Automatic record changer

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution from an initial position during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm at a point offset from said fixed point, means loosely supporting the other end of said link member for unrestrained movement relative to said gear when said gear is in said initial position, and clutch means operative as said gear is moved during the automatic cycle for interconnecting said gear with said other end of said link member, thereby to drive said tone arm from said gear through said link member, said clutch means permitting slippage between said link member and said gear when said tone arm is prevented from moving while said gear continues to rotate.

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm at a point offset from said fixed point, friction clutch means rotatable with said gear and operative as said gear is moved during the automatic cycle to connect said gear with the other end of said link member, thereby to drive said tone arm from said gear through said link member, a rest post for said tone arm, and means for blocking outward movement of said tone arm when said tone arm is positioned over said rest post, said friction clutch means permitting slippage of said link member to a new position relative to said gear when said tone arm engages said blocking means.

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling member, means for rotating said cycling member one revolution during an automatic cycle, a pivotally mounted tone arm, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm, means connecting the other end of said link member to said cycling member for moving said tone arm through said link member by engagement with said cycling member during the automatic cycle, said link member also being disengaged from said cycling member and moving with said tone arm during at least a portion of the playing cycle following said automatic cycle, and tripping means including means responsive to said motion of said link member during the playing cycle, for initiating another automatic cycle at the end of said playing cycle.

In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during a record changing cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member having one end thereof interconnected with said tone arm through a lost-motion connection, and means for urging said link into engagement with a point on said gear which is offset from the center thereof with a force which produces a frictional force which when exceeded permits sliding movement of said link member to a new position relative to said point on said gear when said tone arm is blocked from movement, said new position being maintained when said tone arm is no longer blocked, whereby upon rotation of said gear said tone arm is driven through said link and rotated about said fixed point, said lost-motion connection being operative substantially completely to disconnect said tone arm from said link member as said tone arm moves inwardly during the playing cycle.

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm, a pin rotatably mounted on said gear at a point offset from the center thereof and having an opening through which said link member extends, and means operative during at least a portion of the automatic cycle for moving said pin relative to said gear so that said link member is urged into frictional engagement with said gear with a force sufficient to move said tone arm about said fixed point as said gear rotates during the automatic cycle.

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm assembly mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means for interconnecting one end of said link member to said tone arm assembly, means operative during an automatic cycle for frictionally connecting said link member to said gear so that as said gear rotates said tone arm is moved outwardly during the first half of the automatic cycle and is then moved inwardly during the second half of the automatic cycle, and means for interposing a blocking member in the path of said tone arm assembly during said inward movement to terminate inward movement of said tone arm at a desired location, said frictional connecting means permitting slippage between said link and said gear as said gear continues to rotate while said tone arm is restrained by said blocking means.

In an automatic record player, a rotatable cycling member, means for rotating said member one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said member, an elongated link member, means for connecting one end of said link member to said tone arm, and friction clutch means for urging said link into engagement with a point on said member which is offset from the center thereof to develop a frictional force which when exceeded permits sliding movement of said link member in either direction relative to said point on said member, whereby upon rotation of said member said tone arm is driven through said link and rotated about said fixed point while permitting slippage between said link and said member when said tone arm is restrained while moving in either direction.

In an automatic record player, a rotatable cycling member, means for rotating said member one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said member, an elongated link, means interconnecting one end of said link with said tone arm, and means for exerting a force on the other end of said link in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof to hold said other end in engagement with said member at a location which is offset from the center thereof, whereby said tone arm is driven through said link as said member rotates during an automatic cycle, said force exerting means being arranged to permit sliding movement of said link relative to said point on said member when said tone arm is prevented from moving.

In an automatic record player, a main cycling gear positioned in a rest position during a playing cycle, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm during a playing cycle, guide means for the other end of said link member and operative when said gear is in said rest position to cause said link member to move in a predetermined path as said tone arm moves during a playing cycle, tripping means including pawl means carried by said gear and engaged by said link member as said link member moves in said predetermined path for initiating an automatic cycle, and means for connecting said other end of said link member to said gear after said gear has moved away from said rest position during an automatic cycle, thereby to drive said tone arm through said link member during the automatic cycle.

