US2637560A - Sound reproducing device using endless recording tapes - Google Patents

Description

G. P. SMITH May 5, 1953 SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE USING ENDLESS RECORDING TAPES 2 Sl-IEETSSHEET 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1949 INVEN TOR. Y dv/a/p/QJ/Z/M y 5, 1953 G. P. SMITH 2,637,560

sounn REPRODUCING DEVICE-USING ENDLESS RECORDING TAPES Filed Dec. 20, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 "nun" Patented May 5, 1953 SOUND. REPRODUCING DEVICEUSING ENDLESS RECORDHIG TAPES Graham PJSmith, Chicago, 111., assigned to 'Powe'll Announcer Corporation,

ration .of Illinois Chicago; 111., aicorpo- ApplicationDeceniher20, 1949, Serial N0.'I34,020

This invention relates to certain new'and useful improvements in sound reproducing devices using endless recording tapes for'reproducing sound from recording tapes and the like and has for its-principal object the provision of an improved -construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

-An object of this invention is to provide a device of this character adaptable for many uses, such for example, announcing the-sale of merchandise or the Iilzein order to stimulate the sale of the merchandise.

Another object of the invention isto provide in such a device a carriage'for the sound'tape which is removably mounted in soundreproducing position with respect to the sound drum in a manner such that the carriage when mounted in such position will automatically thread the tape inoperative relation. to the sound. drum and close a switch .to energize thev apparatus for operation.

:Another and equally important object of the invention. is to provide a carriage iorthe sound tape of av constructionsuchaspermit a considerable length of tapelto be mounted .on the carriage,

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination'and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The: invention will be best: understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and. in which:

Fig. l is airagmentary sectional detail viewuof the invention taken substantially :on line 1-! of Fig.4;

wFig. 2 is abview similarto Fig. l, butshowing the parts thereof difierent positions;

.Fig. 3 is: afragmentary'perspective view of the invention showing the carriage embodiedinthe invention inia partiallyremoved position;

Fig. .4 is a side elevational View taken substantially on line- 4-4 of'Fig. I;

Fig. .5 is airagmentary sectional. detail view takensubstantially on line. 55:of Fighlyand.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially :on lined- 8. of Fig. 4.

invention is. adaptable-tomany uses. One. of the many uses: of my invention. isthat of repeatedly announcing anddescribing a certain food; product or other merchandise thereby to not only call the. attention of prospective-buyers to the particular merchandise announced hut to encourage. a purchaser 'to' buy the merchandise.

To accomplish this object and other objects of the invention it is desirable that thesound tape besupported by a carriagefor removable attachment in operative position with respect tothe sound 'drumso that sound carriages of like construction with diiiei-ent sound tapes may be interchanged therefor to announce a diflerent'food product or other merchandise.

To accomplish this object it is d'esir'able'that the interchangeability be made by one'other' than a mechanic. -To the accomplishment of-these ends, I have provided not only a carriage which may be easilyand quicl rl-ydetached and removed for interchangeability 'with'a carriage of like construction but having a difl'er'ent soun'dtape, but I also have provided an arrangement whereby the soundtapeis-autQmaticaHy threaded into position withrespect to the sound drum during the mounting operation of" the carriage. I have also provided an arrangement whereby the mounting of' the carriage-will close a switch tocondition the sound reproducingapparatus for operation.

To acoomplish these'and other objects oithe invention my soundtap'e carriage is indicated at m. It comprisesa top-wall" H and a bottom wall I! of fiatelongated formation and spaced from each other by opposite posts l'3'.

"At opposite-ends of the Walls H and are arranged spindles M and rotatably mounted on each of'these spindles M is a'sleeve li divided into. arplurality' or integrally "formed spools 6 Reversel-y'thrcaded upon these: spools I6 is the continuous sound tape [1, a web portion H" of which i is threaded over opposite corresponding posts [3 for-reassons -Wh-ich will .be' hereinafter apparent.

The sound reproducing mechanism. includes. acabinet' 18: and. thisisound. reproducing mechanism may be of any construction including a sotmdhead t9. and a control switch 20'. This sound head l9 and controlaswitch are mounted upon a mounting; platel l arranged. beneath the cover .plate v22 .oibthei house t8.

Thenbottom wallgplate: l2 has a=cut-out portion 23 toaccommodatesagnide roller. 2 mountednn: HASH-K115131311} 25. 'Thiszguide roller. cooperates with; a vertical postJSv to guide the tape: between: a. gate: 21: and the'sound head. t9. 'gate 2'l' and'studshaft liare carried: by a: mounting plate j screws 29 and slots ifl slidablyconnected" to the plate 2|, is normally held in a position with the gate in spaced relation to the sound head I!) when the tape carriage is moved by means of a spring 32 one end of which is connected as at 33 to the plate 2! and an opposite end to the mounting plate 28 as at 33'. On the plate 2| is pivoted as at 34 an arm 35 having a cam 36 which engages a latch arm 31 pivoted to the plate 28 as at 38.

This latch arm 31 provides a grooved intermittent portion 39 which is adapted to be engaged by the cam 36 as shown in Fig. 2, when the arm 35 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 6, to slide the plate 28 upon the mounting plate M to move the gate 21 into tape holding position with respect to the sound head 19, this movement being accomplished in a manner hereinafter more fully explained; The arm 35 is held in the latched position shown in Fig. 6 by means of a spring 40, one end of which is connected to the plate 28 as at 33' and the opposite end to the arm 37 as at 4 I The switch 25 includes a shaft 42 which when moved inwardly with respect to the switch housing closes the switch contacts (not shown) within that housing. Whenthe plate 28 is moved to dispose the gate in film retaining position with.

respect to the sound head, a wall 43 of the gate will engage the shaft 42 as shown in Fig. 1, and thus close the switch to energize the sound reproducing mechanism contained within the housing l8.

On the arm 35 and extending upwardly therefrom is a pin 44 (Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and Fig. 6). This pin 44 projects into an elongated slot 45 formed in the wall plate l2 whereby when the carriage I is shifted to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, the latch arm 35 will be pivoted to latched position with respect to the latch arm 31, thus shifting the plate 28 upon the plate 21 to dispose the film gate into film retaining position with respect to the sound head IS. The carriage I0 is provided in its wall plate l2 adjacent the opposite ends thereof with openings 46 of a diameter to receive posts 41 carried by the plate 2|. The upper end portions of these posts 4'! are tapered as at 48 to facilitate the projection of these posts into the Openings 45. Communicating with these openings 46 are elongated slots 4.9 of a width less than the diameter of the openings 46 whereby when the carriage is in mounted position as shown in Fig. 4, with the gate disposed in film holding position with respect to the sound head IS, the reduced portion of the posts will be confined within the slots 49, with the wall plate l2 latched to the posts 4'! by means of latch arms 5| pivotally connected as at 52 to-the wall plate [2 and yieldably held in latched position against the posts 47 by means of springs 54, these springs having corresponding end portions connected as at 55 to the arms 5| and to stud pins 55 carried by the wall plate l2.

--The arrangement is such that upon entrance of the tapered end portions 48 into the openings 4.6, the tapered ends of the posts 41 will pivot the arms 5| outwardly with respect to the plate 12.

On the outer end portions of these arms 5| are laterally extending fingers 57. These fingers 51 bear against the web portion ll of the sound tape and, as the latch arms 5! ride upon the posts 41, these fingers 51 will move the web portion ll of the sound tape in a position for placement between the sound head and th gate 27 and between the roller 24 and the post 26. Upon placement of the carriage with the posts extending through the openings 46, the carriage is then shifted to the left as viewed in Fig. l, to move the reduced portions 50 of the posts 41 into slots 49, in which position the arms 5| are permitted to pivot inwardly to withdraw the fingers 51 from engagement with the sound tape, thi inward pivotal movement being permitted by reason of cut-out portions 58 formed in the arms, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As before stated, when the carriage is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, the pin 44 being engaged in the slot 45 will transmit pivotal movement to the arm 35 (Fig. 6) to pivot the arm in a position to latch the gate in film retaining position with respect to the sound head and to close the switch to energize the sound reproducing mechanism.

By this simple arrangement the carriage may be easily and quickly removed to permit replacement of a similar carriage with a tape impressed with different sound elements. This may be done by one other than a skilled mechanic.

