US3901516A

US3901516A - Apparatus for preventing oblique movement of a pickup for a record player during its ascending or descending movement

Info

Publication number: US3901516A
Application number: US464196A
Authority: US
Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yuki; Tsutomu Ishii
Original assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Priority date: 1971-05-29
Filing date: 1974-04-25
Publication date: 1975-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1992-08-26

Abstract

During the reproduction on a record player, a force is always acting on a pickup arm stylus in a direction from the peripheral portion of the rotating disc record toward the center thereof. In order to cancel this inwardly acting force, a constantly acting counterbalancing force is usually applied to the pickup arm having the stylus to balance the former force. However, said counterbalancing force is objectionable when the stylus is descending to or ascending from the disc record, since this force, having no force to be balanced, causes the stylus to move obliquely. Apparatus of the invention comprises means for frictionally or magnetically engaging with the pickup arm to prevent the stylus from its oblique movement.

Description

United States Patent Yuki et al.

[ Aug. 26, 1975 DESCENDING MOVEMENT Inventor: Yoshiyuki Yuki; Tsutomu Ishii.

both of Hamamatus,Japan Continuation of Scr. No. 256,968, May 25, I972, abandoned.

Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 29, 197! Japan 46-44482[U] May 29, 1971 Japan 46-44483[U] US. Cl 274/1 D Int. Cl. Gllb 19/22 Field of Search 274/23, 1 D

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ascoli 274/23 R 2,488.26() ll/l949 3,174,754 3/l965 Puls 274/23 R Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant ExaminerWillis Little Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby & Cushman 5 7 ABSTRACT During the reproduction on a record player, a force is always acting on a pickup arm stylus in a direction from the peripheral portion of the rotating disc record toward the center thereof. In order to cancel this inwardly acting force, a constantly acting counterbalancing force is usually applied to the pickup arm havingthe stylus to balance the former force. However, said counterbalancing force is objectionable when the stylus is descending to or ascending from the disc record, since this force, having no force to be balanced, causes the stylus to move obliquely. Apparatus of the, invention comprises means for frictionally or magnetically engaging with the pickup arm to prevent the stylus from its oblique movement.

11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures II I PATENTED Afl z m k 3.901.516

SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG. HO) FIG. |(b) PRIQR ART PRIOR ART l W v W OUTSIDE OUTSIDE PATENTEDAUBZBIQTS 3,901,516

FIG. 5

8 252 23 FIG. 6

14 20 29 f l7 Lg l6 1 APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OBLIQUE MOVEMENT OF A PICKUP FOR A RECORD PLAYER DURING ITS ASCENDING OR DESCENDING MOVEMENT PRIOR ART This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 256,968 filed May 25, 1972, now abandoned.

As known in the art, when a stylus of a pickup is tracing a sound track ofa rotating record disc, there is produced an inside force, that is, a force acting on the stylus in a direction from the peripheral portion of the disc record toward the center thereof. This inside or inwardly acting force is required in order to gradually .guide the pickup (the stylus) along the sound track from its outer periphery to its inner periphery. Normally, the inside force acting on the stylus is greater when the pickup stylus lies in the sound track of the outer periphery and becomes smaller as the pickup stylus moves toward a middle portion and again becomes greater when it is in the inner periphery. Since the variation of this inside force acts on the stylus as an irregular horizontal side pressure, a fidelity of reproduction is lowered. Particularly in the reproduction of stereo record, distorsion between the left and right reproduced sounds appears notably.

Recently, for the purpose of eliminating the above difficulties. there has been developed an apparatus for introducing counteraction force in connection with a pivotal movement angle of the pickup for cancelling extra inside force and it has been put into practice. (Hereinafter, such a counteraction force is referred to as a cancelling force and the apparatus for producing such a force is referred to as an inside force canceller.)

The pickup provided with such an inside force canceller may always assure the best stylus pressure condi tion whichever stylus is tracing a sound track on an inner periphery of the record disc or on an outer periphery of the record disc.

However, while the inside force is produced only when the pickup stylus is tracing the sound track on the record disc, the cancelling force from the inside force canceller always acts on the pickup stylus. Accordingly, when the pickup is tracing the sound track, the inside force and the cancelling force cancel each other leaving an inside force just sufficient to trace the sound track. But when the stylus is elevated away from the sound track, the inside force no longer appears in the pickup and only the cancelling force acts on. Accordingly, the pick up in a floating position would receive a cancelling force which tends to move the pickup away from a rotational center of a turn table (record).

