US2189077A - Automatic phonograph - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 194. MAURER 2,189,077

I AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 27, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 6, 1940. F, MAUR 2,189,077

AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 27, 1937 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

Feb. 6, 1940. H,- F, MAURE 2,189,077

AUTQMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 2'7. 193'! 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,f jfi I 12 E T-lllnmrr I i v 16' 1 m I r Hnlnunnunmumnm L Ill. Q MM Feb. 6, 1940. H; i. 'MAURER 2,189,077

I AUTOMATIQ PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 27, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 5, 1940.

H. F. MAURER AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 27, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet '5 v zvwniag 34W 75 77W,

Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED} STATES.

AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAAPH Howard E.

signor to The Ohio Application August 2'7,

Maurer, North Tonawanda, N. Y., as-

Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, North Tonawanda, N.

Y., a corporation of 1937, Serial No. 161,305

9 .Claims. (01. art-40R,

This invention relates generally to automatic phonographs and more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in phonographs of the multi-selective type,

6 It has for one of its objects to provide improved means for supporting the record carriers in stacklike fashion at one side of the turntable together with simple and reliable means for effecting the selective movement of the record carriers to and.

10 from a position in operative relation with the turntable.

Another object of the invention is to improve the selective mechanism of phonographs of the multi-selective type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a multi-selective phonograph having means for cancelling selections once made, but whichmeans is so designed and constructed as to prevent the cancelling of selections during the automatic se- 2 lection of previously selected records.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the chassis of a multi-selective phonographembodying my improvements. Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof Figure3 is an' end view of the same. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a selector shaft and associated mechanism. Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 5-5, Figure 3. Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the record carrier hub structure and associated selector mechanism for swinging the carrier to and from the position in operative relation to the turntable. Figure 'l is a horizontal section taken in the plane of line 1-1, Figure 6. Figure 8 is a fragmentary'top plan view of the phonograph. Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmen- 40 tary vertical section taken on line 9-9, Figure 3.

- Figure 10 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially in the plane of line Ill-40, Figure 9.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, l5 indicates the platform or. supporting frame of the phonograph chassis on which the working parts of the pho-' nograph mechanism are mounted and which chassis is usually mounted in a cabinet not shown, my invention being an improvement on the multi-selective phonograph disclosed in the Wilcox Patent No. 2,002,236, dated May 21, 1935. Rising above the platform is a vertically-movable turntable l6 carried by a spindle H which is guided in and extends below the platform. Also mounted on the latter is the customary tone arm or reproducer l8, and mounted on the platform at one side 'of the course of travel of the turntable are a plurality of pivoted record carriers l9 normally disposed in stack-like fashion adapted to 6 be selectively swung horizontally to a position over the turntable, whereby the latter, upon being elevated, picks the record from the selected carrier and brings it into play position with the needle of the reproducer. the record is completed, the turntable is lowered and the played record is deposited on its carrier, after which the. latter is swung to its position in the record stack.

Suspended from the bottom of the platform I5 is an electric motor which drives the moving parts of the phonograph, its shaft 2| being journaled in suitable bearings formed in a bracket 22 and having a worm 23 thereon meshing with a worm wheel 24 which transmits motion to the turntable-spindle l1 .to rotate the turntable This motor shaft also has a worm 25 which trans- 'mits motion through a suitable clutch to a cam shaft 26 through the medium of a worm wheel 21, this cam shaft being journaled in a suitable frame 28 depending from the platform and provided with cams 29, 30 and 3| which automatically control, respectively, the selective mechanism for predetermining the selection of a given record which has been preselected, the swinging of the selected carriers to a position over the turntable and the raising of the turntable to pick up the selected record from its carrier and bring it into engagement with the needle of the reproducer so that the record may be played. These cams also govern the return movement of these respective parts to their initial position after the playing of the record and simultaneously with the return of the selected carrier to the stack, the tone arm is likewise restored to its initial position, as in the Wilcox patent.

The selector mechanism controlled by the cam 29- consists of a selector shaft 32 journaled in the frame 28 in substantially parallel relation to the cam shaft 26 and. having a combined pinion and ratchet 33 loosely mounted thereon. Also loosely mounted on this selector shaft alongside the pinion is a wheel 34 to which is pivoted a springpressed pawl 35 normally in engagement with the teeth of the pinion. Cooperating with the pinion is a gear segment 36 for intermittently actuating the selector shaft 32 to record-selective positions, said segment being loosely pivoted on a stud shaft 31 and including an adjustable arm 38 likewise fulcrumed on said stud shaft and After the playing of 10.

the selective movements of the selector shaft 32.

