Automatic playing apparatus utilizing plurality of endless tape cartridges

Claim 1

An automatic playing apparatus utilizing a plurality of endless tape cartridges, comprising a housing mounted on a cabinet and being rotatably movable in one direction, a stop member on said cabinet, means on said housing for removably securing a plurality of endless tape cartridges arranged that each of them is inclined to a radius drawn from the center of rotation of said housing and passing through the cartridge, selecting means having members adapted to be moved into a selecting position and corresponding to said plurality of the cartridges and to the number of tracks in a cartridge for selecting a cartridge and a sound track of a tape in a cartridge, said stop member being adapted to engage a movable member in the selecting position to arrest rotation of the housing when the selected cartridge is positioned in a predetermined play position, swingable deck means including a capstan and a magnetic head adapted to abut against a pinch roller and the tape within a cartridge, respectively, end mark sensing means for detecting an end mark on a tape, deck driving means for moving said deck means away from a cartridge in the play position for a predetermined period of time in response to detection of the end mark on the tape, and selecting means returning arrangement coupled to said deck means for moving a selected movable member of said selecting means out of engagement with said stop member in response to movement of said deck means, whereby a plurality of tapes and sound tracks can be played in succession according to a program determined by said selecting means.