Automatic threading tape drive

Claim 2

An automatic tape threading apparatus for use with a tape handling machine, comprising a pair of spaced hubs, the first of said hubs adapted to receive a tape supply reel and the second of said hubs adapted to receive a tape take-up reel, means for guiding a tape over a prescribed path from the supply reel when it is mounted on said first hub to the tape take-up reel when mounted on said second hub, and wherein said means for guiding said tape comprises a pair of threading guides provided with a plurality of air jets angled such that a component of air flow is directed toward the path of tape movement from said first hub to said second hub and include, an air pressure source, first conduit means connecting said pressure source to said air jets, thread pressure solenoid pneumatically coupled to said first conduit means, said thread pressure solenoid responsive to a first electric signal to open said pressure source to said air jets, means for rotating said first and second hubs in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to wind or unwind a reel of tape when mounted thereon, sensing means for detecting the presence of an unattached free end of tape on the tape supply reel said sensing means disposed adjacent said first hub and in the path of the free end of tape when wound on the supply reel and when the supply reel is mounted on said hub, reversing means responsive to said sensing means, said reversing means coupled to said means for rotating said first hub to reverse the rotation of said first hub when the supply reel is mounted on said hub for rotation, and the free end of the tape is sensed by said sensing means, whereby the tape free end is thrust into said guiding means, a vacuum source, second conduit means for connecting said vacuum source to said sensing means, a pneumatic sensing solenoid pneumatically coupled to said second conduit means, said pneumatic sensing means for sensing the presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said second conduit means, a first microswitch mechanically coupled to said sensing solenoid for opening or closing in response to pressure or vacuum in said second conduit means, said first microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said first hub, said first microswitch providing electric signals to said means for rotating said first hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said pneumatic sensing solenoid, first and second relay means coupled electrically to each other and to said first microswitch and also coupled electrically to said means for rotating said first hub and cooperatively providing an event-sequenced electric signal to said first means for rotating said first hub to change rotational direction in response to said signal, and wherein said thread pressure solenoid is electrically coupled to said second relay means for providing said first electric signal to said thread pressure solenoid.

Claim 3

An automatic tape threading apparatus for use with a tape handling machine comprising: a pair of spaced hubs, the first of said hubs adapted to receive a tape supply reel and the second of said hubs adapted to receive a tape take-up reel, guide means for guiding a tape over a prescribed path from the supply reel when it is mounted on said first hub to the tape take-up reel when mounted on said second hub, said guide means further comprising a pair of threading guides provided with a plurality of air jets angled such that a component of air flow is directed toward the path of tape movement from said first hub to said second hub, said second hub being provided with vacuum means for bringing a free end of tape advanced from said guide means into driing engagement with said hub, means for rotating said first and second hubs in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to wind or unwind a reel of tape when mounted thereon, sensing means for detecting the presence of an unattached free end of tape on the tape supply reel, said sensing means fixedly disposed adjacent said first hub and in the path of the free end of tape when wound on the supply reel and when the supply reel is mounted on said hub, reversing means responsive to said sensing means, said reversing means coupled to said means for rotating said first hub to reverse the rotation of said first hub when the supply reel is mounted on said hub for rotation and the free end of tape is sensed by said sensing means, whereby the tape free end is thrust into said guide means, a vacuum source, first conduit means for connecting said vacuum source to said sensing means, second conduit means for pneumatically connecting said vacuum source with said aperture means and including tape take-up sensing means for sensing the free end of tape on said tape take-up reel, a pneumatic sensing solenoid pneumatically coupled to said first conduit means for sensing the presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said first conduit means, a first microswitch mechanically coupled to said sensing solenoid for opening or closing in response to pressure or vacuum in said first conduit, said first microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said first hub, said first microswitch providing electric signals to said means for rotating said first hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said pneumatic sensing solenoid, a second microswitch means mechanically coupled to said tape take-up sensing means for opening or closing in response to atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said second conduit means, said second microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said second hub, for providing electric signals to said means for rotating said second hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said tape take-up sensing means, first and second relay means coupled electrically to each other and to said first microswitch and also coupled electrically to said means for rotating said first hub and cooperatively providing an event-sequenced electric signal to said means for rotating said first hub to change rotational direction in response to said signal, and tape cleaning means rotatably mounted on said pneumatic means for guiding the tape, said tape cleaning means controllably rotating into or out of the tape threading path, cleaning the tape surface when rotated into the path of the tape.