For this reason, upon playing the record, when the pickup is descended to the record disc or the pickup is elevated to move away from the record disc, the pickup tends to move in a diagonal or oblique direction. Namely, upon descending movement of the pickup (stylus), the stylus descends diagonally or obliquely toward the outer periphery of the record disc as shown with dotted arrow in FIG. Ia, while upon ascending movement of the pickup the stylus diagonally or obliquely elevates toward the outer periphery of the record disc. Thus, difficulties are encountered in positioning the pickup (the stylus), which is very inconvenient to the operating of an auto-player mechanism. In addition to this, there exists a danger in that a record disc may be damaged or the stylus and a cantilever may be broken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the light of the above, the present invention is intended to eliminate the above difficulties by defining the ascending and descending movement of the pickup relative to the turn table, in a right vertical direction.

' According to the present invention, means for provided in connection with an auto-player mechanism for operating the pickup for preventing the oblique movement of the pickup due to the cancelling force as described above by utilizing a constant braking force during a time period from the beginning of the movement of the stylus away from the sound track of the record disc to the time at which the stylus elevates to a prede' termined height or from the beginning of the descending movement of the stylus to the time immediately before the stylus makes contact with the sound track.

The apparatus in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that said braking force is frictionally or magnetically produced. The frictional braking force may be produced by bringing a member, which is displaced in connection with the ascending and descending movement of the pickup into a frictional contact with a plate member of a pivot shaft of the pickup, or by a frictional spring contact. The magnetic braking force may be produced by mounting a member of magnetic material on one of the members which are displaced relatively in connection with the ascending and descending movement of the pick up and by mounting a permanent magnet or an electromagnet on the other of the members to produce an attractive force therebetween. Depending upon whether the braking force is frictional one or magnetic one, the form in which the present invention is embodied differs. Through specific description on respective embodiment(s) the features of those embodiments S will be fully understood.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. la and lb illustrate displacement of a stylus of prior art relative to a record track.

FIG. 2 illustrate a first embodiment which is a basic one of the present invention, showing a plan view of a major portion of a device utilizing frictional braking force.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are front view and side view partly in section, respectively, thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a major portion of a second embodiment associated with the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view ofa major portion ofa third embodiment associated with the first embodiment.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment which is another basic one of the present invention, showing crosssectional side views of a major portion of a device utilizing magnetic braking force.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a major portion of a fifth embodiment associated with the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a major portion of sixth embodiment associated with the fourth embodiment.

DETAILED DESRCIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As described above, a major part of an apparatus of the present invention for guiding the stylus in a right vertical direction lies in the construction for producing frictional braking force or magnetic braking force.

The first embodiment, which is a basic one, shows a principal structure utilizing frictional brake and the second and third embodiments are modifications of the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment, which is another basic one, shows a principal structure utilizing magnetic braking force and the fifth and sixth embodiments are modifications of the fourth embodiment.

Each of the embodiments will now be explained more specifically with reference to the drawings in which the corresponding reference numerals are used for the similar parts throught the embodiments.

EMBODIMENT I (See FIGS. 2-4) The apparatus of this embodiment is a basic one for producing frictional braking force due to resilient contact under pressure between a movable member (friction plate) and a surface of a portion of a leaf spring.

