Rca Inc.

Larry D Huff

Leslie A Torrington

Charles A Elliott

A video record player includes a common drive belt for selectively translating a pickup stylus carriage. The player is equipped with a first drive mechanism, including a turntable-driven pulley, for utilizing the common drive belt for translating the carriage during playback toward the center of a turntable at a speed correlated to the speed of rotation of the turntable while stylus/record engagement is effected. The first drive mechanism includes a slip clutch interposed between the common drive belt and the turntable-driven pulley. In such players, a record caddy is used to push the carriage back to a starting position away from the turntable center, when it is at a position other than at the starting position during a caddy insertion into the player. A mechanism is provided for rendering the slip clutch disabled during a caddy insertion, whereby restoration of the carriage to the starting position can be effected with freedom from interference by the first drive mechanism, when the carriage is at a position other than at the starting position during such a caddy insertion.

Mechanism for aiding carriage return in video disc player

A video record player includes a common drive belt for selectively translating a pickup stylus carriage. The player is equipped with a first drive mechanism, including a turntable-driven pulley, for utilizing the common drive belt for translating the carriage during playback toward the center of a turntable at a speed correlated to the speed of rotation of the turntable while stylus/record engagement is effected. A manually-actuated second drive mechanism is employed for utilizing the common drive belt for translating the carriage during active searching toward and away from the turntable center at a speed independent of the speed of rotation of the turntable while the stylus is in engagement with the record. The first drive mechanism includes a slip clutch interposed between the common drive belt and the turntable-driven pulley, whereby wresting of the control of the common drive belt by the manually-actuated, second drive mechanism from the first drive mechanism is permitted by the slip clutch upon actuation of the second drive mechanism. A mechanism for applying a constant drag on the turntable-driven pulley is provided to deter the rotation of the turntable-driven pulley in a reverse direction during operation of the manually-actuated, second drive mechanism in the reverse direction, whereby normal translation of the carriage by the first drive mechanism in the forward direction is resumed upon cessation of actuation of the second drive mechanism without delays due to effects of backlash in the first drive chain.

Constant drag carriage translating mechanism for video disc player

A video disc player includes a turntable for centering and rotatably supporting a record for playback. A pickup stylus for recovering information stored on a turntable-supported record during playback is mounted in a carriage. A play belt is provided for translating the carriage toward the turntable center at a speed correlated to the speed of rotation of the turntable. A search belt is provided for translating the carriage toward and away from the turntable center at a speed independent of the speed of rotation of the turntable. A mechanical toggle switch is mounted to the carriage for motion between a first location, a second location and a third location. The toggle switch in the first location connects the carriage to the play belt to the exclusion of the search belt. When disposed in the second location, the toggle switch frees the carriage from both belts. The toggle switch secures the carriage to the search belt, to the exclusion of the play belt, while occupying the third location. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, an additional mechanism is provided for disposing the toggle switch into a selected one of the locations.

Toggle mechanism for video disc player

A record extracting mechanism for a video disc player includes latch arms which alternate between (1) a retracted condition permitting arrival of a package at a fully inserted position in the player, and (2) an extended condition precluding a removal from the player of a record during a package withdrawal subsequent to an occupied package arrival at the fully inserted position, whereby a record enclosed in the package is retained in the player. The player includes means for alternating the latch arms between the two conditions in response to each package insertion into the player.

Package actuated record extracting mechanism for a video disc player

An automatic wiping apparatus, provided for a disc record player, comprises a pad supported on a free end of an elongated leaf spring. The other end of the leaf spring is angularly secured to a housing support attached to the underside of a lid of the player, such that when the lid is closed the pad will be urged into contact with the surface of a disc supported on a turntable provided in the player. A rigid frame is pivotally mounted to the housing support, and is provided with a first member for supporting the free end of the leaf spring in a raised state, precluding contact between the pad and the disc surface, in response to the string force of a tongue spring acting on a second member of the rigid frame. A one-way pawl pivotally mounted to the rigid frame cooperates with an actuating arm attached to a signal pickup carriage in the player, such that the rigid frame is pivoted against the spring bias of the tongue spring, for a portion of the translational travel of the signal pickup carriage from a standby position to playback positions, thus removing the first member from its supporting position and thereby allowing the pad to come into contact with the surface of the disc solely under the spring force of the leaf spring.

Automatic disc wiping apparatus

A stator having a mating surface is fixedly mounted in a pickup arm housing of a disc record player. A rotor, also having a mating surface, is rotatably mounted such that the stator and the rotor mating surfaces are juxtaposed with a thin deposit of damping material interposed therebetween. A pickup arm rest is secured to the rotor for supporting a pickup arm which is pivoted at one end thereof in the housing. A cord is secured to the rotor for causing rotation thereof in a direction that causes the arm rest to lift the pickup arm away from the player turntable when the player is inoperative. When the cord is released, the rotor is free to rotate. A coil spring biases (1) the damped mating surfaces of the stator and the rotor toward each other, and (2) the rotor in a direction that causes the arm rest to lower the pickup arm toward the turntable, in order to effect a smooth landing of a delicate signal pickup on a disc record disposed on the turntable for playback when the cord is released.

Signal pickup lifting/lowering apparatus

A lid is pivoted to the base of a record player for movement between a closed position and an open position. A leaf spring is secured to the base at one end thereof. A detent is mounted to the remote end of the leaf spring for movement between (1) a protruding condition subject to engagement with the lid when closed, and (2) a retracted condition releasing the lid if closed. A plunger is reciprocably mounted for cooperation with a lid release button. A slide is movably mounted in the base adjacent the leaf spring for movement between (a) a position interposed, and (b) a position not interposed, between the plunger one end and the leaf spring. The plunger responsive to operation of the release button moves the detent to the retracted condition, via the slide and the leaf spring, if the slide is in the interposed position. If the slide is not interposed, the release button is ineffective to actuate the detent. A linkage is provided between the cam and the signal pickup carriage of the player for moving the slide to the interposed position and not-interposed position when the carriage is, respectively, in a standby mode and a playback mode thereby preventing opening of the lid during playback.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Larry D Huff