Multi-message phonograph system

A system for selecting separately at a time one track having a message from a plurality of track having other messages registered in a plurality of equally spaced concentric spiral grooves on a phonographic disc and for playing the selected message, with each said selected message having a starting point on the periphery area of the disc comprising:

• a speaker and turntable means for said system;
• a housing having walls including a base wall forming a compartment;
• a shaft having one end perpendicularly secured to said base wall and an opposite end positioned in said compartment;
• a tone arm for tracking in a groove containing a desired predetermined message and power means for driving same;
• said turntable means being axially movable relative to said shaft between contact and non-contact positions, wherein in said contact position the disc is in operative contact with said tone arm and in said non-contact position the disc is spaced from said tone arm;
• and means for selecting any one of said spiral grooves by cooperatively associating each individual registered message on said spiral grooves with individual push-button selection means which function upon being moved between inactivated and activated positions, with any one of the activated positions engaging said tone arm at a predetermined groove disposed relative to one of the associated push-buttons of said push-button selection means, wherein said push-button selection means in said activated position releasably positions said turntable means away from said tone arm and said turntable means acts to release said push-button means from said activated position when said groove for said selected message is aligned with said tone arm;
• said turntable means including a cylindrical column axially mounted around said shaft, said column including a main column portion and a base column portion of greater diameter than said main column portion, said base column portion having a planar ring face transverse to said shaft extending outwardly relative to said shaft directed towards said main column portion, said base column portion having a rim opposed to said rim face;
• said push-button selecting means including a plurality of elements including push-buttons having opposed inner and outer button portions, said inner button portions being disposed in said housing and said outer button portions being spaced outwardly from said base wall, said push-buttons being movable generally parallel to said shaft for operation by a user at said outer button portions;
• said plurality of elements further including rotatable arms having opposed inner and outer arm portions radially disposed around said shaft at equal intervals, said push-buttons forming shoulders in said compartment, said arm outer portions being positioned at said shoulders, said plurality of elements further including flexible strands joining said upper portion of said push-buttons and said arm outer portions;
• said rotatable arms further including pressing fingers at said arm inner portions, wherein in said contact position of said turntable means said pressing fingers are axially spaced from said ring face of said column and are in pressing contact upon said ring face during movement of said record means from said contact position to said non-contact position;
• said base wall forming a plurality of radial slots aligned with said elements and also forming a plurality of holes spaced radially outwardly from each of said slots, said holes being adapted to slidingly receive said push-buttons.

A system for selecting separately at a time one track having a message from a plurality of tracks having other messages registered in a plurality of equally spaced concentric spiral grooves on a phonographic disc and for playing the selected message, with each said selected message having a starting point on the periphery area of the disc comprising:

• a housing having walls including a base wall forming a compartment;
• a shaft having one end perpendicularly secured to said base wall and an opposite end positioned in said compartment;
• a speaker and turntable means for said system;
• a tone arm for tracking in a groove containing a desired predetermined message and power means for driving same;
• said turntable means being axially movable relative to said shaft between contact and non-contact positions, wherein in said contact position the disc is in operative contact with said tone arm and in said non-contact position the disc is spaced from said tone arm;
• and a plurality of means for selecting any one of said spiral grooves by cooperatively associating each individual registered message of said spiral grooves with individual selection means which function upon being moved between inactivated and activated positions, and with any one of the activated positions engaging said tone arm at a predetermined groove disposed relative to said individual selection means, wherein said plurality of selection means in said activated positions releasably positions said turntable means away from said tone arm and said turntable means acts to release said selection means from said activated positions when said groove for said selected message is aligned with said tone arm;
• said turntable means including a cylindrical column axially mounted around said shaft, said column including a main column portion and a base column portion of greater diameter than said main column portion, said base column portion having a planar ring face transverse to said shaft extending outwardly relative to said shaft directed towards said main column portion;
• said plurality of selecting means being a plurality of operatively cooperatively associated first and second elements, said first elements being push-buttons having opposed button inner and outer portions, said button inner portions being disposed in said housing and said button inner portions being disposed in said housing and said button outer portion being spaced outwardly from said base wall, said push-buttons being movable generally parallel to said shaft by operation by a user at said outer portion;
• wherein said second elements are rotatable arms having opposed arm inner and outer portions radially disposed around said shaft at equal intervals, said push-buttons forming first shoulders at said button inner portions, said arm outer portions being positioned at said first shoulders, said button inner portions forming channels defined by outer walls, pairs of opposite side walls connected to said outer walls and said shoulders, said channels having inner open sides formed opposite to said outer walls, said arm inner portions forming first pressing fingers slidably positioned in said channels;
• said rotatable arms including second pressing fingers at said arm portions, wherein in said contact position of said record means said pressing fingers are axially spaced from said ring face of said column and are in pressing contact upon said ring face of said column during movement of said record means from said contact position to said non-contact position;
• and wherein said base wall forms a plurality of radial slots aligned with said elements and also forms a plurality of holes spaced radially outwardly from each of said slots, said holes being adapted to receive said push-buttons.

