Patent GB-338508-A (GB)
Title: Sound reproducing machines
IPC: G11B17/16
Filed: 1929-08-12
Abstract: 338,508. Gramophone Co., Ltd., (Victor Talking Machine Co.). Aug. 12, 1929. Magazine gramophones.-Consists mainly in providing, for transferring records singly from a stack to the turntable, a device which is movable between a position where it surrounds the turntable to a position against the stack of records, and which carries a member movable thereon and adapted to engage the edge of a record so as to dislodge it from the stack. In the machine shown, the records, which may be of different sizes, are stored in any order in a magazine arranged above the turntable. The magazine comprises an interrupted hoop, Fig. 11, having a pair of vertical arms 44 and inwardly projecting ledges 45, the arms being joined by a member 46 pivoted on a rod 47, Fig. 5. Studs 50 on the magazine engage with posts 49, to hold the magazine in inclined operative position. A spring-controlled arm (not shown) may be so pivoted that a roller at its free end bears on the topmost record in the pile placed in the magazine. The records are pushed singly from the bottom of the pile, and transferred to the turntable, by means comprising a ring 61 combined with a slide 69, Fig. 17. The ring is carried by two parallel arms 66, pivoted on the rod 47, and normally surrounds the turntable. When the ring 61 is swung upwardly, by means subsequently described, it engages the lower surface, of the magazine, whereupon the slide 69 is moved forward along the arms 66, on which it is mounted. As it advances, the slide pushes the lowest record clear of the ledges 45 on the magazine, so that the record falls on to the ring 61. The inner diameter of the hoop portion of the magazine is substantially equal to that of a large record (e.g. a 12-inch one), but the outer ends of the arms 44 are recessed at 52, Fig. 11, to a depth equal to the thickness of a record. Curved arms 53, each carrying a. pawl 54 arranged just above the plane of the lowest record in the magazine, extend forwardly from the arms 44. These means ensure that when the slide 69 moves forward, it pushes the lowest record only (whether a 10-inch of a 12-inch one) clear of the ledges 45, the records above it being retained. When the record has been delivered, the slide 69 begins to move back along the arms 66, and the ring 61 is lowered relatively to the magazine, whilst remaining tilted for a time- The record then on the ring slides down it until it engages either with stop pins 63, Fig. 17, or with the inner sides of curved ledges 62, according to whether the record is a large or a small one. Finally, the transfer ring is lowered to the horizontal position, and places the record carried by it upon the turntable. The mechanism for actuating the ring 61 and the slide 69 comprises a pair of arms 77, Fig. 4, connected by a web 81 and pivoted on a rod 79 so as to extend upwardly through an opening in the motor plate 33. The upper ends of the arms carry a rod 82 on which is pivoted, by means of lugs 84, a member 83. The lugs 84 support a rod 85 having rollers 86 at its ends. The arms 77 are swung up and down about their pivot by connection through a latch 94 with a bar 89, adapted to be reciprocated along guides on the motor plate 33. The rollers 86 are. located between projections 71, 76 extending downwardly from the slide 69, Figs. 5, 17, and are also adapted to engage with cam plates 72 fixed on each of the arms 66 carrying the transfer ring 61. During the playing of a record, the bar 89 and latch 94 are in such a position that the arms 77 lie back with the rollers 86 engaging the lower ends of the arms 76, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the bar 89 is reciprocated, the arms 77 are swung upwardly and then downwardly about their pivot, the rollers 86 during these movements engaging the members 71, 76 and the cams 72 so as to cause the requisite movements of the transfer ring and the slide. Discharged played records. As the arms 77 swing upwardly, before the transfer ring 61 is raised by the rollers 86, a pin 103 on one of the arms, Fig. 4, effects the tilting of a lever 96, which raises a rod 104, normally located below the periphery of a record on the turntable. The record is thereby tilted, and swung off the turntable, by its rotation, into a receptacle arranged to receive played records. Driving record transfer-mechanism. Power for reciprocating the bar 89 is supplied by the motor that drives the turntable spindle 36, which is preferably an electromotor of the induction disc type. The bar 89 is connected by a link 120 to an eccentric pin 119 on a wheel 117, which is geared to a disc 109 loose on the spindle. 