Tape transport mechanism

Claim 1

A TAPE TRANSPORTING UNIT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) TAPE STORAGE MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A RESERVE OF TAPE; (B) REEL MEANS ADAPTED TO CARRY COILED TAPE AND ROTATABLE IN TWO DIRECTIONS RESPECTIVELY FOR RELEASING TAPE TO SAID STORAGE MEANS AND FOR WITHDRAWING TAPE THEREFROM; (C) SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING SAID RESERVE AMOUNT AND FOR GENERATING A FIRST SIGNAL WHEN SAID AMOUNT INCREASES BEYOND A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, AND FOR GENERATING A SECOND SIGNAL WHEN SAID RESERVE AMOUNT IS REDUCED TO LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED AMOUNT; (D) ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID REEL MEANS IN SAID TWO DIRECTIONS; (E) ELECTRICALLY OPERATED BRAKE MEANS FOR STOPPING ROTATION OF SAID REEL MEANS: (F) A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT; AND (G) SWITCH MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE, SAID SENSING MEANS, SAID DRIVE MEANS, AND SAID BRAKE MEANS, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS FOR ACTUATING SAID BRAKE MEANS AND DEENERGIZING SAID DRIVE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO SAID FIRST SIGNAL, AND FOR RELEASING SAID BRAKE MEANS AND CONNECTING SAID DRIVE MEANS TO SAID SOURCE FOR ROTATION OF SAID REEL MEANS BY SAID DRIVE MEANS IN ONE OF SAID DIRECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL WHEN SAID SWITCH MEANS IS IN ONE OF SAID POSITIONS THEREOF, AND FOR RELEASING SAID BRAKE MEANS AND CONNECTING SAID DRIVE MEANS TO SAID SOURCE FOR ROTATION OF SAID REEL MEANS BY SAID DRIVE MEANS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION IN RESPONSE TO SAID FIRST SIGNAL, AND FOR ACTUATING SAID BRAKE MEANS AND DEENERGIZING SAID DRIVE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL WHEN SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT (1) SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING SENSING MEANS, AND SAID WITH SAID SOURCE, SAID SENSING MEANS, AND SAID BRAKE MEANS; AND (2) SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR HAVING TWO WINDINGS RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED TO BE ENERGIZED FOR ROTATION OF SAID MOTOR IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING INTERPOSED IN CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND EACH OF SAID WINDINGS.