In the drawings, on

frames

2 and 3 of a record player 1 there are mounted in upstanding position a rotary shaft 5 of a turn table 4, a pivot shaft 7 pivotally supporting a pickup 6, and a tone arm guiding member 8. The turn table 4 may be driven by a motor (not shown) or the like, and the pivot shaft 7 extends to a mechanism for operating the pickup 6. A tone arm 9 of the pickup 6 is supported by an arm carrying shaft 10 mounted on the pivot shaft 7, and has a cartridge 11 and a stylus 12 mounted at its extreme end. The tone arm 9 is movable in a vertical direction, that is, makes a descending and ascending movement, and is further movable about the pivot shaft 7 in a horizontal direction, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The tone arm guiding member 8 is provided with a support plate 13 for supporting the tone arm 9 and a friction plate 14 for preventing oblique or diagonal descending or ascending movement of the pickup 6, the support plate 13 and the friction plate 14 being formed in arcuate shape so that they are within a pivot angle of the pickup 6. The tone arm guiding member 8, which is always urged downwardly with the spring action of a coiled spring 15, is arranged to be moved upwardly against the spring IS with an arm elevating cam plate 17 which is advanced or retracted with a well-known auto-play mechanism (not shown) and a pin 16 fixed to the arm 8. Mounted to the pivot shaft 7 is a leaf spring 18 which is urged to the friction plate 14, making spring contact or frictional engagement with an upper surface of the friction plate 14. The leaf spring 18 is mounted on the shaft 7 by a screw 19 so that it may be adjusted in fixing position. While a fric tional force is produced between the upper surface of the friction plate 14 and a lower surface of the leaf spring 18, a rubber piece 20 may be adhered to the surface of the friction plate 14 in order to increase the degree to which the frictional engagement is made.

Although not shown in the drawings, the inside force canceller hereinbefore defined may further be provided. A coiled spring is usually used as the inside force canceller and is strechcd between the one arm 9 and a stationary part, so that the cancelling force hereinbefore defined acts on the stylus 12 to cancel the inside force.

The operation of the present embodiment thus constructed will now be described.

When it is described to operate the record player I, a record disc or disc record 21 is first placed on the turn table 4 before the auto-play mechanism, motor or the like is put in operating condition.

The record player 1, prior to play, has its pickup 6 supported on the tone arm guiding member 8 as shown in FIG. 3 while the friction plate 14 and the leaf spring 18 resiliently making contact with each other. When the turn table 4 rotates for the play and the auto-play mechanism begins to operate, the arm elevating cam plate 17 is moved with the auto-play mechanism in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 so that the guiding member 8 descends by a distance equal to the displacement ofa cam surface of the cam plate 17 under the influence of downward force of the spring 15. Through the descending movement of the guiding member 8, the stylus 12 of the pick up 6 is placed on a predetermined sound track of the record disc 21 as shown in FIG. 4. Until immediately before the stylus l2 approximates to the surface of the record disc 21, the friction plate 14 and the leaf spring 18 makes frictional contact due to the resilient force of the spring 18, but they disengage the friction contact and are apart from each other when the stylus 12 makes contact with the sound track of the record disc 21.

Accordingly, so long as the leaf spring 18 makes frinctional contact with the friction plate 14, the pickup 6 is subject to braking force due to the frictional contact under pressure even if the cancelling force hereinbefore defined is applied to the pickup 6 or a horizontal force is applied by any other reasons, so that the pickup 6 may right vertically descend as shown by a solid line arrow of FIG. 10 without any sidewise oscillation or movement.

On the other hand, when the pickup 6 (the stylus 12) is to be lifted from the surface of the record disc 21, the cam plate 17 is returned to its original position with the auto-play mechanism to lift tone arm guiding member 8, the support plate 13 of which simultaneously lifts the tone arm 9 of the pick up 6. Again, immediately after the stylus 12 leaves the sound track of the record disc 21, a frictional braking force is applied between the friction plate 14 and the leaf spring 18 so that the pickup 6 is lifted right vertically as shown by a solid line arrow in FIG. lb.

In this manner, until immediately before the stylus 12 of the cartridge 11 is placed on the sound track of the record disc 12 following the descending movement of the pickup 6, or immediately after the stylus 12 of the cartridge I I has left sound track of the record disc, the pickup ,6 is subject to frictional braking force. Thus even if the cancelling force or any other external force is applied to the pickup 6, it can move right vertically upward or downward without sidewise oscillation or movement because the cancelling force or other external force may be cancelled with said braking force. As a result, accurate positioning of the pickup 6 is attained, assuring that the autoplay mechanism may operate smoothly. Furthermore, it is assured that the sound track of the record disc 21 and the catridge 11 (particularly its canti-lever and stylus) are unlikely to be damaged.

In order to attain the above effect, the time at which the friction plate 14 and the leaf spring 18 separate from each other and the amount of the frictional braking force at that moment are important factors. In the basic embodiment described above, by changing the vertical position of the leaf spring 18, that is, the mounting position of the leaf spring 18 with respect to the pivot shaft 7, the time at which the friction plate 14 and the leaf spring 18 are separated and the amount of the frictional braking force at the moment may be adjusted.

