Tape-feeding apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF A TAPE TO AND FROM A SPOOL, COMPRISING A TAPE-ENGAGING MEMBER ARRANGED TO CAUSE A TAPE TO BE ADHERED THERETO BY NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE, A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE, A SOURCE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE OF PREDETERMINED HIGH PRESSURE VALVE GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, A DOUBLE-ACTING VALVE CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID MEMBER, SAID SOURCE OF NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE AND SAID SOURCE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE BY FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD AIR LINES AND OPERABLE TO CONNECT SAID MEMBER ALTERNATELY WITH EACH OF SAID SOURCES, OPERATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID VALVE TO EFFECT OPERATION THEREOF TO ADMIT NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE TO SAID MEMBER, AND A CONSTRICTION DEVICE CONNECTED IN SAID THIRD AIR LINE BETWEEN SAID VALVE AND THE SOURCE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE AND ARRANGED TO RESTRICT TO A PREDETERMINED LOW PRESSURE VALVE THE PASSAGE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE TO THE PART OF THE THIRD AIR LINE BETWEEN SAID DEVICE AND VALVE AND WHILE THE VALVE IS CLOSED TO SAID SOURCE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN SAID PART A PREDETERMINED VOLUME OF AIR AT SAID PREDETERMINED HIGH PRESSURE WHEREBY WHEN THE VALVE IS OPENED TO THE SOURCE OF POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE SAID BUILT UP PREDETERMINED VOLUME OF AIR IS RAPIDLY RELEASED TO FREE THE TAPE FROM SAID MEMBER AND IS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY AIR AT SAID LOW PRESSURE VALVE TO RETAIN THE TAPE FREE FROM SAID MEMBER BUT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY THEREWITH.