Tape recorder

Claim 1

A TAPE RECORDER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TAPE CARTRIDGE HAVING LOCATING APERTURES AND AN EXPOSED LENGTH OF TAPE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BASE HAVING A REEL DRIVING SPINDLE AND CARTRIDGE LOCATING PINS THEREON, A 2-CHANNEL MAGNETIC HEAD AND COACTING BACKING ELEMENT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF A TAPE PATH MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, A DRIVE CAPSTAN AND PRESSURE ROLLER MOUNTED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TAPE PATH FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, A CARTRIDGE LOADING HOLDER HAVING SPACED APART SIDE RAILS WITH ONE OF THEIR ENDS EXPOSED AND INTERCONNECTED BY A TOP PLATE TO FORM A CARTRIDGE LOADING SLOT WHEREBY A CARTRIDGE MAY SLIDE INTO THE HOLDER ON THE SIDE RAILS AND HAVE THE CARTRIDGE UNDERSIDE EXPOSED WITH A LENGTH OF EXPOSED TAPE OVERLYING THE TAPE PATH, A PAIR OF GUIDE RODS ON SAID BASE ON WHICH THE LOADING HOLDER IS SLIDABLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE CARTRIDGE IS IN AN OPERATING PLANE ON SAID LOCATING PINS WITH EXPOSED TAPE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE HEAD AND CAPSTAN AND A SECOND POSITION SPACED A GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE BASE THAN THE FIRST POSITION, SPRINGS ON SAID GUIDE RODS ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN THE BASE AND LOADING HOLDER FOR URGING THE HOLDER TO SAID SECOND POSITION, A FRAME FIXED TO THE BASE AND OVERLYING THE LOADING HOLDER, OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE HOLDER INCLUDING AN OPERATING MEMBER SLIDABLE ON SAID FRAME AND MEMBERS WITH INCLINED CAM SURFACES ENGAGEABLE WITH THE HOLDER TO URGE THE HOLDER FROM THE SECOND POSITION TO THE FIRST POSITION TO MOVE A CARTRIDGE TO THE OPERATING PLANE, THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TOP OF THE HOLDER TO HOLD THE HOLDER IN SAID FIRST POSITION, A CARTRIDGE ENGAGING FLANGE ON ONE END OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE OPERATING MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION LOWERS THE HOLDER TOWARD THE BASE TO SAID FIRST POSITION AND MOVEMENT OF THE OPERATING MEMBER IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION RELEASES THE HOLDER AND PERMITS RAISING OF THE HOLDER BY SAID SPRINGS WITH THE FINAL MOVEMENT OF THE OPERATING MEMBER CAUSING THE FLANGE TO PULL A CARTRIDGE PARTIALLY FROM THE HOLDER, MEANS TO SELECT EITHER OF THE TWO INDIVIDUAL CHANNELS OR BOTH CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF A CARTRIDGE INTO THE OPERATING PLANE FOR RELATIVELY MOVING THE HEAD AND BACKING ELEMENT AND CAPSTAN AND PRESSURE ROLLER TOWARD EACH OTHER TO OPERATIVELY ENGAGE A TAPE.