US3583797A - Toy projector - Google Patents

Abstract

A manually operated toy motion picture projector having means for synchronously projecting a visual image and reproducing a related sound message. A film strip useable with the projector is coiled in an endless loop and stored in a removable magazine which also carries the sound message on a prerecorded record disc.

Description

United States Patent 72] inventors Palmer 1. Schoenfleld Evanston;

Marvin I. Glass, Chicago; Harry Dislro, Park Ridge. all of Ill.

Nov. 19, 1968 June 8, 197 1 Marvin Glass & Associates Chicago, Ill.

[21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] TOY PROJECTOR 11 Claims, 15 Drawing Figs. [52] US-Cl. 352/32 [51] Int. Cl. ....G03b 31/04 [50] Field of Search .1. 352/32, 33,

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,416 6/1945 Like Primary Examiner-Donald O. Woodiel Attorneys-James F. Coffee and Gerald M. Newman ABSTRACT: A manually operated toy motion picture projector having means for synchronously projecting a visual image and reproducing a related sound message. A film strip useable with the projector is coiled in an endless loop and stored in a removable magazine which also carries the sound message on a prerecorded record disc.

iii S22 PATENTED Jl JN 8 I97! SHEET 2- []F 4 III INVENTORS Wino w WWV W WWW ZM M w PATENTEU JUN 8 1971 SHEET 3 [1F 4 mvsmons mmo a WW 2m WWW WMMM M TOY PROJECTOR This invention relates in general to toy projectors capable of synchronously projecting a visual image and reproducing a related sound message. In particular, this invention relates to a manually operated toy projector having a removable magazine for storage of both a film strip and a record having a prerecorded sound message.

The attraction of children to action toys and in particular to action toys which emulate complex adult devices is well know. An example of such a toy is a motion picture projector capable of projecting animated visual images on a suitable screen surface.

The motion picture projector of the invention includes a removable magazine and is capable of projecting images of a film strip carried within the removable magazine. The projector also includes means for simultaneously reproducing an audible sound message from a prerecorded record'carried in the same magazine. In addition, the magazine and projector of this invention totally eliminates the necessity of threading strip film through the film transport system making it particularly suitable for use by a child operator who is merely required to insert the magazine into a compartment provided at the rear of the projector. Furthermore, the motion picture projector of the subject invention is of economical construction, is capable of withstanding severe abuse, and is constructed with a minimum number of moving parts so as to operate satisfactorily over long periods of time without malfunctioning. I

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a toy motion picture projector for use with a removable magazine wherein the magazine has both a film strip and a record with a prerecorded sound message and wherein the sound message may be reproduced synchronously with projection of thefilm strip.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magazine for carrying both an endless film strip and a prerecorded disc record, and having a common drive for simultaneously rotating the record and transporting the film through the magazine.

Additional objects of this invention will become apparent to those versed in the art upon an understanding of the following detailed description of the construction of the toy audio-visual projector and removable magazine taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the projector and magazine is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional perspective view of the front, top, and one side of the toy motion picture projector and removable magazine of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional perspective view of back, top, and same side of the toy motion picture projector showing a magazine positioned in a compartment accessible from the projector rear. A perspective view of the reverse side of an additional magazine for use with the projector is also seen in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the projector and magazine taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of the projector shown in FIG. 3 taken along offset section line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view of the projector showing the sound reproduction apparatus and a portion of the projector drive means and taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an oblique cross-sectional view of the pivotal connection between the tone arm and the projector housing taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the movable lens, light tube, and supporting structure thereof taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional elevational view of the magazine and endless film strip illustrating the path of film travel.

FIG. 9 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the magazine taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 showing the path of film travel as it is drawn from the inner convolution of the spool and taken up on the outer convolution.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, partial cross-sectional view of the tone arm and stylus showing the stylus extending through an opening in the projector housing inner wall when the magazine is absent from the projector.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10, showing a magazine positioned in the projector and the stylus engaging a record carried in the magazine.

FIG. 12 is a view also similar to that of FIG. 10, showing the position of the tone arm and stylus as the magazine is being withdrawn from the projector.

FIG. 13 is an almost head-on fragmentary view of the tone arm, stylus an indexing guide and a portion of the magazine wall, illustrating the cooperation between the guide and magazine wall to index the tone arm to the beginningof the record responsive to positioning the magazine in the projector.

FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the disengageable drive between the projector and the magazine.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 3 showing the magazine, its spool and turntable,

and a portion of the projector.

Referring now to FIGS. I and 2, a motion picture projector 10 having a removable magazine 12 for use therewith is shown. The projector is preferably constructed of two molded halves l4 and 16 which together form a housing comprising outer sidewalls l8 and 20, top and bottom walls 19 and 21 respectively, a front wall 22 carrying an axially adjustable lens barrel 24, and a backwall 26 defining an opening 28 to a compartment 30 for removably receiving the magazine.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 7, construction of the projector housing is seen to further include irregular vertical inner walls 32 and 34, inner front wall 36, and inner top and bottom walls 38 and 40 respectively. These inner walls define the magazine compartment 30 and are preferably formed separate from the outer walls and fixed thereto by a suitable adhesive.

-A U" shaped lens barrel support 42 (FIGS. 4 and 7) is formed between vertical inner sidewalls 32 and 34 and extends longitudinally between inner front wall 36 and front wall 22 of the housing, defining an opening therethrough. The support carries lens barrel 24 which comprises a hollow lens tube 44 circularly encasing a focusing lens 48 and an objective lens 50 which are separated by a cylindrical spacer 52. Lens tube 44 includes an integral, outwardly flared, front extension 54 covered by a decorative cap 56. The entire lens barrel 24 is axially movable within support 42 for providing focusing of the projected image. A light path through the film strip is defined by a light source, the lens tube and an opening 59 formed through inner front wall 36.

Projector inner wall 32 defines a window 60 vertically located at the level of the lens barrel and positioned behind and adjacent opening 59. A door 62 having a partial shroud therearound is pivotably mounted at 72 to the outer surface of inner wall 32 in position for closing engagement with window 60. A light source 64, which preferably comprises a low voltage lamp suitable for use with flashlight batteries and having an integral light condensing lens 66 at the tip thereof, is mounted on the door by suitable electrical connections 68 and 70.

A flat spring 74 staked to the wall at 76 normally biases the door to a closed position with the lamp extending through window 60 and into the magazine compartment as shown in full lines in FIG. 3. As the magazine is being inserted or removed from the compartment, the door is automatically cammed out of its path by cooperation between the magazine and door surfaces 61 and 63 and the door assumes a position shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 3. When the magazine is inserted into and fully seated in compartment 30, the door and lamp reenter the compartment and nest within the confines of the magazine.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, sound reproduction means .80 are carried within a chamber of the projector housing formed by front and' rear walls 22 and 26, sidewall 18 and inner vertical wall 34. The sound reproduction means include a speaker cone 82 suitably mounted on cone supports 84 provided integral with the housing. The speaker cone forms an apex 86 and the cone walls diverge toward housing wall 18, which is perforated at 87 for improved sound transmission. A tone arm 88 is pivotably mounted to inner wall 34 at 90 and includes an intermediate arm section 92 having is depending stylus 94 at its distal end. A back side 95 of the intermediate tone arm section lightly contacts the apex of the voice cone and vibrations picked up by the stylus from a prerecorded record are transmitted through the tone arm to the voice cone for reproduction of sound.

FIG. 6 clearly shows the pivotal mounting of the tone arm which comprises a circular depression formed in vertical inner wall 34 and coaxial, fixed shaft 102 carried therein. The tone arm is mounted on the shaft for pivotal movement relative thereto and is prevented from axially disengaging from the shaft by the confinement of the back side and stylus end of the arm. A compression spring 104 biases the pivoted end of the tone arm away from wall 34 and urges the back side of the tone arm toward the voice cone apex; thus, the apex functions as a fulcrum for biasing the stylus into the magazine compartment through an arcuate opening 106 provided through inner wall 34, and it also axially retains the tone arm on its shaft 102.

As best illustrated in FIG. 10, a guide 108 is secured to the tone arm adjacent and behind the stylus and includes an inclined rearwardly facing ledge 110 which, as best seen in FIG. 12, cooperates with the magazine wall to remove the stylus from compartment 30 responsive to removal of the magazine. The guide also includes a transverse indexing finger 112 (FIG. 13) which cooperates with a contoured portion 220 of the magazine wall while inserting the magazine into the pro jector. Cooperation between the indexing finger and the magazine contour indexes the tone arm and stylus from the solid line to the broken line position of FIG. the latter position corresponding to the lead-in groove of a prerecorded record disc.