In an automatic record player, a main cycling gear positioned in a rest position during a playing cycle, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means for continuously connecting one end of said link member with said tone arm during a playing cycle, means on said gear for supporting the other end of said link member at a location offset from the center of said gear while permitting movement of said link member relative to said gear in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said link member as said tone arm moves inwardly during a playing cycle, and tripping means including pawl means carried by said gear and engaged by said link member as said link member moves in said direction for initiating an automatic cycle said support means rotating with said gear during the automatic cycle thus initiated.

In an automatic record player, a rotatable cycling member positioned in a rest position during a playing cycle, means for rotating said cycling member one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said cycling member, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm during both record changing cycles and playing cycles, tripping means operative in response to movement of said link member as the tone arm moves during a playing cycle for initiating an automatic cycle, and means operative after said cycling member has moved away from said rest position during an automatic cycle for connecting the other end of said link member to said cycling member at a point offset from the center thereof, thereby to rotate said tone arm about said fixed point.

In an automatic record player, a rotatable cycling member positioned in a rest position during a playing cycle, means for rotating said cycling member one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said cycling member, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm, and means operative in response to movement of said link member during a playing cycle for initiating an automatic cycle and operative after said cycling member has moved away from said rest position during an automatic cycle for connecting the other end of said link member to said cycling member and rotating said tone arm about said fixed point as said cycling member continues to move during said automatic cycle.

In an automatic record player, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a pivotally mounted tone arm, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm, means for supporting the other end of said link member on said gear at a location offset from the center thereof while permitting relative movement between said link and said gear, said offset location moving in a predetermined orbit as said gear rotates during an automatic cycle, and clutch means including a portion fixedly connected to and rotatable with said gear for selectively connecting and disconnecting a point on said link member to said gear at said offset location solely in response to the change in orientation of said fixed clutch portion relative to said link member as said gear rotates during the record changing cycle, whereby said tone arm is driven from said gear through said link member and said point on said link member is moved in said predetermined orbit during periods when said link member is connected to said gear by said clutch means.

In an automatic record player, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means interconnecting one end of said link member with said tone arm, a pin movably mounted on said gear at a point offset from the center thereof and moving in a predetermined orbit as said gear rotates, means fixedly connected to and rotatable with said gear for selectively moving said other end of said link member relative to said pin in accordance with the orientation of said moving means relative to said link member, and means responsive to said movement for urging a point on said link member into engagement with said pin with a force sufficient to move said tone arm about said fixed point as said gear rotates during the automatic cycle and said point on said link member is moved in said predetermined orbit.

In an automatic record player, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means connecting one end of said link member to said tone arm at a point offset from said fixed point, a pin mounted on said gear at a point offset from the center thereof and moving in a predetermined orbit as said gear rotates, the other end of said link member being movable with respect to said pin, means fixedly connected to and rotatable with said gear for selectively moving the other end of said link member in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said gear in accordance with the orientation of said moving means relative to said link member as said gear rotates during the record changing cycle, and means responsive to said movement of said link member for interconnecting a point on said other end of said link member and said pin so that said tone arm is moved about said fixed point as said gear rotates during the automatic cycle and said point on said link member is moved in said predetermined orbit.

In an automatic record player, the combination of, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during an automatic cycle, a tone arm mounted for rotation about a fixed point which is spaced from said gear, an elongated link member, means connecting one end of said link member to said tone arm at a point offset from said fixed point, and clutch means including a portion fixedly connected to said gear at a point offset from the center thereof and movable in a predetermined orbit as said gear rotates during an automatic cycle, said clutch means being operative selectively to frictionally connect and disconnect a point near the other end of said link member to said gear in dependence upon the orientation of said clutch portion relative to said link member during the automatic cycle, whereby said tone arm is driven from said gear through said link member and said point on said link member is moved in said predetermined orbit only during a period when said link member is frictionally connected to said gear by said clutch means.