Recording carrier handling machine

Claim 1

IN RECORDING APPARATUS HAVING A PAIR OF ROTATABLY MOUNTED SHAFTS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE REELS THEREON UTILIZED ALTERNATIVELY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AS TAKEUP AND SUPPLY REELS FOR A RECORDING CARRIER, A DRIVING CAPSTAN AND MOTIVE MEANS, APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAID MOTIVE MEANS TO SAID SHAFTS COMPRISING: (A) A CONTROL PANEL; (B) A PLURALITY OF MECHANICAL ACTUATORS EACH HAVING A PROTRUDING PORTION AND A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO; (C) A MECHANICAL ARRESTER HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO; (D) MEANS MOUNTING EACH OF SAID ACTUATORS AND SAID ARRESTER ON SAID CONTROL PANEL FOR INDIVIDUAL PARALLEL, AXIAL SLIDABLE MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION AND SPRING BIASED TO THE FIRST POSITIONS; (E) A LOCKING BAR HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERAL SLOTS THEREIN MOUNTED SO ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATORS AND SAID ARRESTER FOR ENGAGING SAID PROTRUDING PORTION WHEN ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS IS MOVED TO THE SECOND POSITION AND MAINTAINING SAID ONE ACTUATOR IN THE SECOND POSITION, SAID ARRESTER DISENGAGING SAID PROTRUDING PORTION FROM SAID LOCKING BAR WHEN MOVED TO ITS SECOND POSITION; (F) SAID LOCKING BAR BEING FURTHER MOUNTED FOR LIMITED AXIAL HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION AND SO THAT SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBERS ARE APPROXIMATELY ALIGNED WITH SAID SLOTS WHEN SAID LOCKING BAR IS IN THE FIRST POSITION AND MISALIGNED WHEN SAID LOCKING BAR IS IN THE SECOND POSITION; (G) SAID SLOTS BEING FORMED SO THAT MOVEMENT OF ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND POSITION MOVES SAID LOCKING BAR FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND POSITION WHEREBY MOVEMEMT OF A SECOND ACTUATOR INTO THE SECOND POSITION IS PREVENTED; (H) SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID LOCKING BAR INTO THE FIRST POSITION; (I) A PLURALITY OF IDLER PULLEYS ROTATABLY MOUNTED AND CONNECTED TO SAID MOTIVE MEANS AND SAID PAIR OF SHAFTS FOR CAUSING ONE OF SAID SHAFTS TO BE DRIVEN WHERE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID IDLER PULLEYS IS IN AN ENGAGED POSITION AND FOR CAUSING THE OTHER OF SAID SHAFTS TO BE DRIVEN WHEN THE REMAINDER OF SAID IDLER PULLEYS ARE IN AN ENGAGED POSITION; AND (J) MEANS LINKING SAID ACTUATORS TO SAID IDLER PULLEYS FOR MOVING PREDETERMINED PULLEYS TO THE ENGAGE POSITION WHEN A SELECTED ACTUATOR IS MOVED TO THE SECOND POSITION.