The toy audio visual projector is manually driven by a crank arm 120 accessible from the exterior of the housing adjacent wall 18. Crank arm 120 has a free-turning knob 122 at one end and a shaft 124 at the opposite end which is fixed to and internal drive member 126 having a circumferentially enlarged portion forming a pulley groove 128 and an integral adjacent portion 130 forming a rachet wheel. The drive member is supported for rotation at its reduced diameters 131 and 132 which cooperate with bearing surfaces 133 and 134, formed through outer wall 18 and inner wall 34, respectively. A compression spring 136 biases the drive member away from outer wall 18 and toward magazine compartment 30 and also biases an end 137 thereof into the compartment interior. End 137 carries a male element of a disengageable torque transmitting drive which cooperates with a complementary female member 138 (FIG. 14) of the magazine for transmitting driving torque thereto. The drive member 126 and crank are transversly movable along their axes of rotation to facilitate insertion and removal of the magazine.

A fly wheel 140 is mounted for rotation on inner wall 34 by any convenient means and includes an extending, smaller diameter serrated shaft 142. A belt 144 is trained around the serrated shaft and pulley groove and the resultant rotational inertia of the fly wheel responsive to cranking the arm serves as a governor for facilitating even and constant operation of the projector. A gravity biased pawl 146 freely pivoted to inner wall 34 at 148 cooperates with ratchet wheel 130 to allow rotation of the crank arm only in the clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 5, thereby preventing damage to the mechanism by a child inadvertently attempting to drive the projector in the wrong direction.

Turning now to magazine 12, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 8, 9 and 15, the magazine is formed of a shell 149 and a cover 151 which may be cemented together to form a rear film storage chamber 150, an intermediate record storage chamber 152,

and a front film projection chamber 154. An endless film web or strip 158, that is, a film strip having its ends joined to form a closed loop, is stored in a coil on a film spool having a hub 161 which is mounted for rotation about a post 162 molded integrally with shell 149 at chamber 150.

The film strip is withdrawn from the innermost convolution of the coil adjacent the hub and is guided by posts 162 and 164 into the projection chamber. The film path then continues past a first interior wall 163, additional guide posts 163 and 165, a front wall 166 of the magazine and finally returns to the outer convolution of the coil along a path partially defined by further guide posts 167 and 168.

The film strip defines a plurality of equally spaced sprocket holes 170 along at least one marginal edge which are guided into engagement with teeth 172 of a centrally located sprocket drive wheel 171 by film guide posts 162, 164, 167 and 168. As most clearly illustrated in FIG. 8, two are segments of the sprocket wheel engage two spaced-apart lengths of film to transport the film through the magazine. Thus the single drive sprocket functions to withdraw film from the inner convolution, transport it around the interior of the magazine, and move it toward the outer convolution. As is well known in the art of strip film, the difference between the peripheral speeds of the inner and outer film wraps is compensated for by movement of the interior film wraps.

A rectangular plate 174 is provided which is recessed level with the interior surface of front wall 166. The plate defines a projection aperture 176 therethrough which is substantially the same size and shape as a single film frame and thus allows light to pass through only the single frame disposed at the aperture. When the magazine is inserted into the projector, aperture 176 is aligned with the lens barrel.

In accordance with the invention, handle 120 is readily rotated so that frames are projected at the rate of at least 16 frames per second for substantially flicker-free operation. With 25 feet of strip film, approximately 2 minutes of projection time is available.

Successive framing is provided by cooperation between a tang 180 struck from plate 174, the film strip and the film drive means. The tang is located adjacent and slightly below aperture 176 directly in the part of the sprocket holes for successive engagement therewith and includes a tapered leading edge 182 which cooperates with an edge of the sprocket hole responsive to force imparted on the film length thereat by the sprocket drive wheel 171. As each sprocket hole engages the tang, a film frame is momentarily held at the projection aperture. As a given force is developed on the film at the tang, the edge of the sprocket hole is pulled off tapered leading edge 182 allowing one film frame to advance past the aperture. This is rapidly repeated for successive frames for effecting projection of the film strip.

A spring 186 fabricated of flat spring stock is staked to shell 149 and 188 and included a rounded end 190 which contacts the back side of the film after it passes the tang. The spring biases the film toward the tang and also maintains a given minimum tension in the film strip as successive sprocket holes are disengaged from the tang.

