Disc record groove skipper

In a disc player for use with a disc record having a spiral, information-storing groove in a surface thereof;

• said player including a signal pickup stylus subject to reception in a disc record groove during rotation of the disc record, and normally subject upon said reception to retention within said groove by the walls of said groove during said rotation of the disc so that the information stored in successive convolutions of said spiral groove is recovered in sequence by said stylus;
• said stored information including time varying signal components and regularly recurring components;
• apparatus for selectively changing the groove convolution in which said pickup stylus is retained comprising:
• a pickup arm pivotally mounted at one end in such manner that the other end of said pickup arm overlies the groove surface of the disc record during playback thereof;
• a bimorph element having a first end and a second end and a pair of energizing terminals and comprised of piezoelectric material, said bimorph element normally having a straight configuration between said ends, but subject to bending therebetween when an energizing potential is applied across said energizing terminals;
• said first end of said bimorph element being secured to said other end of said pickup arm;
• means secured to said second end of said bimorph element for holding said stylus, the mass of said stylus and said holding means secured to said second end being sufficiently smaller than the mass of said pickup arm secured to said first end as to ensure movement of said second end about said first end when said bending of said bimorph element occurs;
• and
• control means for selectively applying said energizing potential across said bimorph element terminals;
• wherein the magnitude of said selectively applied energizing potential, and the orientation of said bimorph element, are such that said bending-responsive motion of said second end imparts motion to said stylus, in a direction transverse to the axis of said groove, and of sufficient magnitude to override a groove wall.

In a disc record player mechanism in which a signal pickup stylus is normally retained within a spiral, information-storing groove of a rotating disc record during playback thereof, apparatus for selectively changing the groove convolution in which said pickup stylus is retained comprising:

• a stylus support arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof;
• means for mechanically coupling said stylus to the other end of said support arm, said coupling means including electrically actuated bending means for imparting lateral motion to said stylus with respect to said support arm, in response to control signals, to a degree permitting shift of said stylus between adjoining convolutions of said groove;
• and
• control means electrically coupled to said bending means for selectively developing said control signals to control the lateral movement of said stylus with respect to said support means.

In a video disc player, including a signal pickup stylus, subject to reception in a spiral groove of a rotating video disc, for recovering from successive regions along said disc groove stored composite video signals inclusive of picture components and recurring deflection synchronizing components, said deflection synchronizing components occurring during recurring blanking intervals interleaved with intervals occupied by said picture components;

• the combination comprising:
• a support structure for said stylus including a pivoted stylus support arm, and a normally straight piezoelectric element mechanically coupled to said stylus support arm, said piezoelectric element being subject selectively to bending toward or away from the axis of rotation of said video disc upon electrical actuation thereof;
• said piezoelectric element effecting, when actuated, a lateral motion of said stylus with respect to said disc groove of sufficient magnitude to move said stylus between adjacent convolutions of said spiral groove;
• and
• means, responsive to the composite video signals recovered by said signal pickup stylus, for selectively actuating said piezoelectric element only during selected ones of said recurring blanking intervals.