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REFERENCES CITED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,440 9/1928, Bodwell et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,469, 9/1928, Kauffman
U.S. Pat. No. 1,908,940, 5/1933, Weidel
U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,536, 9/1959, Mauerhoff
U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,496, 8/1962, Borgia
U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,023, 2/1965, Rivas
U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,271, 12/1967, George
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,736, 11/1970, Pallie
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,878, 6/1972, Seiger
U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,729, 12/1974, Downs
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,048, 5/1977, Flower et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,341, 12/1977, Kaplan
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,686, 05/1980, Church
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,281, 2/1982, Prusak
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is congruent with the necessity to have a device that is
used under one recorded 33 RPM record, or below and between two or more of
such records, as in a stack, to help prevent any dust, dirt, and/or other
contaminating debris from becoming abraded into the recorded surface
through various use on a phonograph turntable, or rasping between adjacent
discs.
Recorded 33 RPM records consist of one basic, standard construction in both
general weight and size. The composition of such records includes a flat,
rigid plate, with the diameter standard at 117/8", that is a plastic
material, with a center hole, having a diameter standard of 9/32". Small,
delicate, spiralled grooves that comprise the recorded medium are pressed
into the plastic plate's radial, central region, generally 1/2"from the
peripheral edge, and extending inward approximately 3", and then tapering
off to blank, unrecorded medium of about 1/2" to 3/4" depth, enveloping
the central, labeled area, (having a diameter standard of 4"). Because of
the intricate delicacy of these grooves that formulate the recorded medium
to produce sound, (when operated on a phonograph unit), scratches,
abrasions, and the accumulation of various contaminating particles can
result in severe disruption of the sound quality of said 33 RPM records.
Other than in cases of abuse..scratches, abrasions, and contaminents are
the direct result of frictional contact between the recorded 33 RPM
records w/that of the phonograph turntable and/or adjacent records, as in
a stack. Damage is basically a periodical occurence that happens when the
records, during use, are continually subjected to such frictional abrading
with surrounding medium. Also, during this contact, the force of gravity,
creating opposing weight, from the embodying medium, aforesaid, can cause
various foreign particles to become impacted and rasped within the groove
regions, thus, adversley creating a loss in the recorded sound quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This idea developed from the necessity to create a practical, convenient
and functional spacing/protecting device for recorded 33 RPM records that
would present a safe, durable, marketable item, that is convenient,
attractive and easy to use, and compatible for use on most phonographs
with or without an automatic loading system.
The invention, in question, demonstrates such a device for use under one
recorded 33 RPM record, (with the standard diameter 117/8"), or below and
between two or more of such records, as in a stack, to prevent damage or
quality loss that can evolve when singular or stacked records are
subjected to various periods of use, unprotected from dust, dirt and/or
other contaminating debris. This device will eliminate frictional impact
with phonograph turntables, or adjacent multiple records to that of the
recorded areas of those 33 RPM records, during automatic or manual loading
and the aforesaid periods of use. The invention will eradicate destructive
particles from being pressed or abraded into the delicate grooves that
comprise the recorded medium, and shield those recorded areas from
damaging one another through frictional rasping, as when one rests or
falls upon another, as in a stack. Also, the device in question will
assist the user in minimizing hand/finger contact with the recorded 33 RPM
records, lessening bodily contamination of such records.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view, (partially in section), of a stack, alternating,
recorded 33 RPM records, and the present invention, (which is a spacer
plate, separating the recorded 33 RPM records from the phonograph
turntable, and the adjacent records).
FIG. 2 is a top, plane view demonstrating an overall concept of the present
invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the present invention only, (as several were
demonstrated in illustration in FIG. 1)
FIG. 4 is a bottom, plane view demonstrating the overall concept of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to all FIGS., a preferred embodiment of the presented invention
will be designated as 10. The spacer/protector device 10 is a light,
rigid, extremely thin plate 11, with a center hole 12, embodied by an
elevated, portional contour 15, molded directly in the plate, (which is
the plate material itself). The material of the plate 11 is either
alumiunum or acrylic plastic, with a diameter of 117/8". The thickness of
the plate 11 will vary, depending on the material being used. The center
hole 12 has a diameter of 9/32 " and the embodying central, elevated
contour 15 can vary in diameter from 1" to 11/2" with a raised, optimum
level of 3/32 " which is a level that must always be uniform with the top,
innermost, pheripheral support 23, so that a recorded 33 RPM record 21, in
use, will always lie on an even plane when in the device 10. The
outermost, peripheral end 13 is elevated 3/32 " above the top, innermost,
peripheral support 23. This 3/32 " level of the outermost, peripheral end
13 constitutes the protection means of the recorded 33 RPM record 21 in
place, from an adjacent, above device 10 during auto or manual loading, as
in a stack. It is intended for the top, innermost peripheral support 23,
the outermost, peripheral end 13, and the bottom, peripheral tangent 24 to
be constructed, all, as one piece, preferrably of hard, durable rubber,
capable of withstanding impact of auto loading, as in a stack, with
adjacent devices 10; the material should be such that is non-damaging to
the outter periphery of the recorded 33 RPM records 21, in use, and that
will grip to its like surface, when stacked, so as to prevent slippage
with other adjacent devices 10. (Also, the records 21 in use should grip
to the material so as to prevent slippage). This part, (that constitutes
Nos. 13, 23 and 24), will be bonded to the plate 11 with a suitable
adhesive. The bottom, peripheral tangent 24 should be a thickness of
approximately 1/16 " and serves to aid in desisting slippages, softening
impact during stacked loading with other devices 10, and providing
additional spacing with the below device 10 from that to the recorded 33
RPM record 21. Bottom, inner, stabilizing supports 14, with a thickness of
1/16 " that is uniform to the bottom, peripheral tangent 24, comprise the
medium necessary to support the central region of the device 10 from being
semi-collapsing at the center, when stacked, and will each be bonded to
the plate with a suitable adhesive. Cut out finger tabs 16 will be
implemeneted to allow easy removal access of recorded 33 RPM records 21 in
place. Weight reducing cut outs 18 may be extremely necessary and vary in
size depending on the thickness and type of material being used to form
the plate 11, because the weight of the device 10 must be as little as
possible to lessen the impact of auto loading of the device 10 and
recorded 33 RPM records 21, in use, with that of the phonograph turntable
20 (see FIG. 1), and the mechanisms below the turntable so as to prevent
damage to the phonograph unit.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a countersunk concave 17 below and surrounding
the center hole 12 will be implemented to insure that the device 10 and
the recorded 33 RPM record 21, in place, auto load as a unit, down the
turntable, loading mandrel 19 simultaneously, so as not to fail or disrupt
the auto loading process.
Referring specifically to FIG. 1, there is demonstrated several
spacer/protector devices 10, of the invention presented, below and between
adjacent recorded 33 RPM records 21 as to be stacked on an auto loading
phonograph system. Each record 21 has a labeled, unrecorded region in the
center (radiating 2"), that partially rests upon the central, elevated
contour 15 of the device 10. On the outer periphery of the record 21 is
also a unrecorded region that rests upon the top, innermost, peripheral
support 23, (on an even plane with the central elevated contour 15 of the
device 10), and the record 21 is encompassed and over accentuated by the
outermost peripheral end 13 which serves as the chief spacing and
protecting means, of the record 21 in use, to that of the above adjacent
device 10. The device 10 has a botttom, peripheral tangent 24 that makes
contact with, and only with, the outermost peripheral end 13 of the
underlying adjacent device 10, when loading, as in a stack. Finally,
bottom, inner, stabilizing supports 14, (somewhat oversized in the FIG.),
should be uniform in the thickness with that of the bottom, peripheral
tangent 24 and comprises the necessary means to support the central region
of the device 10 from semi-collapsing at its center, when stacked with
other devices 10, (as shown). Thus, when the spacing/protecting device 10
is used in this way, any dust, dirt, or other contaminating particles
which may lie on either the plate 11 or other adjacent recorded 33 RPM
records 21 will not be pressed, abraded or rasped into the recorded areas
of those recorded 33 RPM records 21 in use and will therefore prevent
quality losses and damage that may have otherwise occurred.
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