Multideck magnetic recording apparatus

Claim 1

A RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS COMPRISING A CHASSIS, A DRIVING SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CHASSIS; MEANS DRIVING SAID SHAFT AT A CONSTANT SPEED; A PIVOT ON SAID CHASSSIS; AT LEAST ONE MAGNETIC CASSETTE HAVING A CASING; SAID CASING HAVING AN EYE, SAID EYE ENGAGING SAID PIVOT TO PIVOTALLY MOUNT SAID CASSETTE ON SAID CHASSIS; AN IDLER ROLLER AND A DRIVEN ROLLER DRIVEN BY SAID DRIVING SHAFT; MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROLLERS ON SAID CASING FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED AXIS ON SAID CASING; TAPE STORAGE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CASING; A MAGNETIC TAPE IN SAID STORAGE MEANS, SAID TAPE HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING AROUND SAID IDLE ROLLER AND SAID DRIVEN ROLLER; AT LEAST ONE MAGNETIC HEAD MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS ADJACENT TO AND OPPOSITE SAID PORTION OF SAID TAPE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH A SURFACE OF SAID PORTION OF THE TAPE; ACTUATING MEANS ON SAID CHASSIS; CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING SAID CASSETTE TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS; SAID CASSETTE BEING MOVABLE ABOUT SAID PIVOT FROM AN INACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID TAPE IS SPACED FROM SAID MAGNETIC HEAD AND SAID DRIVING SHAFT IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID DRIVEN ROLLER TO AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID SURFACE OF SAID TAPE IS ENGAGED BY SAID MAGNETIC HEAD AND SAID DRIVING SHAFT DRIVINGLY ENGAGES SAID DRIVEN ROLLER; SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ENGAGING DEVICE ON SAID CASING, AND A COUPLING ASSEMBLY ON SAID CHASSIS; SAID ENGAGING DEVICE HAVING A NOTCH PRECEDED BY AN ACCESS RAMP; MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING SAID ENGAGING DEVICE ON SAID CASING IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID COUPLING ASSEMBLY; SAID COUPLING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BODY AND A LATCH FINGER MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH; MEANS RESILIENTLY URGING SAID LATCH FINGER INTO SAID NOTCH; MEANS MOUNTING SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT FROM A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID CASING IS MAINTAINED IN SAID INACTIVE POSITION BY SAID FINGER, TO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID CASING IS MAINTAINED IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION, BY SAID FINGER; OPERATING MEANS TO OPERATE SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE SAID BODY FROM ONE OF SAID POSITIONS TO THE OTHER; AND COOPERATING MEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID EYE AND SAID PIVOT TO PERMIT DISENGAGING SAID CASING FROM SAID PIVOT UPON PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE CASING TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION.