Toy record player

In a toy record player of the type wherein a record disc having a plurality of recording grooves formed in its lower face and carrying marks representing the recording grooves at its upper face is adapted to be mounted on the record player, the record player including a housing, a tone arm pivotally mounted onto the housing, a stylus carried by the tone arm, one of the marks being alignable with the stylus point to enable the stylus to engage a selected one of the recording grooves for performing sound reproduction, and further wherein the sound reproduction is stopped automatically when the stylus has been driven to the final point of the recording groove, the tone arm returning automatically to the starting position after the stylus reaches the final point of the recording groove, the improvement which comprises:

• (a) a motor disposed in said housing and being in electrical communication with a source of energy therefor,
• (b) an upwardly extending shaft disposed in the housing and having a peripheral groove formed therein, the shaft having one end emerging therefrom, the emerging end comprising an upwardly biassed axially moveable push button, the push button defining a record holder for the record disc, the push button being operatively connected to the motor to drive the push button and the record disc held thereby,
• (c) means for biassing the pushbutton,
• (d) a normally open switch interposed the motor and the source of energy, the switch comprising a pair of switch contact disposed in the housing beneath the push button, the contacts contacting each other when the push button is axially depressed against its bias to close the switch to complete the electric circuit for energizing the motor, the contact being separated to open the switch to thereby open the circuit when the push button is axially moved in response to its upward bias;
• (e) a latch disposed in said housing and being normally biassed into sliding contact with the shaft, the latch fitting into the peripheral groove of the shaft when the push button is axially depressed against the means for biassing to thereby latch the push button in the depressed position, and
• (f) an actuating link mounted in the housing proximate the tone arm and the latch, the tone arm acting against the actuating link when the tone arm reaches the final position of sound reproduction to press the link against the latch to disengage the latch from the peripheral groove.