Patent GB-175304-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to gramophones and like sound reproducing instruments
IPC: G11B17/26
Filed: 1920-08-04
Abstract: 175,304. Jofeh, J. Aug. 4, 1920. Phonographs; coin action, mechanical-connection.-Relates to coin-freed gramophones of the multiple type. In each apparatus shown a number of tone-arms and sound-boxes arranged one above another are provided in conjunction with turntables carried by a, common motor-driven shaft, and any one of the sound-reproducing devices can be selected for operation as required. Fig. 1 shows a construction in which each tonearm 1. pivoted on an horizontal axis 2 and having a counterweight 11, has fixed thereto a bent guide-way 7 which is adapted to receive a ball from a column 21. When a ball 6 is delivered on to the guide-way 17 of any particular tone-arm, it rolls down to a stop 9, pivoted at the bend of the guide-way, and depresses the tone-arm, so bringing the stylus 3 into engagement with the record 4. At the same time, a brake 96 is removed from the lowest turntable, by the. action of members 216, 214. 95, and the selected record begins to play. At the end of the record, the stop 9 is tripped by a fixed member 222, releasing the ball which thereupon passes out of the guide at 13, the tone-arm being raised by its counterweight, and the ball falling on to a pivoted tray 14. The ball depresses the tray and finally rolls off, passing back to the column 21 by way of a passage 230. The tilting of the tray 14 effects the return of the tone-arm to the starting position by means of a flexible, connection 18. Associated with the guide 7 on each tone-arm is a plate 31 mounted on a spindle 32, each plate having a tongue 30 which can pass into a corresponding slot 210 in the ball column 21. By means of a pointer on the spindle 32, any one of the plates 31 can be set so as to form a bridge between the corresponding tone-arm and the ball column, thus enabling any particular record to be selected. The balls are ejected from the column 21 one at a time, by a plunger 120, which is formed on the end of a lever 28 operated by a coin 24 introduced into a rotary carrier 25. The top ball in the pile falls over the edge of a partition 22 in the casing and drops on to the projection 30 that has been set to receive it. When a ball is returned to the column, it passes into position next to the plunger, a non-return stop 29 supporting the pile above. In the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tone-arms are connected to a series of vertical rods 44 carrying weights 11. Each weight normally holds the corresponding sound-box out of action, lifting the end portion of the tone-arm by means of connections 45, 47, Fig. 3. The weights 11 are connected to levers 51 loosely pivoted on a spindle 8, on which a slidable frame 53 and a ball-shoot 7 are also mounted. A casing 21 containing a, pile of balls is provided, from which a ball can be delivered to the shoot 7 so as to set the apparatus in action as described below and be returned down a channel 58 to the casing 21 when a record has. been played. To select a gramophone for operation, the sliding frame 53 is moved until a lug 52, Fig. 3, thereon is brought below the lever 51 pertaining to the gramophone required. This movement of the frame is effected by turning a knob 67 on a spindle 66, which shifts the frame by means of mechanism 65. 64, 62, 61. A pointer 69 indicates the setting. When a coin is dropped down a.shoot 100, it depresses an arm 109 extending from a bell-crank lever 107, causing the lever 107 to raise a stop 106 pivoted on the channel 58 thereby releasing a ball which had been held by the stop, and allowing it to roll to the casing 21 on to a plunger 120. A knob 101, Fig. 2, is then turned, and by means of mechanism 103, 104, 105, lifts the plunger and thereby the pile of balls in the casing. The uppermost ball passes down a guide-way 129 into the shoot 7, which it depresses, causing the shoot to bear on an extension 54 of the frame 53, and so raising the selected rod 44 by means of the members 52, 51 and lowering the corresponding sound-box on to the required record which has by that time been set in rotation. The ball is retained by a, stop 9 on a pivoted plate 241 which is held up until the record has been played, whereupon the stop is automatically released and frees the ball. The ball then falls into the channel 58 and runs down to the stop 106, after having depressed an arm 79 which moves a catch and allows a lever 81 to fall. This lever, which is held up during the operation of the machine, has a projecting arm 110 which blocks the coinshoot while the lever is raised. The release of the ball from the shoot 7 allows the latter to rise, the tone-arm being then raised by the weight 11 and restored, to the initial position by a spring.