My improved sound reproducing apparatus has many uses and may be used in any place where it is desirable that there be a repetition at predetermined intervals of an announcement.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variation and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. For a combination comprising a main mounting plate, a second mounting plate upon said main plate, means connecting the second plate to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, a film gate carried by and movable with the second plate, a sound head carried by the main plate, a sound tape carriage, means removably connecting the carriage to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, means providing a connection between the carriage and the second plate whereby upon slidable movement of the carriage in one direction relative to the main plate said second plate will be moved relative to the main plate in a direction to dispose the gate in tape retaining position with respect to the head, latch means pivotally carried by said carriage adjacent said removable connecting means and actuated thereby to latch said carriage upon said main plate, said latching means having vertical tape engaging fingers adapted to engage a web portion of sound tape carried by said carriage to disposed said tape from between said gate and said sound head when said carriage is in unlatched position, said fingers adapted to be pivoted out of engagement with said tape to position the same between said gate and said sound head by slidable movement of the carriage relative to said main plate and in latched position with respect thereto.

2. For a combination comprising a main mounting plate, a second mounting plate upon said main plate, means connecting the second plate to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, a film gate carried by and movable with the second plate, a sound head carried by the main zlatz, a sounsl tape carriage,

slot and pin means movably connecting the carriage to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, means providing a connection between the carriage and the second plate whereby upon slidable movement of the carriage in one direction relative to the main plate said second plate will be moved relative to the main plate in a direction to dispose the gate in tape retaining position with respect to the head, latch means pivotally carried by said carriage adjacent said removable connecting means and actuated thereby to latch said carriage upon said main plate, said latching means having vertical tape engaging fingers adapted to engage a web portion of sound tape carried by said carriage to dispose said tape from between said gate and said sound head when said carriage is in unlatched position, said fingers adapted to be pivoted out of engagement with said tape to position the same between said gate and said sound head by slidable movement of the carriage relative to said main plate and in latched position with respect thereto.

3. For a combination comprising a main mounting plate, a second mounting plate upon said main plate, means connecting the second plate to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, a film gate carried by and movable with the second plate, a sound head carried by the main plate, a sound tape carriage, means removably connecting the carriage to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, means providing a connection between the carriage and the second plate whereby upon slidable movement of the carriage in one direction relative to the main plate said second plate will be moved relative to the main plate in a direction to dispose the gate in tape retaining position with respect to the head, latch means pivotally carried by said carriage adjacent said removable connecting means and actuated thereby to latch said carriage upon said main plate, said latching means having vertical tape engaging fingers adapted to engage a web portion of sound tape carried by said carriage to dispose said tape from between said gate and said sound head when said carriage is in unlatched position, said fingers adapted to be pivoted out of engagement with said tape to position the same between said gate and said sound head by slidable movement of the carriage relative to said main plate and in latched position with respect thereto.

4. For a combination comprising a main mounting plate, a second mounting plate upon said main plate, means connecting the second plate to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, a film gate carried by and movable with the second plate, a sound head carried by the main plate, a sound tape carriage, slot and pin means removably connecting the carriage to the main plate for slidable movement upon said main plate, means providing a connection between the carriage and the second plate whereby upon slidable movement of the carriage in one direction relative to the main plate said second plate will be moved relative to the main plate in a direction to dispose the gate in tape retaining position with respect to the head, latch means pivotally carried by said carriage adjacent said removable connecting means and actuated thereby to latch said carriage upon said main plate, said latching means having vertical tape engaging fingers adapted to engage a web portion of sound tape carried by said carriage to dispose said tape from between said gate and said sound head when said carriage is in unlatched position, said fingers adapted to be pivoted out of engagement with said tape to position the same between said gate and said sound head by slidable movement of the carriage relative to said main plate and in latched position with respect thereto.

GRAHAM P. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,462,687 Stava Feb. 22, 1949 2,468,198 Heller Apr. 26, 1949 2,474,972 Coutant et a1 July 5, 1949 2,490,771 Begun Dec. 13, 1949 2,519,597 Owens Aug, 22, 1950 2,560,234 Masterson July 10, 1951

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