Patent GB-486999-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to gramophones
IPC: G11B17/16
Filed: 1937-07-01
Abstract: 486,999. Gramophones. GARRARD ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING CO., Ltd., and DOWNS, A. R. July 1, 1937, No. 18315. [Class 40 (ii)] Relates to gramophones provided with automatically operating mechanism of the kind which reverses a record after one side has been played and replaces the reversed record on the turntable for further playing. According to the invention, such mechanism comprises a single arm which has means for engaging a record by its central hole and is capable of two movements, a swinging movement into and out of the record playing position and a turning movement about the axis of the arm to effect reversal of the record, said arm being adapted for operation by automatically operating means in such manner that it engages the record when one side has been played and, without releasing the record, swings it out of the playing position, turns it over and returns it to the playing position for the playing of the reverse side. The invention is described as applied to a magazine gramophone in which the records to be played are supported in spaced relationship in the form of a column above the turntable 1, Fig. 1, on to which they are permitted to fall one by one for playing. As shown, the records are supported on a series of independently movable vanes 4, Figs. 1 and 5, arranged as two columns on opposite sides of the turntable, the vanes in the two columns forming opposing pairs, each pair serving for the support of a single record. A depending pin 6 on a cross-bar 7 aligns the records one above the other. The vanes in each column are mounted to turn about a vertical pivot pin 8, Fig. 5, and are supported in parallel spaced relationship by a slotted standard 9 surrounding the pin 8 and by corresponding slots in a vertical tubular casing 10. In order to effect the release of the records one at a time from the lowest upwards, the vanes in each pair are given a lateral swinging movement by means of a crescent shaped striker 11 mounted on a rod 12 provided with rack teeth 13 with which a pawl beneath the motor board cooperates to give the rod a vertical step-by-step lift to bring the striker into registration with the stem of each vane in turn. The swinging movement is imparted to the striker by means of an oscillating lever 14 which engages in a vertical groove 15 in the rod 12 by means of a pin 16 and is actuated by mechanism located beneath the motor board and associated with a cam on a motor driven cam drum. Each record as it is dropped from the pile is received on a pair of rests 37, Fig. 1, which are given a vertical up and down movement at appropriate intervals by mechanism located beneath the motor board and actuated by a suitable cam on the cam drum. The means for reversing a record after one side has been played comprises an arm 3 having an extended supporting surface 18 at its outer end, Fig. 1, and terminating at its inner end in a spindle 18a, Fig. 6, for rotatable support in bearings on opposite sides of a casing member 19. The arm 3 is rotated about its own axis by means of a rack 20 on a rod 21 which co-operates with a pinion 22 on the spindle 18a, the necessary vertical movement being imparted to the rack 20 by means of a lever 23 one end of which is slotted for engagement with opposite sides of a foot 24 on the lower end of the rod 21. The swinging of the arm 3 is effected through a corresponding motion which is imparted to the casing 19 which for this purpose is formed with a depending sleeve 25 having an arm 27 adapted to be operated on by a pull rod 26 against the action of a spring 28. Disposed centrally of the surface 18 on the arm 3 are two segmental portions 29, 30 constituting a gripper adapted to engage in the central hole of a record, the portion 29 being fixed whilst the portion 30 is movable relatively thereto. This movement of the portion 30 is effected by mounting it on the outer end of a pull rod 31 the inner end of which enters the casing 19 and has mounted thereon a crescent shaped plate 32 behind which engages the upper end of the vertical arm of a bell crank lever 33, the other arm of which engages the upper end of a spindle 34. This spindle is slidable within the sleeve 25 and is provided at its lower end with a shoulder 34a which is engaged by the forked arm of a further bell crank lever 35 the other arm of which is connected to a pull rod 70. The lever 23 and rods 26 and 70 are all actuated at appropriate times by mechanism located beneath the motor board and actuated at appropriate times by cams on the cam drum. In operation, after one side of a record has been played, the record is raised by the rests 37 and the arm 3 is swung into position beneath it. The rests then descend and the gripper 29, 30 is expanded so as to engage the central hole of the record, whereupon the arm is swung outwards, rotated through 180‹ and returned to a position above the turntable. The record is then dropped on to the raised rests which descend and lower the record on to the turntable for the playing of the reversed side thereof. After this side has been played, the record is again raised from the turntable by the rests and pushed on to the grippers on the arm 3 which has remained in the playing position. The arm then swings outwardly and deposits the played record in the receptacle 2. The loading of the records on the vanes 4 prior to playing is effected by manual operation of a knob 17. Reject mechanism operated by a lever 40, Fig. 1, may also be provided. If desired, instead of using an expanding and contracting split pin 29, 30, such pin may be solid and serve as an abutment between which and a sliding member adapted to engage the edge of the record the latter is held.