In the above embodiment as well as the second and third embodiments to be explained later, the leaf spring is mounted on the pivot shaft 7 and the friction plate 14 mounted on the tone arm guiding member 8. However, it should be understood that the friction plate 14 may be mounted on the pivot shaft 7 and the leaf spring on the member 8.

EMBODIMENT 2(See FIG. 5)

The apparatus of this embodiment is a modification for producing frictional braking force. In this apparatus, a friction rod 23 is forced to contact against the upper surface of the friction plate 14 under the spring action of the leaf spring to produce frictional braking force due to the contact therebetween. Fixed to the pivot 7 is a support arm 22 of U-shape, to which is mounted the friction rod 23 in vertically movable manner. On a pin 24 fixed to the rod 23 the leaf spring 25 makes resilient contact. The friction rod 23 has its upper portion a descending position adjusting nut 26, and the leaf spring 25 is provided with a screw 27 for changing the mounting position of the spring 25 with respect to the pivot shaft 7 to adjust the spring force.

The apparatus of the present embodiment operates in a similar manner as the basic embodiment 1 described above does. Since the leaf spring 25 is pressed against the friction plate 14 through the friction rod 23 which can descend only by a predetermined displacement, any desired amount of contact pressure and hence the frictional braking force may be obtained during the time when the friction rod 23 is in engagement with the friction plate 14.

EMBODIMENT 3 (See FIG. 6)

In this embodiment, instead of the leaf spring 25 as in the embodiment 2, a coiled compression spring 28 is mounted between an upper part of the support arm 22 and an abutment 23a ofthe friction rod 23. The sup port arm 22 is fixed on the shaft 7 by means of a screw 29. The operation of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the embodiment 2 and hence may be omitted.

Again, in this embodiment, by adjusting spring force of the spring 28 and appropriately establishing the amount of descending displacement of the friction rod 23, a necessary frictional braking force may be obtained during the time when the friction rod 23 is in engagement with the friction plate 14. Furthermore, the friction plate 14 and the support arm 22 may be mounted in opposite relation with respect to the pivot shaft 7 or the tone arm guiding member 8 for attaining the same function and effect.

EMBODIMENT 4 (See FIGS. 7 and 8) The apparatus of this embodiment is a basic one in which magnetic braking force is produced by magnetic attractive force acting between a movable member (braking member) and a magnet. In the apparatus of the present embodiment, a support arm 30 is secured to a pivot shaft 7 by a screw 31 so that the mounting position thereof may be adjustable. At the tip end of the support arm 30, a movable lever 32 is mounted for vertical movement. The movable lever 32 has a permanent magnet 33 attached at its lower end and a stopper 34 formed at its upper end. The movable lever 32 always tends to descend due to the gravity; however it may be actuated by the spring force of a coiled compression spring'35 disposed between the arm 30 and the magnet 33. Fixed to the tone arm guiding member 8 is a braking plate 36 of magnetic material which has contour corresponding to pivotal trace of the permanent magnet 33.

The apparatus of the present embodiment thus constructed will operate in the following manner. When it is desired to play the record player 1, the record disc 21 is first placed on the turn table and then the motor, the auto-play mechanism or the like is put into operation. Prior to the play, the pickup 7 of the record player 1 is supported by the member 8 as shown in FIG. 7, and the magnet 33 is attracted to the braking plate 36 to lift the movable lever 32. When the turn table 4 is rotated for play and the auto-play mechanism starts to operate, then the arm elevating cam plate 17 is moved with the auto-play mechanism in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7, so that the tone arm guiding member 8 is subject to descending force of the spring 15 and descends by the amount equal to the displacement of the cam surface of the cam plate 17. By the descending movement of the member 8, the stylus 12 of the pickup 6 is placed on a predetermined sound track of the record disc 21. Until immediately before the stylus 12 comes near to the surface of the record disc 21, the braking plate 36 and the magnet of the movable lever 32 are kept attracted by the magnetic attractive force. However, when the stylus 12 is brought into contact with the sound track of the record disc 21, the braking plate 36 and the magnet 33 are separated from each other because the descending movement of the movable lever 32 is restricted by the contact of the stopper 34 with the support arm 30. Accordingly, so long as the magnet 33 ofthe movable lever 32 is attracted to the braking plate 36, the pickup 6 does not make sidewise oscillation or movement because of the magnetic attractive force, even if the cancelling force or other sidewise-acting force, for some reason, is applied to the pickup 6.

