US2209072A - Lighting means for phonographs and the like - Google Patents

Description

y 23, 1940- AB. CHRISTENSEN 2 ,072

LIGHTING MEANS FOR PHONOGRAPHS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l i I IIHHIIIIFIIII Y 23, 1940- A. B. CHRISTENSEN 209,072

LIGHTING MEANS FOR PHONOGRAPHS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 4, 1 93 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zwv cni'oa' Patented July 23, 1946 v UNITED STATES LIGHTING MEANS ron rnoNoenerns THE-LIKE Andrew B. Christensen, North Tonawanda, N.

assi'gnor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company,

North Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application October 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,219

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to certain new and useful improvements in lighting devices or systems but more particularly to devices for creating novel lighting efiects in the record playing 5 compartments of automatic phonograp-hs.

One of its objects is to provide a lighting system of this character which is designed to create variegated lighting effects or displays and enhance the beauty and appearance of the phonograph or like instrument to which it is applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a reflecting wall or background, a revolvable light-emitting means or screen for directing moving beams of colored light rays across the background to create novel and distinctive lighting efiects.

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

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front View of the record-playing compartment of an automatic phonograph equipped with my invention. Figure 2 is a detached front view of the reflecting background showing a lighting display therein and the revolving light source or screen employed in connection with my invention. Figure.

3 is an enlarged rear elevation of the light source unit. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing the relative arrangement of the reflecting background and the revolving light unit. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the variegated color drum or screen of the light unit.

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

This invention has been designed more particularly for application to the record-playing compartments of automatic phonographs and such 40 application of it is shown in the drawings, the numeral l indicating the upper portion of the phonograph cabinet, H the compartment in which the customary record-changing mechanism is mounted, l2 the glass-paneled door thereof and I3 the platform or floor of such compartment. Mounted on this platform are a plurality of horizontally-swinging record-carriers l4 which are adapted to be swung to and from a playing position over the vertically-movable turntable I 50 and into and out of playing engagement with the customary needle of the tone arm 16.

Disposed at the rear of the compartment II is an upright wall ll constituting the light-projection surface or background upon which the variegated lighting effects are produced and whose reflecting surface may be finished to represent quilted maple or other appropriate finish. The rear edge of the platform i3 terminates short of the wall l! to provide a light-projection opening 18 and disposed substantially centrally below the platform adjoining such opening is the revolving light-emitting unit whose parts are mounted on a bracket l9 secured to a portion of the interior of the cabinet l0. Constituting a part of this unit is a revolvable light-emitting screen or cylinder 20 having its axis disposed at right angles to the plane of the wall I'l and secured to a horizontal shaft 2i driven by an electric motor 22 suitably secured to the bracket. One end of this cylinder is provided with a shaftattaching plate 23, while its opposite or rear end is open and extending into the same is an electric lamp 2d fitted in a socket-bearing arm 25 adjustably secured to the bracket is by a screw 26. If desired, the drum-plate 23 may be provided with vent openings 21 for the dissipation of the heat from the lamp.

The body of the cylinder 20 is made of a suitable transparent material for the passage. of the light rays from the lamp 24 and formed on this cylinder and extending in the direction of its axis are a plurality of parallel colored bands or stripes 28, such as red, green and purple, or other color-combinations to produce the lighting effect desired. These colored stripes are arranged side by side and extend continuously about the cylinder in any desired order or. arrangement, depending on the lighting effect and color scheme to be produced on the screen-wall ll. As the cylinder 26 revolves, the colored light beams emanating from the stripes 28 are directed against and imposed upon the wall ill from end to end thereof in the general shape of a fan with the individual colored sectors 29 thereof diverging radially outwardly from the lower portion of the wall. In the lighting eflect shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, by way of example, the color and arrangement of the stripes 28 are such as to create or simulate a peacock eifect on the Wall H. To further reproduce this effect, the

cylinder is preferably provided with openings 30 g cylinder revolves at a slow speed, the lighting eifect is continuously changed and a variegated color scheme of a very attractive and pleasing design is reflected against the background Wall.

In practice, the lamp 24 and the motor 22 for rotating the cylinder 20 are included in the operating circuit of the phonograph, so that when the latter is rendered operative for play the lighting display within the compartment H is also made efiective.

While this invention has been particularly designed for and is shown in connection with the record playing compartment of the phonograph, it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other portions of the phonograph where similar lighting efiect is to be displayed.

I claim as my invention:

ANDREW B. CHRIS'I'ENSEN.

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