A spring 42 applied to the segment tends to swing it downwardly or toward the axis of the cam shaft .26:

Projecting radially from selector shaft 32 is a pin 43 and projecting from the'face of the wheel 34 is a companion pin 44 which is adapted to abut against said radial pin 43. Coiled about the selector shaft 32 is a torsional spring 45, one end of which is secured to the shaft while its opposite end terminates in an arm 46 normally bearing against that side of the pin 44 opposite to that which abuts against the radial pin 43. At its rear end, the selector shaft is provided with a selector cam 41 which functions to control the selection of the records, that is, it functions to control avertically-adjustable means hereinafter described for engaging one or another of the record carriers which have been pre-selected. At its opposite or front end the selector shaft is provided with a substantially radial stop arm 46 arrangedin the path of a plurality of selector rods or push pins 49 corresponding in number to the records and disposed in an annular row at the front end of the machine and guided in the front end of the frame 28 and in a plate structure suitably supported from that frame as seen in Figure 3. The arm 48 and push rods 49 function to control the amount of rotation of the selector shaft 32, the rods being longitudinally movable, either manually, or otherwise, to a record-selectlngpositioninto the path of rotation ofthe selector arm 48, so that as the latter is rotated with the selector shaft it successively encounters one or another of the selected rods to thereby arrest the further turning of. the selector shaft and pre-set the selector cam 41 to in turn position the vertically-adjustable means at the elevation 'for selecting the record corresponding to that of the selected push rod. During the cycle or operations of the machine, the'cam 29 engages the roller 36, thereby causing the pinion 33 and the wheel 34 "to be rotated'as a unit and the pin 44 of the latter to in turn actuate the arm 46 of the torsional spring 45 and thereby provide a coupling to effect the turning of the selector shaft 32 therewith until such time as its arm 46 encounters the first selector push rod'49 in-its path. At such time'the further movement of the selector shaft is arrested, the cam 41 is set in a corresponding position for selecting the chosen record, and any further movement imparted by the cam 29 to the sector 36 is transmitted idly to the torsional spring 45 by the wheel-pin 44 and spring-arm 46 to store up energy therein to return the wheel 34 and its asshaped to support the records and they are provided with hubs 5| which are recessed on their position over the turntable are 39 associated with the gear segment underside, as indicated at 62, and which are individually supported on companion collars 63 mounted in juxtaposed relation on an upright post or shaft 54 disposed at one side of the tumtable and extending downwardly through the platform I 5. The collars are somewhat thicker than the carrier hubs 5| and such collars bear one upon another so that each tray is individually journaled and supported on its own collar independently from the others and can swing freely to and from record-selecting position. Each hub is .provided with a segmental recess 55, in its topside and arranged in such recess is-a pivoted link 56 connected by a coil'spring 51 with a bracket 56 secured to and rising from the plat-'- form and tied at its upper end to the corresponding end of the hub-bearing post 54. Pivoted to the latter to swing in an arcuate path about the carrier-hubs is a yoke 59 which is supported from the top of the post so as to be held against movement axially of the post and which is provided with a longitudinal slot 60 inwhich' is guided a vertically-adjustable coupling finger 6| secured to a vertically-adjustable upright rod 62 rising from and supported on a guide member 63 slidably the turntable, are in vertical alinement to form one continuous groove in which the coupling finger 6| is adapted to travel during the vertical adjustment of the rod 62 to a selective elevation. I v

The vertical adjustment of the record-carrier actuating rod 62 and the swinging of the yoke 69 to in turn swing a selected carrier to a effected by the cams 41 and 36, respectively. To this end, a vertically-swinging lever 65 is disposed in operative engagement with the selector cam 41, being pivoted at 66 and having its free end connected to the slidable guide member 63 from whichthe rod 62 rises, so that when the latter is elevated to a pre-selected position, its finger 6| registers with the corresponding notch 64 of the selected record carrier-19. Cooperating with the cam 30 for effecting the swinging 'of the yoke 59 is a lever 61 whose free end is connected by a link 66 with the lower end of such yoke, so that durin'g'the cycle of operations the yoke is swung about the axis of the carriers to in turn swing the coupled selected carrier over the turntable. Thereafter, the turntable I6 is elevated to pick the record from the selected carrier into playing engagement with the needle of thetone arm I 6. This elevation of the turntable is accomplished by the cam 3| through the medium of a lever "having parallel link connections 19 with a bearing member 1| upon which the lower end of the turntable-spindle I1 is seated.

