Tape transport with fast forward speed

Claim 1

In a transport mechanism for driving a tape from reel to reel selectively at recording-playback speed or fast speed, said transport mechanism having a capstan drive for driving the tape at recording-playback speed and a take-up drive means for one of the reels to drive the tape at a fast speed, said take-up drive means including a friction device which slips when said capstan drive is engaged to absorb the varying differential between recording-playback speed and the higher speed at which said one reel is driven via said take-up drive means, the combination comprising: a capstan drive for the tape including a capstan and a shiftable pressure roller movable into and out of engagement with said capstan, a movable lever carrying said pressure roller for shifting movement, said lever being displaceable from a first position in which said capstan drive is engaged with said pressure roller pressing the tape against said capstan, to a second position in which said tape is released from said capstan drive and said pressure roller is located away from the tape, a magnetic head for recording or playback of sound recording on the tape, a support for said head movably carried for movement independently of said lever, said support being displaceable from a first position in which said head is engaged with the tape, to a second position in which said head is located away from the tape, and actuator means for sequentially shifting said support and said lever from their first to their second positions to move the head away from the tape before releasing the tape from said capstan drive for transport at fast speed from reel to reel by said take-up drive means.