Abstract: The in-arm stylus cleaner includes a cleaner arm mounted for to-and-fro motion in the stylus arm carriage. A cleaning element, comprising a piece of compliant sheet, has one edge secured to the cleaner arm such that the cleaning element extends away from the cleaner arm substantially at right angles thereto. To clean the stylus, the cleaner arm is retracted, the reproducing stylus is raised back up into the carriage arm, the cleaner arm is freed to allow a wiping element mounted thereon to sweep the stylus tip, and the stylus is then gently lowered onto a turntable-disposed record to resume playback operations.

Abstract: A turntable drive motor comprises a stator having a core defining an airgap for receiving a rotor, and a field winding for establishing an alternating magnetic flux of a given frequency therein. An elastic belt is disposed about a pully mounted on the rotor shaft and a flange secured to the turntable. A ring having a plurality of permanently magnetized poles of alternate polarity along its periphery is attached to the flange. A pair of elements are secured to the core for diverting a portion of the stator magnetic flux to a region adjacent to the ringed magnets. The relationship between the excitation frequency and the number of the permanently magnetized poles is such that deviations in the rate of rotation of the turntable for a desired rotational rate are opposed.

Abstract: A record caddy, suitable for use with a video disc player, comprises a jacket and a record retaining spine removably located therein. Disposed on the spine are lateral latch fingers for releasably locking the spine to the jacket. The spine has a pair of slots into which a locating member disposed in the player is received to assure accurate location of the spine in the player. A pair of cutouts are disposed in the spine in which gripper members of the record extracting mechanism are received to lock the spine to the player so that the record/spine assembly is retained in the player during subsequent jacket withdrawal.

Abstract: A record caddy, suitable for use with a video disc player, includes a sleeve and a record retaining spine removably located therein. Disposed on the spine are latch members for releasably locking the spine to the sleeve. Latch defeat fingers, disposed in the player, are wedged between the respective spine latch fingers and interior portions of the sleeve during a caddy arrival at a fully inserted position in the player, so that the spine latch fingers are deflected in a manner freeing the spine from the sleeve. The latch defeat fingers carry extensions which are subject to reception in pockets disposed on the spine latch fingers to lock the spine to the player when the caddy is fully inserted into the player, whereby the spine, freed from the sleeve and secured to the player, is removed from the sleeve and retained in the player resting on a platform along with an associated record during subsequent sleeve withdrawal.

Abstract: A player, such as a video disc player, includes a signal pickup carriage, which carries a travel-limit switch and which is translated during playback toward the turntable center in correlation with the speed of rotation of the turntable. The player is provided with a movable endless belt, which carries a stop element and which extends along a path parallel to the carriage path. A time-setting wheel is coupled to the belt for selectively positioning the stop element. The position of the stop element determines the point at which the carriage-mounted switch engages the stop element during carriage translation toward the turntable center. The engagement between the two elements shuts off power to the turntable motor and lifts the stylus away from a turntable-supported record.

Abstract: A record is removably subject to occupancy of a protective caddy comprising a jacket and a record retaining spine. The record is enclosed in the caddy such that a first side of the record is associated with a given side of the spine. To load a record into a player, such as a video disc player, an occupied caddy is inserted into an input slot provided in the player. A record extracting mechanism mounted in the player removes the retaining spine and the associated record from the jacket during jacket withdrawal subsequent to the occupied cover arrival at a fully inserted position in the player, whereby the record and the spine are retained within the player. A switch mounted in the player is subject to conditioning in a first state in response to insertion of the occupied cover with the given side of the spine facing upward, and is subject to conditioning in a second state in response to cover insertion with the given side facing downward.

Abstract: A record is removably subject to occupancy of a protective caddy comprising a jacket and a record retaining spine. The record is enclosed in the caddy such that a first side of the record is associated with a given side of the spine. To load a record into a player, such as a video disc player, an occupied caddy is inserted into an input slot provided in the player. A record extracting mechanism mounted in the player removes the retaining spine and the associated record from the jacket during jacket withdrawal subsequent to the occupied cover arrival at a fully inserted position in the player, whereby the record and the spine are retained within the player.

Abstract: A signal pickup stylus which cooperates with an information storing spiral track on a video disc record is caused to selectively skip track convolutions of the disc record. To cause selective track skipping, the playback system includes an apparatus, responsive to an actuating signal, for twisting a stylus-carrying arm about its longitudinal axis, and the offset of the stylus tip from the rotational axis results in consequent radial motion of the stylus tip across track convolutions on the record. According to a further aspect of the invention, the lateral motion of the stylus-carrying end of the stylus arm is substantially restrained while the stylus arm is rotated to assure that the twisting of the stylus arm results in rotation of the stylus about the stylus arm axis, rather than rotation of the stylus arm about the stylus tip.

Abstract: A composite stylus assembly, provided for a grooved disc record playback system, includes a playback stylus supported on a free end of an arm. The other end of the arm is supported by a flexible mount in a cartridge. The stylus rides in the groove of the record for information recovery. The arm is located within a hollow tube which is supported at one end thereof by the flexible mount. The free end of the tube includes a mechanism which aids in the steady inward movement of the tube relative to the disc center when relative motion between the disc and the playback stylus is established. When the playback stylus retraces the same groove convolution, the inward motion of the hollow tube exerts enough force on the stylus arm to enable the playback stylus to ride over the walls of the groove.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stylus by modifying a square post shaped diamond element is disclosed. A tip having a conical surface is ground at one end of the diamond element. An electrode bearing surface is formed in the region of the tip such that the angle subtended by the electrode bearing surface with the axis of the element is not less than the angle included between the conical surface and the axis. A record engaging surface substantially orthogonal to the electrode bearing surface is formed in the tip region such that the two surfaces intersect along a line substantially perpendicular to the stylus axis. A thin layer of conductive material is deposited on the electrode bearing surface to form a stylus electrode.

