Record players

Claim 2

An automatic record changing disc record player comprising a base plate, a motor driven turntable rotatably mounted on said base plate, transducer supporting means including an elongated support pivotally mounted on said base plate, a carriage mounted on said support which is arranged to move freely with low frictional resistance along the length of the support, a transducer pivotally mounted in said carriage, the stylus of the transducer being adapted to engage a record groove and thus be moved across the record being played, support actuating means including a cam operated lever, for moving the elongated support between a first position in which it extends across the record surface and a position away from the record surface clear of the turntable so as to enable further records positioned thereon, and transducer actuating and sensing means for automatically imparting movement to said transducer carriage so as to position it at the beginning of a record, and for sensing the end of a record to bring about the return of the transducer supporting means to its position away from the record surface.

Claim 3

A record player as claimed in claim 1, in which the transducer actuating and sensing means comprises a low mass swinging arm pivotally mounted on the base plate, the free end of said arm being associated with the transducer carriage so as to move with it.

Claim 4

A record player as claimed in claim 2, in which the swinging arm carries electrical conductors for attachment to the transducer.

Claim 5

A record player as claimed in claim 1, comprising a feeler for detecting the height above the turntable surface of a record to be played.

Claim 6

A record player as claimed in claim 4, comprising a ratchet mechanism which carries the elongated support, and which is moved in dependence upon the indication given by the feeler to set down the stylus of the transducer on the record surface, with the transducer in an optimum attitude for playing.

Claim 7

A record player as claimed in claim 5, in which the ratchet mechanism is arranged to be free until the feeler contacts the record surface, whereafter a pawl engages the ratchet to keep the support from further downward movement, and in which the pawl is moved, whilst still engaging the ratchet, to raise the support to allow the feeler to be withdrawn and to permit a predetermined further downward movement of the support for the stylus of the transducer to contact the record.

Claim 8

A record player as claimed in claim 4, in which the feeler is afforded by a brush or pad, which effects an initial cleaning operation on the record.

Claim 9

A record player as claimed in claim 7, in which the brush or pad is carried by the elongated support and is arranged to move automatically beFore the start of play of each record, first into contact with the record to clean it and then to a retracted position clear of the record.

Claim 10

A record player as claimed in claim 8, comprising first and second cam gears and pinion means for engagement with said gears, the cam gears being effective for bringing about actuation of the elongated support.

Claim 11

A record player as claimed in claim 9, in which each of the cam gears is provided with a gap in the teeth thereof, so that the pinion means may rotate freely during the time a record is being played, the teeth of said first cam gear being arranged to engage the teeth of the pinion means at the beginning of a record changing cycle whilst the gap in the gear teeth of the second cam gear coincides with the teeth of the pinion means, said engagement between the first cam gear and the pinion means being effective for raising the elongated support, swinging it to a position in which it extends radially across a record on the turntable and lowering the support so that the brush or pad makes cleaning engagement with the record surface, a further gap being provided in the first cam gear and interengaging abutments provided on said first and second cam gears, respectively, which engage before said further gap is reached so as to set the second cam gear in mesh with the pinion means, rotation of the second cam gear being effective for compensating for the height of the record surface above the surface of the turntable, raising the cleaning brush or pad out of engagement with the record surface, effecting movement of the carriage to a predetermined distance along the elongated support and lowering of the support so that the transducer stylus contacts the record surface, further interengaging abutments being provided on said cam gears which engage before the gap in the teeth of the second cam gear is reached so as to set the first cam gear in mesh with the pinion means whereupon the cam gears operate to complete the record changing cycle.