Patent GB-377250-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to sound recording apparatus
IPC: A63G27/00
Filed: 1931-03-20
Abstract: 377,250. Coin-freed sound-recording apparatus. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd., Crown House, Aldwych, London.-(Assignees of Raynolds, D. W. ; 428, Mohawk Avenue, and Schwarzhaupt, P. J.; 303, Ten Broeck Street, both in Scotia, New York, U.S.A.) March 20, 1931, No. 8673. Convention date, March 20, 1930. [Class 27.] Comprises a turntable adapted to support a record blank, means for rotating said turntable, latching means for retaining a stylussupporting carriage in an inoperative position and means responsive to a movement of the rotating means for releasing the latching means, thereby rendering operative the means for advancing the carriage across the turntable. The apparatus is arranged in a booth so as to be rendered operative under coin-controlled means which also unlocks the door of the booth. Within the booth are a recording cabinet 6, a microphone 7 adjustably suspended from the ceiling, a hand switch 8 for controlling the starting and stopping of the recording mechanism, dome and coloured signal lights 9, 10, 11 and a record blank vending machine 12. A turntable 34, disposed on the cabinet 6, is mounted as shown in Fig. 1 on a shaft 32 which is driven from a motor 30. A carriage 38 carrying a recording element 49 is mounted slidably on rods 36, 37 so as to be movable across the record blank 35 on the turntable by means of a half-nut 40 engaging a screw 44 driven from the shaft 32. The nut 40 is mounted on a shaft 41 and is normally pressed into engagement with the screw 44 by a spring 43. A shaft 60 on the carriage 38 is provided at its lower end with a bell-crank lever 61 having one arm forked to engage the shaft 41 and the other arm provided with a roller 62 for engaging a lever 63 operable by a handlever 56. At the upper end of the shaft 60 is a finger 66 engaging a cam 50 on a pivoted arm 48 carrying the recording element 49. Operation of the hand-lever 56 after recording on a blank causes the lever 63 to engage the roller 62 so as to withdraw the half-nut 40 from the screw 44 and through the finger 66 to lift the stylus from the blank. Continued movement of the hand-lever 56 causes the entire carriage, including a housing 57, Fig. 1, enclosing the same, to slide to the initial position in which a spring 67 is compressed and the bell crank 61 is engaged by one or both of a pair of hooks 68, 69 to retain the carriage in returned position. During this return movement, the lever 48 engages a fixed cam 80 so that the recording element 49 is lifted to allow the operator to remove the record. The action of inserting a coin in a slot 13, Fig. 3, and turning a handle 14 releases a record blank from the vending machine 12 within the booth and by means of a cam 15 closes a pair of contacts 17, 18, Fig. 4, and thereby energizes a coil 23 to unlock the door by withdrawing a spring-actuated pivoted catch 21. This catch then closes contacts 25 so as to provide a shunt circuit for the contacts 17, 18 to hold the door unlocked after the release of the handle 14. The turning of the handle 14 also closes contacts 18, 19 so as to complete the circuit of the master relay 105 which closes the circuit of the dome light 11. The operator then pulls open the door and enters the booth, the opening movement of the door serving to break the doorunlocking circuit by separating two contacts 27, 28. The operator places a released record blank on to the turntable 34 and closes the hand switch 8 which energizes a motor relay 109 and closes the circuit of the driving motor 30. An eccentric 79, Fig. 1, on the turntable shaft 32 operates through linked shafts 76, 78 to oscillate the hooks 68, 69 from engagement with the bell-crank lever 61 to release the carriage 38 which is then started on its forward movement by the spring 67 to enable the half-nut 40 to engage the screw 44 for feeding the stylus across the record blank, the stylus being first lowered on to the blank by the cam 80. A switch 95, Fig. 4, is closed when the stylus engages the record so as to illuminate a green light 9 which serves as a signal to the operator to commence talking for recording. Towards the end of the forward movement of the carriage, the latter rides upon an inclined portion of a switch 96 so as to close a circuit including a red lamp 10 which notifies the operator that the recording operation is practically complete. The carriage then engages a rod 52, so as to open the motor circuit at contacts 53, 54. The operator then operates the hand-lever 56 which effects lifting of the stylus and withdrawal of the carriage to enable the record blank to be removed or reversed for recording on the other side. To limit the number of recordings to the two for both sides of a blank, a spring-pressed pawl 82 rotates a spring- controlled ratchet 83 one tooth for each return movement of the carriage, and a cam 84 on the ratchet is so arranged that on the second return movement of the carriage, it disengages a contact spring 87 from contact with a member 88 in circuit with the hand switch 8 so that the motor cannot be again started until the ratchet and cam have been reset. After recording, the operator removes the record and by turning the door handle 4 unlatches the door. The act of turning the handle 4 operates a shaft 103 and switch 102, Fig. 4, to open the master relay 105 and to close momentarily at 107 the circuit of an electromagnet 92, allowing resetting of the ratchet 83, and also the closing circuit of a motor driving an exhaust fan 99 so that for the brief interval the door handle is operated, the fan is acting to withdraw the shavings which during recording fall from the blank into a receptacle surrounding the turntable. This receptacle is connected by a suction pipe with the fan 99 and a collecting bag 100. Two brushes on the turntable move the shavings towards the opening of the suction pipe. The door swings closed and locks with the entire apparatus in condition for another complete operation. Specification 333,919, [Class 40 (ii), Phonographs &c.], is referred to.