Rca Inc.

James Austin Allen

Leslie A Torrington

Clyde F Coleman

Michael E Miller

Byron Kent Taylor

A mechanism for retracting a stylus from engagement with the surface of a video disc record. A lever arm arranged parallel to the stylus arm and normally biased to a first position has a filament attached to a free end thereof, the filament being normally disposed to straddle and engage the stylus carrying arm proximate to the stylus to lift and hold the stylus from the record surface. A force which is selectively imparted to the lever arm pivots the lever arm to a second position permitting disengagement of the filament and stylus arm permitting the stylus to engage the record.

Video disc stylus retractor

To load a record into a player a record caddy is inserted into the player housing through an input slot. The player is equipped with rails for guiding caddy insertion along a path. A record extracting mechanism mounted in the player removes the enclosed record from the caddy during subsequent caddy withdrawal. A platform mounted in the housing is subject to motion between an elevated position and a depressed position. The record is transferred to a turntable for rotation therewith when the platform is depressed. The player is further equipped with a second set of rails for guiding a signal pickup carriage along a second path disposed parallel to the caddy path. A translating apparatus drives the pickup carriage along the carriage guiding rails. Both the caddy guiding rails and the carriage guiding rails are integrally secured to the platform. To ensure that the carriage path lies radially of a turntable-supported record throughout the operating range, a pair of parallel racks are fixedly mounted on the platform. A shaft, carrying a pair of pinions, is rotatably secured to the carriage. A respective one of the pinions engages a respective one of the racks to assure radial disposition of the carriage path.

Carriage translating apparatus for video disc player

To load a record into a player, such as a video disc player, a record caddy is inserted into the player housing through an input slot. The player is equipped with rails for guiding caddy insertion along a path. A record extracting mechanism mounted in the player removes the enclosed record from the caddy during subsequent caddy withdrawal, whereby the record is retained in the player. A platform mounted in the housing is subject to motion between an elevated position and a depressed position. In the elevated position, the platform supports the retained record in the raised position. The retained record is transferred to a turntable for rotation therewith when the platform is depressed. The player is further equipped with a second set of rails for guiding a signal pickup carriage along a second path disposed parallel to the caddy path. A translating apparatus drives the pickup carriage along the carriage guide rails at a speed correlated to the speed of rotation of the turntable during playback. Both the caddy guiding rails and the carriage guiding rails are integrally secured to the platform.

Video disc player having unitary record handling platform construction

A stylus arm, pivotally mounted at one end within a stylus housing, supports a stylus at its free end. A stylus arm rest including a permanent magnet is mounted in the stylus housing for movement between an elevated position and a depressed position. The housing is subject to translatory motion between a rest position, clear of a disc record supporting turntable, and playback positions over the turntable. A brush is mounted in proximity to the turntable and beneath the path of travel of the housing, with the bristles of the brush extending, from a holder which is mounted on a height adjustable platform, in directions substantially perpendicular to the direction of housing travel. As the housing reaches an intermediate position in passage toward the rest position, the stylus arm rest is depressed when the permanent magnet affixed thereto is attracted by a second permanent magnet mounted on the platform. The depression of the stylus arm rest causes the stylus arm to assume a lowered position where the stylus arm is supported by a guide mounted on the platform. During completion of the passage from the intermediate position to the rest position, the stylus arm slides over the guide allowing the stylus to pass through the brush bristles which clean debris therefrom; at the rest position, the stylus will be supported by the guide at an elevation substantially corresponding to the stylus elevation obtained during disc record engagement in the course of playback.

Stylus position control system

A video disc player includes a carriage supporting signal processing circuitry having an electrical input terminal. A pickup cartridge which is removably mounted in said carriage contains a stylus and an electrical connection between an electrode on said stylus and a terminal on the cartridge. The cartridge terminal engages the input terminal of the signal processing circuitry under operating conditions. During installation of the cartridge in the carriage, cartridge projections cooperate with cam surfaces provided in the carriage to hold the terminal on the cartridge in spaced relation to the input terminal until the two terminals are aligned, to prevent a shearing motion therebetween.

Video disc player apparatus for establishing electrical connection

A system for playing back prerecorded signals from a spirally-grooved and rotatable record includes a carriage mounted for lateral motion relative to a motorboard of the system in correlation with lateral motion of a groove-riding stylus during playback. A stylus arm cartridge, enclosing a stylus arm supporting a stylus at one end thereof, is subject to reception in a compartment provided in the carriage. The second end of the stylus arm is pivoted in the cartridge. A first end of a leaf spring, provided for urging the stylus into the record groove during playback, is secured to the stylus. A second end of the leaf spring is secured to a ball which is friction loaded into a socket provided in the cartridge. Adjustment of angular orientation of the ball in the socket provides control of the stylus/record tracking pressure, and the lateral position of the stylus arm in the cartridge.

Stylus adjustment apparatus for a video disc player

A pickup cartridge encloses a stylus arm carrying a stylus at one end thereof. The other end of the stylus arm is secured to a connector plate via a compliant member. A spring releasably clamps the stylus arm in a retracted position. A pair of elastic straps extend between a pair of spaced end ribs. The rear end of the cartridge has a pair of hooks for releasably retaining the pair of spaced end ribs. The rear surfaces of the elastic straps are at a certain angle with respect to the front surfaces thereof. The connector plate is secured to the slanted rear surfaces of the elastic straps to establish an angular orientation of the connector plate relative to the cartridge so that, when the stylus arm is held in the retracted position in the cartridge, the compliant member is unstressed. The connector plate is adapted to be rotated upon reception of the cartridge in a player to permit the stylus arm to protrude outside the confines of the cartridge without stressing the compliant member. The clamping spring is locatable in one of three positions relative to the cartridge. In the top position, the clamping spring retains the stylus arm in the retracted position against a stop in the cartridge. The middle position of the clamping spring permits the stylus arm to protrude outside the confines of the cartridge. The bottom position is for manufacturing pusposes. Means are provided for accurately positioning the cartridge in a compartment provided in the player.

Video disc playback system and pickup cartridge therefor

A cartridge casing houses a fragile pickup arm unit of a video disc record player to, (1) protect the pickup arm unit during storage and handling, and (2) facilitate ready replacement of the pickup arm unit without need for any connections and adjustments. The pickup arm unit comprises a pickup arm carrying a signal pickup at one end and having its second end secured to a coupler by a compliant pickup arm support. The pickup arm unit is suspended at the second end within the casing by a pair of tabs secured to the coupler and extending therefrom for reception in a pair of openings provided in the casing. A clamp pivotally mounted in the casing engages the pickup arm to securely hold the signal pickup end of the pickup arm unit in a retracted position in the casing when the cartridge is in an unassembled condition. A finger mounted in the player supporting structure engages and disables the clamp during assembly of the cartridge in the player to free the pickup arm for engagement with a signal pickup lowering/lifting mechanism mounted in the supporting structure.

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Monrovia, IN, United States of America

James Austin Allen