US1587875A - Starting attachment for edison phonographs - Google Patents

Description

June 8 1926.

R. THOMPSON STARTING ATTACHMENT FOB. EDISON PHONOGRAPHS Filed May 4:, 1925 Patented June e, i925.

UNITED STATES una PATENT FFlCE.

ROBERT THOMPSON, OF ILON, NEW YORK.

Application filed May 4, 1925.

My invention relates to a new and useful device for properly positioning the stylus or diamond point of an Edison phonograph, over the outer end of the sound groove, so that lowering of the tone-arm-and-hornunit will properly engage the stylus with the beginning of the record.

lt is one object of the invention to provide for obtaining the desired result in an exceptionally simple and inexpensive manner, and another aim is to provide an attachment for an ordinary Edison phonograph, which may be easily applied and adjusted to limit the swinging of the above-named tone-arm-and-horn-unit, toward the center of the record table, to a position at which the stylus is directly over the outer end of the sound groove, whereupon lowering of said unit will position the stylus in the groove.

United States Patents 1,184,333 of May 23, 1916, and 1,211,573 of January 9, 1917, show the general type of Edison phonograph with which my invention is usable.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinalter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Edison phonograph equipped with the invention, the cover being swung upwardly and the front panel being removed.

Figure 2 is a detail horizontal sectional. view showing the invention in top plan.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 3h3 of Fig. 2.

Figure a is an enlarged detail horizontal section on line l-e of Fig. 3.

ln the drawing above briefly described, U designates the well known tone-arm-andhorn-unit of an Edison machine, provided with the usual diamond point reproducer it for co-action with a record R on the rotary table T. The unit U is mounted in the well known manner on a vertical shaft S having an operating handle H at its upper end, by means of'which the unit may be raised and lowered, the shaft also acting as a pivot to allow said unit to swing horizontally. In the form of my invention herein disclosed, it co-acts with the front end of the horn of the unit U and is mounted on the bottom B of the compartment C in which all operating parts are located. The construction shown is here- Seral No. 27,886.

parts are so positioned that when the unit Y U is raised and the stylus of the reproducer E is clear of the record, the stop 4 is in the path on which the horn must travel when the unit U is horizontally swung to position the reproducer R over the outer edge of the record, and by the time swinging of said unit has taken place to the necessary extent to dispose the stylus directlyv over the outer end of the sound groove, the horn abuts the stop and thus can move no further at that particular time. Thus, when the handle H is operated to lower the unit U, the stylus necessarily engages the outer end of the sound groove. This downward movement of the unit U, disposes the horn below the stop el, so that said unit may swing in the direction of the arrow inFig. 2 to effect playing of the record. lV hen the playing operation is over and the handle H is again depressed to elevate the unit U, this unit lifts the arm 1 about its pivot 2 and when said unit is returned to its idle position at the right-hand side of the cabinet C, the stop 4- drops from the horn and stands in readiness to again function.

ln the preferred form of construction, the post 3 is stamped froml a single piece of sheet metal, into channel-shape, and this post is provided with a horizontal base 6 having a slot 7 to receive an attaching screw 8, driven into the cabinet bottom B, the slot permitting the necessary adjustment of the device when it is initially installed. l

lThe arm 1 is preferably formed alsoV of a single piece of sheet metal and the stop 4 is formed by downwardly bending the outer end of this arm. To reinforce the arm, it is provided with vertical longitudinal flanges 9 whose inner ends are pivoted to the post 3, and to limit the downward swinging of said arm, its inner end is bent downwardly to provide a stop 10 which abuts the post 3 as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

In order to attach the pad 5 to the stop 4t, the latter is preferably formed with-two vertical slots 1l through which the ends of the pad are passed, said pad being preferably formed of leather,althoug`h this is not essential. To hold the ends of the pad in the slots 11, the metal atfthev outerV sides of these slots may well be bent inwardly to any required extent.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the inventionis extremely simple and inexpensive,yet that itis efficient, reliable, and may be easily installed and adjusted.

AExcellent results have` been obtained from the exact details disclosed `and they are therefore preferably followed. However, as above stated, modifications may of course be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Il claim: l

l. Incombination with arphonograph having a record table'and a tone-arm-and-hornunit, the latter being mounted for vertical movement and forhorizontal swinging; a stop adapted to abut a portion of said unit whenthe latter is manually swung inwardly s sufficiently to dispose the usual stylus at starting position with respect to a .record on the table, and supporting means for said stop preventing descent ofthe latter when the above-named unity is lowered to engage the stylus with the record, Ithe aforesaid portion of said unitv being movable under said stop throughout thek record playing operation,- said stop being adapted to be immediately lifted by said unit when the latter is lifted and sustained thereby while said unit is being swung to inoperative position, said stop being then adapted to drop to operative'positioinf in readiness forfurther use.

2'; Incombinati'on4 with a graphophone having a record' table and a tone-arm-and-horn unit, the latter being mounted for vertical movementr and' for l'i'orizontal1 swinging; a stop adaptedv to abut the outerend of the horn of said unit when the latter is manually swung' inwardly to4 dispose the usual stylus at starting positionwith respecttol a record on the table, and' supporting means for the stop preventing descent of the latter when theabove-nam'ed unit is lowered to engagey the stylus with the record,- said hornv being movable under said stop throughout the record playing operation and being effective to lift said stop and'sustain'itwhen said unit islifted and swung to inoperative position, said stop being then adapted to drop to operative position, in readiness for further use;

The combination defined in claim l, in which said stop is formed by the free end of a pivotally mounted vertically swingable ar'n'i, saidarnrl'iaving a stop for limiting its downward movement, but being free to swing' upwardly.

4. A device ofthe class described comprising-a support adapted to be mounted in outwardly spaced relation with the horn of a -tone-arm-and-horn-unit of a graphophone,

adapt'edito abiit'the horn wlienthet'one-arm and horn-unit is positioned to dispose its stylus over the outer end' of a record groove, said arm having a stop adaptedto strike said support and limit the downward swinging of said arm. t

6.*A structure as p specified in claim 4f; said vsupportcomprising a post having a base adapted to be secured upon the bottom of a phonograph cabinet'. t Y

7. A device of the class described comprising a vertical post having ahorizontal `base formed with a longitudinal slot, said slot being adapted to'receive a screw for securing the base to' thebottom of a graphophone cabinet in outwardly spacedrelation with the horn of a tone-arm-and-liorn-unit, asubstantially horizontal arm pivoted to thev upper end of said post on a transverse horizontal axis, the inner end of said arm having. a downwardly extendingstop to abutthe post and limit the descent of the arm, the outer end of said arm havingr a stop to abut the above-named horn.

8. In a graphophone stylus-positioning device, a metal stop having a pair Vof` spaced parallel slots, a pad at one side of said-stop having its ends passed through andheld in .said slots, and means for mounting 'said stop withthe paddisposed to abut'a carrying lpart for the stylus.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature.

ROBERT THOMPSON.

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