US3779498A — Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 233 words

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape extending between first and second reels to which the ends of the tape are secured and on which the tape is wound; comprising first and second rotatable reel support members for rotational coupling with the first and second reels, respectively, drive means, drive control means actuable to effect operation of said drive means, transmission means for urging a selected one of said reel support members to rotate in the direction for winding tape on the reel respectively coupled therewith in response to operation of said drive means and permitting continued operation of said drive means when rotation of said reel support members is arrested upon the full unwinding of the tape from one of said reels, shut-off means powered by said drive means and having a first operative condition for causing said drive control means to halt the operation of said drive means and a second inoperative condition in which said drive control means is unaffected by said shut-off means, and shut-off control means connected with one of said reel support members for disposing said shut-off means in said second inoperative condition in response to rotation oF said one reel support member and for disposing said shut-off means in said first operative condition in response to arresting of the rotation of said reel support members during continued operation of said drive means.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 233 words

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape extending between first and second reels to which the ends of the tape are secured and on which the tape is wound; comprising first and second rotatable reel support members for rotational coupling with the first and second reels, respectively, drive means, drive control means actuable to effect operation of said drive means, transmission means for urging a selected one of said reel support members to rotate in the direction for winding tape on the reel respectively coupled therewith in response to operation of said drive means and permitting continued operation of said drive means when rotation of said reel support members is arrested upon the full unwinding of the tape from one of said reels, shut-off means powered by said drive means and having a first operative condition for causing said drive control means to halt the operation of said drive means and a second inoperative condition in which said drive control means is unaffected by said shut-off means, and shut-off control means connected with one of said reel support members for disposing said shut-off means in said second inoperative condition in response to rotation oF said one reel support member and for disposing said shut-off means in said first operative condition in response to arresting of the rotation of said reel support members during continued operation of said drive means.

Claim 3

Independent Claim 245 words

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape extending between first and second reels to which the ends of the tape are secured and on which the tape is wound; comprising first and second rotatable reel support members for rotational coupling with the first and second reels, respectively; drive means including an electric motor; control means including switch means having a normal inoperative condition and being actuable to an operative condition for energizing said motor and thereby effecting operation of said drive means, manually operable actuating means movable from a normal inoperative position to an operative position for actuating said switch means to said operative condition of the latter, and latch means for releasably holding said actuating means in said operative position thereof; transmission means for urging a selected one of said reel support members to rotate in the direction for winding tape on the reel respectively coupled therewith in response to operation of said drive means and permitting continued operation of said drive means when rotation of said reel support members is arrested upon the full unwinding of the tape from one of said reels; and shut-off means including latch release means displaceable to a predetermined extent for releasing said latch means, and latch release operating means driven from said drive means for displacing said latch release means to said predetermined extent only when the rotation of said reel support members is arrested during the continued operation of said drive means.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 245 words

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape extending between first and second reels to which the ends of the tape are secured and on which the tape is wound; comprising first and second rotatable reel support members for rotational coupling with the first and second reels, respectively; drive means including an electric motor; control means including switch means having a normal inoperative condition and being actuable to an operative condition for energizing said motor and thereby effecting operation of said drive means, manually operable actuating means movable from a normal inoperative position to an operative position for actuating said switch means to said operative condition of the latter, and latch means for releasably holding said actuating means in said operative position thereof; transmission means for urging a selected one of said reel support members to rotate in the direction for winding tape on the reel respectively coupled therewith in response to operation of said drive means and permitting continued operation of said drive means when rotation of said reel support members is arrested upon the full unwinding of the tape from one of said reels; and shut-off means including latch release means displaceable to a predetermined extent for releasing said latch means, and latch release operating means driven from said drive means for displacing said latch release means to said predetermined extent only when the rotation of said reel support members is arrested during the continued operation of said drive means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 224 words

