what is the name of those things that are 3 pronged and plastic that are used in the center of the small records to put them on the turntable?
Small part of long long article about 45 rpm adapters.
Per your question AKA “45 RPM CENTER INSERTS”
http://members.aol.com/boardwalk7/45rpm.html
“THE HISTORY OF 45 RPM CENTER INSERTS
By Chuck Miller (from Goldmine, issue 459)
When RCA built the first 45rpm drop-changer players in 1949, they boasted that customers could stack their new records on the thick 1½” thick spindle, start the machine and listen to 50 minutes of uninterrupted music. The thick spindle allowed 45’s to drop safely onto the turntable (don’t do this with a 78 unless you have a dust pan and whisk broom handy), and fit the huge 1½" diameter hole in the 45’s center.
By the early 1950’s, standard record players were modified to handle all three speeds (some even had a fourth speed, 16 rpm, but that’s for another column). But those phonographs had a thin spindle, and 45’s still had that huge center hole. And if you ever lost the tube-shaped detachable center spindle that came with your phonograph - well, you entered the wonderful world of 45 adapters. "
…and on for a few more pages
thanks very much, i have been trying to find that out for a long time!