US5019927A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotary cassette carousel
Assignee: Alvey Inc
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Filing: 1989-11-27
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Granted: 1991-05-28
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Expires: 2009-11-27
Abstract
Abstract A retrieval and sequencing system, preferably in the form of a tape cassette library is disclosed for automatically playing magnetic tape cassettes, such as video cassettes in regular television programming as well as spot broadcasting. The system includes a rotary cassette carousel for supporting, guiding and releasably receiving cassettes of the same or different size within cassette pockets. A multi-axis cassette transfer robot with a multi-axis cassette arm and associated gripper elements operates to automatically select and transfer cassettes from the rotary cassette carousel to a video cassette machine for playing or recording on cassettes, all of which are controlled and operated by a computer based programmable control system. One cassette is carried by one of the cassette gripper elements for loading into a video tape machine. The other cassette gripper element is used to remove a cassette from a video tape machine so as to allow the loaded cassette gripper element to then insert a cassette into an empty video cassette machine. The loading and unloading of the video cassette machine takes place in the immediate area of the video cassette machine, thus minimizing the time required for changeover and maximizing the time the video cassette machine can operate. The unloaded cassette is then inserted into the rotary cassette carousel into its assigned position. A mobile cassette storage rack may also be used with the aforementioned equipment to enhance up-dating of the rotary cassette carousel. A separate cassette loading port is included to allow for last minute cassette insertions into the system. The entire system is sufficiently flexible and adaptable to accommodate one or more rotary cassette carousels, mobile cassette storage racks, and video cassette playing machines.
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond J. Simone
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 00:00
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/675; G11B15/68; G11B15/6845; G11B15/687; G11B15/688; G11B17/00; G11B17/22; G11B17/225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A free standing rotary cassette carousel having a modular construction including a series of generally vertically directed strut members supported between upper and lower generally horizontally extending plates, each of said upper and lower plates having an outer circular periphery, said strut members being circumferentially spaced from each other in a predetermined arrangement about the circular periphery of said upper and lower plates, said strut members being formed to provide a plurality of cassette pockets arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, and said strut members capable of being re-arranged in various predetermined arrangements around the circular periphery of said upper and lower plates to enlarge or reduce the cassette pockets in order to accommodate larger or smaller cassettes as desired.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
A free standing rotary cassette carousel having a modular construction including a series of generally vertically directed strut members supported between upper and lower generally horizontally extending plates, each of said upper and lower plates having an outer circular periphery, said strut members being circumferentially spaced from each other in a predetermined arrangement about the circular periphery of said upper and lower plates, said strut members being formed to provide a plurality of cassette pockets arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, and said strut members capable of being re-arranged in various predetermined arrangements around the circular periphery of said upper and lower plates to enlarge or reduce the cassette pockets in order to accommodate larger or smaller cassettes as desired.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 1 wherein each adjacent pair of strut members are formed to provide each cassette pocket with horizontally extending supporting means, angularly offset guide means and circumferentially disposed retention means for horizontally supporting, guiding and retaining cassettes inserted into the open mouth of each cassette pocket.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 2 wherein cassette pockets in adjacent vertical columns have the same dimension.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 3 wherein cassette pockets in at least some adjacent vertical columns have different dimensions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 2 wherein cassette pockets in adjacent vertical columns have a different dimension, and cassette pockets in every other vertical column have the same dimension.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 2 wherein said guiding, supporting and releasably retention means have limited engagement with cassettes to facilitate insertion and removal of cassettes relative to said cassette pockets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 6 wherein said guiding, supporting and releasably retention means engage cassettes along and adjacent to opposite side surfaces thereof to permit exposure to the top and bottom of said cassettes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
168 words
A free standing rotary cassette carousel having a modular construction including a series of generally vertically directed strut members supported between upper and lower plates, each of said plates having an outer circular periphery, said strut members being circumferentially spaced from each other about the circular periphery of said plates in a variety of predetermined arrangements, adjacent strut members including a plurality of cassette pockets each having a circumferentially disposed open mouth and being arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, said cassette pockets being formed by said cooperating pairs of generally vertically directed strut members to provide vertically aligned cassette pockets in each cooperating pair of strut members and horizontally aligned pockets in circumferentially adjacent cooperating pairs of strut members, each of said cooperating pairs of strut members providing each cassette pocket with cooperating generally horizontally extending supporting means, angularly offset guide means and circumferentially disposed retention means for horizontally supporting, guiding and retaining cassettes inserted into the open mouth of each cassette pocket.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
