US2168529A - Gramophone for playing records of an endless film - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 8, 1939.

s. KONISHI 2,168,529

GRAMQPHONE FOR PLAYING RECORDS OF AN ENDLESS FILM I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed June 25, 1957 Aug. 8, 1939. s. KO NISHI 2,168,529

' I GRAMOPHONE FbR PLAY ENG RECORDS OF AN ENDLESS FILM Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 I UNl'lED STATES GRAMOPl-IONE FORPLAYING A'N ENnLsss mm RECORDS OF 'Shozo Konishi, Kami-mura, Japan, assignor to NipponFilmon Kabusiki Kaisya, Tokyo, Japan,

a corporation of Japan Application June 23, 1937, Serial No. 15$,006 In Japan May 28, 1934 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-11) This invention relates to improvements in a 1g it'amophone for playing records ofan endlessm. An object of this invention is to obtain a com- 5 pact mechanism, nevertheless a record can .be' sent from a reel of the recordto a place where a needle 01 a sound box islocated without" giving any remarkable twist to the record.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a on the frame, so that any'vibration of the motor which is employed in this invention for driving a record.

Another object of this invention is to obtain a means whereby the motor is floatinglysupported on the frame, so that any vibration of the motor would not be transmitted to' the needle which slides in the sound groove when the gramophone is played.

Another object of this invention is to obtain a mearis to utilize a machine for playing endlessfilm records also for playing ordinary disc records so that a single machine can be employed for both types of records.

Further objects will be better understood from the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings,

. Figure 1 is apart sectional sideele'vation of a gramophone according to this invention.

' Figure 2 is an elevation of theside opposite to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the grainophone on the motor side, the power transmission pulleys and ropes being removed.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the side opposite to Figure 3. t Figure5 is aplan of a reel for the record. Figure 6 is a detailed view of a starting mechanism, and Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 1-1 of Figure 6. a

In the drawings, I is a bracket to be fixed on the bottom of a cabinet, not shown, and the frame I of. the machine is rotatably supported on: this bracket by means of alined spindles 2. The frame consists of as its main part a'cylindrical part In 45 'an'da disc 3b, and the disc is firmlyfixed to the cylindrical part and its extensions with set screws 3c; V

A c-shaped plate 5 is mounted over and spaced apart from the disc-3b by standards 6. The disc is situated out of the perpendicular, and a series 1 of rollers I are rotatably held, disposed on a circle, between the disc and the C-shaped plate; The C-shaped plate is fixed on the disc in such a positionthat its open side takes the lowest position. This is clearly seen, on Figure 5.

mit power from the pulley 9 to i2.

Figures 1 and 4, and imaginary perpendicular lines la are rollers rotatably mounted on the disc 3b the peripheries of the rollers appearing a little above the surface of the disc. These rollers are disposed along the periphery of the disc having their axis in radial directions as shown on Figure 5' 5, and layers of a coiled record placed around the rollers I are supported at their edges on the peripheral surfaces of the rollers la. Since the coiled record is loosely placed around the rollers I, it passes out from the innermost turn of the 1. coil as it is pulled by a feed mechanism, and passes back to the outside turn or the coil without undue frictional resistance. 1

Inside the cylindrical part 3a is floaiingly held a small synchronous motor 4 by means oiflexible 15 bands 8, such as India rubber, leather, or'the like, and a rope pulley 9 is fixed on the motor shaft.

There is a spindle i0 above the motor parallel to the motor shaft and extending through the disc 3b, which is mounted on a journal ii provided in an an upper extensionof the cylindrical part 3a. A rope pulley i2 and a record-feeding pulley ll are fixed on the spindle at each end, and arope it passes over the pulleys 9 and I! so as to trans- The pulley it serves to feed an endless-film record. It has a small flange on each side so as to prevent the record front getting aside,v and an; India rubber sheet with numerous lines or small projections thereon is coated over the surface so of the pulley so that a record is carried by the pulley without slipping.

The lower part of the pulley i3 extendsto the central space of the O-shaped plate 5 as shown in B drawn along the inner sides-oi the flanges'oi the pulley onFigure 1 intersect imaginary lines A drawn along both ends of the rollers I nearly at the periphery of a circle touchingthe outer suriaceot the rollers 1, so that the record coming from the outer circle of the rollers I is transferred to the periphery of the pulley l3 almost at a tangent.

