Automatic record player

Abstract

An automatic record player having a record changer by which a stack of records mounted on a changer spindle extending above the center of a turntable can be successively played out, wherein a cycle adjusting control is provided for enabling the record player to operate a predetermined number of times irrespective of the number of the records mounted on the changer spindle. To this end, there is provided an index wheel having a plurality of characters on its peripheral surface for showing the number of records left unplayed or the desired number of performance done by the record player in an operative association with the movement of the tone arm.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automatic record player comprising a drive motor, a tone arm having a rotatable shaft, a switching knob, linkage means operated by said switching knob and coupled to said drive motor to energize said drive motor, a capstan, a turntable having a turntable gear thereon and a spindle projecting axially upwardly therefrom, an idler wheel coupled to said linkage means and operated thereby to selectively be engageable with said capstan and said turntable to transmit and interrupt the drive of said drive motor from the capstan to the turntable, a gear wheel having a substantially heart-shaped groove formed therein, an actuating member operatively coupled to said gear wheel to bring said gear wheel into engagement with said turntable gear, an actuating plate operatively connected to said linkage means to operate said actuating member for driving said gear wheel by means of said drive motor, a driving plate having at least one end and having an upright boss at said one end which upright boss engages said gear wheel and is moved reciprocally in engagement with said heart shaped groove formed in said gear wheel, an arm on the other end of said driving plate having a sloped surface in contact with said tone arm and adapted to move said tone arm vertically and a pin member operatively positioned and adapted to cause horizontal movement of said tone arm, a feeder operatively positioned and adapted to drop on the turntable successively each one of a stack of records mounted on the spindle, a feed link operatively connected to said driving plate to operate said feeder, a record size detecting plate projecting above the turntable and adapted to detect the size of the record dropping onto the turntable, a positioning plate mounted on the rotating shaft of the tone arm and rotated by the pin on said driving plate to select the dropping position of the tone arm, an index plate provided below and operatively coupled to said record size detecting plate and having thereon notched sides respectively adapted to engage the edge of said record diameter detecting the plate and to engage one projecting end of sid positioning plate so as to limit the rotation of the tone arm, said index plate being movable between retracted and operative positions, said driving plate capable of performing a reciprocal rotative motion between an initial position and a remote position during one rotation of said gear wheel whereby, when said driving plate is in the remote position, said index plate is brought into operative position to .[.detach.]. .Iadd.detect .Iaddend.the size of the dropping record and to define the angle through which the tone arm swings at the beginning of playing of the record and when said driving plate is in the initial position, said index plate is brought into the retracted position, and an operatively positioned cycle adjusting mechanism including an index wheel of substantially cylindrical cross section having one end formed with a plurality of saw teeth and the other end formed with a recess, a seesaw member having one end formed with a feeler collapsibly engageable with said recess on said index wheel and the other end positioned above the path of travel of said projecting end of said positioning plate such that, only when said feeler is collapsed into said recess on said index wheel, said other end of said seesaw member is brought into a position to restrict the horizontal swinging movement of said tone arm to inhibit the latter to swing to a position above the lead-in groove of the record, means for intermittently rotating said index wheel in response to the reciprocal rotative motion of said driving plate, and a stopper lever pivotally supported by said driving plate and having one end in contact with a portion of said seesaw member and the other end positioned adjacent to said linkage means such that, only when said feeler is collapsed into said recess, said stopper lever is pivoted about its pivot with said other end thereof in position to kick said linkage means to disengage said idler wheel from said capstan and the turntable and concurrently to deenergize said driving motor. 
     
     
       2. An automatic record player as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of characters on the peripheral surface of said cycle adjusting mechanism index wheel, said characters corresponding in number to the number of said saw teeth for the purpose of indicating a presetting of the record player to a desired number of performances. 
     
     
       3. An automatic record player as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cycle adjusting mechanism index wheel rotating means comprises a bracket piece having one and journalled to a shaft extending through said index wheel and a connecting rod connected between the other end of said bracket and the driving plate and an operatively positioned collapsible pin movable between a projected and a retracted position and extending through a portion of said bracket piece adjacent to said other end of said bracket piece, whereby, each time said bracket piece is pivoted in response to the movement of said driving plate, said collapsible pin shifts each one of the saw teeth thereby permitting said index wheel to intermittently rotate in one direction. 
     
     
       4. An automatic record player as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cycle adjusting mechanism index wheel further comprises means operatively positioned to prevent the rotation of said index wheel in the opposite direction. .Iadd. 5. An automatic record player comprising a turntable drive motor; a switch for said turntable drive motor; means for operating the switch to energize the drive motor; a tone arm having a rotatable shaft; a turntable having a turntable gear thereon and a spindle projecting therefrom; a gear wheel having a substantially heart-shaped groove formed therein, said gear wheel being engageable with the turntable gear; an actuating member operatively coupled to said gear wheel to bring said gear wheel into engagement with said turntable gear; an actuating lever for operating said actuating member; a driving plate having first and second ends and having an upright boss at said first end, which upright boss engages said gear wheel and is moved reciprocally in engagement with said heart-shaped groove formed in said gear wheel; an arm on said second end of said driving plate, said arm being adapted to move said tone arm vertically and horizontally; a positioning mechanism for selecting the dropping position of said tone arm; means for restricting the horizontal swinging movement of the tone arm to inhibit the latter from swinging to a position above the lead-in groove of a record; and a cycle adjusting mechanism including a repeat number setting member having a plurality of sawteeth thereon and a recess defined therein, a plurality of digit characters equal in number to the number of said sawteeth, said digit characters being in the form of a series of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 ... and n (n being an integer) each representative of the desired number of records to be played by the player, another digit character in the form of a zero number which is adapted to be displayed when the recess in the setting member is brought to a predetermined position, thereby warning that the desired number of records has been completed, means successively engageable with said sawteeth on the setting member in response to the reciprocal movement of the driving plate for intermittently moving said setting member towards a position where said zero number can be displayed, and a second member engageable into the recess in the setting member, irrespective of the presence and absence of the records on the spindle, when the setting member is brought to said predetermined position, whereby when said second member is engaged into the recess in the setting member held in said predetermined position, said restricting means is brought into operation to inhibit said tone arm from swinging horizontally to a position above the lead-in groove of a record, thereby interrupting the operation of the player irrespective of the presence and absence of the records on the spindle. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. An automatic record player as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a feeder means operatively connected to said spindle for successively dropping onto said turntable a stack of records mounted on said spindle; and a feeder mechanism operable by the movement of said driving plate for operating said feeder means. .Iaddend.