A lamp window 190 is provided through the magazine shell at the projection compartment and is located in line with and directly behind the projection aperture. This window is aligned with window 60 in inner wall 32. Thus, when a magazine is seated in compartment 30, door 62 and lamp 64 project into the magazine and provide a source of illumination for projection of visual images comprising the individual film frames, on a suitable screen.

The magazine also carries a disc shaped turntable 192 which is staked to a shaft 194 having a D" shaped cross section extending between shell 149 and cover 151. This shaft also carries the drive wheel sprocket 171 secured thereto. The turntable has an integral hub 196 which is rotationally carried in an opening 197 through the magazine cover which provides a bearing surface. A prerecorded disc record 198 is mounted on the surface of the turntable opposite the drive sprocket and has a spiral sound groove cut or impressed therein. If preferred, the spiral sound groove may be cut directly in the surface of the turntable, instead of on a separate record disc.

An arcuate opening 190a (FIGS. 5, 11 and 12) is provided through magazine cover 151 for engagement of the stylus with the sound groove. Opening 1900 is similar to opening 106 through projector inner wall 34 and the openings are aligned when the magazine is fully seated in compartment 30. Engage ment of the stylus with the sound groove when the projector is in its operational mode is best seen in FIG. 11.

Turntable hub 196 forms the female torque transmitting drive member 138 which includes an embossed facing surface 138a provided with a plurality of depressions 138b forming a torque receiving element engageable with a complimentary torque transmitting element on the opposing drive member 126.

As best seen in FIG. 4, a battery compartment 200 is provided at the bottom of the projector formed by bottom wall 21 and adjacent side and top walls 21, 202 and 203. A pair of spring battery contacts 204 and 205 are. provided interior of walls 201 and 202 for engagement with opposite poles of a pair of serially connected low voltage batteries. Contact 204 includes an integral strip metal conductor 206 which is coupled to a flexible wire conductor 208 which is in turn connected to contact 68 of the low voltage lamp. Spring contact 205 also includes an integral strip conductor 210 which terminates in an arcuate shaped spring 212 having a bight 213 which extends upwardly through an opening 215 in wall 40 and into the bottom of the magazine compartment. An additional strip contact 214 is connected to a wire 216 which is connected to contact 70 of the lamp.

Spring 212 and strip conductor 214 form a switch for energizing the lamp only when the magazine is seated in its compartment. As the magazine is withdrawn, the circuit is opened and the lamp deenergized.

Molded housing half 14 is removably secured to housing half 16 by suitable fasteners, not shown, to enable the user to periodically replace the batteries in compartment 200 and the lamp 64 in the door.

In the operational sequence of the projector, before the magazine is inserted into its compartment, the door and lamp are positioned within compartment 30, the switch is open, and the tone arm is most likely in the full line position as seen in FIG. 5. In addition, the stylus is extending through wall 34 of the housing and projects slightly into the magazine compartment.

As the magazine is inserted into the projector, the forward end of shell 149 bears against the tapered side 64 of door 62 urging it to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3. Simultaneously, the crank arm is manually urged in a direction away from wall 18 against the force of spring 136 to allow proper positioning of the mating torque transmitting elements on the turntable hub and the drive member. Additionally, the tone arm is pushed out of compartment 30 by contour 220 formed on the exterior of the magazine shell and the indexing guide is cammed along the contour. This indexes the tone arm to the dotted line position of FIG. 5 thereby insuring that the tone arm will engage the first groove at the outer periphery of the record disc. Finally, the switch is closed to energize the lamp.

As the crank arm is rotated in the proper direction, rotation of the record disc and cooperation of the stylus therewith im' parts vibrational movement to the tone arm which is transmitted to the voice cone for reproduction of the sound message. Rotation of the crank arm also drives sprocket 171 for withdrawing film from the spool hub, transporting it past the film aperture for projection of successive images, and rewinding it on the outer convolution of the film coil.

Should the operator remove the magazine from the projector before reaching the end of the film strip and the sound groove, it is obvious that upon reinserting the magazine, the film and sound groove will not be synchronized since the tone arm and stylus will be indexed to start at the first sound groove while the film will not be at its beginning. The film and record may be resynchronized by providing a film frame for indicat ing the end of the film strip. By operating the projector until the indicating frame is projected and immediately removing and reinserting the magazine, the film and record will be resynchronized at the beginning of each.

What has been described is a toy motion picture projector for projecting visual images and synchronously reproducing a sound message, wherein the film and record are encapsulated in a magazine which may be readily removed from and replaces in the projector without manual threading.

