Cassette-to-cassette duplicator

Claim 2

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette; said magazine assembly comprising a magazine receiver mounted on said base and a magazine detachably mounted therein, said magazine being for containing a plurality of magnetic tape-containing duplicate cassettes for delivering them sequentially to said changer assembly, said magazine being mounted at an acute angle relative to the horizontal so said duplicate cassettes are urged by gravity toward said changer assembly at a force determined by said angle.

Claim 3

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 1 wherein: said magazine has side walls and a bottom and has a flexible conveyor belt slidably mounted thereon for urging cassettes toward said changer assembly.

Claim 4

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 2 wherein: a constant tension spring is connected to said conveyor belt to resiliently urge duplicate cassettes toward the discharge end of said magazine.

Claim 5

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; said magazine assembly comprising a magazine receiver mounted on said base and a magazine detachably mounted therein, said magazine being for containing a plurality of magnetic tape containing duplicate cassettes for delivering them sequentially to said receiving position on said changer assembly, said magazine having a floor and said floor being acutely angled with respect to said base at an angle between 5 and 30 degrees, said duplicator having a front and having a back, with said floor being angled downwardly in said duplicator from said front toward said back; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette.

Claim 6

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; said magazine assembly comprising a magazine receiver mounted on said base and a magazine detachably mounted therein, said magazine being for containing a plurality of magnetic tape containing duplicate cassettes for delivering them sequentially to said receiving position on said changer assembly, said magazine having a floor and said floor being acutely angled with respect to said base at an angle between 5 and 30 degrees, said duplicator having a front and having a back, with said floor being angled downwardly in said duplicator from said front toward said back; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette.

Claim 7

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette is delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette; said changer assembly comprising a track, said track extending from a position adjacent the receiving position at the discharge end of said magazine assembly to a position adjacent said tape transport, said tape transport having a capstan rotatable on an axis, said track being oriented with respect to said base to move a cassette from said magazine assembly toward said tape transport and oriented to an acute angle between 5 and 30 degrees with respect to a plane normal to said axis so that said cassette is so oriented during such movement.

Claim 8

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette is delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette; said changer assembly comprising a track, said track extending from a position adjacent the receiving position at the discharge end of said magazine assembly to a position adjacent said tape transport, said tape transport having a capstan rotatable on an axis, said track being oriented with respect to said base to move a cassette from said magazine assembly toward said tape transport and oriented to an acute angle between 5 and 30 degrees with respect to a plane normal to said axis so that said cassette is so oriented during such movement.

Claim 9

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; said magazine assembly comprising a magazine receiver mounted on said base and a magazine detachably mounted therein, said magazine being for containing a plurality of magnetic tape containing duplicate cassettes for delivering them sequentially to said receiving position on said changer assembly, said magazine having side walls and a bottom and having a flexible conveyor belt slidably mounted thereon for urging cassettes toward said changer assembly; said magazine receiver having a bottom and said magazine having a cassette follower and an eye below said magazine floor and above said bottom, said conveyor belt interconnecting said follower and eye, a tension cable, a spring connected to said tension cable, said tension cable having a hook at one end above said bottom and engaging said eye so as to resiliently urge said conveyor belt to discharge cassettes from said magazine and also urge said follower to keep said cassettes upright, said eye being disconnectable from said hook so that said magazine can be detached and removed from said magazine receiver; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette.

Claim 10

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; said magazine assembly comprising a magazine receiver mounted on said base and a magazine detachably mounted therein, said magazine being for containing a plurality of magnetic tape containing duplicate cassettes for delivering them sequentially to said receiving position on said changer assembly, said magazine having side walls and a bottom and having a flexible conveyor belt slidably mounted thereon for urging cassettes toward said changer assembly; said magazine receiver having a bottom and said magazine having a cassette follower and an eye below said magazine floor and above said bottom, said conveyor belt interconnecting said follower and eye, a tension cable, a spring connected to said tension cable, said tension cable having a hook at one end above said bottom and engaging said eye so as to resiliently urge said conveyor belt to discharge cassettes from said magazine and also urge said follower to keep said cassettes upright, said eye being disconnectable from said hook so that said magazine can be detached and removed from said magazine receiver; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette.

Claim 11

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 6 wherein: said magazine has a floor and said floor is acutely angled with respect to said base at an angle between 5 and 30 degrees, said duplicator having a front and having a back, with said floor being angled downwardly in said duplicator from said front toward said back.

Claim 12

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 7 wherein: said changer assembly comprises a track, said track extending from a position adjacent the receiving position at the discharge end of said magazine assembly to a position adjacent said tape transport, said tape transport having a capstan rotatable on an axis, said track being oriented with respect to said base to move a cassette from said magazine assembly toward said tape transport and oriented to an acute angle between 5 and 30 degrees with respect to a plane normal to said axis.

Claim 13

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 8 or 5 wherein: said track is mounted on a guide plate which is mounted on said base, and a shuttle is mounted to be movable in a direction along said track, said shuttle having engagement means thereon for engaging a cassette on said track for moving the cassette along said track.

