US2230003A - Combination recorder and phonograph apparatus - Google Patents

Description

am., 2% Aw n. H. MITCHELL COMBINATION RECORDER AND PHONOGRAPH APPARATUS Filed May 15 1940 Jan. 2s, 1941 PATENT OFFICE CUMBINATION RECORDER AND PHONO- GRAPH APPARATUS Donald H. Mitchell, Chicago, Il1., assignor to Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 15, 19.40, Serial No. 335,369

3 Claims.

two turntables are employed .only when it is de-` m sired to duplicate a record, when the blank is mounted on one turntable and the record on the other. However, n order. to provide for `all types of recording with a particular apparatus,

and hence the maximum flexibility for the ma- 51 chine, two turntables were required. This resulted in bulky and expensive apparatus, both as to the mechanism itself, and the cabinet housing the same. The high pricelimited the vol- 20 unie of sales, and the large `cabinet was objecavailable in a home. Disadvantages were found in the operating mechanism itself, such as the dii'liculty in maintaining .the two turntables in synchronism/ during rotation. The art has `attempted tosolve thislproblem by two synchronous motors, one on each turntable. .This not only is expensive and adds to the bulk, but also, the motorsl sometimes get out ofgsynchronism with consequent harm to the recording. Anotherfproblem in the prior art is the elimination of so-called table rumble due to vibration, or any mechanical movement, other than mere rotation in the turntables, which is reproduced in the recording.

It is an object of my invention to provide im- I proved and `simplified recorder and phonograph apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to provide w an inexpensive and compact recorder and phonograph device. I

Another object' of my invention -is to provide recorderand phonograph apparatus adapted not only to make an original recording, but also to 45 duplicate in the apparatus a previously played record, and accomplish the latter with absolute tionable, because often appropriate space is-not which records may be duplicated, but which apparatus requires only a single turntable.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a removable pedestal or duplicator which rests upon the Yblank being cut for the recording, and supports the record from which the recording is being made, but which pedestal or duplicator is removable from the position on the blank so that the vertical height of the apparatus in non-operating condition may be reduced. A vertically adjustable pick-up arm is movable from a position above the record downwardly in the cabinet to a position upon the blank. y

A still further feature of my invention is the provision of absolute synchronismbetween the record being duplicated and the blank upon which the recording is made, and the minimization of table rumble by virtue, of asuperimposed record and blank on the same turntable which act together to substantially cancel out such rumble.

Other objects, features, and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description taken with the drawing, in which: v

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the complete recorder and phonograph apparatus with a portion of the mechanism in vertical section to illustrate the details' of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the duplicator of my invention on a reduced scale.

In practicing my invention I provide a rotatable turntable suitably supported in a` housing and having an upwardly extending center spindle; The turntable supports in the usual `position either aIV record or a blank for recording and a pedestal or duplicator is positioned on the blank and centered at the spindle. The'pedestal includes a. bottom and a top plate secured to, and"- spaced apart by, a hollow post having a spring-l pressed clamp retained on the post, and a spindlelike extension on the post for centering 4a blank to be recorded on the top plate of the pedestal, and also for centering the clamp with reference thereto. A suitable recording arm is mounted on the housing for cutting the sound grooves in the blank, and a second arm provided .with a pick-up is supported on a rotatable elongated post mounted on the housing. The pick-up arm is vertically Vmovable so that it may be lifted to a height suitable for playing the record being duplicated, and yet is retractable to a positionv system for accomplishing'playing and recording is provided in the housing.

Referring now'to Figure 1, the housing I0 is provided with a top Il from which a suitably' sound projected into a microphone, or the like.

