Automatic record player

Claim 2

In an automatic record player, the combination which comprises a tonearm including a pickup stylus interchangeably carried thereby; a turntable; a turntable drive system comprising an electrical motor for rotating said turntable in one predetermined direction when said motor is operated; an operational mode control including a control knob manually movable to any one of start, manual and stop positions; an electrical switch for connecting a suitable power source to said motor; means rotatable between first and second positions and including a spring element for normally urging said rotatable means to said first position in which condition said switch is opened, said rotatable means being rotated to the second position when said control knob is moved either to the start position or to the stop or manual position to close said switch thereby to operate said motor; pivotable means rotatable together with said tonearm connected therewith by means of a tonearm shaft and having a projection; a drive plate reciprocatable and including a cam member rigidly carried thereby at one end thereof; transmission means for transmitting a rotational force of said turntable to said drive plate for causing said drive plate to move in one direction during a first portion of an operation of said transmission means; a lifting rod having a lower end slidably engaging said cam member and an upper end for supporting said tonearm and operable in such a manner that, when said drive plate is moved in said one direction, said lifting rod shifts said tonearm upwardly and, when said drive plate is moved in said opposite direction, said lifting rod is allowed to downwardly shift; a record size selector comprising a selector knob movable among first, second and third detent stop positions, that are respectively associated with standardized diameters of 7, 10 and 12 inches of commercially available records, and at least one positioning plate having stepped edges corresponding to said detent stop positions of said selector knob, said positioning plate being pivotable in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction thereby to permit any one of said stepped edges, selected by the setting of said selector knob to the corresponding one of the detent stop positions, to be positioned in the path of angular travel of said projection of said pivotable means for enabling the pickup stylus to be automatically engaged in the lead-in groove of a record to be played; a detector plate relatively slidably carried by said drive plate, said detector plate being movable together with said drive plate when said control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position and capable of undergoing a relative motion with respect to said drive plate, when said control knob is moved to the start position, in such a way that, after said drive plate is moved in a predetermined distance in said one direction, said detector plate is held stationary and said drive plate is permitted to further move in said one direction, said detector plate including a spring element for urging said detector plate in one direction whereby, after said drive plate has been moved a predetermined distance is said opposite direction said detector plate commences to move together with said drive plate further moving in said opposite direction; escapement means operable, when the control knob is moved to the start position to cuase said transmission means to undergo one cycle of the operation thereof, to rotate the tonearm in one direction from the resting position to another position immediately above the lead-in groove of the record to be played in response to the relative motion of said detector plate with respect to said drive plate, said tonearm after having played said record being returned to the resting position by said escapement means when said drive plate is moved in said one direction during a subsequent cycle of operation of said transmission means caused upon entry of the pickup stylus in the lead-out groove of said record, said escapement means being operatively carried by said drive plate adjacent to said cam member and also operable, when the control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position while the record is being played, to immediately return said tonearm to the resting position in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction caused through said transmission means by manually moving said control knob to said stop position; means for causing the relative motion between said detector plate and said drive plate only when said control knob is moved to said start position; means for locking said rotatable means in said second position when said rotatable means is rotated to said second position; and a stop plate carried by the detector plate and frictionally rotatable between first and second positions, said stop plate being normally maintained in the first position when the relative motion between the detector plate and the drive plate does not take place and rotated to the second position when said relative motion takes place, said stop plate in said second position being capable of engaging with said locking means upon completion of the movement of said drive plate in said opposite direction thereby permitting said switch to be turned off with said rotatable means rotated to said firSt position.

Claim 3

The record player as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lifting rod includes means for giving contact pressure to said pivotable means, when said lifting rod is in the upwardly lifted position with said lower end thereof sliding over said cam member, thereby to prevent said pivotable means and, hence, the tonearm, from fluttering during rotation thereof.

Claim 4

The record player as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lifting rod further includes an adjustment device for adjusting the height of the tonearm with respect to the plane of the turntable.

