Tape loop forming and threading mechanism for use with a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

Claim 2

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination of a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of tape guiding fingers, a plurality of arms having said fingers respectively depending therefrom, means pivotally supporting said arms for relative angular displacements of the latter in a plane extending above said guide drum and during which angular displacements the respective fingers move in arcuate paths extending around portions of said periphery of the guide drum, means initially positioning said arms close together for engagement of said fingers from above with said tape extending between said reels, and actuating means including means for angularly displacing at least a first one of said arms in one direction and the remainder of said arms in the opposite direction so that said fingers withdraw tape from said reels and form a loop in the withdrawn tape above said guide drum and means for releasing said loop from said tape guiding fingers so that the loop falls around said guide drum and has the inner surface of said loop in contact with at least a part of said periphery of the tape guide drum.

Claim 3

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 1, in which said means for releasing said loop from said tape guiding fingers acts on at least one of said arms for finally reducing the aggregate distance between said reels which circumscribes said fingers so that slack is created in said tape loop.

Claim 4

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 1, in which said means for releasing said loop from said tape guiding fingers acts on said first arm to effect a final reverse angular displacement thereof for creating slack in said loop.

Claim 5

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 1, in which one of said arms has a pivoted extension carrying the respective tape guiding fiNger, and said means for releasing said loop from said tape guiding fingers includes an abutment in the path of said pivoted extension to pivot the latter relative to the remainder of said one arm during final angular displacement of the latter for creating slack in the tape loop.

Claim 6

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of fingers, a support plate, a slide member movable rectilinearly along said support plate, and arms having said fingers respectively depending therefrom and being rotatably mounted with respect to said slide member so that angular displacements of said arms cause movement of said fingers toward and away from each other and displacement of said slide member relative to said support plate causes movement of said fingers, as a group, toward and away from said reels; motor driven actuating means initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for engagement with the tape between said reels and comprising a driven pinion and gear means including a rack gear portion and a circular gear portion successively engaged by said driven pinion to effect movement of said slide member along said support plate for moving said fingers as a group while close together from between said reels and then to effect angular displacement of said arms for moving the fingers away from each other to form the tape engaged by the fingers into a loop which is guided into contact with at least a portion of said periphery of the tape guide drum.

Claim 7

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of fingers, a support plate, a slide member movable rectilinearly along said support plate, and arms having said fingers respectively depending therefrom and being rotatably mounted with respect to said slide member so that angular displacements of said arms cause movement of said fingers toward and away from each other and displacement of said slide member relative to said support plate causes movement of said fingers, as a group, toward and away from said reels; motor driven actuating means initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for engagement with the tape between said reels and comprising a driven pinion and gear means including a rack gear portion and a circular gear portion successively engaged by said driven pinion to effect movement of said slide member along said support plate for moving said fingers as a group while close together from between said reels and then to effect angular displacement of said arms for moving the fingers away from each other to form the tape engaged by the fingers into a loop which is guided into contact with at least a portion of said periphery of the tape guide drum.

Claim 8

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 5, in which said rack gear portion and said circular gear portion are integral parts of a gear member of ''''6'''' shaped configuration.

Claim 9

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 5, in which said rack gear portion is mounted on said slide member for movement toward and away from said pinion and is spring urged toward the latter, said circular gear portion is rotatably mounted on said slide member adjacent an end of said rack gear portion so as to be engaged by said pinion when said end of the rack gear portion meshes with said pinion, and cam means are rotatable with said circular gear portion to move said gear rack portion out of engagement with said pinion upon rotation of said circular gear portion by said pinion.

Claim 10

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 5, in which said motor driven actuating means is operative to effect angular displacement of at least a first of said arms in a direction opposite to the angular displacement of the other arms.

Claim 11

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 8, in which there are three of said other arms, said other arms are rotatably mounted with respect to said slide member by means of a driven shaft having one of said three arms secured thereon and the other two of said three arms freely rotatable on said shaft, and said actuating means further includes cam means rotatable with said one of the three arms and being operative to angularly displace said first arm in said direction opposite to the displacement of said one arm.

Claim 12

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 9, in which said cam means has a cam surface portion to cause a reverse angular displacement of said first arm for said final reduction of said aggregate distance between said reels and circumscribing said fingers.