However, very often lit is desired to duplicate either a record which has been made on the recorder device, or a record of any description purchased for playing. In order toduplicate a record it has been necessary to provide two turntables in the prior devices. The difiiculties and high cost peculiar to this apparatus were discussed above. This problem is solved in the present invention by means of a pedestal, or duplicator unit I6 comprising a stamped-out bottom plate I1, a corresponding top plate I8,` and a spacing and connecting post I9, rigidly rconnected to each plate. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the post is peened over adjacent the top and the bottom thereof to secure the plates and post together. v`

The post I8 is hollow throughout its length and includes an enlarged bore or chamber 2| at the bottom, and a more restricted bore 22 adjacent the top. The two bores are dened by an intermediate annular shoulder 23. In using the duplicator, it is merely placed 4upon a blank 24 adapted to be cut fora recording, and the latter is supported in the usual way upon the turntable I4 and centered at the spindle l2. The bottom plate I1 of the duplicator conforms in diameter substantially to the diameter of the central portion of the blank 24 upon which normally no recording is made. The duplicator is likewise centered on the spindle I2 with the latter extending into the bore 2 I, as shown in Fig. 1. Relative `vmovement betweentheblank 24 and the duplicator is prevented by means` of a spring-pressed pin 26 supported on the turntable I4 as shown in Fig. 1, and normally 4extending through corresponding holes in the turntable and the recording blank, and through a hole 26 in the plate I1 of,

the pedestal. Recording blanks arey normally supplied with the necessary hole as described.

Any type of record may be duplicated on the blank 24. -If a standard commercial record as 21 is being duplicated, it is supported by the top plate I6 of the duplicator, and is directly carried by a rubber friction disc 28 on the top surface of such plate. If a home recording, 6r the like, on theusual blank 38 is being duplicated, it is normally supported upon the standard record 21,

` each end of the body portio'n.v

because it does not have sulcient body to stand up alone and support a pick-up arm at a part extending beyond the circumference ofthe top plate I8. The record 21 or the member 30 is centered on 4 the top plate bv` an integral extension 28 of the post I9.v The outside circumferenceofthe extension 23 corresponds to' the circumference of the spindle I2-and hence readily fits into the standard center aperture of a record, or recorded blank. The record 21flone. or thel record 21 and recorded blankv30 are retained on, the fduplicator clamp 3| having a U-yshaped lThe clamp is pivotally secured to, and straddles the' top of a aasopoa portion 31 on the clamp 3| will extendinto a cavity 38 yin the extension 23 in the retracted position ofpin 33. i

As is evident from the full, and the dotted line illustration in Fig. 1, the record 21 or. recorded blank'30, may be positioned on the pedestal and removed therefrom, by pulling the clamp 3| upwardly against the spring pressure 34, a distance suillcient to permit the clampl 3| to be pivoted on the .pin 33 to a substantially prightposition. In this position the ears 32 adjacent the post will rest against the top edge of the annular extension 29, and a record, or recorded blank will readily pass over the upright clamp at their center aperture and into a centered position on the rubber disc 28 for the top ,plate |8 of the duplicator, After positioning the record, the clamp 3l is pulled slightly upwardly, and pivoted back to a horizontal position, from which it may be lowered `into the horizontalv clamping'position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1. y

The'recording and the playing operations are carried out respectively by a suitable recording unit'42 mounted upon the housing I0 so that it may be pivoted both vertically and horizontally for the usual movements required for the recording operation, and a pick-up unit 43. A cutter 44 is secured in the unit. 42 and rests on the surface of the blank 24t'o cutl grooves into such blank in accordance with the sounds transmitted through suitable electrical apparatus (not shown) from a microphone, or a' pick-up unit.V In'order that a standard record, or a recorded blankk may be played, either from the turntable I4 or from the top of the duplicator I6, my invention provides for a vertically adjustable'pick-up unit 43. In one commercial embodiment of the invention this pick-up unit includes an arm 46 pivotally mounted on a bracket 41, which in turn'is rigidly secured to an elongated post 48, and a needle 49 for riding in the usual manner in a record groove. Suitable electrical elements and circuits are likewise .provided for thepick-up unit, but are not shown f as theyl do .not per se form apart of my invention.

'I'he post 48 is` directly supported in a bushingl gages the stop shoulder 64 of the bushing to' limit 'the upward movement of the post ,48 and hence the entire unit 44.

In using thefpick-up 'unitf44 ona recordv orrecorded blank on the turntable 4vI4, the lower arm of lthebracket 41 rests upon theP tp face The bushing has a central bore 53 extending of, the bushing 6|. The post 48-extends over its.,

length through the bushing 5| and into the housing I8. `This is shown in dotted4 lines in Fig. 1. When playing a record or recorded blank f on the pedestal or duplicator |6;.the pick-upvarm 46, or the bracket 41, may be grasped and the entire iiit lifted upwardly until limited by the shoulder 64, and flange 56. In this position a springpressed ball, or detent 59, engages an annular groove 6| `in the post 48, and holds the post and unit in extended position. Upon exerting a downward pressure on the post 48,

thioough the arm 46, or bracket 4.1, the ball 5! -is forcedV against spring pressure out-of engagement .with the groove lil, and the uniti may be moved to .the restracted position shown in 5 dotted lines.

W. transmitted from any of the other usual sources.

With the use of a removable pedestal or duplcator, and avertically adjustable pick-up arm, it is possible to compress the' overall vertical height of the operating vmechanism so that a. l5 closed cabinet for the apparatus in idle position is of a very convenient and compact size.V In addition to the advantages in the use of my invention from the standpoint of bulk and expense,

' materially improved operating .conditions are 20 provided, even in comparison to the prior more expensive and bulky equipment. 'The blank upon `which the recording is being made, and the record being duplicated on the blank, both being rotatable on a single turntable, are maintained 25 in absolute synchronism. and provide maximum recording quality from this standpoint. Furthermore, with the blank and record being superimposed on the single turntable, the very troublesome table rumble of the prior devices which :lo modulates the recording is minimized in my apparatus inasmuch as the vibrations of the turntable, or in fact any mechanical movement in the turntable, is substantially canceled out. A further operating advantage results from the fact 35 that the vertically movable pick-up arm in my invention can be almost instantaneously moved from the record being duplicatedto the blank upon which the recording is beingmade for playing back any portion of the recording. 'I'his 40 can be done either during the progress of such recording or at the completion of the same. With the two-turntable apparatus some complication often arises in moving the pick-up arm from the playing turntable to the radially spaced record- 45 111i;l turntable.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described in its. -preferred embodiment; it is understood that further modifications and alterations thereof may be made Vwithin the full in- 50 tended scope of the invention as delined by the appended claims.

I- claim: 1. 1A pedestal for removable mounting on a .turntable for record playing apparatus, said pedestoi including o bottom portion and o top portion, both o! substantially equal diameters, 'and va combination spacingV and connecting portion intermediate said top and bottom portill, with said combination portion having a bore extendu ing entirely therethrough and open at one end thereof. and an extension onsaid combination portion at the other end of said bore extending at right, angles to and above' the topportion, a clamp at said extension having a shank pivotally connected thereto and extending downwardly into said bore, and a spring retained in said bore and operatively connected with said shank exerting a force thereon to pull said shank downwardly into said bore. j

2. A record support for record recording and playing apparatus adapted to be supported on a turntable at an upwardly extending spindle forsaid apparatus, said record support including a pair of vertically spaced plate members of substantially equal diameters, a hollowvpost rigidly secured to each of said members adjacent its ends and spacingsaid members apart, with one Vend oisaid post adapted to receive the turntable spindle, and the opposite end of! said post having an internally cupped annular portion A projecting beyond the plate member at that end,

and releasable clamping means for bearing downwardly on a record and retaining said record irrespective of the thickness thereof on said plate member at the projecting end portion, said clamping means including a clamp extending crosswise ofsaid projecting end portion in clamping position and of such size and shape so that it may be upended and extend into said internal cup of said projecting portion in non-clamping position, a spring within said post operatively connected with said clamp and exerting a down- .ward pull on said clamp.

3. In sound recording and reproducing apparatus having a single frame means, a phonograph record means carrying turntable, and a phonograph pick-up arm unit on 'the single frameY means adjustable verticallylto at least.

two playing positionsspaced apart vertically, a

removable pedestal positioned on the record means on the turntable, said pedestal including AVa bottom member removably resting upon said record means, and a topmember spaced above said bottom member adapted to have record means resting thereon to be played by saidv pickup arm unit at the upper one of the two playing positions, post means secured tosaid bottom vmember and said top Vmember and extending in termediate the same to space them apart, and clamp means 'on said post means for clamping record means of various sizes and thicknesses on said top 'member including anchor means within said post'` means, a transverse clamp member pivotally connected to and retained on said anchor means, and yielding means within the post engaging said anchor means to urge said anchor means downwardly and in turn 'exert 'a down ward pull on said clamp member.

DONALD H. m'TcHmL.

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