Patent GB-1166891-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to Automatic Cut-Off Mechanisms For Record Players
Inventor: LANE NORMAN
IPC: G11B17/02
Filed: 1967-02-10
Abstract: 1,166,891. Automatic record-players. BSR Ltd. 9 May, 1968 [10 Feb., 1967], No. 6374/67. Heading G5R. The invention relates to an automatic recordplayer of the type in which records are fed singly in succession from the bottom of a stack carried on a (stationary) spindle extending upwardly from the centre of the turn-table; the pick-up arm is horizontally pivoted on a spindle pivotally mounted for movement about a vertical axis; the mechanism for performing the conventional record-changing cycle of operations includes an oscillating member which makes one to-and-fro movement of constant amplitude from beginning to end of each cycle, and a cut-off lever which, at an appropriate delayed time after the last record has been played, is moved, as a result of movement of the oscillating member, to actuate mechanism for switching off the driving motor; operation of the cut-off lever is initiated by downward movement, after the last record has been dropped, of the vertical spindle of a control arm which normally rests on top of the stack of records. According to the invention the cut-off lever is moved from one position to another by the oscillating member during each to and fro movement, and the cut-off lever has a portion engageable with a latch plate; the downward movement of the control arm spindle after the last record has been dropped (above referred to) serves to set the latch plate for a subsequent unlatching movement whereby the cut-off lever is released; such release enables the cutoff lever to be moved away from both its positions above referred to, to a further position where it actuates the switching-off mechanism. Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the apparatus with the oscillating member 27 in one extreme (the " mid-cycle ") position and Fig. 4 is a similar view with the member 27 in the other extreme (the " cycle completed ") position. Figs. 6 and 8 are erect cross-sections across the top left-hand corner of Fig. 4, showing the latch plate 65, control arm spindle 20a and cut-off lever 44 in positions to be described. The cut-off lever 44 has an arm 46 to which a wire 48 is attached and an arm 47 provided with a slot 62 (normally engaged by the nose 64 of the latch plate 65, Fig. 6), and is pivoted at 45 to a sub-plate 10; it is urged in the counterclockwise direction (Figs. 3 and 4), that is, from right to left (Figs. 6 and 8) by a tension spring 80. The free end of the wire 48 is bent to form an abutment 50. In operation, after playing of each record except the last, during the record-changing cycle, the cut-off lever 44 is permitted a small counterclockwise movement by the clockwise pivoting of a selector bar 36, a nose 41 on which normally contacts a lug 42 on the cut-off lever 44. At this stage, the latch plate 65 is level and in contact with sub-plate 10a (Fig. 5, not shown: compare Figs. 6 and 8). After the last record has been dropped the control arm spindle 20a descends, and a peg 70 on it pivots the latch plate 65 about the point of contact between its nose 64 and the slot 62, Fig. 6 (the automatic mechanism is in mid-cycle, so cut-off lever 44 is in its left-hand position). At the end of this cycle the cut-off lever 44 is moved to the right again (by engagement of nose 41 with lug 42), whereupon a compression spring 67, Figs. 6 and 8, pivots the latch plate 65 about peg 70, thereby disengaging the latch plate and cut-off lever, Fig. 8. During the final cycle, spring 80 is thus able to pivot lever 44 much further counterclockwise, Fig. 3. Abutment 50 is thus pulled away from side 81 of a link 51 (where it normally rests), and lies between face 54 and the selector bar 36. As the oscillating member 27 moves back towards its original extreme position, Fig. 4, the selector bar 36 is pivoted counterclockwise, and urges abutment 50 against the face 54 of link 51, which is moved to the position shown in Fig. 4. Thereby, through link 56 and lever 57, the motor switch 61 is opened. Finally, cut-off lever 44 is restored by selector bar 36, Fig. 4.