Magnetic tape transport

Claim 1

A tape transport assembly for a cassette tape cartridge comprising a base member including a pair of reel drive shafts for coupling to the reels of a cassette mounted thereon, said drive shafts each having portions for positively engaging the reels in a driving relationship when correctly coupled thereto and means operative upon rotation of the drive shafts for causing the correct and positive coupling of the reels and shafts to be effected, means mounted on the base member for releasably mounting a cassette tape cartridge having a pair of rotatable reels each mounting a plurality of spaced-apart reel driving elements for engaging the drive shafts and with tape extending between the reels and coupled to said reel drive shafts, a rotatable capstan mounted on the base member and extending therefrom so as to engage one side of the tape, means coupled to the capstan for rotatably driving same mounted on the opposite side of the base from the cassette mounting means, a head plate mounted on one side of the base member adjacent to the capstan and to allow movement toward and away from the capstan, said head plate mounting at least a single transducer and a pinch roller in spaced apart relationship to allow the pinch roller to rotatably engage the capstan with the tape therebetween, a radius arm pivotably mounted to the opposite side of the base member from the head plate and pivotably mounting the head plate, the head plate being pivotable with respect to the radius arm and movable therewith to allow the tape to be advanced from one reel to the other when the plate is swung towards the capstan and allowing the transducer to be operative on the advancing tape, means mounted on the base member for resiliently positioning the head plate relative to the base member and for urging it towards the cassette mounting means, control means mounted on the base member for moving the head plate toward the cassette to operatively position the transducer and pinch roller with respect to the tape and capstan, respectively, to allow a transducing operation on the tape; and for moving the head plate away from the pinch roller to allow the mounting and demounting of the tape cartridge on the base member; said control means including automatic means for moving the radius arm to pivot the transducer and pinch roller on the head plate away from the tape and capstan respectively to a spaced position sufficient to allow the tape of the tape cartridge to be transferred from one reel to the other reel of the tape cartridge, and means for detecting a preselected segment of the tape cartridge and signalling the detection of same, the preselected segment consisting of a light transmitting section and said detection means comprising a light emitting diode mounted on the base member adjacent the head plate for sensing the tape leader and an photoelectric sensor mounted opposite the diode for receiving the light from the diode through the light transmitting section for providing an output signal from the sensor representative of the detection of the light transmitting section of the tape, and the means for mounting the light emitting diode functions as a positioning member for locating the cassette tape cartridge on the base member.