Tape clamp

Claim 1

IN A VACUUM-TYPE TAPE HANDLING APPARATUS WHEREIN A TAPE HAVING A TOP AND A BOTTOM SURFACE IS MOVED BY A CAPSTAN FROM A SUPPLY REEL TO A TAKEUP REEL VIA A PAIR OF VACUUM TAPE BOXES, ONE OF SAID BOXES BEING MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE SAID CAPSTAN AND AID REELS RESPECTIVELY, SAID TAPE FORMING A LOOP WITHIN SAID BOXES AND MAKING CONTACT AT AT LEAST ONE AREA ON EACH SIDE WALL OF SAID BOXES AND BEING ACTED UPON BY AIR AT RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE AT ITS TOP SURFACE AND BY AIR AT LOW PRESSURE AT ITS BOTTOM SURFACE, AN IMPROVEMENT IN SUCH AN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF SAID TAPE WITHIN SAID TAPE BOXES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS IN AT LEAST ONE SELECTED SIDE WALL OF EACH OF SAID TAPE BOXES, SAID CHANNELS, BEING ARRANGED IN A DIRECTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID SIDE WALL, SAID CHANNELS PERMITTING THE INTRODUCTION OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF AIR AT RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE PORTION OF SAID TAPE BOX WITH AIR AT LOW PRESSURE ALONG SAID BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID TAPE TO CREATE A LOW PRESSURE AREA ALONG THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID TAPE AT THE CONTACT AREA WITH SAID SIDE WALL AND PERMIT SAID TAPE TO BE SLIDEABLY HELD AT THE CONTACT AREA DUE TO THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE LOW PRESSURE AIR ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE TAPE AND THE HIGH PRESSURE AIR ON THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID TAPE.