US4089488A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tape transport apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-04-16
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Granted: 1978-05-16
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Expires: 1996-04-16
Abstract
Abstract A tape transport apparatus comprising a drive pulley, a driven pulley, a belt of an elastic material passing about the drive and driven pulleys, a supply and a takeup roll of pliable tape both urged against the belt at substantially diametrically opposite sides of the driven pulley. When the belt runs, a tensioned portion and a slackened portion are formed in the belt at the opposite sides of the pulleys. The slackened and tensioned portions are in frictional contact with the supply and takeup rolls, respectively, to rotate them so that the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll and wound onto the takeup roll. The tensioned belt portion has a smaller cross-sectional area than the slackened belt portion so that the former portion runs at a higher speed than the latter. The speed difference causes the tape to be wound on the takeup roll at a higher speed than where it is withdrawn from the supply roll until the tape becomes properly tensioned between the supply and takeup rolls.
Inventors
- 👤 Kiyosi Isikawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:36
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/18; G11B15/26; G11B15/28; G11B15/295; G11B15/60; G11B15/66; G11B15/67; G11B23/00; G11B23/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
A tape transport apparatus comprising a supply hub on which a length of pliable tape is wound to form a supply roll thereon; a takeup hub onto which the tape that is unwound from said supply roll is wound to form a takeup roll on said takeup hub; a drive pulley; a driven pulley paired with said drive pulley; an endless belt passing about said drive and driven pulleys so that said belt when driven forms relatively slackened and tensioned portions that exhibit a difference in speed, said slackened belt portion being in frictional contact with a peripheral turn of said tape on said supply roll so as to rotate said supply roll thereby causing said tape to be paid out therefrom and said tensioned belt portion being in frictional contact with a pheripheral turn of said tape on said takeup roll so as to rotate said takeup roll thereby causing the paid out tape to be wound onto said takeup roll; the speed difference between said tensioned and slackened belt portions tending to cause the tape to be wound onto said takeup roll at a faster rate than the rate at which said tape is withdrawn from said supply roll, thereby tensioning said tape running between said supply and takeup rolls; and resilient means for urging said supply and takeup rolls toward said belt, said resilient means being arranged with respect to said driven pulley and said belt so that the peripheral turn of the tape on said supply roll is initially brought into said frictional contact with the slackened portion of said belt at the point at which said belt initially joins said driven pulley, and so that the peripheral turn of said takeup roll separates from said frictional contact with the tensioned portion of said belt at the point at which said belt leaves said driven pulley.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
A tape transport apparatus comprising a supply hub on which a length of pliable tape is wound to form a supply roll thereon; a takeup hub onto which the tape that is unwound from said supply roll is wound to form a takeup roll on said takeup hub; a drive pulley; a driven pulley paired with said drive pulley; an endless belt passing about said drive and driven pulleys so that said belt when driven forms relatively slackened and tensioned portions that exhibit a difference in speed, said slackened belt portion being in frictional contact with a peripheral turn of said tape on said supply roll so as to rotate said supply roll thereby causing said tape to be paid out therefrom and said tensioned belt portion being in frictional contact with a pheripheral turn of said tape on said takeup roll so as to rotate said takeup roll thereby causing the paid out tape to be wound onto said takeup roll; the speed difference between said tensioned and slackened belt portions tending to cause the tape to be wound onto said takeup roll at a faster rate than the rate at which said tape is withdrawn from said supply roll, thereby tensioning said tape running between said supply and takeup rolls; and resilient means for urging said supply and takeup rolls toward said belt, said resilient means being arranged with respect to said driven pulley and said belt so that the peripheral turn of the tape on said supply roll is initially brought into said frictional contact with the slackened portion of said belt at the point at which said belt initially joins said driven pulley, and so that the peripheral turn of said takeup roll separates from said frictional contact with the tensioned portion of said belt at the point at which said belt leaves said driven pulley.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said belt is made of an elastic material so that the cross-sectional area of said tensioned belt portion becomes smaller than that of said slackened belt portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said belt is made of rubber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said belt is made of synthetic rubber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further including a plurality of guide pins for defining a path along which said tape is transported from said supply roll to said takeup roll.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said tape is a magnetic tape and a magnetic head is provided in said guide path so as to be in contact with said tape being transported along said path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said supply hub is mounted adjacent one side of said driven pulley for movement toward and away from said slackened portion of said belt and wherein said takeup hub is mounted adjacent a side of said driven pulley that is generally diametrically opposite to said supply hub for movement toward and away from said tensioned portion of said belt, and wherein said resilient means comprises a spring provided between said supply and takeup hubs to urge them toward each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said supply hub is rotatably mounted on a first arm swingable about a pivoted end and said takeup hub is rotatably mounted on a second arm swingable about a pivoted end, and said spring has its opposite ends respectively connected to said first and second arms to pull them toward each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
88 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tape has a lead tape annexed to the outer end thereof; and further including means for increasing the force with which said resilient means urges said takeup roll toward said belt while said lead tape is wound onto said takeup hub, thereby increasing the difference between the speed of said tensioned belt portion, and that of said slackened belt portion when said lead tape is being wound onto said takeup hub so as to increase the tension on said lead tape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
112 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said supply hub is rotatably mounted on a first arm swingable about a pivoted end and said takeup hub is rotatably mounted on a second arm swingable about a pivoted end, and wherein said resilient means comprises a first spring connected between said first and second arms to urge said supply and takeup rolls against said belt, and wherein said means for increasing the force comprises an extension on one end of said second arm and means connected to said extension and operable when said lead tape is being wound onto said takeup roll for urging said second arm and said takeup roll toward said belt.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means connected to said extension comprises a solenoid, a plunger operated by said solenoid when energized and a second spring connecting said plunger to said extension, said plunger when operated by said solenoid moving said extension via said second spring to urge said second arm and said takeup roll toward said belt.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 11, further including a control circuit which produces an output signal to energize said solenoid for a predetermined period of time from the start of the winding of the lead tape onto said takeup roll.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said control circuit includes a timer that establishes said predetermined period of time during which said output signal energizes said solenoid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further including a manually operable switch adapted to be operated when the winding of said lead tape is started to produce a signal to cause said control circuit to produce said output signal for said predetermined period of time.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-05-15 | 1981-11-14 | 1982-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-05-15 | 1985-11-14 | 1986-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-05-15 | 1989-11-14 | 1990-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |