US3762723A

US3762723A - Automatic record changer

Info

Publication number: US3762723A
Application number: US00036224A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Tourtellot
Original assignee: RCA Corp
Current assignee: RCA Licensing Corp
Priority date: 1970-05-11
Filing date: 1970-05-11
Publication date: 1973-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-02

Abstract

A simplified phonograph record changer mechanism is provided wherein after the last record has been played, a shut-off stud on the cycling gear contacts a shut-off lever. This imparts a movement to the shut-off lever and causes it to coact with other parts of the changer mechanism effective to move the changer motor power switch to its OFF position. The shut-off lever is positioned to interfere with the shut-off stud''s path of travel only after the last record has been played which is determined by the position of the stabilizer arm stab shaft. At all other times, the shut-off lever is positioned so that the shut-off stud will not contact the lever.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Tourtellot 14 1 Oct. 2, 1973 AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER [75] Inventor: John Allen Tourtellot, Indianapolis,

211 Appl. No.: 36,224

Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince Assistant ExaminerSteven L. Stephan Atrorney-Eugene M. Whitacre [57] ABSTRACT A simplified phonograph record changer mechanism is provided wherein after the last record has been played, a shut-off stud on the cycling gear contacts a shut-off lever. This imparts a movement to the shut-off lever 52] U.S. CL. 274/10 R and causes i to meet with other parts of the changer [51] Int. Cl Gllb 17/12, G1 lb 17/16 mechanism effective to o the ang m t r pow r [58] Field of Search 274/10 R switch to its OFF position. The shut-off lever is p0sitioned to interfere with the shut-off stud s path of travel [56] Referen Cit d only after the last record has been played which is de- UNITED STATES PATENTS termined by the position of the stabilizer arm stab shaft. At all other times, the shut-off lever is positioned so ggzz zg at that the shut-off stud will not contact the lever.

' 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUU 2191s I SHEET 2 OF 5 2a My //v v5 ran John A/Aen Tour/6N0) BY a?" f A T TOR!!! Y PAIENTEUHEI 2191s 3.762.723

' SHEET 3 BF 5 INVENTOR John A//en Tourfe/mf ww w ATTORNEY PATENTEU BET 2 I973 SHEET k 0F 5 INVENTOR John A//en TouneV/of ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC RECORD CHANGER The present invention relates to automatic record changers, and more particularly, to control and cycling mechanisms for such changers.

The utilization of automatic shut-off mechanisms in record changes is known. These mechanisms function to manipulate the changer motor power switch operator to open the switch contacts and de-energize the changer motor after the last record has been played and the tone arm is positioned on the tone arm rest. To achieve proper timing, that is, de-energization of the changer m'otor after the tone arm has landed on the tone arm rest with the changer components in their OFF position, critical parts tolerances are generally required. To avoid fire hazards, many changers are designed so that the power switch will be turned off early in the cycle after the last record has been played to insure that the power switch operator is moved to the OFF position to open the switch contacts. Unfortunately, with the changer motor de-energized, helper levers or springs are often required to provide additional power to complete the changer cycle and move the changer components to their OFF position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic record changer mechanism which is simple in construction, easy to manufacture at low cost, and reliable in operation.

In accordance with the present invention, a phonograph record changer includes a motor board supporting a turntable and a spindle adapted to support a stack of records. Means electrically energize the changer to effect rotation of the turntable. A cycling gear is positioned beneath the motor board and rotates during each record changing cycle. The cycling gear supports a first means which rotates with the gear. A second means is coupled to a shut-off lever to position the lever to interfere with the first means path of travel after a last record has been played. When the first means contacts the shut-off lever it causes the lever to move. Means electrically de-energize the phonograph record changer in response to the movement of the shut-off lever.

. Acomplete understanding of the present invention may be obtained from the following detailed description thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an automatic record changer embodying the present invention partly broken away to show the changer mechanisms;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the portion of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. 1 adjacent the changer cycling gear with the changer power switch operator in its OFF position;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a portion of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. 1 at the moment just prior to deenergization of the changer motor;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a portion of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. I with the changer motor tie-energized and the changer components in their OFF position;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. 1 partly broken away to show the changer mechanism with a record supported on the changer spindle;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. 1 partly broken away to show the changer mechanism just after a record has dropped onto the changer turntable; and

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the automatic record changer mechanism shown in FIG. 1 partly exploded and broken away to show the changer mechanism after the last record has been played and the changer motor de-energized.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar elements in the various views, a record changer includes a motor board 20 which supports a rotatable turntable 22. A rubber mat 24 is secured to the top portion of the turntable to provide a frictional contact with records resting on the turntable. A tone arm 26, supporting a pickup near its free end, is mounted to and rotates with a swivel bracket 28. The tone arm 26 is secured to the swivel bracket 28 so that the tone arm may be pivotally moved in a vertical plane. A tone arm shaft 30 extends from the swivel bracket 28 to the underside of the motor board 20.