A ratchet wheel 15 is mounted on'the spindle Ill adjacent to the rope pulley i2 and is fixed thereto, as' shown in Figure 'l. a A sector It is loosely mounted on the same spindle adjacent to the ratchet wheel. and a recess I1 is provided on the peripheral surface thereof. 1

At the right cornero! the sector on Fig. 3 is provided a pin is, and a link l8 connects the sec tor atthe pin and an arm of a bell crank 20 fixed on a spindle 25. A hook it is loosely titted on the has a smaller diameter than the width of the recess I1, and the distances of the pin and of the recess from the pin I! are the same, so that if the hook touches at its free end the periphery of the sector, the pin 22 fits into the recess and at the same time the hook engages with a. tooth of the ratchet wheel. 23 is a spring provided on the pin is, and acts to have the hook raise its free end so as to keep the pin 22 a little distance out of the recess I1 and to disengage the hook from the ratchet wheel.

Along the periphery of the sector is provided,

a guide piece 24 being fixed to the frame. This guide piece has a special form as shown in Figures 3 and 6. Its lower side forms an are keeping a little clearance against the periphery of the per side of the guide piece, while, when it goes to right from the position 22b, it is guided by the obtuse angle at first, and slides along the lower side of the guide piece. This means that when the sector turns to left the ratchet wheel is not affected at all, while when it turns to the right, the pin 22 is at first pressed down by the guide surface 'so as to get into the recess II insuring the engagement of the hook with the ratchet wheel, and turns the latter in the clockwise direction.

The spindle 25 on which is fixed the bell crank 2| at one end, has a bevel gear 26 at the other end, and this bevel gear engages with another one 21 fixed to a vertical spindle 28, which has a handle 29 at its top end.

A knife-edge 30 of an electric switch is fixed to the bell-crank 2|. The electric circuit for the motor is opened and closed when this knife-edgegets out and into the space between the terminals II of thecircuit, which are fixed on the frame as shown in Figure 2.

The bell-crank 2| is always under the action of a helical spring, 43 which is tensioned' between an arm of the bell-crank and a bracket 28 ex-' clearance between two terminals ll, as shown on Figure 8, while when the bell-crank is turned to! clockwise direction until its arm connected with thespring It goes over the dead point pullmg the link ll downwards, the spring acts to turn quickly the bellecrank further bringing. the link upwards until the upper end of the link II gets in contact with the right end of the guide piece 24 whereby further rotation of the bellcrank is,

prevented. In thiscase, the knife-edge comes out .of the terminals opening the circuit of the motor, and the pin flhasf gone over the left end of the guide piece. On the spindle II is firmly fixed a worm l2, which engages with a worm gear -32 on a vertical shaft 33, therefore. when the spindle II is rotated by the motor, the vertical shaft is rotatedat a reduced speed. There is a shoulder at the top of the vertical shaft, on which a turn table 3 for disc records can be located. if required.

- Referring toFigure 4, II and 88 are guide rollers for film records, which are held on brackets fixed to the disc plate 3b. 31 is an arm frictionally fixedon the C-shaped plate 5, and can be turned with a knob 31a. When a record is to be loaded around the rollers I, the arm is turned in a little' angle to clear the way for the record, and after the record has been placed in its position, the 'arm is returned to its original position as shown in Figure 4, so that the record placed aroundthe rollers I does not get aside from its position while the record is turning around the rollers.

The center of gravity of the machine is at the left side of the spindles 2 on Figure 1, therefore the machine has a tendency to incline anticlockwise around the spindles 2, but an extension 39 of the bracket I holds the end of the frame to at its inner surface to prevent further inclination of the machine than the position that the shaft 23 is vertical. If the'machine is inclined by hand to the right side on the spindles 2, the extension 39 'also holds the frames end at its upper edge, so that the disc 31) takes almost a horizontal position. This inclined position is convenient for loading or unloading the record.

An endless-film record has been manufactured in such a way that a strip of film was coiled several turns in a diameter so as to loosely fit around the rollers l, and both ends were connected together. The sound grooves were impressed on the film before or after it was made endless.

