Abstract: A pickup feeding apparatus is comprised of a first rack provided on a pickup supporting member supported so as to become movable along a guide shaft, a second rack provided slidably relative to the first rack, a drive force transmitting gear for transmitting a driving force of a driving source to the first and second racks, a spring member for spring-biasing one of the first and second racks to the other along the guide shaft of the first and second racks in such a direction that gear teeth of a gear of the drive force transmitting means which are meshed with the first and second racks are gripped. A disc player is also disclosed, in which a disc drive motor and a pickup feeding motor are provided on the same chassis and the disc drive motor is located on the chassis at the position above the pickup moving locus fed by the pickup feeding device.

Abstract: A control device having a reciprocable drive element connected to a record command disc, a pick-up arm set down position selection member, and a guide element pivotally connected to the drive element for engaging a coupling element on a pick-up arm base to guide the pick-up arm pivoting toward the turntable. The guide element is pivotable with respect to the drive element between two stable positions. In the first stable position during forward movement of the drive element, the guide element passes an abutment on the pick-up arm base, and is then pivoted to the second stable position. During a turn movement of the drive element, the guide element first pivots the pick-up arm into abutment with a set-down position selection surface, and the guide element then pivots out of engagement with the abutment. Upon completion of the drive element return movement, the guide element is pivoted into the first stable position.

Abstract: A pickup arm driving control system in record disc players with repeat playback function. The driving control system can drive the manipulation of a tone arm in such a manner that only an optionally selected portion is repeatedly reproduced.

Abstract: A tone arm lifting and movement restricting device includes a pair of relatively rotatable and axially movable drive plates having cam and follower surfaces thereon for use in lifting and lowering the arm, while a presettable restricting lever serves to determine the extent to which the arm progresses over the record before being lowered to the surface thereof.

Abstract: In a pickup arm drive device of a record player capable of automatically selecting a desired music on a record disc on which a plurality of pieces of music are recorded, at least two inter-music sensors are arranged near a stylus on the pick-up arm to detect inter-music spaces on the record disc. The outputs of the sensors are subjected to processing and by using the resultant processed outputs, the driving of the pickup arm is switched from "lead-in" or "return" operation to an inter-music position servo operation. Therefore, the stylus of the pickup arm can be lowered exactly onto the inter-music space on the record disc even if the record has an eccentricity or warp.

Abstract: A separation band detecting circuit is used in an automatic program selection record player which has a photodetector which moves together with a tone arm and comprises a light-emitting element for emitting light against the surface of the record and a photosensitive element for receiving the light reflected at the record surface and producing an output in accordance with the light quantity of the received reflected light. The detecting circuit comprises an operational amplifier supplied with the output of the photodetector to its one input terminal, and a time constant circuit connected to the other input terminal of said operational amplifier, for giving a threshold level with respect to the operational amplifier and giving a time constant with respect to the level fluctuation in the threshold value. The time constant circuit varies the threshold level with a time constant, according to an input signal level to the one input terminal of the operational amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a record playing device adapted to be attached to a cabinet of a record player.In order to facilitate the assembling of the record player as much as possible, the record playing device of the invention has a unit construction comprising a single base plate 1 which carries, at least: a turn table driving motor having a turn-table shaft and a pinion; a gear wheel for intermittent engagement with the pinion; a returning plate adapted to be moved reciprocatingly to the right and left in accordance with the rotation of the wheel gear; a sliding lever adapted to move reciprocatingly to the left and right to actuate link pawls pivoted to the gear wheel thereby to initiate the mutual engagement between the pinion and the wheel gear; and a microswitch for controlling the operation of the turn-table driving motor and adapted to be opened and closed in accordance with the positional relationship between the sliding lever and the returning plate.

Abstract: A pickup arm controlling apparatus for an audio record or a video disk player, comprising an optical detecting device provided at the foremost end portion of a pickup arm for detecting a non-recorded groove portion, arranged so that a reproduction of the disk is performed by causing, due to the detecting device, the pickup arm to make a lead-in motion while the detecting action is being performed, and stopping the lead-in motion of the pickup arm upon detection of a predetermined non-recorded groove portion, and causing a stylus to descend onto the surface of the disk, wherein arrangement is provided so that, after the pickup arm has ceased its motion during the lead-in action, the pickup arm is forced to make a reversed run only for a trifle amount or distance to thereby compensate for an overshooting which could occur during the lead-in motion of the pickup arm. This trifle amount of the reversed run can be varied. Also, during a manual lead-in operation, the overshoot-compensating action is released.

Abstract: A drive control system for a linear motor having a stator and a sliding member capable of sliding along the stator. A position detector comprises an arrangement of light emitting elements and a detector, or the converse to produce a position signal. A comparator compares the position signal with a reference signal to produce an output drive signal for the linear motor.

Abstract: In a record player, the movement of the tone arm is controlled by a select plate operated by a lever which moves the plate to a position corresponding to a record size. Adjacent the select plate is a C-shaped lever which cooperates with a rotary member. The rotary member has a plurality of cams which serve to program the operation and various movements of the tone arm. Extending from the peripheral edge of one of said cams is a brush. The tone arm is also responsive to a bracket with a wall, said wall being engaged by the brush. A position detector plate is mounted on the bracket which cooperates with a photo-interrupter to detect the position of the tone arm with respect to a record being played.

