Rotary magnetic head and guide drum assembly with reduce mounting height

Claim 1

A rotary magnetic head device for magnetic tape comprising: a first tape guide drum fixedly supported on a supporting shaft; a second tape guide drum supported for rotation relative to said supporting shaft in a facing relation to said first tape guide drum having a surface arranged for engagement with said magnetic tape, said second tape guide drum having an interior and having a magnetic head mounted thereon; a third tape guide drum mounted in a facing relation to said second tape guide drum; a connecting member for connecting and securing said third tape guide drum to said first tape guide drum, thereby forming a drum assembly with said second guide rotatably arranged between said first and third guide drums; wherein a peripheral edge portion of said third tape guide drum not contacted by the magnetic tape is cut-away, whereby a first diagonal dimension of said drum assembly from a point on said third tape guide drum whereat said peripheral edge portion is cut-away to a peripheral edge portion of said first tape guide drum in a cross-section through the axis of rotation thereof is reduced relative to another diagonal dimension substantially normal to said first diagonal from a peripheral edge portion of said third tape guide drum to a peripheral edge portion of said first tape guide in said cross-section thereof, thereby to reduce the height of the rotary head device in an inclined orientation with said cut-away edge portion forming an uppermost edge of said assembly; and a rotary transformer having a rotor part mounted within the interior of said second tape guide drum and having a stator part attached to said third tape guide drum in a facing relation to said rotor part, so that said rotary transformer is enclosed by said second tape guide drum.