In order to load this endless-film record on the gramophone, the machine is inclined by the handle 29, which will be supported by the stopper 39 keeping the,disc plate 36 in a nearly horizontal position. The coiled record is placed around the rollers I, the innermost turn of the coil being led through the space between two rollers 1 provided at the open end of the d-shaped plate I, passing over the feed roller l3, under the guide roller 35 and over the roller 36 successively, and returning to the outerside turn of the coil as shown on Figure 4. The arm'" is then turned outwards, and the machine is removed to its vertical position.

To stop rotation of the gramophone, the operator should turn the handle 29 to rotate the bellcrank in the clockwise direction in Fig. 3 so that thehook 2| is brought to its extreme leftward position on Figure 3, whereby the switch for the motors circuit is open. Thus, the hook is always at the left end of its stroke when the switch is open.

To begin play of the gramophone, one should quickly turn the handle to the opposite direction so that the ratchet wheel I is rotated. This rotation ofthe ratchet wheel-gives a synchronous speed to the motor, and when the bell-crank passes. over its dead center, the spring l2 strongly pulls the bell-crank, and the switch quickly closes the circuit for the motor, so that the latter starts.

A sound box-ll is then placed on the driving pulley ll, so as to have its needle ll locate in the starting groove of the record which is passing over the pulley, and the play iscontinued until the needle travels all the grooves. The rotation of the motor can be stopped by hand or by an automatic stopping attachment which opens a switch in the circuit. 1

In case a disc record is to be played with this machlne,'a spare turn table 34 should be put on the vertical shaft, and the machine can he operated in the same manner as above described.

What 1 claim 15:? l. A gramophone i'arv playing coiledv endless records comprising a sound box, a needle carried by said sound box, a reel having an inner space for rotatively supporting a coiled record thereon, a feed pulley for withdrawing 'the inner turn of the coiled record and sending it back to its outer turn, said reel and pulley being positioned so that their planes makean acute angle with each other and the lowermost part or the pulleys periphery being located in said inner space oi. the reel so that lines drawn along the ends of the record on the reel intersect otherlines drawn along the edges of the record on the feed pulley at points near the outer circumference of the coiled record on the reel, and said needle cooperating with that portion of the record on said pulley.

2. A gramophone for playing coiled endless records comprising a sound box, a needle carried by said sound box, a reel having an inner space for rotatively supporting 'a coiled record thereon,

' most part of the pulleys periphery being located in the inner space of said reel so that lines drawn along the ends of the record on the reel intersect other lines drawn along the edges of the record on said feed pulley at points near the outer circumierence oi! the coiled record on said reel, and said needle cooperating with that portion. or the record on said pulley.

3. 'A gramophone for playing coiled endless records comprising a sound box, a needle carried by said sound box, a reel having an.,inner space ior'rotatively supporting a coiled record, thereon,

a feed pulley for withdrawing the inner turn of the coiled record and returning it to its outer turn, said reel and pulley being positioned so that thein planes make an acute angle with each other and the lowermost part 01' the pulley's periphery being located in said inner space of said reel so that lines drawn along the ends of the record on the reel intersect other linesdrawn along the edges of the record on said feed pulley: at points near the outer circumference oi the coiled record onthe reel,'a shaft for said feed pulley, a vertical shaft. upon which a turn table can be mounted operatively connected to said shaft of said feed pulley, and said needle-cooperating with that portion of the record on said pulley.

4. A .gramophone for playing coiled endless records comprising a sound box, a needle carried by said sound box, a reel having an inner space for rotatively supporting a coiled record thereon, a feed pulley for withdrawing the inner turn of the coiled record and returning it to its outer turn, said reel and pulley being positioned so that their planes make an acute angle with each other and the lowermost part of the pulley's periphery being located in said inner spaceof said reel so that lines drawn along, the ends or the record on said reel intersect other lines drawn along the edges of the record on said feed pulley at points near the outer circumference of said. coiled record, a frame rockingly mounted, driving means for said reel and'pulley located on said frame, and said needle cooperating with that portion oi. the record on said pulley.

SHOZO KON 'IBHI.

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