Abstract: A record cover comprises a jacket and a record retaining tray removably received within the jacket. A cover latching mechanism locks the tray to the jacket to prevent indiscriminate access to the enclosed record. When a record occupied cover is inserted into the player, unlocking members provided in the player defeat the latching mechanism for allowing separation of the tray from the jacket during subsequent jacket withdrawal to cause retention of the enclosed record in the player for playback.

Abstract: A novel pickup stylus includes a tapered diamond support element having a plurality of conical portions in the region of its tip, which conical portions have a common axis. Two of the conical portions are separated by an electrode bearing surface. The angle of inclination of the electrode bearing surface with the stylus axis is not less than the angle included between the conical portions and the stylus axis. A record engaging surface is provided in the tip region substantially orthogonal to the electrode bearing surface such that the two surfaces intersect each other along a line substantially perpendicular to the stylus axis. The perpendicular line forms the base of a stylus footprint disposed in the plane of the record engaging surface.

Abstract: A signal pickup stylus which cooperates with an information storing spiral groove on a video disc record is caused to selectively skip groove convolutions of the disc record to produce special effects including stop, fast-forward and reverse motion of the displayed image. The stylus is coupled to a support arm. Apparatus is provided for establishing relative motion between the stylus and the support arm. This apparatus is made responsive to deviations in the relative position of the stylus and the support arm from a predetermined relationship.

Abstract: A pickup cartridge for use in a velocity correction system includes a polymer bimorph element mechanically interposed between a cartridge housing and a pickup arm carrying a groove-riding stylus. Signals representative of cyclical deviations in the stylus/record relative velocity are applied to the polymer bimorph element to cause displacement of the groove-riding stylus in a manner that opposes cyclical deviations.

Abstract: A protective cover for a video disc comprises an enclosure having an edge opening in communication with a record enclosing cavity and a record retaining member slidably mounted within the cavity for to-and-fro movement therein. The record retaining member includes a spine portion and an annular portion having an opening. The opening in the annular portion substantially encircles an enclosed record such that to-and-fro movement of the record retaining member is transmitted to the enclosed record. The spine portion substantially extends into the edge opening of the enclosure when it is fully inserted therein. The spine portion has a record extracting member receiving hole that is accessible in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of the to-and-fro movement of the record retaining member.

Abstract: A disc record caddy comprises a pair of substantially flat circular covers releasably held in channels defined along the inside rim of an expandable circular ring. Spring elements bias the ring into a contracted shape to radially restrain a disc retained between the pair of covers. A platform, mounted on a base of a disc record player system, horizontally supports the caddy in an elevated position over a turntable of the system and includes means for expanding the ring to release the covers. A turntable spindle incorporates a lowering/lifting mechanism which lowers the cover nearest the turntable and the disc supported thereon onto the turntable for record playback purposes, the other cover being retained at the platform level by the radially inward extension of the land defined between the ring channels.

Abstract: A video disc package includes a jacket having a record enclosing cavity and an end access opening in communication therewith. A record retaining member, comprising a spine and an annular element, is reciprocably mounted within the cavity. A portion of the spine extends into the end access opening and a further portion of the spine protrudes beyond the edges of the jacket defining the end access opening when the record retaining member is fully inserted into the jacket. The annular element has a through opening for receiving a record. Indicia is secured to the protruding portion of the spine for associating a given side of the spine with the first side of an enclosed record and the other side of the spine with the second side of the enclosed record. The record is enclosed within the package such that its first side is adjacent to the given side of the spine and its second side is contiguous to the other side of the spine.

Abstract: A composite stylus assembly, provided for a system for playing back a grooved disc record, includes an L-shaped leaf spring support member formed of a longitudinal piece and a short transverse piece. The transverse piece is attached near the free end of a pickup arm of the system such that the longitudinal piece will be substantially parallel to the pickup arm. The pickup arm is supported in a cartridge adapted for reception within a carriage of the system such that during record playback, the longitudinal piece will lie between the pickup arm and the center of a turntable of the playback system. A playback stylus, subject to engagement with the groove of a video disc record supported on the turntable, is carried at the free end of the pickup arm, while a pre-play stylus, subject to simultaneous engagement with several convolutions of the groove of the disc record, is carried at the free end of the longitudinal piece.

Abstract: A video disc package includes a jacket having a record enclosing cavity and an end access opening in communication therewith. A record retaining member, comprising a spine and an annular element, is reciprocably mounted within the cavity. The spine portion forms a closure for the jacket when the retaining member is fully inserted therein. The annular element has a through opening for receiving a record. An edge of the spine portion remains exposed upon full insertion of the spine into the jacket. Indicia are secured to the exposed edge of the spine for associating a given side of the spine with the first side of an enclosed record and the other side of the spine with the second side of the enclosed record. The record is enclosed within the package such that its first side is adjacent to the given side of the spine and its second side is contiguous to the other side of the spine.