US1249720A

US1249720A - Phonograph-record cleaner and protector.

Info

Publication number: US1249720A
Application number: US17025717A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Loomis Christian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-05-22
Filing date: 1917-05-22
Publication date: 1917-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1934-12-11

Description

E. L. CHRBSTIAN. PHONOGRAPH RECORD CLEANEB AND PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1911.

LMQRQQ, Patented Dec. 11,1917.

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ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD LOOHIS CHRISTIAN, 0F DOUGLAS, ARIZOHiA-e PHONdGBAPH-BEGORD GLEANER AND IROTECTOR.

' Specification oflettcra Patent.

Patented Dec. 1i, 1917.

Application 22,1917. Serial no. 170,257.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. Onnrsmn, a citizen of the United States, residin at Douglas, in the county of Cochise and btate of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph-Record Cleaners and Protectors, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to an improved record cleaner and protector for phonographs and has as its primary object to provide a device of this character which may be attached to the sound box of the phonograph in the rear of the stylus and automatica 1y operable to engage the phonograph record upon the movement of the sound box toward the record for supporting the sound box in position with the needle s aced from the record to thus prevent t e marring or scratching of the record by the accidental fall of the sound box.

The invention has as a further object to provide a construction wherein after the sound box has been moved to engage the protector with the record of the phonograph, the protector may then be swung to inactive position for permitting the movement of the sound box to engage the needle with the record.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a construction wherein the protector when swung to inactive position will rovide a cleaner or sweep for the record or removing the dust therefrom as the record is revolved beneath the needle of the phonograph.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of a conventional type of phonograph with the sound box thereof equipped with my improved protector, the protector being swung to inactive position to provide a cleaner for the. phonograph record in the rear of the needle,

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the protector in active position supporting the sound box with the needle of the phonograph spaced from the record, this view also illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which the body of the protector is adapted to gravitate to active position upon the movement of thesound boxto seat the phono raph needle u pon the record, 1g. 3 1s a detail View showin the device detached with the parts thereof disconnected from each other, and

Fig. 4 is a detail sideelevation showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

In carrying out the invention, my improved protector is formed with a body 10 the front lower corner of which is rounded off as indicated'at 11. Swingingly support ing the body is a substantially U'shaped attaching member or clamp 12 provided with a set screw 13 adjustable through one arm of the clamp. Projecting laterally from the bottom of the clamp-is a hinge lug l3 loosely received in a suitable slot in the up er extremity of the body 10 and pivotal y connecting the body with the clamp is a pivot pin 14 extending through the said lug. At the uptper end of the body, the rear corner thereo is cut away or rounded off as shown at 15. The body is thus mounted to swing in one direction upon the clamp with the upper end of the body adapted to coact with the bottom of the clamp for locking the clamp in substantially vertical position against swinging movement beyond its pivotal center in the opposite direction. Formed in opposite sides of the body adjacent its upper extremity are oppositely disposed notches or grooves 16 and fitted around the lower end of the body is a shoe or cleaning element 17 extending above the said grooves. The cleaning element 17 may be formed of suitable fabric such as velvet or plush and detachably connecting the said element with the body is a split resilient clip 18 extend-'95 ing around the body to fit within the said grooves and fyieldably engage over the upper extremity o the cleaning element. While I have indicated that the cleaning element 17 is preferably formed of fabric still, I do not wlsh to be limited to this particular construction and the term cleaning element as herein used is accordingly intended to be construed in its broadest sense so as to include a brush. However, the said element should be of such nature as to in effect form a cushion upon the lower end of the body 10.

