Web cleaning apparatus having a movable blade

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in cleaning the surface of a bidirectionally movable web, comprising: means establishing a web path, a movable cleaning member mounted to cooperate with the web''s surface and extending into said web path, and first and second spaced cleaning surfaces carried by said cleaning member and spaced from each other along said web path, said cleaning member being movable by virtue of web movement to present one or the other of said cleaning surfaces to the web''s surface in accordance with the direction of tape movement.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said movable cleaning member is a pivoted member having a broad surface extending into said web path, said broad surface including said first and second spaced cleaning surfaces.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 2 including stop means cooperating with said pivoted member and functioning to limit pivotal movement of said cleaning member to the amount necessary to bring one or the other of said cleaning surfaces into operative cleaning relation to the web''s surface, the operative one of said cleaning surfaces occupying the same given position for each direction of web movement.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said stop means cooperates with the inoperative one of said cleaning surfaces.

Claim 6

Apparatus for use in cleaning the surface of bidirectionally movable magnetic tape, comprising: means establishing a tape path, a housing disposed adjacent said tape path and the tape''s surface, and a movable wall-like member movably mounted on said housing and extending into said tape path, said member having first and second tape cleaning edges spaced from each other along said tape path, said wall-like member being movable by virtue of the tape movement to present one or the other of said cleaning edges to the tape''s surface in accordance with the direction of tape movement.

Claim 7

Apparatus for use in cleaning the surface of bidirectionally movable magnetic tape, comprising: means establishing a tape path, a housing disposed adjacent said tape path and the tape''s surface, and a movable wall-like member movably mounted on said housing and extending into said tape path, said member having first and second tape cleaning edges spaced from each other along said tape path, said wall-like member being movable by virtue of the tape movement to present one or the other of said cleaning edges to the tape''s surface in accordance with the direction of tape movement.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said housing includes first and second cavities spaced from each other along said tape path, said cavities having said wall-like member as a common movable wall, a source of subatmospheric pressure connected to each of said cavities, said wall-like member functioning to open the cavity associated with the operative cleaning edge and thereby induce air flow over the operative cleaning edge to remove material cleaned from the tape.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said wall-like member includes opening means connecting said first and second cavities, to thereby additionally induce air flow over the operative cleaning edge and into the closed cavity associated with the inoperative cleaning edge.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said movable wall-like member is pivotally connected to said housing intermediate said cavities and includes a broad surface extending into said tape path, said broad surface including said spaced cleaning edges and engaging said tape to cause said wall-like member to be pivoted as a result of tape movement to present both a cleaning edge and cleaning air flow to the advancing surface of the tape for either direction of tape movement.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said cavities includes stop means cooperating with the inoperative cleaning edge to limit pivotal movement of said wall-like member, and wherein the operative cleaning edge occupies the same given position relative to said tape path for each direction of tape movement.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said stop means is adapted to clean said inoperative cleaning edge.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said housing includes a surface facing said tape path, and wherein housing is mounted to space said surface from said tape path to provide a flow path for cleaning air into said cavities in the direction of tape travel.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said movable wall-like member is of a width approximately equal to the width of the tape.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said housing includes first and second cavities spaced from each other along said tape path, said cavities having a width approximately equal to the width of the tape and having said wall-like member as a common movable wall.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 13 including a source of subatmospheric pressure connected to each of said cavities, and a continuous stop formed as a portion of each cavity and adapted to be engaged by an inoperative one of said cleaning edges to thereby close the cavity associated with said inoperative cleaing edge.

Claim 17

ApparatuS as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said stops in a continuous resilient pad having width approximately equal to the width of the tape.

Claim 18

A magnetic tape transport including means for cleaning the recording surface of bidirectionally movable magnetic tape, comprising: means establishing a tape path, magnetic transducing means mounted adjacent said tape path to produce a wrap of tape at an operational surface of said transducing means for either direction of tape movement, a housing mounted adjacent said transducing means, a movable member mounted on said housing and extending into said tape path, said member having first and second tape cleaning edges spaced from each other along said tape path, said movable member being movable in the direction of tape movement by virtue of engagement with the tape to present one or the other of said cleaning edges to the advancing recording surface in accordance with the direction of tape movement, and means constructed and arranged to control the movement of said movable member such that each of said two cleaning edges, when in cleaning position, occupies an identical position in said tape path.

Claim 19

A magnetic tape transport including means for cleaning the recording surface of bidirectionally movable magnetic tape, comprising: means establishing a tape path, magnetic transducing means mounted adjacent said tape path to produce a wrap of tape at an operational surface of said transducing means for either direction of tape movement, a housing mounted adjacent said transducing means, a movable member mounted on said housing and extending into said tape path, said member having first and second tape cleaning edges spaced from each other along said tape path, said movable member being movable in the direction of tape movement by virtue of engagement with the tape to present one or the other of said cleaning edges to the advancing recording surface in accordance with the direction of tape movement, and means constructed and arranged to control the movement of said movable member such that each of said two cleaning edges, when in cleaning position, occupies an identical position in said tape path.

Claim 20

A magnetic tape transport as defined in claim 16 wherein said movable member is a wall-like member pivotally mounted on said housing, wherein said housing includes first and second cavities spaced from each other along said tape path, said cavities having said wall-like member as a common movable wall, a source of subatmospheric pressure connected to each of said cavities, said wall-like member functioning to open the cavity associated with the operative cleaning edge and thereby induce air flow over the operative cleaning edge to remove material cleaned from the advancing recording surface, and wherein said last named means includes stop means constructed and arranged to limit pivotal movement of said wall-like member to cause the operable one of said cleaning edges to occupy said identical position in said tape path for each direction of tape movement.