Conveying apparatus for a magnetic tape cartridge changer

Claim 2

A conveying apparatus for a magnetic tape cartridge changer for playing a plurality of stacked magnetic tape cartridges in sequence, in which the changer is provided with a shaft for storing loosely stacked cartridges, and also including means for removing the lowest cartridge from the playing position which it occupies through a lateral outlet aperture through which such a cartridge is automatically ejected by being horizontally slid therethrough, said conveying apparatus comprising, a cartridge track extending from the outlet aperture of the changer to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft and along which cartridges which have issued from the outlet aperture can be intermittently displaced in edge-to-edge relation by the thrust force exerted by each cartridge as it issues from the outlet aperture, the cartridge last ejected onto said track being displaced along said track in substantially the same direction in which the cartridge being ejected is moved onto said track.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge track has the form of a channel which adjoins the outlet aperture of the changer, is curved substantially in the form of a semicircle in the direction of length of the storing shaft and terminates in a chute which leads to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge track is in the form of a chute which is helically curved from the outlet aperture of the changer to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft so as to describe a full turn.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the entire channel is curved in the form of a U and further comprising a freely movable endless conveyor belt mounted at its ends about rotatably mounted rollers and guided along the facing inner channel walls, and a plurality of cartridge driving members driven by said belt and spaced from one another by distances equal to the length of a cartridge travelling in the channel, said members occupying at least part of the cross-sectional area of the channel.

Claim 6

An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for manually moving said conveyor belt so as to enable cartridges contained in the channel to be removed therefrom.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a bag-shaped bulge provided in the outer wall of the channel in the area of its semicircular curve, said bag-shaped bulge extending substantially in the direction of length of the storing shaft and into which a cartridge being pushed through the semicircular channel curve enters at one end and then, under the action of the associated cartridge-driving member, slides out of the bulge in the opposite direction and into the adjoining second straight channel part in which it is moved on.

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the chute is also designed as a channel curved substantially in the form of a semicircle in the direction of length of the storing shaft.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge track is a separate component adapted to be mounted on the changer.

Claim 10

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storing shaft and the cartridge track together form a unit adapted to be mounted on the changer.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a holding member mounted at each of two opposed lateral walls of the storing shaft, a portion of said holding member being adapted to be Inserted into the storing shaft against spring action for engagement under a cartridge located at the end of the shaft adjacent the changer, and a U-shaped member arranged to pivot between two operating positions and supported from the storing shaft for controlling operation of said holding members.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 for use in a magnetic tape changer provided with an arrangement for continually changing the cartridges without the latter being played, wherein the U-member when set to the operating position in which it inserts the holding members into the storing shaft actuates the arrangement for continual cartridge change.

Claim 13

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising at least two projections arranged at the end of the storing shaft for cooperation with the cartridge changer, said projections extend into the playing position of a cartridge and engage under a cartridge situated in this position.

Claim 14

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a locking member arranged in the area of the cartridge track which adjoins the outlet aperture of the changer and adapted to be set to either of two operating positions, said member when in the first operating position holds the last cartridge having been pushed onto the cartridge track and may move this cartridge and when in the second operation position locks the cartridge track itself in its position on the changer.

Claim 15

An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a locking member arranged in the area of the cartridge track which adjoins the outlet aperture of the changer and adapted to be set to either of two operating positions, said member when in the first operating position holds the last cartridge having been pushed onto the cartridge track and may move this cartridge and when in the second operating position locks the cartridge track itself in its position on the changer, said U-member being locked in the position in which it maintains the holding members inserted into the storing shaft by the locking member when set to the first operating position.

Claim 16

A conveying apparatus for a magnetic tape cartridge changer for playing a plurality of stacked magnetic tape cartridges in sequence, in which the changer is provided with a shaft for storing loosely stacked cartridges, and also including means for removing the lowest cartridge which occupies the playing position through a lateral outlet aperture through which such a cartridge is automatically ejected, said apparatus comprising a cartridge track which extends from the outlet aperture of the changer to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft and along which cartridges which have issued from the outlet aperture can be intermittently displaced by the thrust force exerted by each cartridge as it issues from the outlet aperture, said cartridge track having the form of a channel which adjoins the outlet aperture of the changer, and is curved substantially in the form of a semicircle in the direction of length of the storing shaft and terminates in a chute which leads to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft.

Claim 17

A conveying apparatus for a magnetic tape cartridge changer for playing a plurality of stacked magnetic tape cartridges in sequence, in which the changer is provided with a shaft for storing loosely stacked cartridges, and also including means for removing the lowest cartridge which occupies the playing position through a lateral outlet aperture through which such a cartridge is automatically ejected, said apparatus comprising a cartridge track which extends from the outlet aperture of the changer to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft and along which cartridges which have issued from the outlet aperture can be intermittently displaced by the thrust force exerted by each cartridge as it issues from the outlet aperture, said cartridge track having the form of a channel which adjoins the outlet aperture of the changer, and is curved substantially in the form of a semicircle in the direction of length of the storing shaft and terminates in a chute which leads to the inlet aperture of the storing shaft.