Tape handling mechanism for computer

Claim 2

A tape cartridge comprising a cover and a base respectively having top and bottom walls and having a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system provided in the cartridge toward the back between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape reel, a take-up reel stabilizer system in the cartridge adjacent the front between the top and bottom walls, an opening in the front of the peripheral wall through which the tape may be withdrawn out of the cartridge between travel from the supply to the take-up reel, and means in the cartridge adjacent the front for supporting a course of tape connecting the tape wound on the supply and take-up reels adjacent the opening in a position to be withdrawn through it, said opening in the front enabling convolutions of tape wound on the take-up reel to project out of the cartridge.

Claim 3

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by a door movable in the cartridge for closing the opening when the cartridge is not in use.

Claim 4

A tape cartridge as described in claim 2 further characterized by an opening in at least one of the top and bottom walls for providing access to the hub of one of the reels.

Claim 5

A tape cartridge as described in claim 3 further characterized by a pair of openings in at least one of the top and bottom walls for providing access to the hubs of each of the reels.

Claim 6

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by said supply reel stabilizer system including a plate for engaging one side of a supply reel, and means enabling said plate to move axially and laterally to permit the supply reel engaged by the plate to similarly move.

Claim 7

A tape cartridge as described in claim 5 further characterized by said take-up reel stabilizer system including means enabling the take-up reel to move axially and lateRally in the cartridge.

Claim 8

A tape cartridge as described in claim 6 further characterized by said stabilizer systems being mounted on one of the top or bottom walls of the cartridge, spring means forming part of the systems for urging each reel toward the opposite wall, and means on said opposite wall to resist rotation of the reels.

Claim 9

A tape cartridge as described in claim 7 further characterized by openings provided in said opposite walls for enabling motor spindles to extend into the cartridge to rotate the reels and push the reels off the means to resist rotation.

Claim 10

A tape cartridge as described in claim 2 further characterized by said door carrying an actuating member on its outer surface accessible from outside the cartridge enabling the door to be opened automatically from the outside.

Claim 11

A tape cartridge as described in claim 2 further characterized by said door having a pair of closure walls that move toward one another on the inside of the peripheral wall to close the opening and that move away from one another to uncover the opening, a pair of arms carrying each closure wall and pivotally anchored at their ends away from the front, and means biasing the doors to the closed position.

Claim 12

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by said means in the cartridge adjacent the front wall being idler rollers positioned adjacent the ends of the opening.

Claim 13

A tape cartridge as described in claim 2 further characterized by said door carrying an actuating member accessible from outside the cartridge enabling the door to be opened automatically from the outside.

Claim 14

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by means forming part of the stabilizing systems and intended to engage the supply and take-up reels for enabling said reels to rotate freely within the cartridge.

Claim 15

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by a supply reel separate from the supply reel stabilizer system removably carried by said system and adapted to be lifted from said system when the cartridge is open.

Claim 16

A tape cartridge as described in claim 14 further characterized by a take-up reel forming an integral part of the take-up reel stabilizing system and permanently attached thereto.

Claim 17

A tape cartridge as described in claim 14 further characterized by a first drive opening formed in one of the walls and aligned with the axis of the supply reel stabilizer system for enabling a motor spindle to extend into the cartridge and engage the supply reel.

Claim 18

A tape cartridge as described in claim 16 further characterized by a take-up reel forming an integral part of the take-up reel stabilizing system and permanently attached thereto, and a second drive opening formed in the same wall as the first opening and aligned with the axis of the take-up reel system for enabling a motor spindle to extend into the cartridge and engage the take-up reel.

Claim 19

A tape cartridge as described in claim 14 further characterized by a take-up reel on the take-up reel stabilizing system, and magnetic tape carried by the supply reel and extending across the means adjacent the front and connected to the take-up reel.

Claim 20

A tape cartridge as described in claim 1 further characterized by at least one rotatable spindle, said spindle including means defining a passage therethrough, and vacuum producing means connected to the passage in order to draw one of either said supply or take-up reels to the rotatable spindle.

Claim 21

A tape cartridge as described in claim 19 further characterized by said supply reel stabilizer system including a plate for engaging one side of a supply reel, said plate being imperforate and sealing against the hub of a supply reel placed on it so that a vacuum chamber may be formed when the opposite side of the reel hub is sealed against its corresponding rotatable spindle.

Claim 22

A tape cartridge As described in claim 20 further characterized by the stabilizer system for the take-up and supply reels being substantially the same.

Claim 23

A tape cartridge as described in claim 19 wherein said at least one spindle includes a surface surrounding the passages towards which the reel moves to at least partially seal the vacuum space defined between the spindle and reel.

Claim 24

A tape cartridge as described in claim 19 further characterized by first and second rotatable spindles for contacting the supply and take-up reels, respectively, each spindle including means defining a passage therethrough, and vacuum producing means connected to the passages in order to draw said supply and take-up reels to their corresponding rotatable spindles.

Claim 25

A tape cartridge as described in claim 23 further characterized by said supply reel stabilizer system including a plate for engaging one side of a supply reel, said plate being imperforate and sealing against the hub of a supply reel placed on it so that a vacuum chamber may be formed when the opposite side of the supply reel hub is sealed against its corresponding rotatable spindle, and said take-up reel stabilizer system including a plate integrally formed with said take-up reel, said last-recited plate being imperforate so that a vacuum chamber may be formed when the opposite side of the take-up reel hub is sealed against its corresponding rotatable spindle.

Claim 26

A tape cartridge as described in claim 24 further characterized by annular seal means secured intermediate said first and second rotatable spindles and their corresponding reels when said vacuum producing means has drawn said reels toward said spindles.

Claim 27

A tape cartridge comprising, a cover and a base respectively having top and bottom walls and having a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system provided in the cartridge between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape supply reel, a take-up reel stabilizer system in the cartridge adjacent the supply reel stabilizer system between the top and bottom walls, an opening in the peripheral edge wall adjacent the take-up reel stabilizer system and through which the tape may be with-drawn out of the cartridge between travel from the supply reel to the take-up reel, said opening enabling convolutions of tape wound on the take-up reel to project out of the cartridge, and means in the cartridge adjacent said opening for supporting a course of tape extending between said supply and take-up reels in a position to be withdrawn through said opening.

Claim 28

A tape cartridge comprising, a cover and a base respectively having top and bottom walls and having a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system provided in the cartridge between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape supply reel, a take-up reel stabilizer system in the cartridge adjacent the supply reel stabilizer system between the top and bottom walls, an opening in the peripheral edge wall adjacent the take-up reel stabilizer system and through which the tape may be with-drawn out of the cartridge between travel from the supply reel to the take-up reel, said opening enabling convolutions of tape wound on the take-up reel to project out of the cartridge, and means in the cartridge adjacent said opening for supporting a course of tape extending between said supply and take-up reels in a position to be withdrawn through said opening.

Claim 29

A tape cartridge as set forth in claim 26 comprising means defining an opening in at least one of the top and bottom walls for providing access to one of the supply and take-up reel stabilizer systems, said stabilizer system comprising plate means for engaging an inner portion of said reel, said plate means being imperforate and defining in part a vacuum chamber with a rotatable spindle that may pass through said opening engaging said stabilizer system.

Claim 30

A tape cartridge as set forth in claim 27 wherein one of said stabilizer systems includes the supply reel stabilizer system, said plate means of said supply reel stabilizer system engaging one side of said supply reel, said plate means sealing against the hub of the supply reel placed on it, said plate means and supply reel in part defining the vacuum chamber with a rotatable supply reel spindle.

Claim 31

A tape cartridge as set forth in claim 26 comprising means defining a pair of openings in at least one of the top and bottom walls for providing access to each of the reels, said supply reel stabilizer system including a plate for engaging one side of the supply reel, said plate being imperforate and sealing against the hub of the supply reel placed on it so that a vacuum chamber may be formed when the opposite side of the reel hub is sealed against a rotatable spindle capable of being passed Through said opening providing access to said supply reel.

Claim 32

In a tape cartridge having top and bottom walls and a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape reel and at least partially secured to one of the top and bottom walls, a take-up reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls and at least partially secured to one of the top and bottom walls, both said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system being at least partially secured to the same wall of said top and bottom walls, at least one rotatable spindle associated with one of said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system, said spindle having means defining a passage therethrough, said spindle including means for providing sealing engagement of said spindle with its associated stabilizer system, and vacuum producing means connected to the passage in order to draw one of either said supply or take-up reels to the rotatable spindle.

Claim 33

In a tape cartridge having top and bottom walls and a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape reel and at least partially secured to one of the top and bottom walls, a take-up reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls and at least partially secured to one of the top and bottom walls, both said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system being at least partially secured to the same wall of said top and bottom walls, at least one rotatable spindle associated with one of said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system, said spindle having means defining a passage therethrough, said spindle including means for providing sealing engagement of said spindle with its associated stabilizer system, and vacuum producing means connected to the passage in order to draw one of either said supply or take-up reels to the rotatable spindle.

Claim 34

In a tape cartridge as set forth in claim 30 wherein said take-up or supply reel includes an inner annular surface and said spindle includes an annular flange adapted to sealingly contact the inner annular surface to at least in part define the vacuum chamber.

Claim 35

In a tape cartridge as set forth in claim 30 comprising means defining an opening in at least one of the top and bottom walls for providing access to one of the supply and take-up reel stabilizer systems, said stabilizer systems each comprising plate means for engaging an inner portion of said reel, said plate means being imperforate and defining in part a vacuum chamber with the rotatable spindle.

Claim 36

In a tape cartridge having top and bottom walls and a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape reel, a take-up reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls, both said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system being at least partially secured to one of said top and bottom walls, said supply reel stabilizer system including plate means for engaging an inner portion of said supply reel and means secured to one of said top and bottom walls for limiting the movement of said plate means in three dimensions, said take-up reel stabilizer system including plate means integral with said take-up reel and means secured to one of said top and bottom walls for limiting the movement of said plate means in three dimensions.

Claim 37

In a tape cartridge having top and bottom walls and a peripheral edge wall, a supply reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls for releasably receiving a tape reel, a take-up reel stabilizer system disposed between the top and bottom walls, both said supply reel stabilizer system and said take-up reel stabilizer system being at least partially secured to one of said top and bottom walls, said supply reel stabilizer system including plate means for engaging an inner portion of said supply reel and means secured to one of said top and bottom walls for limiting the movement of said plate means in three dimensions, said take-up reel stabilizer system including plate means integral with said take-up reel and means secured to one of said top and bottom walls for limiting the movement of said plate means in three dimensions.

Claim 38

In a tape cartridge as set forth in claim 33 wherein each said stabilizer system includes a spring and bearing assembly disposed between the plate means and the means for limiting.