R engages the stylus 83 and the member 98 and the notch are disengaged. When the turntable reaches its playing position a rotary switch 88 on the cross shaft 39 breaks the circuit to the motor 134 to stop the whole of the mechanism. When one side of the record has been played the pick-up arm 85 swings inwardly, and a contact 101 thereon and a spring contact 102 close a circuit through a time switch 140 and the motor 134 is re-energized. If the reverse side of the record is to be played the pin 52 remains " off " and the carriage 45 makes an idle stroke. As the turntable passes between the grips 24 the latter under the influence of the spring 68 move towards one another and receive the record. The movement towards one another of the grips 24 is permitted by a push rod 119 operated from a cam 114 on the shaft 39. A clutch 115 enables the cam 114 to turn with the shaft 39 whereupon the rod 119 separates the members 80, 81 so that the grips 24 hold the record. The pick-up arm is loose on a spindle 86 and has a supporting rod 96 which when the turntable 25 is lowered engages a friction wheel 95 on the spindle 86. The latter is rotated from one of the gears 46 by a connecting rod 89 and members 90 .. 94 so that the arm 85 swings clockwise against a stop 97. The grips 24 are rotated through 180‹ by chain gearing 103 from a shaft 104 which is rotated from the shaft 39 by gearing 107,108, 109. A clutch 110 puts the shaft 39 and gear 108 in driving connection and both clutches 110, 115 are engaged when a solenoid 123 is energized and disengaged when a solenoid 124 is energized. The solenoids 123, 124 are energized alternately when a contact 135 on the carriage 45 engages a fixed contact 136 the circuit being also controlled by a rotary switch 137 having a conductive sector 141 and rotated at one-half the speed of the shaft 39. The inverting of the record is completed just before the turntable 25 commences to rise. The pick-up arm 85 then swings anticlockwise, Fig. 1, and due to projections 100 on the wheel 95, the arm 98 engages the recess in the pin 99. The turntable 25 then rises, receives the record from the grips 24 which mutally separate and due to contact between the stylus 83 and the record R the pick-up arm is freed from the pin 99. The switch 88 then stops the motor 134. The pin 52 is moved into contact with the pin 21 by a cone 62 upon deenergization of a solenoid 125 provided a thrust member 129 is positioned between the armature 126 and a rod 128 on the cone 62. The thrust-member 129 is linked to the armature 122 of the solenoid 124 so that it is operatively positioned each time the solenoid 124 is energized. When the second side of the record has been played the arm 85 swings clockwise to start up the motor 134. A fresh record is picked up from the table 22 by the pin 52, the grips 24 due to the inaction of the rod 119 close together too late to grip the record that is on the turntable 25, and as the latter moves downwardly it passes between guides 105 which receive the played record and lead it to a magazine. The records upon the table 22 may be enclosed albums the leaves of which are slotted to give passage to the traverser pin 52, a similar album receiving the played records. Playing both sides of one record continuously. The rotary switch is taken out of driving connection with the shaft 39 and is set permanently so that the sector 141 is positioned as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to energize the solenoid 123 each time there is contact between the parts 135, 136. Consequently the members 129 and 52 are always in the " off " position so that no records are removed from the table 22 while the record-reversing mechanism is always in gear so that both sides of ne record are p ayed continuously. Playing one side of a series of records. The sector 141 is set permanently as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, so as to energize the solenoid 124 upon contact between the members 135, 136, and to position the thrust-member in the " on " position. The record-reversing mechanism is thus rendered inoperative and a fresh record is fed to the turntable each time the carriage 45 moves to the right so that only one side of each record is reproduced. To play one side of a record repeatedly. The apparatus is set as in the penultimate paragraph. The record-inverting means is, however, rendered inoperative by moving the wheel 108 clear of the clutch 110 upon energization of a solenoid 155. This occurs when the sector 141 bridges contacts 158, 159 of the rotary switch 137 as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. In a modification described in the Provisional Specification the magazine pin is fixed and the constant-motion stage of the movement of the magazine table is imparted thereto by a ratchet device operated by the traverser member. Specification 346,763 is referred to.