168 words
A free standing rotary cassette carousel having a modular construction including a series of generally vertically directed strut members supported between upper and lower plates, each of said plates having an outer circular periphery, said strut members being circumferentially spaced from each other about the circular periphery of said plates in a variety of predetermined arrangements, adjacent strut members including a plurality of cassette pockets each having a circumferentially disposed open mouth and being arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, said cassette pockets being formed by said cooperating pairs of generally vertically directed strut members to provide vertically aligned cassette pockets in each cooperating pair of strut members and horizontally aligned pockets in circumferentially adjacent cooperating pairs of strut members, each of said cooperating pairs of strut members providing each cassette pocket with cooperating generally horizontally extending supporting means, angularly offset guide means and circumferentially disposed retention means for horizontally supporting, guiding and retaining cassettes inserted into the open mouth of each cassette pocket.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein said circumferentially disposed retention means comprise resilient retention fingers extending from each pair of cooperating strut members for each cassette pocket to facilitate releasably engagement of cassettes inserted into each cassette pocket.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 9 wherein said resilient retention fingers are proximately mounted relative to said angularly offset guide portions for cooperative association therewith.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein the horizontally extending supporting means for each strut member have a limited predetermined dimension for underlying only part of a cassette inserted in the cassette pocket to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of cassettes therein.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein said generally horizontally extending supporting means includes first and second spaced co-planar supporting sections integrally connected to each strut member and providing horizontal support for said cassettes when said generally horizontally extending supporting sections of cooperating pairs of strut members underlie said cassettes on opposite sides thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein said angularly offset guide means includes integral angularly outwardly offset portions of each strut member adjacent to the open mouth of each cassette pocket.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein each strut member opposite the open mouth of each cassette pocket includes a stop portion to limit the amount of insertion into each cassette pocket.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 8 wherein adjacent non-cooperating strut members have circumferentially extending surfaces over which a facia covering is mounted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
188 words
A rotary cassette carousel including a plurality of cassette pockets each having a circumferentially disposed open mouth and being arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, said cassette pockets being formed by a plurality of cooperating pairs of generally vertically directed strut members mounted to said carousel to provide vertically aligned cassette pockets in each cooperating pair of strut members and horizontally aligned pockets in circumferentially adjacent cooperating pairs of strut members, each of said cooperating pairs of strut members providing each cassette pocket with cooperating generally horizontally extending supporting means, angularly offset guide means and circumferentially disposed retention means for horizontally supporting, guiding and retaining cassettes inserted into the open mouth of each cassette pocket, said plurality of cooperating pairs of strut members being mounted on a base drive plate, a drive shaft connecting said drive plate to drive means positioned below said drive plate, said drive means including a direct current servo motor coupled to transmission means, a hollow shaft extending from said transmission means and receiving said drive shaft, and quick disconnect means for disconnecting the hollow shaft from the drive shaft.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
188 words
A rotary cassette carousel including a plurality of cassette pockets each having a circumferentially disposed open mouth and being arranged in a series of vertical columns and horizontal rows, said cassette pockets being formed by a plurality of cooperating pairs of generally vertically directed strut members mounted to said carousel to provide vertically aligned cassette pockets in each cooperating pair of strut members and horizontally aligned pockets in circumferentially adjacent cooperating pairs of strut members, each of said cooperating pairs of strut members providing each cassette pocket with cooperating generally horizontally extending supporting means, angularly offset guide means and circumferentially disposed retention means for horizontally supporting, guiding and retaining cassettes inserted into the open mouth of each cassette pocket, said plurality of cooperating pairs of strut members being mounted on a base drive plate, a drive shaft connecting said drive plate to drive means positioned below said drive plate, said drive means including a direct current servo motor coupled to transmission means, a hollow shaft extending from said transmission means and receiving said drive shaft, and quick disconnect means for disconnecting the hollow shaft from the drive shaft.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
The rotary cassette carousel as defined in claim 16 including angular position sensor means for sensing the angular position of the carousel and control means for stopping and starting the direct current servo motor for predetermined orientation and positioning of specific cassette pockets relative to particular location.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4275425A
Cited
US4271440A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-05-27 | 1994-11-26 | 1995-05-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-05-27 | 1998-11-26 | 1999-05-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-05-27 | 2002-11-26 | 2003-05-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |