Cassette tape transport with universally adjustable head

Claim 2

In a cassette tape transport, a housiNg having a panel for detachably mounting a cassette in operating position, a sound transducer head mounted on a support member and engageable with a run of tape in said cassette, means enabling universal adjustment of said head relative to said run of tape including: a mounting block; means supporting said head on said mounting block for movement toward and away from said run of tape; adjusting screw means connecting said mounting block to said support member on each side of said head, said adjusting screw means on one side consisting of a single screw establishing the level of a zener axis parallel to the plane of said run of tape, said adjusting screw means on the other side consisting of a pair of screws flanking said zener axis; whereby the azimuth of said head relative to the tape may by changed by adjusting either of said adjusting screw means to pivot the mounting block about an azimuth axis intersecting the other of said adjusting screw means; whereby further the zener of said head relative to the tape may be changed by adjusting either or both of said pair of screws to pivot said mounting block about said zener axis; and whereby still further the transverse position of said head relative to the tape may be changed by adjusting all three screws.

Claim 3

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 1 in which a lock screw is provided within a triangular area determined by said three screws and is effective to jack said mounting block outward relative to said support member to a limit determined by said three screws.

Claim 4

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 1 in which compression spring means is interposed between said support member and said mounting block to bias said block outward against limits determined by said three screws.

Claim 5

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 3 in which said compression spring means comprises an individual compression spring associated with each of said three screws.

Claim 6

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 1 in which guide bars are mounted on said support member and have parallel sidewalls substantially perpendicular to said run of tape and engaging the sides of said support member to thereby limit sidewise movement of said head

Claim 7

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 5 in which each of said guide bars has a pair of spaced, parallel guide fingers flanking and guiding the edges of said tape when the cassette is in said operating position.

Claim 8

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 6 in which one end of each said guide bar is limitedly movably fastened to said support member and the other end is movable by an adjusting screw acting between said guide bar and said support member, an opening is provided in said other end to provide access for a tool engageable with said adjusting screw to vary the centered position of said guide fingers relative to said run of tape, and a locking screw is provided acting between each of said guide bars and said supporting member.

Claim 9

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 7 in which each said adjusting screw is threaded into a tapped bore in said support member, each said adjusting screw having an outer end abutting an inner face of the respective guide bar, and said opening in each guide bar is aligned with the respective adjusting screw to enable access to said adjusting screw by a wrench inserted through said opening.

Claim 10

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; said head being universally adjustable by supporting means including a mounting block carried at the free end of said swing arm supporting said head in a position to engage the tape when said cassette is in its said operating position, and means for adjustably moving said head on said mounting block toward and away from the tape; and adjusting screw means connecting said mounting block to said swing arm on each side of said head, said adjusting screw means on one side consisting of a single screw establishing the level of a zener axis parallel to said tape, said adjusting screw means on the other side consisting of a pair of screws flanking said zener axis; whereby azimuth adjustment of said head may be made by adjusting either of said adjusting screw means to pivot the mounting block about an azimuth axis intersecting the other of said adjusting screw means; whereby zener adjustment of said head may be made by adjusting either one or both of said pair of screws to pivot said mounting block about said zener axis; and whereby the transverse position of said head relative to the tape may be changed by adjusting all three screws.

Claim 11

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; said head being universally adjustable by supporting means including a mounting block carried at the free end of said swing arm supporting said head in a position to engage the tape when said cassette is in its said operating position, and means for adjustably moving said head on said mounting block toward and away from the tape; and adjusting screw means connecting said mounting block to said swing arm on each side of said head, said adjusting screw means on one side consisting of a single screw establishing the level of a zener axis parallel to said tape, said adjusting screw means on the other side consisting of a pair of screws flanking said zener axis; whereby azimuth adjustment of said head may be made by adjusting either of said adjusting screw means to pivot the mounting block about an azimuth axis intersecting the other of said adjusting screw means; whereby zener adjustment of said head may be made by adjusting either one or both of said pair of screws to pivot said mounting block about said zener axis; and whereby the transverse position of said head relative to the tape may be changed by adjusting all three screws.

Claim 12

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 9 in which a set screw is provided acting between said mounting block and said swing arm and is located in a triangular area defined by said three screws.

Claim 13

In a cassette tape transport the combination of claim 9 in which spring means is provided between said swing arm and said mounting block.

Claim 14

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 11 in which an individual spring is provided for each screw.

Claim 15

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 9 in which guide bars are mounted on said swing arm having sidewalls substantially perpendicular to said run of tape in said cassette and engaging opposite sides of said head.

Claim 16

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 13 in which each of said guide bars has a pair of spaced guide fingers extending toward said tape and flanking and guiding the edges of said tape when the cassette is in said operating position and said swing arm is in an operative position determined by either of said solenoid means.

Claim 17

In a cassette tape transport, the combination of claim 14 in which each pair of said guide fingers comprises pins mounted in parallel cylindrical recesses formed in an end surface of one of said guide bars.