Record player tone arm

Claim 1

IN A SELF-CYCLING RECORD CHANGER FOR PLAYING THE UPPERMOST SIDE OF EACH OF A PLURALITY OF DISC RECORDS SEQUENTIALLY DEPOSITED ON A TURNTABLE A MEANS FORMING A BASE, A TONE ARM SHAFT HAVING A COAXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH JOURNALLED IN SAID BASE FOR COAXIAL OSCILLATION ABOUT AND RECIPROCATION ALONG AN AXIS ADJACENT SAID TURNTABLE AND NORMAL TO THE SURFACE THEREOF, A TONE ARM SUPPORT SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT, A TONE ARM MEANS PIVOTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR PREDETERMINED VERTICAL ANGULAR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN IDLE POSITION AND A PLAY POSITION INCLUDING A STYLUS IN THE OUTER END THEREOF, MEANS FOR TILTING SAID ARM INTO SAID IDLE POSITION, A CARRIAGE JOURNALLED FOR RECIPROCATION IN SAID BASE PARALLEL SAID SHAFT LOOSELY RETAINED THEREON FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT FOR PREDETERMINED VERTICAL MOVEMENT AND OSCILLATION, A LOCK MEMBER ON SAID BASE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LIKE LINEAR TEETH POSITIONED ADJACENT AND PARALLEL SAID SHAFT, A PAWL MEANS JOURNALLED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR OSCILLATION BETWEEN A LATCHED POSITION AND A TRIPPED POSITION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ANY ONE OF SAID TEETH DEPENDING UPON THE VERTICAL POSITION OF SAID CARRIAGE FOR HOLDING SAID TONE ARM IN SAID PLAY POSITION FOR PLAYING EACH OF SAID RECORDS, MEANS FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID PAWL MEANS INTO SAID TRIPPED POSITION, A TRIGGER MEANS MOVABLY RETAINED ON SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A SEAR PORTION IN SAID BORE OF SAID SHAFT EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER END THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A LATCHED AND A TRIPPED POSITION, MEANS FOR NORMALLY URGING SAID TRIGGER MEANS INTO SAID TRIPPED POSITION, THE END OF SAID SEAR PORTION PROJECTING FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PAWL MEANS FOR NORMALLY HOLDING SAME IN SAID LATCHED POSITION, SAID TRIGGER MEANS ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED AND DEPRESSED BY SAID TONE ARM WHEN THE LATTER IS IN SAID IDLE POSITION FOR HOLDING SAID SEAR MEANS IN LATCHED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PAWL MEANS AND FOR TRIPPING THE LATTER INTO SAID TRIPPED POSITION DURING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TONE ARM FROM IDLE TO SAID PLAY POSITION, OPERATING MEANS IN SAID CHANGER COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SHAFT FOR SEQUENTIALLY MOVING SAME AND SAID TONE ARM FROM A LOWER TO AN UPPER POSITION AND TO SWING SAME INTO PREDETERMINED REGISTER OVER EACH OF SAID RECORDS WHEN SEQUENTIALLY DEPOSITED IN SAID STACK, A CAM MEANS ON SAID BASE IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PAWL MEANS FOR RESTORING SAME FROM SAID TRIPPED TO SAID LATCHED POSITION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEAR PORTION WHEN SAID TONE ARM IS MOVED TO SAID UPPER POSITION WHEREBY THE DESCENT OF SAID TONE ARM MEANS WILL ENGAGE SAID STYLUS WITH EACH SAID RECORD AND OPERATE SAID TRIGGER MEANS AND TRIP SAID PAWL MEANS INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID TEETH CORRESPONDING WITH EACH OF SAID RECORDS FOR HOLDING THE TONE ARM IN SAID PLAY POSITION FOR PLAYING EACH OF SAID RECORDS WHEN SAID CHANGER IS SEQUENTIALLY CYCLED.