Automatic recording tape splicer

Claim 1

IN A MAGNETIC TAPE PLAYER HAVING A PLAYBACK HEAD, A CAPSTAN CONTROLLABLE FOR ADVANCING MAGNETIC TAPE, AND GUIDING MEANS FOR DEFINING AN ACCURATE TRACK FOR SAID ADVANCING TAPE; AN AUTOMATIC TAPE SPLICER COMPRISING, A RECORDER HEAD MOUNTED WITH ITS RECORDING CHANNEL IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK, MEANS FOR APPLYING SIGNAL TO SAID RECORDER HEAD TO MARK THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING OF A PORTION OF MAGNETIC TAPE THAT IS TO BE DELETED, A CUTTER MOUNTED TRANSVERSE SAID TRACK OPERABLE FOR DIVIDING SAID ADVANCING TAPE INTO A TAKE-UP PORTION AND A SUPPLY PORTION AT A POINT THAT HAS BEEN ADVANCED BEYOND SAID PLAYBACK HEAD AND SAID CAPSTAN, DEFLECTING MEANS OPERABLE FOR DEFLECTING THE END OF SAID SUPPLY PORTION FROM SAID TRACK, A TAKE-UP ROLLER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK OPERABLE FOR ADVANCING SAID TAKE-UP PORTION AT A DECREASED SPEED, SAID CUTTER, SAID DEFLECTING MEANS AND SAID TAKE-UP ROLLER ASSEMBLY BEING OPERATED IN RESPONSE TO SAID PLAYBACK HEAD ENCOUNTERING CHANGE IN SIGNAL COR RESPONDING TO SAID APPLICATION FOR MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THE PORTION OF MAGNETIC TAPE TO BE REMOVED, A SPLICING TAPE APPLICATOR AND A PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID TAKE-UP ROLLER ASSEMBLY AND SAID DEFLECTING MEANS IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK, SAID MAGNETIC TAPE WHILE BEING ADVANCED NORMALLY OBSTRUCTING LIGHT TO SAID PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CUT END OF SAID TAKE-UP PORTION PARTLY UNCOVERING SAID PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE FOR RELEASING SAID TAKE-UP ROLLER ASSEMBLY TO RETAIN SAID TAKE-UP PORTION IN A FIXED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SPLICING TAPE APPLICATOR, A SUPPLY ROLLER ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN LINE WITH SAID TRACK ADJACENT TO SAID CUTTER FOR ADVANCING SAID SUPPLY PORTION AT A DECREASED