' Associated with the selector rod or button assembly oi the phonograph is a selector-rod canceiling mechanism which functions to permit the cancellation of any pre-selection made by the patron at the push button dial except during that cycle of operations of the machine when a recordcarrier is selectively actuated to and from a selec: tor or playing position. The selector rods have stop collars 12 thereon for limiting their movement in either direction to selective and retractivepositions by contact with the opposite sides of the plate structure 66, as shown in Figure 10; Intel-posed between said plate structure and the frame 28 is a shiftable cancelling member or plate 13 common to all of the selector rods and having guide pins 14 extending rearwardly therefrom and guidedin openings-15 formed, in the frame 28. The selector rods 49 extend freely through openings in the cancelling plate and in their projected or selected positions, the inner collars I2 of the buttons abut the front face of the plate I3. Extending axially through the plate structure 59 and plate I3 isa manually-actuatedcancelling button or rod I6 whose inner end abuts one arm of a rock lever 11 pivoted intermediate its ends at I8 to the frame and havingits other arm abutting a projection I9 extending rearwardly from the plate I3. Normally, when the cancelling button is depressed it functions to shift the plate I3 outwardly so that any projected selector buttons are automatically returned to their initial non-selecting positions.

For the purpose of preventing such cancellation or restoration of the selector buttons 49 when the record-changing mechanism is operating, there is provided a latching device for locking the cancelling plate I3 against movement. This latch preferably consists of a shiftable camplate 89 disposed adjacent one of the guide pins I4 at the rear side of the adjoining portion of the frame 28 and having a slot 8| at one end through which an attaching screw 82 extends and a notch '83 at'its opposite end through which the adjoin-. ing guide pin I4 extends in the manner shown in Figures 9 and 10. Said pin 14 has a stop or peg 84 thereonwhich bears against the rear face of the cam-plate 89, theolatter being laterally offset or inclined as indicated at 95 so that when the latch-plate is shifted laterally toward such pin 14 it will create a wedge-like action and cause the cancelling-plate to be shifted axially inward to latch, the cancelling-plate in a position so that the cancelling button 16 is locked against movement to a cancelling position. A spring 86 applied to the cam-plate 89 serves to constantly urge it to an unlatched position where cancelling of selections is permitted. The projection or actuation of the cam-plate to its latched or cancelpreventing position is preferably effected during the turning of the cam shaft 26 to effect the record-changing operation, and to this end a cam 81 is fixed on the front end of such shaft for engagement with the outer end of the cam-plate to project it into latched position during the period of the cycle of operations when the record trays are being moved to and from record-selecting positions.

During the complete cycle of the record-changing operation, that is, projecting a carrier from the stack, playing the record and returning the carrier to the stack, the cam shaft 26 makes one revolution and for this purpose a suitable clutch mechanism 88 is provided between the shaft and the continuously rotating worm wheel 21, the clutch being released when the turntable reaches its playing elevation and the cam shaft remaining stationary until the record has been played, after which the clutch is automatically engaged to again start the cam shaft rotating to lower the turntable and restore the played record and its carrier to the stack. Cooperating with a cam surface on the shiftable spring-pressed member 89 of the clutch is an actuating arm 99 mounted on an oscillatory shaft 9I having a radial rod 92 projecting therefrom in operative engagement with a lug 93 formed on a lever 94 pivoted to said shaft and having a spring 95 applied-thereto for urging it in a direction to bring its lug 93 in abutting engagement with the rod 92. At its upper or free end this lever is engageable with.

the customary tone arm trip mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 96. The spring 95- is also connected to an L-shaped lever 91 pivoted to the oscillating shaft 9| and engaging a pin 98 projecting from the turntable actuating cam 3|. In the playing position of the graph, the pin 98 on the turntable-actuating cam holds the lever 91 in a position to place the spring 95 under tension, so that when the record has completed its play, the tone arm trip mechanism is rendered operative to release its pivoted trip dog 99 from the lever 94, whereupon said spring actuates such lever to in turn rock the shaft 9| and release the actuating arm 99 from the shiftable clutch member 89 and allowing the clutch to be automatically engaged by the action of the spring I99. The clutch-actuating lever 99 is held up out of engagement with the shiftable clutch member by a cam I9I associated therewith and a pin I92 applied to such lever, in which position the parts are in readiness to begin the next cycle of operations. This phonograph is usually coincontrolled and in the position of the parts just discussed, the circuit of the motor 29 is opened through the medium of the customary magazine switch (not shown) actuated by some moving part of the record-changing mechanism when the record carrier, bearing the played record, has been, restored tothe stack, all as fully disclosed in the aforesaid Wilcox patent. When another record is selected at the push button dial,the motor circuit is again closed and the selected record brought out for play. At the end of this selecting cycle, the clutch actuating arm 99 swings down by gravity into engagement with the cam surface of the shiftable clutch'member 89 to effect the release of.the clutch and at the same time rock the shaft 9| in a direction to swing the lever 94 to its initial position in engagement with the dog 99 of the tone arm'trip mechanism in readiness to be tripped when the selected record has completed its play. After the record has been played the tone arm trip functions to restore the parts to normal, as previously described, and simultaneously therewith the tone arm I9 is swung back to its initial position by a link connection I 93 associated with the lever 61 which actuates the yoke 51 for swinging the carriers to and from the record-stack.

