Staar S.a.

Philippe V Denis

Etienne A Schatteman

Louis P Agostini

Stephane M d'Alayer De Costenore d'Arc

A record disc player apparatus of the type having a front loading drawer incorporates a centering mechanism for centering record discs of different diameters. At least three movable studs are disposed generally equidistantly about an axis of the loading drawer and are carried by support members mounted to the underside of the bottom of the drawer. Slots in the bottom of the drawer guide the studs inwardly generally toward the axis from a position spaced outwardly of the periphery of a larger of the different record discs which the loading means is adapted to carry concentric with the axis. The movable supports carrying the studs are interconnected for coordinating inward movement of the studs to engage the periphery and center a smaller record disc supported on the loading drawer only after a predetermined displacement of one of the movable supports. The predetermined inward displacement of the one support and the stud carried thereby is used to sense the presence of a larger record disc, which causes the one stud to return outwardly to avoid interference with the larger record disc. After a smaller record disc is carried to a operating position on the turnable of the player apparatus, the studs are moved away from the smaller record disc to allow its free rotation.

Apparatus for loading record discs of different diameters in disc players

A record changer apparatus having a removable magazine for storing a plurality of records, a playback/recording mechanism for receiving and playing or recording a record transferred from the magazine, a housing mounted adjacent the playback/recording mechanism and adapted to receive the removable magazine, the housing being mounted for swiveling about a mounting axis between an operating position in which the magazine in the housing is located to allow transfer of a selected record between the mechanism and the magazine and a loading position angularly displaced from the operating position in which the magazine may be removed or loaded into the housing. The housing and magazine are swiveled between operating and loading positions either manually or by power.

Top loading record changer mechanism with removable magazine supported

A storage device for record discs having a housing defining a compartment for holding a record disc in a fixed position and having an entrance through which the disc is inserted edgewise in its own plane to the fixed position; a first V-grooved member fixed in the compartment generally adjacent and behind the transverse center line is adapted to engage the lateral edge of the disc when in the fixed position; a second V-grooved member fixed in the compartment generally adjacent and disposed on the opposite side of the longitudinal center line from the first member in a back portion of the compartment is adapted to engage the back edge of the disc when in the fixed position; a securing lever pivotally mounted in the compartment generally adjacent and forward of the transverse center line and urged in one direction by a spring has a third V-grooved member adapted to engage another lateral edge and hold the record disc resiliently against the first and second members in the fixed position; and a fourth V-grooved member adapted to engage the record disc when it is inserted in the compartment entrance and guide the disc to the fixed position, the lever being movable to locate the fourth V-grooved member to receive the disc.

Storage device for record discs

Apparatus for recording and/or playback of recordings on discs including a selective disc changer suited particularly for discs of the 'compact disc' type. The playback unit has a housing mounted for helicoidal movement between a disc operating plane and an entrance plane for receiving a disc inserted edgewise and rolling into the housing along the entrance plane. A removable magazine provides a plurality of disc storage compartments arranged side by side and successively movable into alignment with the entrance plane, the magazine being received on a tray mounted on the chassis of the apparatus. The magazine is locked against being removed from the tray responsive to transfer of a disc from a storage compartment of the magazine to ensure that the magazine is locked against removal from the time that one of the discs stored in a compartment of the magazine has left its storage position until it is returned to the magazine compartment.

Linear changer apparatus

A disc cleaning device is provided in an apparatus for transferring information to or from a disc, which apparatus includes a base, means for rotating the disc, and means for transferring information to or from the disc, the information transferring means held by an arm movably mounted on the base, the disc cleaning device comprising means for cleaning the disc mounted rotatably on the arm, means for operatively associating the disc cleaning means with a surface of the disc when the information transferring means is in an inoperative mode, and means for disassociating the disc cleaning means from the surface of the disc when the information transferring means is in an operative mode.

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Genappe, Belgium

Philippe V Denis