An apparatus according to claim 2: in which said latch release means includes a reciprocable member having a plurality of teeth thereon and spring means urging said reciprocable member in one direction to an initial position, and said reciprocable member is displaceable to said predetermined extent from said initial position in the direction opposite to said one direction; and said latch release operating means includes stop means which frees said reciprocable member for movement by said spring means to said initial position so long as said reel support members are rotating and is positioned in response to arresting of the rotation of said reel support members for limiting the movement of said reciprocable member in said one direction to an intermediate position short of said initial position, a reciprocable pawl member engageable with said teeth of the reciprocable member, and means driven by said drive means for reciprocating said pawl member through a stroke that is shorter than said predetermined extent of the displacement of said reciprocable member by a distance substantially equal to the distance between said initial and intermediate positions of said reciprocable member, so that said pawl member displaces said reciprocable member to said predetermined extent for releasing said latch means only following the positioning of said stop means for limiting the movement of said reciprocable member at said intermediate position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus according to claim 3: in which said latch release operating means further includes pawl disengaging means operative upon the return of said manually operable actuating means to said normal inoperative position of the latter for disengaging said pawl member from said teeth of said reciprocable member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 74 words

An apparatus according to claim 3: in which said stop means includes an abutment movable with said reciprocable member, a stop member projectable into the path of movement of said abutment with said reciprocable member in said one direction for limiting said movement to said intermediate position, and means responsive to rotation of at least one of said reel support members for withdrawing said stop member from said path of movement of said abutment.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 139 words

An apparatus according to claim 5: in which a plate is pivotally mounted for swinging to either side of a centered position and has a generally Y-shaped slot therein slidably receiving said abutment, said Y-shaped slot has a stem portion and branched arm portions diverging from said stem portion with said stop member being defined by a portion of said plate between said branched arm portions which is engageable by said abutment when said plate is in said centered position; and said means for withdrawing the stop member from the path of movement of said abutment includes rotational transmission means connected between one of said reel support members and said pivotally mounted plate and having a frictional coupling for urging said plate to one side of said centered position so long as said one reel support member is rotating.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 72 words

An apparatus according to claim 3: in which said means for reciprocating said pawl member includes a cam member connected with said drive means for rotation by the latter, pivotally mounted lever means carrying said pawl member for reciprocating the latter in response to rocking of said lever means, and means on said lever means engaging said cam member for rocking said lever means in response to rotation of said cam member.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 79 words

An apparatus according to claim 2: further comprising brake means engageable for braking the rotation of said reel support members, and brake releasing means operable by the movement of said manually operable actuating means to said operative position of the latter for releasing said brake means; and in which said switch means includes an actuating member engageable by said brake releasing means upon operation of the latter for actuating said switch means to said operative condition of the latter.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 201 words

An apparatus according to claim 2: in which said manually operable actuating means includes a plurality of operating mode selecting members individually movable between respective normal inoperative and operative positions, and means engageable by at least certain of said mode selecting members upon selective movement of the latter to said operative position thereof for actuating said switch means to said operative condition; said latch means includes a latch member common to all of said mode selecting members and having keepers for at least said certain mode selecting members, a latch element extending from each of said certain mode selecting members and being engageable in the respective keeper of said latch member when the respective mode selecting member is moved to its said operative position, means mounting said latch member for movement between a latching position for receiving the latch elements of said mode selecting members in the respective keepers and a released position in which any of said latch elements is freed from said respective keepers, and means urging said latch member to said latching position; and said latch release means moves said latch member to said released position upon the displacement of said latch release means to said predetermined extent.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 65 words

An apparatus according to claim 9: in which another of said mode selecting members has a releasing element which engages said latch member and moves the latter to said released position in response to manual actuation of said other mode selecting member to its operative position, whereby to halt the operation of said drive means even though wound tape remains on both of the reels.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 178 words

