Rewind and fast forward mechanism for tape transport

Claim 1

In a drive mechanism for a tape recorder including a pair of rotatable reel carriers, electric motor means for supplying rotational motion, and drive transmitting means for selectively connecting said motor means to one of said carriers, the improvement comprising: a carriage laterally shiftable with respect to the axes of rotation of said reel carriers, extending at least in part between said pair of reel carriers; a pair of drive members spaced apart from each other by a fixed distance and forming part of said drive transmitting means said drive members being drivingly connected to said motor means so as to rotate in opposite directions, each of said drive members being mounted on said carriage adjacent a respective one of said reel carriers; means cooperating with said carriage for selectively shifting said carriage to a plurality of predetermined positions, said predetermined positions, said predetermined positions including a first position where one of said drive members in in direct driving engagement with one of said reel carriers and the other drive member is displaced away from the other of said reel carriers, a second position where said one drive member is displaced away from said one reel carrier and said other drive member is in low-pressure driving engagement with said other reel carrier; and a third position where said one drive member is further displaced away from said one reel carrier than when said carriage is in said second position and said other drive member is in direct, high-pressure engagement with said other reel carrier; and brake means for applying a braking torque to either of said reel carriers when the remaining reel carrier is in driving engagement with one of said drive means.