36. A curved spring-controlled pawl 108 is pivoted on the disc 109, and carries a tooth 112 adapted to engage with a wheel 107 on the spindle 36. When such engagement is effected, by means described below, the disc 109 is clutched to the turntable spindle 36 and the bar 89 is actuated. A spring 122 acts upon the bar, to equalize the load on the driving motor, since the effort required to raise the arms 77 is greater than that required to lower them. Repeating-mechanism. To repeat the playing of a record, a pull rod 131 is provided, which, when actuated by means of a knob at the front of the machine, causes a pawl 128 to raise the latch 94 out of connection with the bar 89. When this has occurred, reciprocation of the bar 89 can take place without effecting movement of the record transfer mechanism. The arrangement is such that only one repetition can occur unless the rod 131 is locked in the forward position by rotating the operating knob when the rod is pulled outwards. Controlling movement of tone-arm. The tonearm 39 has a universal-joint support, and is acted upon by a spring 159, Fig. 4a, which tends to keep the tone-arm raised, with the sound-box above the playing' position.. During the playing of a record, however, the bar 89 bears against a lever 161, which causes the tone-arm to be held down against the pull of the spring 159, so that the sound-box can engage the record on the turntable. When the bar 89 is reciprocated, the lever 161 is first freed, to allow the tone-arm to rise. Then the tone-arm is swung outwards by means of a lever 174, Fig. 4, actuated by the bar 89, the lever engaging a post 151 projecting from an arm 150 which extends from the tone-arm. As the bar 89 completes its to-and-fro movement, a hooked member or catch 179 pivoted on the lever 174 draws the tone-arm inwards to a point appropriate to the size of the record to be played. The extent of inward movement is automatically determined by disengagement of the catch 179 from the post 151 when the catch strikes one or other of two abutments 180, 181. The latter are mounted on a lever 182, Fig. 4a, which is moved into either of two positions, to bring one or other of the members 180, 181 into the path of the catch 179, by mechanism 185, 191; these members are associated with the record-delivery slide 69, and controlled by and in accordance with the size of the record that has last been transferred to the turntable. Electrical control devices. The machine is adapted to be driven from supply mains 194, Fig 21, and embodies the following switches : (1) a switch. 201 adapted to be set by hand in either of two positions, according to whether the machine is to play a succession of records automatically (" magazine operation "), or whether it is to be used as an ordinary gramophone; (2) a, switch comprising two pairs of contacts 206, 212, adapted to be operated by movement of the tone-arm; (3) a switch 197 which can be closed by hand to start the machine, but which is automatically opened to stop the machine when, during magazine operation, the last record has been played; (4) a switch comprising two pairs of contacts 222, 282, the pair 222 controlling the circuit through a magnet 224 which serves tu operate the clutch pawl 108, and the pair 282 being provided to short-circuit the electric pickup whilst the record-transfer mechanism is in operation; and (5) a push switch 267 which can be operated to cause the playing of a record to be discontinued at any time and the transfer mechanism to be set in action. The contacts 206, 212 are actuated by a reverse movement of the sound-box, brought about at the end of the playing of a record, preferably by the needle entering an eccentric groove. The contact-controlling mechanism comprises a pair of scissor arms 226, 227, Fig. 4, engaging the post 151 and connected to a lever carrying a pawl (not shown) engaging rack teeth on a swinging arm to which is linked another lever 245, Fig. 21. This lever engages a curved member 247 which bears. directly on one of the contacts 212. When the main switch 201 has been set for magazine operation, as shown in Fig. 21, the circuit of the driving motor 34 is completed through the switch 197 and contacts 200, 203 of the main switch, the contacts 212 being open. The clutch member 108 is held out of action by a member 253 on the armature lever 250 of the magnet 224, so that the bar 89 remains stationary during the playing of a record. When the needle enters the eccentric groove, the consequent reverse movement of the tone-arm brings about the closing of the contacts 212, by the mechanism referred to above. A circuit through the magnet 224 is thereby closed, and the armature 250 is moved to allow the member 108 to clutch the disc 109 to the wheel 107 on the turntable spindle. A single revolution of the disc 109 occurs, during which a reciprocation of the slide-bar 89 is eHected and causes the whole sequence of record changing and tone-arm swinging operations. Immediately after the part 108 has been allowed to engage the wheel 107, the magnet 224 is deenergized, through the opening of the contacts 222 by a lever 255 coacting with the rotating members 109, 117, and at the same time the pick-up is short-circuited through contacts 282. After one revolution of the disc 109, during which the member 253 is held out o