On the other Hand, when the pickup 6 (the sylus 12) is to be lifted from the surface of the record disc 21, the cam plate 17 is returned to its original position with the auto-play mechanism to lift the tone arm guiding member 8 and the tone arm 9 of the pickup 6 is lifted by the support plate 13. Again, in this case, immediately after the stylus 12 leaves the sound track of the record disc 21, magnetic braking force is applied between the braking plate 36 and the magnet 33.

Thus, until immediately before the pickup 6 descends and the stylus 12 of the cartridge 11 is placed on the sound track of the record disc 21, or immediately after the pickup 6 ascends and the stylus 12 of the cartridge 11 leaves the sound track of the record disc 21, the pickup 16 is subject to magnetic braking force.

In order to attain the above effect, the time at which the braking plate 36 and the magnet 33 separate from each other and the amount of the magnetic braking force at that moment are important factors. In this basic embodiment, by changing the position of the magnet 33, that is, the vertical mounting position of the support arm 30 with respect to the pivot shaft 7, the timeat which the braking plate 36 and the magnet 33 are separated and the amount of the magnetic braking force at that moment can be adjusted.

EMBODIMENT (See FIG. 9)

The embodiment is a modification for obtaining magnetic braking force. In the apparatus of the present embodiment, the braking plate 36 is mounted on a pivot shaft 7 and the support arm 30 is mounted to the lift arm 8. With the braking plate 36 and the support arm 30 mounted in opposite manner with respect to the previous basic embodiment, the vertical relationship between the braking plate 36 and the support arm 30 is also reversed. In such a case, since it is required to force the movable lever 32 supported by the support arm 30 toward the braking plate 36 against the gravity, the coiled compression spring 35 between the arm 30 and the magnet 33 is essential. Since the operation of the present embodiment is similar to that of the previous basic embodiment, the description of the operation may be omitted.

EMBODIMENT 6 (See FIG.

The apparatus of this embodiment utilizes an electromagnet 37 instead of a permanent magnet. Since the electromagnet 37 can be excited and deactuated repetitively by turning on and off the current may be drawn only when the magnetic braking force is required. For example, the electromagnet may be excited only when the pickup is moved upwardly or downwardly, in connection with the upward or downward movement of the tone arm guiding member, through the actuation of a micro-switch or the like, and the electromagnet may be deactuated during other period. By such an arrangement the return movement of the pickup may be effected smoothly.

As described hereinabove, the apparatus in accordance with the present invention effectively prevents unintentional sidewise movement or oscillation of the pickup during its ascending or descending movement so that positioning of the pickup is facilitated and the record disc and the cartridge are unlikely to be dam aged, thereby resulting in remarkable effect in a practical aspect.

Particularly in a record player system such as stereo player system or four-channel record player system wherein the variation between, right and left sound tracks is intended to be used to produce a special effect, the apparatus in accordance with the present in vention is effective in that it enhances the reproduction fidelity.

It should be noted that the embodiments described and shown are illustration of most preferable ones of the present invention, and hence the present invention should not be limited to those particular constructions but it includes all equivalents known to those skilled in the art at the time of filing. The present invention is restricted only by the claims recited below but it should be noted that any change or modification thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of a record player for reproducing sound from a disc record, comprising a tone arm pivotally supported and provided with a stylus positioned over the disc record, said stylus being movable toward and away from the disc record in a vertical direction and further movable in another direction perpendicular to said vertical direction, a first member connected to said tone arm and movable therewith, and a second member located in a confronting relation to the first member, one of said first and second members being a magnet and the other of said first and second members being of a magnetic material, said first and second members being magnetically attracted to, and in contact with, each other when the stylus is moving toward and away from said disc record but out of contact when said stylus is positioned on said disc record, wherein the stylus is prevented from moving in said another direction by the friction force between said members generated by said magnetic attraction.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a tone arm guiding member permitting the stylus to move to and away from the disc record, said second member being fixed to said tone arm guiding member.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a pivot shaft pivotably supporting said tone arm, said first member being fixed to said pivot shaft, thus being connected in turn to said tone arm.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further compris ing a spring member urging one of said first and second members toward the other of said first and second members.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second members is adjustable in relative position with respect to the other of said first and second members.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second members comprises a support arm, and a friction member movably supported by said support arm and resiliently urged to the other of said first and second members.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnet is an electromagnet.