Claim 13

In a magnetIc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 9, in which said one of the three arms has a pivoted extension carrying the respective finger and there is an abutment in the path of said pivoted extension to pivot the latter relative to the remainder of said one arm during final angular displacement of the latter, and thereby to cause said final reduction of said aggregate distance between said reels and circumscribing said fingers.

Claim 14

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination of a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of tape guiding fingers, means mounting said fingers for movement toward and away from each other and, as a group, toward and away from said reels in a plane above said guide drum, motor-driven actuating means including a first reversible electric motor initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for engaging the tape between the reels and then moving said fingers, as a group while close to each other, from between said reels and then away from each other to form the tape engaged by said fingers into a loop above said drum, which loop falls from said fingers and engages around said drum, guide pins engageable with said loop when the latter falls from said fingers around said drum to direct said loop in a helical path on said drum, whereby said head means scans skew tracks on the tape, tape drive means engageable with the tape upon the engagement of the latter with said guide drum, means operable to strip the tape from said drum and from said guide pins for permitting rewinding of the tape loop onto one of said reels, means for driving said take-up reel, head means and tape drive means including a second electric motor, and circuit means for controlling said first and second motors including first switch means actuable to initiate operation of said first motor in one direction for causing said fingers to move away from said starting position and to form said loop and guide the latter into contact with said drum, second switch means actuated upon the falling of the loop from said fingers and acting to reverse the direction of operation of said first motor for returning said fingers to said starting position and to initiate operation of said second motor, third switch means actuated upon the return of said fingers to said starting position to halt operation of said first motor, and fourth switch means actuable upon operation of said means to stip the tape from said drum and guide pins for halting operation of said second motor.

Claim 15

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination of a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of tape guiding fingers, means mounting said fingers for movement toward and away from each other and, as a group, toward and away from said reels in a plane above said guide drum, motor-driven actuating means including a first reversible electric motor initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for engaging the tape between the reels and then moving said fingers, as a group while close to each other, from between said reels and then away from each other to form the tape engaged by said fingers into a loop above said drum, which loop falls from said fingers and engages around said drum, guide pins engageable with said loop when the latter falls from said fingers around said drum to direct said loop in a helical path on said drum, whereby said head means scans skew tracks on the tape, tape drive means engageable with the tape upon the engagement of the latter with said guide drum, means operable to strip the tape from said drum and from said guide pins for permitting rewinding of the tape loop onto one of said reels, means for driving said take-up reel, head means and tape drive means including a second electric motor, and circuit means for controlling said first and second motors including first switch means actuable to initiate operation of said first motor in one direction for causing said fingers to move away from said starting position and to form said loop and guide the latter into contact with said drum, second switch means actuated upon the falling of the loop from said fingers and acting to reverse the direction of operation of said first motor for returning said fingers to said starting position and to initiate operation of said second motor, third switch means actuated upon the return of said fingers to said starting position to halt operation of said first motor, and fourth switch means actuable upon operation of said means to stip the tape from said drum and guide pins for halting operation of said second motor.

Claim 16

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the combination according to claim 12, in which said circuit means further includes means operative upon the actuation of said fourth switch means to delay the cessation of operation of said second motor to permit the rewinding of the tape loop onto said take-up reel.

Claim 17

In an apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a tape wound on reels disposed in a cassette having an opening across which the tape extends between the reels, the combination of a chassis, a cassette holder open at the front to slidably receive said cassette and being tiltably mounted on said chassis to pivot between an inclined position, at which said front of the holder is elevated for convenient reception of the cassette, and an operative horizontal position, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide The tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of fingers, means mounting said fingers for movement toward and away from each other and, as a group, toward and away from said holder, actuating means initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for projecting into said opening of the cassette to engage the tape extending thereacross, and then moving said fingers, as a group while close together, from said opening toward said drum and then away from each other in arcuate paths in a plane above said drum for forming a loop in the tape withdrawn from said cassette and releasing said loop to fall from said fingers around said drum, and said means mounting said fingers including a tiltable support plate pivoted on said chassis in back of said cassette holder and means connecting said cassette holder with said support plate so that the latter is elevated when said holder is in said inclined position for preventing interference by said fingers with the insertion of a cassette in said holder and said support plate is depressed in response to movement of said holder to its operative horizontal position so as to project said fingers downwardly into said opening of the cassette when in said starting position.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a tape wound on reels disposed in a cassette having an opening across which the tape extends between the reels, the combination of a chassis, a cassette holder open at the front to slidably receive said cassette and being tiltably mounted on said chassis to pivot between an inclined position, at which said front of the holder is elevated for convenient reception of the cassette, and an operative horizontal position, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide The tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, a plurality of fingers, means mounting said fingers for movement toward and away from each other and, as a group, toward and away from said holder, actuating means initially disposing said fingers at a starting position close to each other for projecting into said opening of the cassette to engage the tape extending thereacross, and then moving said fingers, as a group while close together, from said opening toward said drum and then away from each other in arcuate paths in a plane above said drum for forming a loop in the tape withdrawn from said cassette and releasing said loop to fall from said fingers around said drum, and said means mounting said fingers including a tiltable support plate pivoted on said chassis in back of said cassette holder and means connecting said cassette holder with said support plate so that the latter is elevated when said holder is in said inclined position for preventing interference by said fingers with the insertion of a cassette in said holder and said support plate is depressed in response to movement of said holder to its operative horizontal position so as to project said fingers downwardly into said opening of the cassette when in said starting position.

Claim 19

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, tape guiding means engageable with said tape between the reels and being actuable to form a loop of tape above said drum from tape withdrawn from the reels and to release the tape loop so that the latter falls around said guide drum, and motor driven actuating means for automatically actuating said tape guiding means; said tape guiding means including a plurality of fingers, a support plate mounted on said chassis, a shaft journalled in said support plate and being rotatable by said motor driven actuating means, a carrier plate fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith, an assembly of arms having said fingers respectively depending therefrom, means pivotally mounting said assembly on said carrier plate at a location on the latter radially spaced from said shaft so that turning of said shaft through a predetermined angle causes movement of the fingers as a group, means pivotally mounting said arms with respect to each other so that relative angular displacements of said arms cause movement of the fingers toward and away from each other, means for maintaining said arms in closely adjacent relationship during turning of said shaft through said predetermined angle, and means to angularly space said arms from each other upon turning of said shaft beyond said predetermined angle.

Claim 20

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a chassis, means on said chassis to rotatably support take-up and supply reels having a magnetic tape wound on said reels and extending between the latter, rotary magnetic head means for recording and/or reproducing signals on said tape and being movable in a circular path spaced from said reels, a tape guide drum having its periphery coinciding with said circular path to guide the tape during said recording and/or reproducing by said head means, tape guiding means engageable with said tape between the reels and being actuable to form a loop of tape above said drum from tape withdrawn from the reels and to release the tape loop so that the latter falls around said guide drum, and motor driven actuating means for automatically actuating said tape guiding means; said tape guiding means including a plurality of fingers, a support plate mounted on said chassis, a shaft journalled in said support plate and being rotatable by said motor driven actuating means, a carrier plate fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith, an assembly of arms having said fingers respectively depending therefrom, means pivotally mounting said assembly on said carrier plate at a location on the latter radially spaced from said shaft so that turning of said shaft through a predetermined angle causes movement of the fingers as a group, means pivotally mounting said arms with respect to each other so that relative angular displacements of said arms cause movement of the fingers toward and away from each other, means for maintaining said arms in closely adjacent relationship during turning of said shaft through said predetermined angle, and means to angularly space said arms from each other upon turning of said shaft beyond said predetermined angle.

Claim 21

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 15, in which said means pivotally mounting said assembly on said carrier plate includes a pivot pin connecting one of said arms to said carrier plate at said location of the latter, and said means pivotally mounting said arms with respect to each other includes pivot pins respectively connecting the other arms to said one arm.

Claim 22

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, in which said means to angularly space said arms from each other includes engageable means on said one arm and carrier plate to cause said one arm to turn with said carrier plate beyond said predetermined angle, and abutment means on said one arm and said other arms engageable in succession in response to turning of said one arm with said carrier plate to cause said other arms to follow the turning movement of said one arm at different predetermined angles with respEct to the latter.

Claim 23

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising yieldable means for resisting turning of said other arms with said one arm and being overcome by the engagement of said abutment means.