Claim 5

The record player as claimed in claim 1, wherein said turntable drive system further comprises an idler wheel, a capstan rigidly mounted on a drive shaft of said motor and having at least three different diameter portions and a speed selector knob manually movable among first, second and third detent positions which respectively correspond to said three different diameter portions of said capstan and represent the standardized speeds of 33 1/3 , 45 and 78 round per minute of rotation of the turntable, said idler wheel capable of being brought into an operative position by said rotatable means, when said control knob is moved either to the start position or to the manual or stop position, thereby to transmit the rotational force of said capstan to said turntable and brought back to an inoperative position when said rotatable means is rotated to said first position.

Claim 6

The record player as claimed in claim 4, wherein said idler wheel is provided with an adjustment device for manually adjusting the height of said idler wheel with respect to any one of said different diameter portions of said capstan.

Claim 7

The record player as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cuing device for manually forcibly bringing the tonearm to the upwardly shifted position, said cuing device comprising a pivotably lever pivotable between operative and inoperative positions, a tension spring for urging said pivotable lever to said inoperative position a guide member having one end rigidly connected with the lifting rod, said pivotable lever having one end formed as a handle and the other end slidably engageable with the other end of said guide member whereby, only when said lever is manually pivoted to the operative position against the tension spring with said other end thereof lifting said guide member, the lifting rod is forcibly upwardly lifted and, when said lever is allowed to return to the inoperative position with said other end thereof separating from said guide member, said lifting rod is allowed to downwardly shift.