A record centering spindle 32 is mounted to the motor board 20 and projects up through the center of the turntable 22. The spindle includes a shelf portion 34 for supporting a stack of records and a record ejector lever 36 which extends axially along the'spindle 32 from a height slightly above the shelf 34 to beneath the motor board 20. Movement of the ejector lever 36 by the changer cycling slide 38 results in a shifting of the lowermost record off the shelf so that the record can drop down along the spindle ontothe turntable 22 or onto the topmost record supported by the turntable.

A record stabilizing arm 40 is mounted in a housing 42 on the motor board 20. The arm 40 is mounted to be moved upward enough to clear the top of the spindle 32 and is rotatable to a position clear of the turntable so that records may be loaded on the spindle. After loading one or more records, here record 41, the stabilizing arm 40 is rotated over the spindle 32 and lowered onto the top record of the stack to maintain the records in a horizontal position. After the last record of the stack has been dropped to the turntable 22, the stabilizing arm 40 drops to a lower position to provide an indication to the automatic record changing mechanism that the last record has dropped to the turntable. The record stabilizing arm 40 includes a stab shaft 44 which extends below the motor board 20 and cooperates with other components of the record changing mechanism to move the power switch operator 46 to open the switch contacts to de-energize the changer motor after the last record has been played.

The changer motor and a speed change mechanism are mounted beneath the motor board 20. The motor shaft 48 drives an idler wheel'50. The idler wheel 50 contacts the inside rim of'the turntable 22 toprovide a multiple speed rim drive.

The turntable 22 includes, as an integral part, a hub which extends beneath the motor board 20 and supports a drive gear 52 and a boss or projection 54.The drive gear 52 operates the mechanism which effects the automatic record change, and the projection 54 cooperates with other mechanisms to provide a velocity trip system for initiating a record changing cycle.

A cycling gear 56, adapted to be driven by the gear 52, is rotatably mounted to a support 58 on the underside of the motor board 20. The cycling gear has a mutilated sector, a portion having no teeth, in registry with the drive gear 52 prior to the initiation of a record changing cycle and during the playing of a record (FIGS. 1 and 7). The teeth of the drive gear 52 do not mesh with the teeth of cycling gear 56 and no power is transmitted to the record changing mechanism during these periods.

On the top surface of the cycling gear 56 near the mutilated sector, a boss 59 pivotally supports a trip pawl 60. A trip lever 62 is mounted on the underside of the motor board and tracks the movement of the pickup arm 26 to provide a velocity trip for the trip pawl. The trip lever is connected by a pickup arm lever 64 to the tone arm shaft 30. The pickup arm lever 64 couples movement of the tone arm shaft 30 to the trip lever 62 which actuates a record changing cycle after each record is played.

The cycling slide 38 is mounted for reciprocating movement in a horizontal plane beneath the cycling gear 56. The slide 38 is supported by a bearing washer, not shown, attached to a supporting shaft 66 which extends from the motor board through an elongated slot 68 in the cycling slide 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and by a guide slot in the cycling gear support 58. The cycling slide 38 is driven in a known manner by a projection on the cycling gear 56. The projection is offset from the axis of rotation of the cycling gear and is received in an elongated transverse slot in the cycling slide 38 to effect reciprocating movement of the slide in response to rotation of the cycling gear.

The record changer is operated by means of three slide controls positioned on the top of the motor board 20. A first control 70 is positioned for the particular record size to be played. The control operates the portion of the changer mechanism which causes the tone to move a proper distance toward the spindle before letting down so that the pickup stylus engages the lead-in groove on the record. A second control 72 is positioned to adjust the speed change mechanism for the proper turntable rotational speed. The portion of the changer mechanism operated by controls 70 and 72 may be of the conventional type. Onesuitable arrangement is described in Record Changer Service Data File 1968 No. 45. Copies of the Service Data may be obtained from RCA Corporation, 600 North Sherman Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana.

