Apparatus for manipulating a magnetic tape cartridge and the magnetic tape contained therewithin

Claim 1

A tape drive within an openable housing for receiving a magnetic tape cartridge having a magnetic tape therewithin, said tape having a leader block at one end of said tape, comprising: a. a motor for providing rotary motion via an output shaft of said motor; b. means, operative responsively to rotation of said output shaft, for i. opening said housing for insertion of said cartridge thereinto and thereafter closing said housing responsively to further rotation of said output shaft after said cartridge has been inserted into said housing; c. means, operative responsively to rotation of said output shaft, for moving said housing, with said cartridge therewithin, from a cartridge insertion/ejection position into a tape withdrawal/rewind position at which a reel within said cartridge is drivingly engaged by a second motor and a leader block at one end of said tape is pivotally engaged by a lever means, for selective withdrawal of said tape from said cartridge and rewind of said tape thereinto; and moving said housing and said cartridge therewithin from said tape withdrawal/rewind position to said cartridge insertion/ejection position after said tape has been rewound into said cartridge opening said housing; d. means, operative responsively to rotation of said output shaft, for said lever means operating responsively to said output shaft rotation for pivotally engaging and thereafter moving said leader block and said tape attached thereto, when said housing and cartridge are at said tape withdrawal/rewind position, along a preselected path passing adjacent a tape read/write head to a position at which said leader block engages a take up reel for winding of said tape thereon upon rotation of said take up reel, said lever means pivotally engaging said leader block while said tape is wound onto or off of said take-up reel; e. cam means for guiding said lever means in a manner that said leader block and said tape attached thereto move along said preselected path; f. means, operative responsively to rotation of said output shaft in a direction opposite to said first direction, for ejecting said cartridge from said housing after said housing moving means has moved said housing and said cartridge therewithin from said tape withdrawal/rewind position to said cartridge insertion/ejection position and has opened said housing.