US2327094A - Phonograph needle and record protector - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 17, 1943. P. CATUCCI PHONOGRAFH NEEDLvE AND RECORD PROTECTOR Filed April 28, 1942 INVENTOR wt A ORNEY & REPRODUCING Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE AND RECORD PROTECTOR 2 Claims.

This invention relates to phonographs, and more particularly to the provision of a device to prevent marring and other damage to phonograph needles and records, when a tone arm supported needle is allowed to fall into contact therewith.

Frequently, a tone arm is allowed to drop on to a record with the result that the needle carried by the tone arm is damaged, or it marks or otherwise damages the record. This is especially objectionable in automatic phonographs where a record is repeatedly played a great many times, the needle falling into the same groove at each playing; and after a very few impacts of the needle with the record, the latter will be noticeably marred, and the needle is often broken.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device attachable to a phonograph so that when the tone arm descends, or is dropped on to a record, the impact is absorbed by a soft cushioning element prior to contact of the needle with the record.

A further object is the provision in a phonograph of a shock absorbing device so that, when a tone arm carrying a needle descends, or is dropped on to a record not in motion, the needle does not come into contact with the record, the impact being absorbed by a cushioning element, and in the case of a jewel pointed needle, avoiding any possibility of injury to the jewel; and when the record is in motion and turning, the needle is free to contact the record without dangel to the record, the cushioning element assuming an out-of-the-way position,

A further object is the provision on the needle of a phonograph, of a shock absorbing device adapted to engage a record prior to a needle carried by the tone arm, when the latter is moved downward towards a record, said shock absorbing device being automatically moved to a rearward position by rotation of the record.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tone arm and needle provided with a shock absorbing device embodying the invention, as when playing a record.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the position of the shock absorbing device and needle as the tone arm descends on to a record.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of a tone arm provided with a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. l is shown a tone arm I of a phonograph provided with a set screw 2 for holding a needle 3 provided with a jewel point 8 in place. Pivoted to the needle by means of a pin 4 is a shock absorbing device comprising an arm 5 made of rubber or a similar resilient and cushioning material.

In operation, when the tone arm I descends, the arm 5 swings freely about the pivot pin 4 and assumes a position such as shown in Fig. 2, so that the nose "I of the arm will strike the record 9 before the point 8 of the needle, the nose 1 extending below the point 8 when the tone arm I is in a raised position. Swinging movement of the arm 5 is limited by engagement of bar 8, carried by the arm 5, with the needle 3. When the record is placed in motion and rotates, the frictional engagement of the record with nose 7 moves the arm 5 to an out-of-the-way position as shown in Fig. l and allows the point 8 of the needle to engage the record 9.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a tone arm I I has attached thereto an angle bracket l2, carrying a pin l3 which pivotally supports a pair of parallel arms M, similar to the arm 5 described above. A cross bar l5 connects the arms M and is adapted to engage the angle bracket l2 to limit swinging movement of the arms [4. The noses l8 of the arms [4, when the tone arm is in a raised position, extend below the point of the needle l1 and engages the record l8 prior to the needle, and absorbs the impact when the tone arm is allowed to fall on to the record. Rotary movement of the record moves the arms l4 to an out-of-the-way position and allows the needle to contact the record.

From the above description, it will be seen that there has been provided a simple shock absorbing device which can be readily and conveniently attached to a needle or to a tone arm to absorb the impact and shocks incident with the falling of a tone arm upon a record. The form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, obviously is effective even when no needle i carried by the tone arm. Thus, during the insertion of a needle, should the tone arm be allowed to drop accidentally, no damage would result to the record.

While the device has been described as being made of rubber, obviously it can be made of other shock absorbing materials without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as re-- strictive or limitative of the invention, of which, obviously, embodiments may be considered, including many modifications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein set forth and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thu described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Maggie having an end adapted to be inserted into the tone arm of a phonograph, and having a second end terminating in a point adapted to be received in a phonograph record groove, an arm of L-shaped outline plvotally secured at one end to said needle, and an element carried by said arm between the pivoted and free ends thereof, said element being adapted to engage the needle to limit pivotal movement of the arm on the needle in one direction so as to suspend the arm on the needle with the free end of the arm below the needle point, to prevent contact of the needle point with a record on which the needle and its suspended arm are adapted to be positioned until, on rotation of the record, the arm is pivoted away from the needle point, to allow the latter to contact the record groove.

2. A pointed needle adapted to be inserted into a horizontally disposed phonograph tone arm, with the pointed end of the needle protruding downwardly from the tone arm at an angle thereto, an arm of L-shaped outline, of shock absorbing material, pivotally secured at one end to said needle, and an element carried by said arm between the pivoted and free ends thereof, said element being adapted to engage the needle to limit pivotal movement of the arm on the needle in one direction so as to suspend the arm on the needle with the free end of the arm below the needle point spaced from the needle point in a direction opposite that of the needle plane, to prevent contact of the needle point with a record on which the needle and its suspended arm are adapted to be positioned until, on rotation of the record, the arm is pivoted away from the needle point, to allow the latter to contact the record groove.

PLINY CATUCCI.

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