Claim 8

In an automatic record player, the combination which comprises a tonearm including a pickup stylus interchangeably carried thereby; a turntable; a turntable drive system comprising an electrical motor for rotating said turntable in one predetermined direction when said motor is operated; an operational mode control including a control knob manually movable to any one of start, manual and stop positions; an electrical switch for connecting a suitable power source to said motor; means rotatable between first and second positions and including a spring element for normally urging said rotatable means to said first position in which condition said switch is opened, said rotatable means being rotated to the second position when said control knob is moved either to the start position or to the stop or manual position to close said switch thereby to operate said motor; pivotable means rotatable together with said tonearm connected therewith by means of a tonearm shaft and having a projection; a drive plate reciprocable and including a cam member rigidly carried thereby at one end thereof; transmission means for transmitting a rotational force of said turntable to said drive plate for causing said drive plate to move in one direction during a first portion of an operation of said transmission means; a lifting rod having a lower end slidably engaging said cam member and an upper end for supporting said tonEarm and operable in such a manner that, when said drive plate is moved in said one direction, said lifting rod shifts said tonearm upwardly and, when said drive plate is moved in said opposite direction, said lifting rod is allowed to downwardly shift; a record size selector comprising a selector knob movable among first, second and third detent stop positions that are respectively associated with standardized diameters of 7, 10 and 12 inches of commercially available records, and at least one positioning plate having stepped edged corresponding to said detent stop positions of said selector knob, said positioning plate being pivotable in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction thereby to permit any one of said stepped edges, selected by the setting of said selector knob to the corresponding one of the detent stop positions, to be positioned in the path of angular travel of said projection of said pivotable means for enabling the pickup stylus to be automatically engaged in the lead-in groove of a record to be played; a detector plate relatively slidably carried by said drive plate, said detector plate being movable together with said drive plate when said control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position and capable of undergoing a relative motion with respect to said drive plate, when said control knob is moved to the start position, in such a way that, after said drive plate is moved a predetermined distance in said one direction, said detector plate is held stationary and said drive plate is permitted to further move in said one direction, said detector plate including a spring element for urging said detector plate in one direction whereby, after said drive plate has been moved a predetermined distance in said opposite direction said detector plate commences to move together with said drive plate further moving in said opposite direction; escapement means operable, when the control knob is moved to the start position to cause said transmission means to undergo one cycle of the operation thereof, to rotate the tonearm in one direction from the resting position to another position immediately above the lead-in groove of the record to be played in response to the relative motion of said detector plate with respect to said drive plate, said tonearm after having played said record being returned to the resting position by said escapement means when said drive plate is moved in said one direction during a subsequent cycle of operation of said transmission means caused upon entry of the pickup stylus in the lead-out groove of said record, said escapement means being operatively carried by said drive plate adjacent to said cam member and also operable, when the control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position while the record is being played, to immediately return said tonearm to the resting position in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction caused through said transmission means by manually moving said control knob to said stop position; means for causing the relative motion between said detector plate and said drive plate only when said control knob is moved to said start position; means for locking said rotatable means in said second position when said rotatable means is rotated to said second position; a stop plate carried by the detector plate and frictionally rotatable between first and second positions, said stop plate being normally maintained in the first position when the relative motion between the detector plate and the drive plate does not take place and rotated to the second position when said relative motion takes place, said stop plate in said second position being capable of engaging with said locking means upon completion of the movement of said drive plate in said opposite direction thereby permitting said switch to be turned off with said rotatable means rotated to said first position; a multi-play turntable spindle a tubular spindle housing a having a loWer end portion formed with an opening, an inner shaft having a lower end portion formed with first and second notches, the first one of which is in register with said opening when said inner shaft is upwardly shifted within said spindle housing, a primary support operatively carried by said inner shaft and operable in such a manner that, when said inner shaft is in the upwardly shifted position, said primary support comes into action to support a plurality of records to be played mounted on said turntable spindle and a secondary support operatively associated with said primary support and operable in such a manner that, when said primary support is withdrawn within said spindle housing, said secondary support comes into action to support the stack of records except for the lowermost one of them which is then permitted to fall down said turntable spindle on to the turntable; a spindle drive mechanism including a seesaw lever having one end pivotally connected with a fixed framework and the other end carrying thereon a record feeder, and at least one cam plate rigidly secured to the drive plate and having a substantially arched slot along which said other end of said seesaw lever is guided in response to the movement of the drive plate so as to selectively upwardly and downwardly shift said record feeder, said record feeder having a pivotable hooking member engageable in said second notch of said inner shaft during the downward movement of said record feeder thereby to forcibly lower the inner shaft whereby the lowermost one of the stacked record mounted on the turntable spindle is permitted to fall down said turntable spindle on to the turntable with said primary support withdrawn within said spindle housing and said second support in position to support the stacked records except for the lowermost one of them; and a barrier means for restricting the inner shaft from downwardly shifting when the control knob is moved to either the manual position or the stop position past the manual position while permitting the record feeder to undergo idle operation.