8. In a record player for reproducing sound from a disc record including a tone arm pivotally supported and provided with a stylus positioned over a disc record, said stylus being movable toward and away from the disc record in both a vertical and horizontal direction and an inside force cancelling means for equalizing the horizontal force exerted on the stylus as said stylus moves from the outside periphery to the inner periphery of said disc record, said force cancelling means tending to move said tone arm away from the rotational center of said disc record when said stylus is being moved toward and away from said disc record, the improvement comprising means for preventing said stylus from moving in said horizontal direction when said stylus is moving vertically toward and away from the disc record, said means comprising a tone arm guiding member permitting the stylus to move toward and away from the disc record, a friction plate mounted on said tone arm guiding member, means for moving said tone arm guiding member and said friction plate vertically with respect to said disc record to thereby move the stylus toward and away from the disc record, a spring member fixedly secured to said record player, said spring member frictionally engaging said friction plate when said stylus is moving toward and away from said disc record. said stylus being prevented from moving in said horizontal direction by the frictional engagement.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a pivot shaft pivotally supporting said tone arm, said spring member being fixed to said pivot shaft and ac cordingly being connected in turn to said tone armi 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said spring member and friction plate are adjustable in relative position with respect to one another.

11. In a record player for reproducing sound from a disc record including a tone arm pivotally supported and provided with a stylus positioned over a disc record, said stylus being movable toward and away from the disc record in both a vertical and horizontal direction, the improvement comprising:

means for preventing said stylus from moving in said horizontal direction when said stylus is moving vertically toward and away from the disc record, said means comprising a tone arm guiding member permitting the stylus to move toward and away from the disc record,

a friction plate mounted on said tone arm guiding member,

means for moving said tone arm guiding member and said friction plate vertically with respect to said disc record to thereby move the stylus toward and away from the disc record,

a spring member fixedly secured to said record player, said spring member frictionally engaging said friction plate when said stylus is moving toward and away from said disc record, said stylus being prevented from moving in said horizontal direction by said frictional engagement.

Claims

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a spring member urging one of said first and second members toward the other of said first and second members.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnet is an electromagnet.

8. In a record player for reproducing sound from a disc record including a tone arm pivotally supported and provided with a stylus positioned over a disc record, said stylus being movable toward and away from the disc record in both a vertical and horizontal direction and an inside force cancelling means for equalizing the horizontal force exerted on the stylus as said stylus moves from the outside periphery to the inner periphery of said disc record, said force cancelling means tending to move said tone arm away from the rotational center of said disc record when said stylus is being moved toward and away from said disc record, the improvement comprising means for preventing said stylus from moving in said horizontal direction when said stylus is moving vertically toward and away from the disc record, said means comprising a tone arm guiding member permitting the stylus to move toward and away from the disc record, a friction plate mounted on said tone arm guiding member, means for moving said tone arm guiding member and said friction plate vertically with respect to said disc record to thereby move the stylus toward and away from the disc record, a spring member fixedly secured to said record player, said spring member frictionally engaging said friction plate when said stylus is moving toward and away from said disc record, said stylus being prevented from moving in said horizontal direction by the frictional engagement.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a pivot shaft pivotally supporting said tone arm, said spring member being fixed to said pivot shaft and accordingly being connected in turn to said tone arm.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said spring member and friction plate are aDjustable in relative position with respect to one another.

11. In a record player for reproducing sound from a disc record including a tone arm pivotally supported and provided with a stylus positioned over a disc record, said stylus being movable toward and away from the disc record in both a vertical and horizontal direction, the improvement comprising: means for preventing said stylus from moving in said horizontal direction when said stylus is moving vertically toward and away from the disc record, said means comprising a tone arm guiding member permitting the stylus to move toward and away from the disc record, a friction plate mounted on said tone arm guiding member, means for moving said tone arm guiding member and said friction plate vertically with respect to said disc record to thereby move the stylus toward and away from the disc record, a spring member fixedly secured to said record player, said spring member frictionally engaging said friction plate when said stylus is moving toward and away from said disc record, said stylus being prevented from moving in said horizontal direction by said frictional engagement.