Claim 4

An automatic tape threading apparatus for use with a tape handling machine comprising: a pair of spaced hubs, the first of said hubs adapted to receive a tape supply reel and the second of said hubs adapted to receive a tape take-up reel, guide means for guiding a tape over a prescribed path from the supply reel when it is mounted on said first hub to the tape take-up reel when mounted on said second hub, said guide means further comprising a pair of threading guides provided with a plurality of air jets angled such that a component of air flow is directed toward the path of tape movement from said first hub to said second hub, said second hub being provided with vacuum means for bringing a free end of tape advanced from said guide means into driing engagement with said hub, means for rotating said first and second hubs in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to wind or unwind a reel of tape when mounted thereon, sensing means for detecting the presence of an unattached free end of tape on the tape supply reel, said sensing means fixedly disposed adjacent said first hub and in the path of the free end of tape when wound on the supply reel and when the supply reel is mounted on said hub, reversing means responsive to said sensing means, said reversing means coupled to said means for rotating said first hub to reverse the rotation of said first hub when the supply reel is mounted on said hub for rotation and the free end of tape is sensed by said sensing means, whereby the tape free end is thrust into said guide means, a vacuum source, first conduit means for connecting said vacuum source to said sensing means, second conduit means for pneumatically connecting said vacuum source with said aperture means and including tape take-up sensing means for sensing the free end of tape on said tape take-up reel, a pneumatic sensing solenoid pneumatically coupled to said first conduit means for sensing the presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said first conduit means, a first microswitch mechanically coupled to said sensing solenoid for opening or closing in response to pressure or vacuum in said first conduit, said first microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said first hub, said first microswitch providing electric signals to said means for rotating said first hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said pneumatic sensing solenoid, a second microswitch means mechanically coupled to said tape take-up sensing means for opening or closing in response to atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said second conduit means, said second microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said second hub, for providing electric signals to said means for rotating said second hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said tape take-up sensing means, first and second relay means coupled electrically to each other and to said first microswitch and also coupled electrically to said means for rotating said first hub and cooperatively providing an event-sequenced electric signal to said means for rotating said first hub to change rotational direction in response to said signal, and tape cleaning means rotatably mounted on said pneumatic means for guiding the tape, said tape cleaning means controllably rotating into or out of the tape threading path, cleaning the tape surface when rotated into the path of the tape.

Claim 5

An automatic tape threading apparatus as recited in claim 2 including a pair of tape loop chambers disposed on opposite sides of said threading guide means and one each below said first and second hubs and pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source, a tape loop chamber solenoid means pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source means to said tape loop chamber, said tape loop chamber solenoid means also electrically coupled to said second microswitch means, said tape loop chamber solenoid means operable in response to electric signals from said second microswitch to supply vacuum to said tape loop chamber.

Claim 6

An automatic tape threading apparatus for use with a tape handling machine comprising a pair of spaced hubs, the first of said hubs adapted to receive a tape supply reel and the second of said hubs adapted to receive a tape take-up reel, said second hub being Provided with vacuum means for bringing a free end of tape into driving engagement with said second hub, and wherein said vacuum means comprise a vacuum source, aperture means on the surface of the smaller diameter of the tape take-up reel, and first conduit means for pneumatically connecting said vacuum source with said aperture means and including tape take-up sensing means for sensing the free end of tape on the tape take-up reel, means for guiding a tape over a prescribed path from the supply reel, when it is mounted on said first hub to the tape take-up reel when mounted on said second hub, and wherein said means for guiding said tape comprises a pair of threading guides provided with a plurality of air jets angled such that a component of air flow is directed toward the path of tape movement from said first hub to said second hub, means for rotating said first and second hubs in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to wind or unwind a reel of tape when mounted therein, first microswitch means mechanically coupled to said tape take-up sensing means for opening or closing in response to atmospheric presure or vacuum in said first conduit means, said first microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said second hub, and for providing electric signals to said means for rotating said second hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said tape take-up sensing means, sensing means responsive to a decrease in pressure for detecting a free end of tape on the supply reel, said sensing means disposed adjacent said first hub and in the path of the free end of tape when wound on the supply reel and when the supply reel is mounted on said first hub, reversing means responsive to said sensing means coupled to said means for rotating said first and second hubs to reverse the rotation of said first hub when the supply reel is mounted on said hub for rotation, and the free end of tape is sensed by said sensing means, whereby the tape free end is thrust into said guiding means, second conduit means for connecting said vacuum source to said sensing means, a pneumatic sensing solenoid coupled to said first conduit means, said pneumatic sensing solenoid for sensing the presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said first conduit means, a second microswitch mechanically coupled to said sensing solenoid for opening or closing in response to pressure or vacuum in said second conduit, said second microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said first hub, said second microswitch providing electric signals to said means for rotating said first hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said pneumatic sensing solenoid, first and second relay means coupled electrically to each other and to said second microswitch and also coupled electrically to said means for rotating said first hub and cooperatively providing an event - sequenced electric signal to said means for rotating said hub to change rotational direction in response to said signal, an air pressure source, third conduit means connecting said pressure source to said air jets, tape loop chambers disposed on opposite sides of said threading guide means and one each below said first and second hubs and pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source, tape loop chamber solenoid means pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source means, said tape loop chamber solenoid means also electrically coupled to said first microswitch means, said tape loop chamber solenoid means operable in response to electric signals from said first microswitch to supply vacuum to said tape loop chamber, and a tape brake disposed in face-to-face relationship below said means for guiding said tape and pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source, said tape brake supplied with vacuum pulling the tape to the brake surface, causing friction between tape and brake surface for braking said tape in response to vacuum in Said vacuum source.