A function control 74 is movable to four positions; the positions are, from the lowermost setting to the uppermost setting, OFF, MANUAL, AUTOMATIC, and SELECT. When the function control 74 is moved from the OFF position to the MANUAL position, a slot forming a guide 76 in the function lever 78 moves the changer motor power switch operator 46 to the ON position, closing the switch contacts to thereby energize the motor. At the same time, a tab 80 on the function lever 78 moves an automatic neutral lever 82 (FIG. I) away from the idler wheel mounting to allow the idler wheel 50 to contact the motor shaft 48 and turntable rim. The turntable now rotates. Simultaneously, a detent lever 84 is moved by a roller 86 mounted to one of its ends and guided in an angular slot 88 in function lever 78. The detent lever latch finger 90 engages a latch or notched cutout 92 in the motor board 20. This holds the function lever 78 in position. A vertical tab 93 on the function lever 78 moves into a position to block the trip lever 62 and prevent it from contacting the trip pawl 60 on the cycling gear 56 which would set the cycling gear in motion. As is best shown in FIG. 4, the cut-out has two steps 92a and 92b to provide a detent for the function lever in the MANUAL and AU- TOMATlC positions.

With the function control 74 in the MANUAL position, the changer will not function automatically because the trip lever 62 is blocked by the trip pawl blocking tab 93 from contact with the trip pawl 60. The records may be played by manually placing the record on the turntable 22 and lifting the pickup arm onto the record. The pickup arm must also be removed from the record manually at the end of a record.

When the function control is moved against a spring pressure (the detent lever spring 94) to the SELECT position, held there momentarily and thereafter released, the function control returns to the AUTO- MATIC position and the changer begins to cycle. In this position, the detent lever latch finger is held by the tension of the detent spring 94 against cut-out step 92b. Moving the function control 74 to the SELECT position moves a tab 96 on the function lever into contact with the trip pawl 60 and pushes the pawl into position to start the automatic cycle. The trip pawl blocking tab 93 is no longer in the blocking position so that the trip lever 62 may contact the trip pawl 60 at the end of the record.

As the turntable rotates, the projection 54 on the turntable hub engages the trip pawl 60 causing the cycling gear 56 to rotate and engage the drive gear 52. The cycling gear 56 will rotate until the mutilated sector on the gear is again opposite the drive gear 52. When the cycling gear 56 begins to rotate, the cycling slide starts its reciprocating movement. During the change cycle, the cycling gear 56 completes one revolution and the cycling slide 38 completes one inward and outward excursion.

The cycling slide 38 as it moves inward forces a pickup arm lift rod 98 to ride up a ramp 100 at the outer end of the cycling slide. The pickup arm lift rod 98 reaches maximum height with one-quarter revolution of the cycling gear 56. The pickup arm lever 64 which is secured to the tone arm shaft 30 rises and contacts a landing lever 104. The landing lever 104 is coupled by a lever arrangement to the record size control 70 to control the let down point of the tone arm 26. Further rotation of the cycling gear and subsequent inward movement of the cycling slide causes an upturned tab 102 on the outer end of the cycling slide 38 to contact the landing lever 104 and pickup arm lever 64 and rotate them. The rotation is imparted to the tone arm from the pickup arm lever 64 via its connection to the tone arm shaft 30. During this portion of the cycling slide travel, the pickup arm lift rod 98 rides on a plateau 106 of the ramp 100.

As the pickup arm 26 reaches a position at the outward travel where it will clear the edge of a 12 inch record, the cycling gear end of the cycling slide 38 contacts the portion of the record push-off lever 36 extending beneath the motor board 20, causing the bottom record on the stack to be pushed off the shelf of the record spindle 32 and drop on the turntable 22, completing the first half of the change cycle. 1

As the cycling gear 56 continues to rotate into the last half of the change cycle, the cycling slide 38 begins to travel outward. The outward movement of the cycling slide upturned tab 102 cause it to disengage from the landing lever 104 and the pickup arm lever 64 allowing the landing lever tension spring 110 to rotate the two levers and move the pickup arm inward. A slot 112 at the end of a shut-off lever 114 rides on a pin 116 in the detent lever 84. When the landing lever 104 rotates, the shut-off lever 114, which is linked to the landing lever by means of a slot 118 and landing lever pin 120, moves out of the path of a shut-off stud 122 on the cycling gear 56. Thus, the stud 122 does not contact the ramp 124 at the end of the shut-off lever 114. The shut-off lever 114 movement is guided by the captive detent lever pin 116 in the shut-off lever slot 112.

The continued outward movement of the cycling slide 38 completes the release of the landing lever 104 and the pickup arm lever 64. The pickup arm lift rod 98 rides off the plateau 106 and down the ramp 100 allowing the pickup arm 26 to descend to the record. As the pickup arm lift rod 98 nears the bottom of the ramp 100, the compression of the pickup arm lift rod tension spring 126 is released and the pickup arm lever 64 moves away from the landing lever 104 leaving the pickup arm lever 64 free to move. Just before the cycling gear 56 completes the full revolution, at approximately seven-eighths revolution, the trip pawl 60 is reset. When the trip pawl 60 was initially actuated by the tab 96 on the function lever 78, a portion of the pawl was moved to eXtend over a few teeth of the cycling gear 56. As these teeth mesh with the teeth on the drive gear 52, the pawl is pushed back to the non-trip position by the drive gear teeth.

When the pickup arm 26 lands on the record, the pickup stylus engages the lead-in groove on the record and moves inward. The movement of the pickup arm 26 is now controlled by the groove in the record. An anti-skate spring 128 is coupled between a depending stud 130 on the pickup arm lever 64 and a projecting ear 132 on the cycling slide 38. The anti-skate spring 128 provides a small torque to compensate for the frictional drag force of the stylus on the record.

As the record plays, the pickup arm 26 is moved inward at a slow rate and at a constant distance per revo lution. When the pickup arm 26 has advanced to the end of the record, the pickup stylus enters the fast advance or tripping groove which causes the pickup arm to move inward at a greater speed. The additional inward speed of the pickup arm 26 and, hence, trip lever 62, is sufficient to move the trip pawl 60 into contact with the projection 54. The engagement of the pawl and the projection causes the cycling gear to rotate so that its teeth mesh with the teeth in drive gear 52, starting a change cycle.

The dropping of the last record in the stack permits the stabilizer arm 40 to also drop. When the stabilizer arm 40 drops during this cycle, the lower end 136 of the stab shaft 44 momentarily rests on the top of a shutoff latch 134 which is secured for rotation on the landing lever 104 and biased by a spring 142 coupled to the landing lever (FIG. 6). As the landing lever 104 rotates, the lower end 136 of the stab shaft slips off the shut-off latch 134 and drops onto a shelf portion 144 on the landing lever. This does not affect the playing of the last record, but during the next cycle, the landing lever 104 in rotating moves out from under the stabilizer arm stab shaft end 136. The stabilizer stab shaft bears against the shut-off latch 134 and rotates it so that the stab shaft may drop to its lowermost position (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7). In this position the stab shaft end 136 is held captive between an edge of the landing lever 104 and an edge of the shut-off latch 134. As the cycling slide 38 starts the outward journey, the stabilizer arm shaft end 136 blocks the movement of the landing lever 104 and the pickup arm lever 64, holding them in their outward position with the pickup arm over the pickup arm rest 140. With the landing lever 104 in this position, the shut-off lever 114 is held in a position where the ramp 124 will be contacted by the shut-off stud 122 on the cycling gear 56 and does not move in the manner previously described where the landing lever 104 was not blocked and the shut-off lever ramp 124 was moved out of the path of travel of the stud 1.22.

As the cycling slide 38 continues the outward excursion, the pickup arm lift rod 98 rides down the ramp 100 and the pickup arm 26 is lowered onto the rest. The shut-off stud 122 on the cycling gear 56 contacts the shut-off lever ramp 124 and the shut-off lever 114 pushes the detent lever 84 to cause it to unlatch. Specifically, the detent lever latch finger is caused to disengage from the notched cut-out 92. This allows the function lever 78 to be returned to the OFF position by the force of the detent lever spring 94 acting through the slot 88 in the function lever. The function lever 78 in returning to the OFF position moves the changer motor power switch operator 46 to open the switch contacts to de-energize the changer motor and moves the neutral lever 82 to push the idler wheel 50 out of contact with the motor shaft 48 and turntable rim. The cycle has now been completed, and the record changer is turned off with the tone arm 26 resting on the tone arm support 140, the mutilated sector of the cycling gear 56 adjacent the drive gear 52. It should be noted that when the stabilizer arm 40 is lifted, either to unload records from the turntable 22 or to position records on the spindle 32, the stab shaft end 136 is withdrawn from its captive position. When this occurs, the landing lever 104, under the tension of the landing lever spring 110, snaps back to its rest position and the shut-off latch 134, under the tension of spring 142, also moves to its rest position.