Abstract: A record player having a turntable mounted for rotation on a frame; a pick-up arm spindle journalled to the frame, and having a pick-up arm and arm lever; and a control member for controlling movement of the pick-up arm in a first direction from the turntable and a second direction toward the turntable. A rod connected to the control member cooperates with a control element having a coupling portion for engaging the pick-up arm lever. Guides on the frame cause the coupling portion of the control element to move along first and second paths respectively during the first and second directions of pick-up arm movement, the paths being concentric with the axis of the pick-up arm spindle, and the coupling portion of the control element engaging the pick-up arm lever along the second path only.

Abstract: In a disc record player of the type which includes a turntable for rotatably supporting the disc record, a signal pickup device for recovering information signals from the disc, an elongated arm having the pickup stylus connected at one end and the other end coupled to the player, there is provided a selective stylus arm translating apparatus for moving the pickup arm toward and away from the disc record. The selective translating apparatus includes apparatus responsive to a player control signal for translating the stylus arm at a first rate and also comprises apparatus which is responsive to a condition of a signal recovered from the disc for translating the arm at a second rate.

Abstract: A tone arm control system includes first and second manually operated keys for providing input signals to a control circuit. The control circuit detects which one of the keys is operated and drives a vertical motor in the tone-arm upward direction and subsequently drives a horizontal motor in a tone-arm horizontal direction depending on which one of the keys is detected as being operated. The control circuit includes a counter which starts counting clock pulses to detect when a predetermined count is reached. During the predetermined count period the horizontal motor is energized at a low voltage to move the tone arm at a relatively low speed. When the clock count exceeds the predetermined value the speed of the tone arm is increased to allow it to speedily approach a desired position located relatively remote from the tone arm.

Abstract: A record turntable tonearm positioning system having an engagement mechanism to limit movement of the tonearm and a control system to determine tonearm position. A drive system responsive to a predetermined signal drives the engaging mechanism and a detector measures tonearm position. The control system generates the predetermined signal in response to detector output to control the drive system.

Abstract: An automatic record player comprises a tone arm, a drive motor, a turntable, a turntable spindle having a turntable gear, a gear wheel engageable with the turntable gear to receive a rotational force of the turntable, a tripping member for bringing the turntable gear into engagement with the gear wheel, a cam arrangement defined on the gear wheel, a drive transmitting lever having one end engaged to the cam arrangement and the other end operatively coupled to the tone arm, and a switching lever for selecting cam portions of the cam arrangement into use one at a time. The cam arrangement is comprised of a generally heart-shaped cam groove and a bypass groove bypassing a portion of the heart-shaped cam groove and having a depth larger than that of the heart-shaped cam groove. An automatic power switch control and a start-cut mechanism are also utilized.

Abstract: A record player having a tone arm, a tone arm drive device in the horizontal and vertical directions, a detector detecting a rotary position of the tone arm and generating a voltage corresponding to the rotary position of the tone arm, and a circuit producing a voltage to set the tone arm at a desired position. In this case, a specific knob is provided in connection with the circuitry so as to move the tone arm to the desired position by operating the knob electrically.

Abstract: A control mechanism for automatically raising, swinging and lowering the pickup arm of a record player in response to the positioning of a finger of a user. The user's finger will selectively bridge pairs of contacts to establish an electrical circuit and generate an input signal to logic circuitry. The logic circuitry provides control signals which, through suitable transducers, control the motion of the arm.

Abstract: A playback system for recovering prerecorded information from a disc record through the use of a stylus mounted on a stylus arm includes a stylus arm lifting-lowering device. The lifting-lowering device uses a permanent magnet mounted on a leaf spring. The permanent magnet is arranged to normally occupy the central volume of a core with a coil wrapped around the core. The leaf spring has an extension to receive the stylus arm. When an appropriate control signal is applied to the coil, a magnetic field is generated which tends to repell the magnet out of the central volume and the stylus arm, which rests on the extension, is gently lowered toward the record.

Abstract: A control mechanism for raising, swinging and lowering the pick-up arm of a record player comprising a disc having an arcuately shaped depression in the periphery thereof. The contacts of an electrical contact sensor switch are located in the disc peripheral depression and bridging of these contacts will cause generation of a first command signal for the control mechanism. Devices for generating second and possibly third command signals are associated with the disc which may be rotatably mounted.

Abstract: A device for selectively and automatically moving a phonograph tone arm vertically or horizontally includes a horizontally disposed endless belt which supports the tone arm and transports it in a horizontal direction. The endless belt is raised or lowered by a cam mechanism. Separate reversible, battery powered, direct current motors actuate the endless belt and the cam mechanism. A control box between the power source and the motors includes four push buttons to actuate the motors to move the arm up, down, in or out. The device is intended primarily as a separately purchased accessory to a phonograph or record player.

Abstract: A tonearm control device in which tonearm position is detected by counting pulses generated in response to the reversible electric motor output used for providing horizontal tonearm movement. A sensor is employed to detect non-recorded portions between recorded bands and also the initial band. Output pulses are counted in an up counter of a RAM and the counter is compared with a memory stored selection order. When coincidence occurs reproduction of that band is achieved. The counter is controlled to inhibit counting over areas previously scanned. Hence, it is possible to play bands out of order once the portions to be played are scanned.