Stylus lowering, lifting and cleaning apparatus

In a system for recovering information from a record medium, said system including a pickup arm having a stylus mounted at a first end thereof, said pickup arm being mounted in a radially translatory carriage, said carriage having an opening to permit said stylus to pass out of the confines of said carriage to make contact with said record medium during playback, the apparatus comprising:

• end support means coupled to a second end of said pickup arm remote from said stylus for restraining said remote end against vertical translatory motion while allowing said first end to move vertically;
• a cleaning pad;
• movable support means coupled to said cleaning pad and for supporting said cleaning pad in a position below said pickup arm whereby said cleaning pad supports said pickup arm;
• and
• reciprocating drive means coupled to said movable support means for driving said movable support means in a generally longitudinal direction relative to said pickup arm whereby during motion of said reciprocating drive means towards said stylus said cleaning pad progressively raises said stylus and wipes said stylus in a first direction, and during motion of said reciprocating drive means away from said stylus said cleaning pad wipes said stylus in a second direction and lowers said stylus.