What is claimed is:

I. In a phonograph record changer of the type including a motor board supporting a rotatable turntable, a spindle adapted to support a stack of records to be played, the record stack being steadied by a stabilizer arm which is vertically movable and is mounted to a stabilizer arm stab shaft extending through the motor board, and a power switch having a switch operator for closing and opening the switch contacts to electrically energize and de-energize said phonograph record changer to control the rotation of said turntable, the improvement comprising:

a cycling gear having major surfaces and adapted to rotate during a record changing cycle of operation;

a shut-off stud secured for rotation with said cycling gear and projecting from a major surface of said gear;

a cycling slide coupled to said cycling gear to be driven in a reciprocating movement toward and away from the central axis of said turntable during a record changing cycle of operation;

a landing lever rotatably mounted beneath said motor board;

said cycling slide positioned to engage said landing lever during its movement toward the central axis of said turntable such that said landing lever is rotated in a first direction;

spring means coupled to said landing lever to bias said lever for rotation in a second direction;

a shut-off lever coupled to said landing lever;

said stab shaft positioned to block said landing lever from rotating in said second direction after a last record in said stack has been played and said cycling slide has disengaged from said landing lever during its movement away from the central axis of said turntable;

said shut-off lever positioned to interfere with said shut-off stud path of travel when said stab shaft blocks said landing lever;

said shut-off stud contacting said shut-off lever after said last record has been played to move said shutoff lever; and

a function lever coupled to said power switch operator and responsive to the movement of said shut-off lever to manipulate said operator to open the switch contacts. 2. A phonograph record changer as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor board has notched cut-out portions and including a detent lever coupled between said shut-off lever and said function lever, said detent lever having a projection adapted to cooperate with said motor board notched cut-out portion.

3. A phonograph record changer as defined in claim 2 including a shut-off latch rotatably secured to said landing lever, said stab shaft in the blocking position held captive between said shut-off latch and said landing lever.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,762,723 Dated October 2, 1973 Inventor(s) John Allen Tourtellot It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

At column 1, line 7, "changes" should read --changers-- A1: column 3, 1 line 35, after "tone insert --arm-- Signed and sealed this 2nd day of April 19M.

(SEAL) Atte st:

EDWARD ILFLETGHERJR. C. MARSHALL DAMN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM Po'mso (10.69) USCOMM-DC seam-p09 3530 672 e 0.5. aovzrmusr 'r Pmmrms OFFICE: 1969 o--sse-au

Claims

1. In a phonograph record changer of the type including a motor board supporting a rotatable turntable, a spindle adapted to support a stack of records to be played, the record stack being steadied by a stabilizer arm which is vertically movable and is mounted to a stabilizer arm stab shaft extending through the motor board, and a power switch having a switch operator for closing and opening the switch contacts to electrically energize and de-energize said phonograph record changer to control the rotation of said turntable, the improvement comprising: a cycling gear having major surfaces and adapted to rotate during a record changing cycle of operation; a shut-off stud secured for rotation with said cycling gear and projecting from a major surface of said gear; a cycling slide coupled to said cycling gear to be driven in a reciprocating movement toward and away from the central axis of said turntable during a record changing cycle of operation; a landing lever rotatably mounted beneath said motor board; said cycling slide positioned to engage said landing lever during its movement toward the central axis of said turntable such that said landing lever is rotated in a first direction; spring means coupled to said landing lever to bias said lever for rotation in a second direction; a shut-off lever coupled to said landing lever; said stab shaft positioned to block said landing lever from rotating in said second direction after a last record in said stack has been played and said cycling slide has disengaged from said landing lever during its movement away from the central axis of said turntable; said shut-off lever positioned to interfere with said shut-off stud path of travel when said stab shaft blocks said landing lever; said shut-off stud contacting said shut-off lever after said last record has been played to move said shut-off lever; and a function lever coupled to said power switch operator and responsive to the movement of said shut-off lever to manipulate said operator to open the switch contacts.

2. A phonograph record changer as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor board has notched cut-out portions and including a detent lever coupled between said shut-off lever and said function lever, said detent lever having a projection adapted to cooperate with said motor board notched cut-out portion.