In order that the construction, mounting and operation of my improved protector may be accurately understood I have, in the drawings, shown the device in connection with a conventional type of phonograph over the table is a swinging amplifying horn to the outer end of which is loosely connected a goose-neck 23 having a sound box 21 secured thereto. Connected with the diaphragm of the sound box is the pivoted stylus bar 25 which, at its outer end, carries a needle 26 for engagement with the record 21. As will now be observed, the clamp 12 is formed to fit around the casing of the sound box 2L in the rear of the stylus bar 25 and is detachably connected to the said sound box by the set screw 13 with the body 10 adapted to assume a vertical position when the sound box is swung forwardly upon the horn 22. As is well known, the sound box is, when in inactive position, rested against the tone arm so that when swinging the said sound box forwardly toward the record 21, the body 10 of the protector will, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, normally gravitate upon the clamp 12 to assume a vertical active position projecting below the lower end of the needle. Since the body 10 of the protector is formed to cooperate with the clamp 12 for locking the body against forward pivotal movement upon the clamp, rotation of the record 21 with the table 20 cannot act to displace the body so that the body will thus engage with the record to support the sound box in position with the needle spaced from the record. Consequently, should the sound box he accidentally allowed to fall, my improved protector will therefore automatically operate to prevent the contact of the needle with the record with the cleaning element 17 acting as a cushion beneath the body 10 for preventing the marring or scratching of the record. Moreover, it will be observed that the protector will prevent the needle from scratching the record should the sound box be swung across the record with the horn 22.

After the sound box has been moved to engage the protector with the record of the phonograph, as shown in Fig. 2, the body 10 of the protector may then be manually swung rearwardly when the sound box may, as illustrated in Fig. 1, be lowered to engage the needle 26 with the record. In this latter position of the body 10, the said body will ride upon the record in the rear of the needle 26 as the record revolves so that the cleaning element 17 will act to clean the record of any dust or other foreign matter thereon before coming in contact with the needle. In this connection, it will be-observed that with the body 10 swung, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the rounded corner 11 of the body will be presented to the record and in being so rounded will not tend to cut through the cleaning element 17. However, when one cleaning element becomes worn out, another may be readily substituted therefor by simply removing the clip 18.

It will therefore be seen that I provide a particularly simple and etiicient construction for the purpose set forth and a device adapted for attachment to substantially any conventional type of phonograph. Furthermore, the device is so attached to the phonograph sound box that the presence of the device upon the said box will not result to the detriment of the tone reproducing qualities thereof.

In Fig. l of the drawings, I have illustrated a slight modification of the invention which relates more particularly to the mounting of the cleaning element. In this modification, the attaching clamp of the device is indicated at 27 and swingingly connected to the said clamp is a body 28. The clamp 27 is identical with the clamp of the preferred form of the invention and the body 28 is mounted in a similar manner. At its lower extremity, the body 28 is formed to provide an undercut channel 29 upon the forward side thereof and a similarly undercut channel 30 upon the lower end of the body with an angle 31 between the said channels at the forward lower corner of the body. Fitted around the body is a cleaning element 32 of felt, cloth, or other approved material. This cleaning element is slit transversely intermediate the ends thereof and is formed at its ends to fit within the channels 29 and 30 with the intermediate portion of the said element bent around the angle 31 of the body. In this position, the cleaning element may be glued in place with the channels 29 and 30 acting to effectually secure the cleaning element upon the body. This provides a very simple means of mounting the cleaning element and since the operation of this modification of the invention is identical with the preferred form of the invention, a further description thereof will" not be given.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a phonograph sound box including a stylus bar and a needle carried by the stylus bar, of a record protector carried by the sound box, the said protector including a body, and an attaching member pivotally supporting the body and engaged with the sound box, the body being adapted to normally gravitate to a position projecting below the needle coacting at its inner extremity with the attaching member for holding the body against forward pivotal movement upon the said member.

2. A record protector for phonographs including a body, and an attaching member pivotally supporting the body, the body being mounted to swing upon the said memlib her in a direction opposite to the rotary movement of the record and being limited in its swinging movement in a direction with the movement of the record.

3. A record protector for phono raphs including a body, an attaching mem er swingingly supporting the body, and shoulders formed on the body to coact with the said member for limiting the body in its swinging movement upon the member in a direction with the rotary movement of the record to support the body in active vertical position.

4. A record protector for phonographs including a body, an attaching member pivotally supporting the body, the body being mounted to swing in one direction upon the said member, and a cleaning element carried by the body, the said cleaning element providing a cushion arranged to contact with the record.

5. A combined protector and cleaner for phonograph records including a body, an attaching member supporting the body to normally gravitate in a direction with the rotary movement of the record to locked active position, and a cleaning element carried by the body for sweeping the record in the inactive position of the body.

6. A record protector for phonographsineluding a body, an attaching member pivotally supporting the body, a cleaning element extending around the lower end of the body, and a clip detachably connecting the said element with the bod r In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWARD Looms CHRISTIAN. [n it]