Cassette tape transport with pivotally supported universally adjustable head and upright front-mounted cassette

Claim 2

In a cassette tape transport, a housing having an outside wall with means for detachably supporting a cassette on said wall in an operating position where a run of tape in said cassette is adjacent a capstan carried by said wall; a swing arm pivoted on said housing supporting a pinch roller in alignment with said capstan, and supporting a head, for swinging movement of said pinch roller and head toward and away from the tape in the cassette; spRing biasing means, main solenoid means, and auxiliary solenoid means supported and acting between said housing and said swing arm; said spring biasing means urging said swing arm in a direction to move said pinch roller and head away from said capstan; said main solenoid means being effective when energized to move said swing arm against said spring biasing means sufficiently to engage said head and pinch roller with the tape and press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan; said auxiliary solenoid means being effective when energized to move said swing arm against said spring biasing means sufficiently to engage said head with the tape but insufficiently to press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan.

Claim 3

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 1 in which dashpot means is supported and acting between said housing and said swing arm to cushion the movement of said swing arm.

Claim 4

In a cassette tape transport the combination of claim 1, having a continuously visible, highly accessible mounting for a cassette on a front wall of said housing comprising: a capstan and a pair of spindles extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable respectively with tape and a pair of reels in a cassette in an upright operating position flush against the front surface of said front wall; means for holding a cassette in said operating position including a pair of stationary locating pins extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable within openings in the cassette, and a spring plate having an inclined forward end portion also extending forwardly from said front wall which is engageable with the bottom forward edge of the cassette and is deflectible during insertion and removal to and from said operating position; and an automatic retaining plate hinged to said front wall above the cassette in said operating position, and being pivotally movable between a closed position against the upper outer surface of the cassette and an open position swung outwardly free of said cassette, overcenter spring means acting between said retaining plate and said front wall holding said retaining plate stably in either position, and an extension carried by said retaining plate which engages a cassette in response to insertion thereof into said operating position to automatically move said retaining plate to its said closed position.

Claim 5

In a cassette tape transport, a housing having a front wall, a continuously visible, highly accessible mounting for a cassette comprising: a capstan and a pair of spindles extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable respectively with tape and a pair of reels in a cassette in an upright operating position flush against the front surface of said front wall; means for holding a cassette in said operating position including a pair of stationary locating pins extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable within openings in the cassette, and a spring plate having an inclined forward end portion also extending forwardly from said front wall which is engageable with the bottom forward edge of the cassette and is deflectible during insertion and removal to and from said operating position; and an automatic retaining plate hinged to said front wall above the cassette in said operating position, and being pivotally movable between a closed position against the upper outer surface of the cassette and an open position swung outwardly free of said cassette, overcenter spring means acting between said retaining plate and said front wall holding said retaining plate stably in either position, and an extension carried by said retaining plate which engages a cassette in response to insertion thereof into said operating position to automatically move said retaining plate to its said closed position; an arm movably mounted in said housing, and supporting a pinch roller aligned with said capstan, and supporting a head, and means for moving said arm to move said pinch roller and head toward and away from a tape within a cassette in said operating position; and said means for moving said arm having means for selectively moving said arm to a first position to engage said head and pinch roller with the tape and press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan, and to a second position to engage said head with the tape but insufficiently to press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan.

Claim 6

In a cassette tape transport, a housing having a front wall, a continuously visible, highly accessible mounting for a cassette comprising: a capstan and a pair of spindles extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable respectively with tape and a pair of reels in a cassette in an upright operating position flush against the front surface of said front wall; means for holding a cassette in said operating position including a pair of stationary locating pins extending forwardly from said front wall and engageable within openings in the cassette, and a spring plate having an inclined forward end portion also extending forwardly from said front wall which is engageable with the bottom forward edge of the cassette and is deflectible during insertion and removal to and from said operating position; and an automatic retaining plate hinged to said front wall above the cassette in said operating position, and being pivotally movable between a closed position against the upper outer surface of the cassette and an open position swung outwardly free of said cassette, overcenter spring means acting between said retaining plate and said front wall holding said retaining plate stably in either position, and an extension carried by said retaining plate which engages a cassette in response to insertion thereof into said operating position to automatically move said retaining plate to its said closed position; an arm movably mounted in said housing, and supporting a pinch roller aligned with said capstan, and supporting a head, and means for moving said arm to move said pinch roller and head toward and away from a tape within a cassette in said operating position; and said means for moving said arm having means for selectively moving said arm to a first position to engage said head and pinch roller with the tape and press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan, and to a second position to engage said head with the tape but insufficiently to press the tape into frictional driving engagement with said capstan.

Claim 7

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 4 in which: a light source is provided in one locating pin; a light sensor is provided in said swing arm in position to receive light from said source through a clear leader at either end of the tape; and said retaining plate is hinged to a cover plate attached to said front wall and functions as a light shield over said light senser.

Claim 8

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 4 in which said spring plate is mounted along a bottom wall of said housing and is fastened to said housing bottom wall remote from said front wall enabling the entire length under said housing to be deflectible by a cassette upon insertion or removal.