Claim 7

An automatic tape threading apparatus for use with a tape handling machine comprising a pair of spaced hubs, the first of said hubs adapted to receive a tape supply reel and the second of said hubs adapted to receive a tape take-up reel, said second hub being Provided with vacuum means for bringing a free end of tape into driving engagement with said second hub, and wherein said vacuum means comprise a vacuum source, aperture means on the surface of the smaller diameter of the tape take-up reel, and first conduit means for pneumatically connecting said vacuum source with said aperture means and including tape take-up sensing means for sensing the free end of tape on the tape take-up reel, means for guiding a tape over a prescribed path from the supply reel, when it is mounted on said first hub to the tape take-up reel when mounted on said second hub, and wherein said means for guiding said tape comprises a pair of threading guides provided with a plurality of air jets angled such that a component of air flow is directed toward the path of tape movement from said first hub to said second hub, means for rotating said first and second hubs in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to wind or unwind a reel of tape when mounted therein, first microswitch means mechanically coupled to said tape take-up sensing means for opening or closing in response to atmospheric presure or vacuum in said first conduit means, said first microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said second hub, and for providing electric signals to said means for rotating said second hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said tape take-up sensing means, sensing means responsive to a decrease in pressure for detecting a free end of tape on the supply reel, said sensing means disposed adjacent said first hub and in the path of the free end of tape when wound on the supply reel and when the supply reel is mounted on said first hub, reversing means responsive to said sensing means coupled to said means for rotating said first and second hubs to reverse the rotation of said first hub when the supply reel is mounted on said hub for rotation, and the free end of tape is sensed by said sensing means, whereby the tape free end is thrust into said guiding means, second conduit means for connecting said vacuum source to said sensing means, a pneumatic sensing solenoid coupled to said first conduit means, said pneumatic sensing solenoid for sensing the presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said first conduit means, a second microswitch mechanically coupled to said sensing solenoid for opening or closing in response to pressure or vacuum in said second conduit, said second microswitch also electrically coupled to said means for rotating said first hub, said second microswitch providing electric signals to said means for rotating said first hub in response to presence of atmospheric pressure or vacuum in said pneumatic sensing solenoid, first and second relay means coupled electrically to each other and to said second microswitch and also coupled electrically to said means for rotating said first hub and cooperatively providing an event - sequenced electric signal to said means for rotating said hub to change rotational direction in response to said signal, an air pressure source, third conduit means connecting said pressure source to said air jets, tape loop chambers disposed on opposite sides of said threading guide means and one each below said first and second hubs and pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source, tape loop chamber solenoid means pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source means, said tape loop chamber solenoid means also electrically coupled to said first microswitch means, said tape loop chamber solenoid means operable in response to electric signals from said first microswitch to supply vacuum to said tape loop chamber, and a tape brake disposed in face-to-face relationship below said means for guiding said tape and pneumatically coupled to said vacuum source, said tape brake supplied with vacuum pulling the tape to the brake surface, causing friction between tape and brake surface for braking said tape in response to vacuum in Said vacuum source.