It is obvious that upon study by those skilled in the art, the disclosed invention may be altered or modified without departing from its inventive concept.

What we claim is:

1. A magazine for use with an audio-visual projector comprising: a housing having a wall defining an aperture; spool means mounted for rotation in said housing; and endless film strip disposed in coiled relation about said spool means; means defining a given path for movement of said film strip past said aperture; said film strip having a looped segment thereof trained along said given path adjacent and parallel to said wall; record means mounted on said housing for rotation relative thereto; a first opening in said housing adjacent said record means for entry therein of a sound pickup means; a second opening in said housing for receiving illumination means carried by the projector for enabling direction of light through said film and said aperture for projecting a visual image of said film strip; and drive means for simultaneously rotating said record means and moving said film strip along said given path.

2. The magazine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said film defines a plurality of equally spaced sprocket holes adjacent a marginal edge thereof; said drive means including a sprocket wheel having circumferential, radially projecting teeth engageable with said film sprocket holes, and wherein two unconnected arc segments of said sprocket wheel simultaneously engage two spaced-apart lengths of said film loop for simultaneously removing said film from said spool and drawing said film pastsaid aperture.

3. The magazine as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sprocket wheel and record means are linked for coincidental rotational movement, and wherein said drive means include a rotatably driven element secured to said record and sprocket means and communicating with the exterior of said housing for mating engagement with a complementary driven element carried by said projector for effecting rotation of said record means and movement of said film strip.

4. The magazine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said record means comprise a disc having a spiral sound groove on the surface thereof; said disc having a plane of rotation generally perpendicular to the width orientation of said film.

5. The magazine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said prerecorded record means comprise a disc having a plane of rotation generally perpendicular to the width orientation of said film and having a spiral sound groove on the surface thereof; and further including: stationary sprocket hole engaging means positioned adjacent said aperture and in the path of said film for engaging successive sprocket holes as said film is transported therepast and momentarily restraining film movement at said aperture for successive stationary projection of each film frame.

6. The magazine as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sprocket hole engaging means comprise a tang having a tapered leading edge; means biasing said film toward said tang; and wherein said drive means transports each successive sprocket hole over the leading edge of said tang upon sufficient force being exerted on the film thereat, and spring means for maintaining at least a given minimum force on said film.

7. An audio-visual projector comprising a housing defining a compartment; a magazine removably positionable in said compartment having an endless film web trained about a given interior path and having a record with a prerecorded message thereon; a wall of said magazine defining an aperture therethrough; said film path forming a looped film portion extending generally parallel to said wall and past said aperture; a light tube mounted in said housing and having a focusing and objective lens coaxial with said aperture means for movably mounting said light tube on said projector housing for automatically entering the confines of said magazine upon inserting the magazine into its compartment; sound reproducing means, including sound pickup means, disposed in said housing for reproduction of said prerecorded message; said sound pickup means located adjacent said compartment for cooperation with said record when the magazine is positioned in the compartment; and drive means for imparting motion to said record and for transporting said film along said given path.

8. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 7 wherein said record includes sound-producing grooves on its surface and wherein said sound reproduction means comprise a tone arm engaging a voice cone and having a pickup stylus at its distal end for engagement with said sound-producing grooves.

9. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 8 wherein said prerecorded record comprises a disc having a spiral sound-producing groove thereon; said tone arm being supported for pivotal movement at its other end; spring means cooperating with said other end for biasing said stylus toward said record disc and for biasing said tone arm toward said voice cone; and wherein the apex of said voice cone functions as a fulcrum for said tone arm.

10. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 9 including means carried by said tone arm for cooperation with said magazine for automatically indexing said stylus to the peripheral edge of said disc upon inserting said magazine into its projector compartment.

11. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said drive means comprise a manually operable crank lever rotatably mounted on said housing and coupled to a drive member having a first torque transmitting element biased into said compartment; said magazine having a second torque transmitting element accessible from the magazine exterior adapted for mating engagement with said first element; said second element being coupled to said record and said film strip for rotation of the record and for moving the film strip past the projection aperture, and switch means for automatically energizing said light source upon inserting said magazine into its compartment.

mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3,583,797 Dated June 8, 1971 Inventor(s) Palmer J. Schoenfield, Marvin I. Glass & Harry Disko It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 54 "included" should read--includes-.

Column 5, line 19, " top walls 21, 202 and 203, should be-- top walls 201, 202 and 203--.

Column 5, line 35, after the period the following sentence is omitted: "As the magazine is inserted, the bight is urged downwardly by the magazine bottom wall which causes an end 218 to engage strip 214 and complete the electrical circuit."

Column 6, line 10, "replaces" should read--replaced--.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of November 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents

Claims (11)

1. A magazine for use with an audio-visual projector comprising: a housing having a wall defining an aperture; spool means mounted for rotation in said housing; and endless film strip disposed in coiled relation about said spool means; means defining a given path for movement of said film strip past said aperture; said film strip having a looped segment thereof trained along said given path adjacent and parallel to said wall; record means mounted on said housing for rotation relative thereto; a first opening in said housing adjacent said record means for entry therein of a sound pickup means; a second opening in said housing for receiving illumination means carried by the projector for enabling direction of light through said film and said aperture for projecting a visual image of said film strip; and drive means for simultaneously rotating said record means and moving said film strip along said given path.

2. The magazine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said film defines a plurality of equally spaced sprocket holes adjacent a marginal edge thereof; said drive means including a sprocket wheel having circumferential, radially projecting teeth engageable with said film sprocket holes, and wherein two unconnected arc segments of said sprocket wheel simultaneously engage two spaced-apart lengths of said film loop for simultaneously removing said film from said spool and drawing said film past said aperture.

3. The magazine as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sprocket wheel and record means are linked for coincidental rotational movement, and wherein said drive means include a rotatably driven element secured to said record and sprocket means and communicating with the exterior of said housing for mating engagement with a complementary driven element carried by said projector for effecting rotation of said record means and movement of said film strip.

4. The magazine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said record means comprise a disc having a spiral sound groove on the surface thereof; said disc having a plane of rotation generally perpendicular to the width orientation of said film.

5. The magazine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said prerecorded record means comprise a disc having a plane of rotation generally perpendicular to the width orientation of said film and having a spiral sound groove on the surface thereof; and further including: stationary sprocket hole engaging means positioned adjacent said aperture and in the path of said film for engaging successive sprocket holes as said film is transported therepast and momentarily restraining film movement at said aperture for successive stationary projection of each film frame.

6. The magazine as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sprocket hole engaging means comprise a tang having a tapered leading edge; means biasing said film toward said tang; and wherein said drive means transports each successive sprocket hole over the leading edge of said tang upon sufficient force being exerted on the film thereat, and spring means for maintaining at least a given minimum force on said film.

7. An audio-visual projector comprising a housing defining a compartment; a magazine removably positionable in said compartment having an endless film web trained about a given interior path and having a record with a prerecorded message thereon; a wall of said magazine defining an aperture therethrough; said film path forming a looped film portion extending generally parallel to said wall and past said aperture; a light tube mounted in said housing and having a focusing and objective lens coaxial with said aperture means for movably mounting said light tube on said projector housing for automatically entering the confines of said magazine upon inserting the magazine into its compartment; sound reproducing means, including sound pickup means, disposed in said housing for reproduction of said prerecorded message; said sound pickup means located adjacent said compartment for cooperation with said record when the magazine is positioned in the compartment; and drive means for imparting motion to said record and for transporting said film along said given path.

8. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 7 wherein said record includes sound-producing grooves on its surface and wherein said sound reproduction means comprise a tone arm engaging a voice cone and having a pickup stylus at its distal end for engagement with said sound-producing grooves.

9. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 8 wherein said prerecorded record comprises a disc having a spiral sound-producing groove thereon; said tone arm being supported for pivotal movement at its other end; spring means cooperating with said other end for biasing said stylus toward said record disc and for biasing said tone arm toward said voice cone; and wherein the apex of said voice cone functions as a fulcrum for said tone arm.

10. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 9 including means carried by said tone arm for cooperation with said magazine for automatically indexing said stylus to the peripheral edge of said disc upon inserting said magazine into its projector compartment.

11. The audio-visual projector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said drive means comprise a manually operable crank lever rotatably mounted on said housing and coupled to a drive member having a first torque transmitting element biased into said compartment; said magazine having a second torque transmitting element accessible from the magazine exterior adapted for mating engagement with said first element; said second element being coupled to said record and said film strip for rotation of the record and for movIng the film strip past the projection aperture, and switch means for automatically energizing said light source upon inserting said magazine into its compartment.

Images