The tripping of the dog 99, upon the completion of playing a record, may be effected by a pawl I94 applied to and extending radially from the lower end of the movable tone arm post I94 and engaging a notched rod I95 of the trip assembly 96.

After the stop arm 48 has contacted a selected or projected selector rod 49 and the corresponding record is brought out for play, such arm is shifted axially of the selector shaft 32 through the medium of a resilient cam-member I96 and a cooperating revolving actuating arm I91 fixed on the cam shaft 26 to restore the projected selector rod to its initial retracted position, after which a coil spring I98 abutting said stop arm 48 returns it to initial position ready to contact the next projected selector rod. To prevent any frictional tendency of the stop arm, upon its return, to move a selector rod with it, I provide a star-shaped or bevel-toothed wheel I99 on the selector shaft and a lever I I9 having a tooth-like member I II which is movable into and out of enagement between the teeth of such wheel to impart a slight backing-up movement to such shaft.

phono- Applied to the lever I I is a pin or roller I l 2 with which the carrier-swinging cam 30 is adapted to engage for controlling its movements into and out of engagement with the toothed wheel I09. Thus, after the stop arm 48 contacts a selector rod 49, the lever H0 is'subsequently moved by.

the cam 30 into an adjoining tooth of such wheel,

. the beveled edge thereof causing a recession or backing away movement of the selector shaft and its stop arm from the selector pin to efi'ect a clearance between these parts and eliminate any tendency of projecting a selector rod upon the restoring movement of the stop arm by its spring If desired, a brake 3 carried by a fiat spring tor the like may be provided f r engagement with the periphery of the wheel $4 for holding it to the position which it is driven by the segment 36, so that when the pinion 33 is rotated to m its normal position such wheel and selector shaft 32 will be held stationary relative thereto.

' For the purpose of effecting an elevational adjustment of the recordcarrier-hub-engaging finger 8|, the latter is preferably threaded on the SI upper end of the vertical rod 62, as shown in Figure 6, while the lower end of this rod is supported by a cotter-pin H5 in the hub portion of the uide member 63. By removing the cotter-pin and rotating the rod 62 in one direction or the 30 other while holding the finger 6|, the latter will be raised or lowered to accordingly adjust it to the position desired, after which the rod is again set in place by the cotter-pin. I claim as my invention: 1. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable,

a plurality of superposed record carriers having notched hub members disposed at one side of the turntableand projectible to and from a position over the same, said notches being alined vertically to form a continuous groove in the normal retracted position of the carriers, and a verticallyadjustable selector rod disposed alongside said hub members and having a coupling finger thereon engageable with said notch-forming groove for adjustment to a plurality of elevations to selectively'position said finger in the notch of one or another of the carriers, and a laterally-swinging support for said selector rod to move a selectively engaged carrier to a position over the turntable. 2. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable,

a plurality of superposed record carriers having notched 'hub members disposed at one side of the turntable and projectible toand from a positically to form a continuous groove in the normal retracted position of the carriers, a yoke pivoted to swing about the axis of the carrier-hubs and having an upright slot therein, a selector rod uided on said yoke to move therewith and adjustable relatively thereto to a plurality of elevations and having a coupling finger thereon guided in said yoke-slot and engageable with said notch-forming groove to selectively engage the notch of one or another of the carriers, means for governing the selective elevation of said selector rod, and means for actuating said yoke to swing a selectively engaged carrier to a position over the turntable. V

3. In an automatic phonograph, a plurality of individually selectable record carriers movable into and out of a record-playing position, and means for controlling the selection of .the record carriers including a seiector shaft having a gear I and ratchet means loosely mounted thereon,

tion over the same, said notches being alined vergear and ratchet means permitting the full dismeans controlled by said shaft for actuating said carriers, a torsional spring applied to said shaft having one end connected thereto and its other end in yieldable coupling engagement with said gear and ratchet means to effect the rotation of the shaft when the latter is rotated in one direction, means for rotating said gear and ratchet means a definite distance in a direction to rotate. said shaft, and adjustable selector means corresponding in number to the carriers and movable 10 to positions for stopping the rotation of said shaft at predetermined record-selecting points, the yieldable coupling between the shaft and the tance of travel of said gear and ratchet means as determined by said rotating means.