An apparatus according to claim 9: in which said means engageable by at least certain of said mode selecting members for actuating said switch means includes a carriage carrying at least one magnetic head and being shiftable to an operative position in which said head is engageable with the tape extending between reels on said reel support members in response to movement of a first one of said certain mode selecting members to the operative position thereof, and a brake releasing member movable to actuate said switch means to its operative condition in responsE to the shifting of said carriage to said operative position of the latter; and further comprising braking means urged to an engaged position to brake the rotation of said reel support members and being disengaged in response to movement of said brake releasing member by said shifting of the carriage, a capstan rotated by said drive means, and pinch roller means mounted on said carriage and moved against said capstan for driving the tape therebetween upon shifting of said carriage to its operative position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 73 words

An apparatus according to claim 11: in which said transmission means includes an idler wheel driven from drive means and engageable with one of said reel support members for rotating the latter at a predetermined speed for recording and reproducing signals on the tape, and idler disengaging means normally disengaging said idler wheel from said one reel support member and being rendered inactive upon said shifting of said carriage to its operative position.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 152 words

An apparatus according to claim 12: in which said means for actuating the switch means further includes an auxiliary control member swingable in opposite directions from a normal centered position in response to selective movement of second and third mode selecting members of said certain mode selecting members to their respective operative positions, and means on said auxiliary control member engageable with said brake releasing member to move the latter for actuating said switch means in response to swinging of said auxiliary control member from said centered position; and in which said transmission means includes fast forward and fast rewind drive assemblies operable by said drive means and alternately engaged with said one reel support member and the other of said reel support members, respectively, in response to the swinging of said auxiliary control member in one of said directions and the other of said directions, respectively, from said centered position thereof.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 224 words

An apparatus according to claim 2: in which said latch release means includes a reciprocable member having a plurality of teeth thereon and spring means urging said reciprocable member in one direction to an initial position, and said reciprocable member is displaceable to said predetermined extent from said initial position in the direction opposite to said one direction; and said latch release operating means includes stop means which frees said reciprocable member for movement by said spring means to said initial position so long as said reel support members are rotating and is positioned in response to arresting of the rotation of said reel support members for limiting the movement of said reciprocable member in said one direction to an intermediate position short of said initial position, a reciprocable pawl member engageable with said teeth of the reciprocable member, and means driven by said drive means for reciprocating said pawl member through a stroke that is shorter than said predetermined extent of the displacement of said reciprocable member by a distance substantially equal to the distance between said initial and intermediate positions of said reciprocable member, so that said pawl member displaces said reciprocable member to said predetermined extent for releasing said latch means only following the positioning of said stop means for limiting the movement of said reciprocable member at said intermediate position.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 46 words

An apparatus according to claim 14: in which said latch release operating means further includes pawl disengaging means operative upon the return of said control means to said normal inoperative position of the latter for disengaging said pawl member from said teeth of said reciprocable member.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 74 words

An apparatus according to claim 14: in which said stop means includes an abutment movable with said reciprocable member, a stop member projectable into the path of movement of said abutment with said reciprocable member in said one direction for limiting said movement to said intermediate position, and means responsive to rotation of at least one of said reel support members for withdrawing said stop member from said path of movement of said abutment.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 139 words

An apparatus according to claim 16: in which a plate is pivotally mounted for swinging to either side of a centered position and has a generally Y-shaped slot therein slidably receiving said abutment, said Y-shaped slot has a stem portion and branched arm portions diverging from said stem portion with said stop member being defined by a portion of said plate between said branched arm portions which is engageable by said abutment when said plate is in said centered position; and said means for withdrawing the stop member from the path of movement of said abutment includes rotational transmission means connected between one of said reel support members and said pivotally mounted plate and having a frictional coupling for urging said plate to one side of said centered position so long as said one reel support member is rotating.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 72 words

An apparatus according to claim 14: in which said means for reciprocating said pawl member includes a cam member connected with said drive means for rotation by the latter, pivotally mounted lever means carrying said pawl member for reciprocating the latter in response to rocking of said lever means, and means on said lever means engaging said cam member for rocking said lever means in response to rotation of said cam member.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-12-17	1977-06-18	1977-12-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-12-17	1981-06-18	1981-12-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-12-17	1985-06-18	1985-12-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag