Back to results
US 4,376,305 AGranted
Automatic record player
AssigneeJames T. Dennis
InventorsJames T. Dennis, George Kolomayets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeJames T. Dennis
InventorsJames T. Dennis, George Kolomayets
Estimating the term…
An extremely simple record changer mechanism is provided wherein only two members interconnect the tone arm subassembly with the main cycling gear in the spindle area of the changer. One of these members is employed to lift and lower the tone arm and the other member is used for the dual purpose of moving the tone arm horizontally during the record changing cycle and also acts as a velocity trip actuating member during the playing cycle. Both members are designed to avoid damage to the mechanism if the tone arm is moved or restrained during the record changing cycle. The presence or absence of a record on the spindle shelf is sensed by blade means which is moved in the direction of the shelf during the initial portion of the record changing cycle. If no record is present on the shelf, the tone arm is lowered into engagement with a retaining notch on the rest post at a point somewhat before mid cycle and the turntable motor is turned off at the end of this last record shutoff cycle.
In an automatic record player, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which said bottom stack of records may be seated during a playing cycle, automatic record playing means operative during an automatic cycle to deposit the bottom record of said stack onto said turntable, record sensing means including blade means mounted on said spindle and having an upper portion adapted to engage the edge of the centering hole of said bottom record seated on said shelf, and means operative during an automatic cycle for urging said upper portion of said blade means in the direction of said shelf with a sufficiently light force that said blade means is restrained by the edge of a record seated on said shelf without moving said record off of said shelf, said force being sufficient in the absence of a record on said shelf to move said blade means in said direction to a shut-off position.
In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which a stack of records may be seated during a playing cycle, automatic record changing means operative during a record changing cycle to deposit the bottom record of said stack onto said turntable, said automatic record changing means including a last record sensing blade mounted on said spindle and having an upper portion adapted to engage the edge of said bottom record in the vicinity of said shelf, and means operative during a record changing cycle for moving said upper portion of said blade in the direction of said shelf with a small force which is insufficient to enable said blade to eject a record if a record is seated on said shelf but is sufficient to move said blade to a shut-off position in the absence of a record on said shelf.
In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which a stack of records may be seated during a playing cycle, blade means mounted on said spindle, means operative during one portion of the record changing cycle for moving said blade means to a record ejecting position, whereby said blade means engages the bottom record of a stack of records seated on said shelf and moves said bottom record off of said shelf, and last record sensing means operative during a different portion of the record changing cycle for moving said blade means in the direction of said shelf with a light force which is sufficient to move said blade means to a shut-off position when no record is positioned on said shelf, said light force being insufficient to move said blade means to said record ejecting position when a record is seated on said shelf.
In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which a stack of records may be seated, a record ejector blade mounted on said spindle, means operative during one portion of the record changing cycle for moving said record ejector blade to a record ejecting position, whereby said record ejector blade engages the bottom record of a stack of records seated on said shelf and moves said bottom record off of said shelf, a last record sensing blade mounted on said spindle and movable independently of said record ejector blade, and means operative during a different portion of the record changing cycle for moving said last record sensing blade in the direction of said shelf with a light force which is sufficient to move said last record sensing blade to a shut-off position when no record is positioned on said shelf, said light force being insufficient to move said last record sensing blade to said record ejecting position when a record is seated on said shelf.
In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, means for rotating said turntable during a record playing cycle, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which a stack of records may be seated, automatic record changing means operative during a record changing cycle to deposit the bottom record of a stack of records seated on said shelf onto said turntable, last record sensing means including blade means mounted on said spindle and having an upper portion adapted to engage said bottom record, a pivotally mounted member, said blade means normally blocking movement of said pivotally mounted member, means for exerting a light force on said blade means tending to move said upper portion thereof toward said shelf, whereby said blade means is moved to a shut-off position in the absence of a record on said shelf, means responsive to movement of said blade means to said shut-off position for moving said pivotally mounted member to an off position, and means responsive to movement of said pivotally mounted member to said off position for disabling said turntable rotating means at the end of the same record changing cycle.
In an automatic record changer, the combination of, a rotatable turntable, means for rotating said turntable during a record playing cycle, a centering spindle positioned at the center of said turntable, means defining a shelf on one side of said centering spindle on which a stack of records may be seated, a main cycling gear, means for rotating said gear one revolution during a record changing cycle, automatic record changing means responsive to rotation of said gear for depositing the bottom record of a stack of records seated on said shelf onto said turntable, last record sensing means including blade means mounted on said spindle and having an upper portion adapted to engage said bottom record, a cam on said gear and having a notch therein, a pivotally mounted cam follower member, means for biasing said member into engagement with said cam, said blade means being normally positioned to prevent said cam follower member from following said notch when a record is positioned on said shelf, means for exerting a light force on said blade means tending to move said upper portion thereof toward said shelf, whereby said blade means is moved to a shut-off position in the absence of a record on said shelf, said light force being insufficient to move said blade means to said shut-off position when a record is positioned on said shelf, said blade means when in said shut-off position being positioned to permit said cam follower member to enter said notch, and means responsive to movement of said cam follower member into said notch for disabling said turntable rotating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.