4. In an automatic phonograph, a shaft for controlling the selection of records, means for rotating said shaft comprising a gear loosely mounted on said shaft, a ratchet bearing-member loosely mounted on the shaft alongside said gear, pins projecting from said shaft and said ratchet-bearing-member in normal abutting relation, a torsional spring applied to said shaft having one endconnected therewith and its other end terminating in a yieldable arm abutting the pin of said ratchet-bearing-member to cause the rotation of said shaft when said gear and companion ratchet member are rotated in one di-' rection, means for'rotating said gear and ratchet member a definite distance to rotate said shaft, the torsional spring and the pin on said ratchet member constituting a driving connection for the shaft, and adjustable selector means for stopping the rotation of said shaft'at pre-determined record-selecting points, the yieldable arm of said spring permitting the idle full distance of travel of said gear and ratchet-bearing-m'ember relative to the selector shaft as determined by said rotating means.

5. In an automaticphonograph, a shaft for controlling the selection of records, means for rotating said shaft comprising a gear loosely mounted on said shaft, means connecting said shaft with said gear to rotate said shaft when the gear is rotated in one direction, a segment for rotating said gear adefinite distance in a direction to rotate said shaft, a shaft having a cam thereon for actuating said segment, a cam-engaging member applied to the segment for radial adjustment relative thereto, and means for adjusting said cam-engaging member to a.

set position of adjustment. u

6. In an automatic phonograph, a plurality of record carriers, a turntable, means for simultaneously selecting a plurality of records to be played, means governed by said selecting means for successively moving said record carriers with the records selected to a position over said turntable, means operatively engageable with the selecting means for restoring them to inoperative position should a patron desire to cancel selections once made, latch means operatively engageable with said restoring means for rendering the latter inoperative to cancel pre-selections at predetermined times, and means operatively associated with the carrier-actuating of record carrieraa turntable, means including a plurality of selector rods corresponding in number to the records for simultaneously selecting a plurality of records to be played, means 75 governed by said selector rods for actuating the carriers of the records selected to arr-operative position over the turntable, and means operatively engageable with the selector rods for restoring those once selected to their normal nonselecting positions when it is desired to cancel such selections, comprising a cancelling button, means disposed in operative relation to said selector rods and actuated by said button for restoring pre-selected selector rods to their normal position,-latching means engageable with and for preventing actuation of said selector rod restoring means at a predetermined time during the cycle of operations of the phonograph, means for normally urging the latching means to an unlatched position and a part movable with said carrier-moving means and engageable with said latching means for moving it to its latched position.

8. In an automobilephonograph, a plurality of record carriers, a turntable, means including a plurality of selector'rods corresponding in number to the records for simultaneously selecting a plurality of records to be played, means governed by said selector rods for actuating the carriers of the records selected to an operative position over the turntable, and means operatively engageable with the selector rods-for restoring those once selected to their normal nonselecting positions when it is desired to cancel such selections, comprising a cancelling button, means actuated by said button for restoring preselected selector rods to their normal position, a latch plate disposed for latching engagement with said selector rod restoring means at a predetermined time during the cycle of operations of the phonograph to render the cancelling button inoperative to cancel selections once made,

cam means associated with the carrier actuating means for moving said latch plate to and retaining it in its latched position during the selective movement of a carrier, and means for yieldingly urging said latch plate to an unlatched position.

9. In an automatic phonograph, a plurality of record carriers selectively movable to and from a record-playing position, and means for controlling the selection of records comprising a combined rotatable and axially-shiftable member, a plurality of individual means corresponding in number to the record carriers and selectively movable-,to positions for operative engagement with and to stop the rotation of said rotatable member at predetermined selective positions, means engageable with said rotatable member for shifting it axially in one direction at a predetermined time to restore the then.

operatively-engaged individual selecting means vto its initial non-selective position, means operatively connected with said rotatable member for yieldingly urging it in the opposite direction, a wheel movable with said rotatable member and having bevel-ended teeth thereon corresponding in number to the individual selector means, a lever having a tooth-like element thereon movable at predetermined times into and out of latching engagement with said toothed wheel, and means operatively connected with said lever for governing its movements, said tooth-like element during its latching stroke, encountering a corresponding beveled edge of one of the wheel-teeth to turn it and said rotatable member in a direction to free the latter from engagement with a given individual selector means.

HOWARD F. MAURER.

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