Claim 14

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 9 wherein: said cassette engagement means comprises finger means, said finger means being resiliently mounted with respect to said shuttle so that said finger means can advance a cassette while said shuttle is moving in an advance direction and pass a cassette while said shuttle is moving in a return direction.

Claim 15

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 10 wherein: said finger means comprises first and second fingers; said first finger engages a first duplicate cassette at said receiving position on said changer assembly for moving said first duplicate cassette to said position adjacent said tape transport; said second finger engages said first duplicate cassette at said position adjacent said tape transport, after said first duplicate cassette has been returned thereto subsequent to recording, for moving said first duplicate cassette to a cassette discharge position; and said first finger engages a second duplicate cassette at said receiving position on said changer assembly for moving said second duplicate cassette to said position adjacent said tape transport while said second finger is moving said first duplicate cassette to said cassette discharge position.

Claim 16

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 11 wherein: said shuttle is mounted in a channel and said channel is mounted on said guide plate so that said finger means extend over said guide plate to engage a cassette.

Claim 17

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 8 or 5 wherein: said tape transport includes a cassette carriage, said cassette carriage being pivotally mounted on said base and movable from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position, said cassette carriage being in line with said track when in its cassette receiving position.

Claim 18

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 13 wherein: a cassette on said track and on said cassette carriage can move past said capstan when said cassette carriage is in its cassette receiving position and the cassette is engaged on said capstan when said carriage is moved to its cassette recording position.

Claim 19

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 14 wherein: said changer has a shuttle therein for moving a cassette from adjacent said magazine assembly to said cassette carriage and said shuttle is connected to said cassette carriage so that, when said shuttle is in one position, said cassette carriage is in a cassette receiving position and, when said shuttle is in another position, said cassette carriage is in a cassette recording position.

Claim 20

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 15 wherein: a drive link is positioned to be engaged by said shuttle and actuated when said shuttle is in its retracted position where it can advance a cassette from adjacent said magazine assembly, said drive link being connected to said cassette carriage so that, when said shuttle is in its retracted position, said cassette carriage is in its cassette recording position.

Claim 21

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 16 wherein: said shuttle has first and second fingers thereon for engaging cassettes on said track for moving cassettes along said track; said first finger engages a first duplicate cassette at said receiving position on said changer assembly for moving said first duplicate cassette to said position adjacent said tape transport; said second finger engages said first duplicate cassette at said position adjacent said tape transport, after said first duplicate cassette has been returned thereto subsequent to recording, for moving said first duplicate cassette to a cassette discharge position; and said first finger engages a second duplicate cassette at said receiving position on said changer assembly for moving said second duplicate cassette to said position adjacent said tape transport while said second finger is moving said first duplicate cassette to said cassette discharge position.

Claim 22

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette, said tape transport having a rotatable capstan therein, said rotatable capstan defining an axis, said cassette carriage being positioned adjacent said capstan so that movement of said cassette carriage moves a cassette into engagement position by said capstan.

Claim 23

A cassette-to-cassette duplicator comprising: a base; a magazine assembly mounted on said base, said magazine assembly being for the sequential feeding of duplicate cassettes, each including magnetic tape, for the sequential recording of information on the magnetic tapes therein; a changer assembly mounted on said base and positioned to receive cassettes from said magazine assembly, said changer assembly having means thereon for moving duplicate cassettes from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position; and a tape transport, said tape transport including a cassette carriage into which a duplicate cassette is delivered by said changer assembly, said tape transport having a tape recording position into which said cassette carriage delivers a duplicate cassette, said tape transport also having a separate cassette playback position at which a master cassette can be played back, said tape transport having drive means for driving both the master cassette and the duplicate cassette delivered by said cassette carriage so that information pre-recorded on said master cassette can be recorded onto said duplicate cassette, said tape transport having a rotatable capstan therein, said rotatable capstan defining an axis, said cassette carriage being positioned adjacent said capstan so that movement of said cassette carriage moves a cassette into engagement position by said capstan.

Claim 24

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 18 wherein: said cassette carriage moves from a cassette receiving position to a cassette recording position, said cassette carriage being pivoted with respect to said base so that in its cassette receiving position it is positioned at an acute angle between 5 and 30 degrees with respect to normal from said axis to its position when said capstan can engage said cassette when said cassette carriage is at a position substantially normal to said axis.

Claim 25

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 19 wherein: said cassette carriage is channel-shaped having a resiliently mounted side wall for engaging a cassette.

Claim 26

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 20 wherein: said tape transport has a single capstan shaft and has a capstan extending on each end thereof, said capstans respectively being for engaging tape in a master tape cassette in a tape playback position and tape in a receiving tape cassette in a tape recording position in said cassette carriage.

Claim 27

The cassette-to-cassette duplicator of claim 21 wherein: said capstan shaft is rotatably mounted in first and second tape transport assembly plates which are rigidly spaced from each other to firmly support said capstan shaft.