US3578262A — Cassette changer with fast tape wind

Claim 1

Independent Claim 234 words

In an apparatus for playing or recording on each of a series of tape cassettes having a pair of reels therein between which tape is wound and unwound, the combination comprising: a magazine for storing a series of cassettes and for positioning each of the cassettes at a transfer station for movement to an operating station, a shiftable chassis for transferring a cassette from said transfer station to said operating station, a forward and reverse drive spindle carried by said chassis for penetration into driving relationship with the respective reels of said cassette, a transducer head for engaging the tape in said cassette at said operating position, means including at least one capstan for engaging the tape and operable to feed the tape in a forward or reverse direction past said transducer head at a predetermined operational speed, means for pressing said tape against said capstan to cause said capstan to feed said tape at said operational speed, means for disabling said capstan feeding of said tape to permit said tape to travel at a faster speed, and a selectively operable drive means movable to a first position to drive said forward spindle to wind said tape in a forward direction at a speed faster than said operational speed and to a second position to drive said reverse spindle to wind tape iN a reverse direction at a speed faster than said operational speed.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 234 words

In an apparatus for playing or recording on each of a series of tape cassettes having a pair of reels therein between which tape is wound and unwound, the combination comprising: a magazine for storing a series of cassettes and for positioning each of the cassettes at a transfer station for movement to an operating station, a shiftable chassis for transferring a cassette from said transfer station to said operating station, a forward and reverse drive spindle carried by said chassis for penetration into driving relationship with the respective reels of said cassette, a transducer head for engaging the tape in said cassette at said operating position, means including at least one capstan for engaging the tape and operable to feed the tape in a forward or reverse direction past said transducer head at a predetermined operational speed, means for pressing said tape against said capstan to cause said capstan to feed said tape at said operational speed, means for disabling said capstan feeding of said tape to permit said tape to travel at a faster speed, and a selectively operable drive means movable to a first position to drive said forward spindle to wind said tape in a forward direction at a speed faster than said operational speed and to a second position to drive said reverse spindle to wind tape iN a reverse direction at a speed faster than said operational speed.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said selectively operable drive means includes a power roll movable from an idle position in which the power roll is inoperative to drive a tape reel to said first and second positions for driving the respective spindles.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said selectively operable drive means for driving said spindles at high speeds includes a pivotally mounted member carrying said power roll for pivoting the same in opposite directions from an intermediate idle position and in which means yieldably holds said pivoted member in said idle position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said selectively operable drive means includes a manually operated, forward selector and a manually operated, reverse selector and means interlocking said selectors to provide mutually exclusive operations thereof to cause either a fast wind in the forward direction or a fast wind in the reverse direction.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 57 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for pressing the tape includes forward and reverse feed pinch rollers and in which said means to disable said capstan feeding includes a pause carrier for carrying said pinch rollers and said transducer head to a position spaced from said tape to permit high-speed tape transport.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 60 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which an intermediate drive means is disposed between the capstans and the spindles to drive the latter at said operational speed and in which said disabling means includes actuator means for disabling said intermediate drive means from driving of said spindles to permit the same to be driven at said faster speed.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 54 words

An apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which said disabling means includes a pause carrier for carrying said pressure means and transducer head to an inoperative position spaced from said tape and in which means on said pause carrier operates said actuator means to disable said intermediate drive means from driving said spindles.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-05-10	1974-11-09	1975-05-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-05-10	1978-11-09	1979-05-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-05-10	1982-11-09	1983-05-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Cassette changer with fast tape wind

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