A system for selecting one message of a plurality of messages of equally spaced concentric spiral grooves on a phonographic disc and for playing the selected message, each said selected message having a starting point on the periphery area of the disc and a termination point a the center area of the disc, comprising:

• a housing having walls including a base wall forming a compartment,
• a shaft having one end perpendicularly secured to said base wall and an opposite end positioned in said compartment,
• speaker means mounted in said compartment,
• arm means rotatably secured to said housing and movable in an arc on an arm plane perpendicular to said shaft, said arm means being operatively connected to said speaker means,
• means for keeping said arm means aligned in said arm plane,
• record means including the disc axially mounted a said opposite end of said shaft and rotatably movable perpendicular to said shaft, said record means being axially movable relative to said shaft between contact and non-contact positions, wherein said contact position the disc is in operative contact with said pickup means and in said non-contact position the disc is spaced from said arm means,
• said record means including a cylindrical column axially mounted around said shaft, said column including a main column portion and a base column portion of greater diameter than said main column portion, said base column portion having a planar ring face transverse to said shaft extending outwardly relative to said shaft directed towards said main column portion,
• said arm means being movable between said starting point and said termination point of the disc during rotation of said record means in said contact position, said arm means being positioned at a certain periphery position in preparation for contact with said starting point of said selected message,
• drive means mounted in said compartment operatively connected to said record means for rotating said record means,
• a source of power for energizing said drive means,
• a plurality of selecting means equal in number to the number of messages on the disc, each of said plurality of selecting means being movable between inactivated and activated positions, any one of said plurality of selecting means adapted to be moved from said inactivated position to said activated position to initiate selection of said selected message to be played wherein said record means is moved from said contact position to said non-contact position, each of said plurality of selecting means being aligned relative to starting points of associated messages and to said certain periphery position of said pickup means,
• means associated with said selecting means upon said base wall for holding said record means in said non-contact position,
• means for de-energizing said drive means upon said pickup means reaching said termination point of said message in said contact position of said record means during rotation of said recorded means,
• means associated with said record means for releasing said means for holding and thereupon releasing said record means from said non-contact position upon rotation of said record means to said activated selected means of said plurality of selecting means,
• first biasing means for pressing said record means from said non-contact position to said contact position upon release of said means for holding,
• second biasing means for pressing said plurality of selecting means towards said inactivated positions,
• wherein said record means is biased to said contact position with said starting point for said selected message being aligned with said certain position of said arm means,
• said plurality of selecting means being a plurality of operatively cooperatively associated first and second elements, said first elements being push-buttons having opposed button inner and outer portions, said button inner portions being disposed in said housing and said button inner portions being disposed in said housing and said button outer portion being spaced outwardly from said base wall, said push-buttons being movable generally parallel to said shaft by operation by a user at said outer portion,
• wherein said second elements are rotatable arms having opposed arm inner and outer portions radially disposed around said shaft at equal intervals, said push-buttons forming first shoulders at said button inner portions, said arm outer portions being positioned at said first shoulders, said button inner portions forming channels defined by outer walls, pairs of opposite side walls connected to said outer walls and said shoulders, said channels having inner open sides formed opposite to said outer walls, said arm inner portions forming first pressing fingers slidably positioned in said channels,
• said rotatable arms including second pressing fingers at said arm inner portions, wherein in said contact position of said record means said pressing fingers are axially spaced from said ring face of said column during movement of said record means from said contact position to said non-contact position, and
• wherein said base wall forms a plurality of radial slots aligned with said elements and also forms a plurality of holes spaced radially outwardly from each of said slots, said holes being adapted to receive said push-buttons.