Claim 9

In an automatic record player, the combination which comprises a tonearm including a pickup stylus interchangeably carried thereby; a turntable; a turntable drive system comprising an electrical motor for rotating said turntable in one predetermined direction when said motor is operated; an operational mode control including a control knob manually movable to any one of start, manual and stop positions; an electrical switch for connecting a suitable power source to said motor; means rotatable between first and second positions and including a spring element for normally urging said rotatable means to said first position in which condition said switch is opened, said rotatable means being rotated to the second position when said control knob is moved either to the start position or to the stop or manual position to close said switch thereby to operate said motor; pivotable means rotatable together with said tonearm connected therewith by means of a tonearm shaft and having a projection; a drive plate reciprocable and including a cam member rigidly carried thereby at one end thereof; transmission means for transmitting a rotational force of said turntable to said drive plate for causing said drive plate to move in one direction during a first portion of an operation of said transmission means; a lifting rod having a lower end slidably engaging said cam member and an upper end for supporting said tonEarm and operable in such a manner that, when said drive plate is moved in said one direction, said lifting rod shifts said tonearm upwardly and, when said drive plate is moved in said opposite direction, said lifting rod is allowed to downwardly shift; a record size selector comprising a selector knob movable among first, second and third detent stop positions that are respectively associated with standardized diameters of 7, 10 and 12 inches of commercially available records, and at least one positioning plate having stepped edged corresponding to said detent stop positions of said selector knob, said positioning plate being pivotable in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction thereby to permit any one of said stepped edges, selected by the setting of said selector knob to the corresponding one of the detent stop positions, to be positioned in the path of angular travel of said projection of said pivotable means for enabling the pickup stylus to be automatically engaged in the lead-in groove of a record to be played; a detector plate relatively slidably carried by said drive plate, said detector plate being movable together with said drive plate when said control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position and capable of undergoing a relative motion with respect to said drive plate, when said control knob is moved to the start position, in such a way that, after said drive plate is moved a predetermined distance in said one direction, said detector plate is held stationary and said drive plate is permitted to further move in said one direction, said detector plate including a spring element for urging said detector plate in one direction whereby, after said drive plate has been moved a predetermined distance in said opposite direction said detector plate commences to move together with said drive plate further moving in said opposite direction; escapement means operable, when the control knob is moved to the start position to cause said transmission means to undergo one cycle of the operation thereof, to rotate the tonearm in one direction from the resting position to another position immediately above the lead-in groove of the record to be played in response to the relative motion of said detector plate with respect to said drive plate, said tonearm after having played said record being returned to the resting position by said escapement means when said drive plate is moved in said one direction during a subsequent cycle of operation of said transmission means caused upon entry of the pickup stylus in the lead-out groove of said record, said escapement means being operatively carried by said drive plate adjacent to said cam member and also operable, when the control knob is moved to the stop position past the manual position while the record is being played, to immediately return said tonearm to the resting position in response to the movement of said drive plate in said one direction caused through said transmission means by manually moving said control knob to said stop position; means for causing the relative motion between said detector plate and said drive plate only when said control knob is moved to said start position; means for locking said rotatable means in said second position when said rotatable means is rotated to said second position; a stop plate carried by the detector plate and frictionally rotatable between first and second positions, said stop plate being normally maintained in the first position when the relative motion between the detector plate and the drive plate does not take place and rotated to the second position when said relative motion takes place, said stop plate in said second position being capable of engaging with said locking means upon completion of the movement of said drive plate in said opposite direction thereby permitting said switch to be turned off with said rotatable means rotated to said first position; a multi-play turntable spindle a tubular spindle housing a having a loWer end portion formed with an opening, an inner shaft having a lower end portion formed with first and second notches, the first one of which is in register with said opening when said inner shaft is upwardly shifted within said spindle housing, a primary support operatively carried by said inner shaft and operable in such a manner that, when said inner shaft is in the upwardly shifted position, said primary support comes into action to support a plurality of records to be played mounted on said turntable spindle and a secondary support operatively associated with said primary support and operable in such a manner that, when said primary support is withdrawn within said spindle housing, said secondary support comes into action to support the stack of records except for the lowermost one of them which is then permitted to fall down said turntable spindle on to the turntable; a spindle drive mechanism including a seesaw lever having one end pivotally connected with a fixed framework and the other end carrying thereon a record feeder, and at least one cam plate rigidly secured to the drive plate and having a substantially arched slot along which said other end of said seesaw lever is guided in response to the movement of the drive plate so as to selectively upwardly and downwardly shift said record feeder, said record feeder having a pivotable hooking member engageable in said second notch of said inner shaft during the downward movement of said record feeder thereby to forcibly lower the inner shaft whereby the lowermost one of the stacked record mounted on the turntable spindle is permitted to fall down said turntable spindle on to the turntable with said primary support withdrawn within said spindle housing and said second support in position to support the stacked records except for the lowermost one of them; and a barrier means for restricting the inner shaft from downwardly shifting when the control knob is moved to either the manual position or the stop position past the manual position while permitting the record feeder to undergo idle operation.

Claim 10

The record player as claimed in claim 7, wherein said record feeder includes an adjustment device for manually adjusting the positioning of the inner shaft within said spindle housing to ensure that, when said feeder is upwardly shifted, said inner shaft is upwardly shifted with the secondary support withdrawn within the spindle housing whereby insertion and removal of the records can be facilitated.