Cassette transport system with drive reel locking means

Claim 2

A cassette for storing elongated material, such as tape, operable on a transport member having both transport releasable means for releasing the elongated material in the cassette for recoding and retrieval of information and means for moving the elongated material, comprising: a cassette housing member; means for supporting the elongated material in the housing including at least one reel for winding the elongated material thereon; locking means on the housing for contacting the reel to both support the reel, and maintain a fixed relative position of the reel and the elongated material, when the cassette is not operatively mounted on the transport member; and means on the housing, including at least a portion of the housing that is relatively movable away from the reel, for coacting with the transport releasable means, responsive to the cassette being operatively mounted on the transport, both to release the reel to permit movement of the elongated material on the reel for recording and retrieval of information and to remove any support of the reel and the elongated material by the housing.

Claim 3

A cassette as in claim 1 further including at least one roller in the housing member for guiding the elongated material and said locking means coacting with the transport releasable means also releases the roller from a stationary position relative to the housing member to permit movement of the elongated material for retrieval and storage of information responsive to the cassette being operatively mounted on the transport member.

Claim 4

A cassette as in claim 2 wherein the means for releasing both the reel and the roller relative to the housing member includes a movable cover member mounted on and part of the housing member, the movable cover member engaging the reel and roller during storage to maintain them relatively stationary and releasing them during the retrieval from and storage of information on the elongated material.

Claim 5

A cassette as in claim 3 further including means for resiliently biasing the cover member to be recessed position in the housing member to contact and maintain the rollers and reel in an stationary storage position.

Claim 6

A cassette as in claim 3 wherein a portion of the reel is serrated and the cover member has cooperating serrated edges for holding the reel to prevent relative movement during storage.

Claim 7

A cassette as in claim 3 wherein a second reel and a second roller are positioned in the housing member and are engaged by the movable cover member to prevent relative movement during storage.

Claim 8

A cassette as in claim 2 wherein the reel includes at least one flange extending within the cassette housing member and said locking means includes at least a pair of housing side walls and resilient means interconnecting the housing side walls for biasing the side walls towards each other, at least one side wall engaging the flange of the reel and the roller during storage to maintain them relatively stationary and further releasing them responsive to said cassette housing member being operatively mounted on the transport member when at least one of the side walls is relatively moved against the bias of the resilient means.

Claim 9

A cassette as in claim 7 wherein the resilient means incudes at least one spring biased positioning pin interconnecting the side walls of the cassette housing.

Claim 10

A cassette as in claim 7 wherein the locking means includes a flange on the reel for engaging a portion of the housing member.

Claim 11

A high speed information recording, retrieval and storage system comprising: a cassette housing member; elongated material capable of receiving, storing aNd transmitting information; means for supporting the elongated material in the housing member inclusing at least one reel and at least one roller; a transport member for receiving the cassette housing member; means on the transport member for transcribing on and receiving information from the elongated material; locking means on the cassette housing member including at least a portion of the housing member that maintains the reel and roller in a fixed unmovable position relative to the housing member when the cassette is not operatively mounted on the transport member and is movable away from the reel and roller to release the elongated material when the cassette is operatively mounted on the transport member; means on the transport member for coacting with the locking means on the housing member responsive to the cassette being operatively mounted to the transport member for moving said portion of the housing member to release the reel and roller from their fixed unmovable position to permit movement of the elongated material; means on the transport member for engaging and suspending the reel and roller within the housing member and permitting them to be driven independent of any contact with the housing member during the retrieval from and storage of information on the elongated material; and means on the transport member for driving the reel.

Claim 12

A high speed information recording, retrieval and storage system comprising: a cassette housing member; elongated material capable of receiving, storing aNd transmitting information; means for supporting the elongated material in the housing member inclusing at least one reel and at least one roller; a transport member for receiving the cassette housing member; means on the transport member for transcribing on and receiving information from the elongated material; locking means on the cassette housing member including at least a portion of the housing member that maintains the reel and roller in a fixed unmovable position relative to the housing member when the cassette is not operatively mounted on the transport member and is movable away from the reel and roller to release the elongated material when the cassette is operatively mounted on the transport member; means on the transport member for coacting with the locking means on the housing member responsive to the cassette being operatively mounted to the transport member for moving said portion of the housing member to release the reel and roller from their fixed unmovable position to permit movement of the elongated material; means on the transport member for engaging and suspending the reel and roller within the housing member and permitting them to be driven independent of any contact with the housing member during the retrieval from and storage of information on the elongated material; and means on the transport member for driving the reel.

Claim 13

An information system as in claim 10 wherein the reel has at least one flange extending within the housing member and the locking means includes a movably mounted cassette side wall on the cassette housing to permit relative movement away from the reel flange and roller to permit an independent suspension of the reel and roller for rotation during the retrieval from and storage of information on the elongated material.

Claim 14

An information system as in claim 11 wherein the locking means includes a spring biased member attached to the side wall and the means on the transport for coacting with the locking means on the housing further includes a movable member for forcing the spring biased member to move the cassette side wall for releasing the reel and roller.

Claim 15

An information system as in claim 10 further including means for maintaining a uniform elongated material speed including a speed sensor means mounted on the transport for generating an elongated material speed signal.

Claim 16

An information system as in claim 13 where the means for maintaining a uniform elongated material speed further includes a circuit means for applying the elongated material speed signal to the means for driving the reel to provide a servo braking of the elongated material through the reel.

Claim 17

An information system as in claim 14 where the speed sensor means includes an optic disk rotatably connected to the roller, a light source providing a beam of light and an optical tranducer means for receiving the light beam and generating a speed signal, the optical disk positioned in the path of the light beam between the light source and optical transducer means and interrupting the continuity of the light beam in a sequence proportional to the rotation of the roller.