US3254856A - Transducing machine - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1966 c s 3,254,856

TRANSDUCING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l o o S Y MPHO N Y No. 1 0 q 0 INVENTOR.

War/1' (4/21/45 I A TTOR YS June 7, 1966 CAMRAS TRANSDUGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1961 \\l l lllhllll h Q 3 y MA TTRzvEYs QQN United States Patent 3,254,856 TRANSDUCING MACHINE Marvin Camras, Glencoe, 111., assignor to IIT Research Institute, a corporation of Illinois Filed July 17, 1961, Ser. No. 124,683 11 Claims. (Cl. 24255.13)

pending application is of a uniquely simple configuration and comprises an ordinary spool having means thereon for retaining the end of a record medium threading portion therewith regardless of the point about the periphery of the spool at which the free end of the threading por tion is located. One embodiment of the invention involves a spool having peripheral shoulder portions projecting axially inwardly from the peripheral edges of the flanges and' defining a slot narrower than the width of the threading portion of the record medium but greater than the width of the active portion of the record medium. Since the confronting petipheral shoulder portions are symmetrical about the central axis of the spool, the end of the threading portion may be located at any point about the circumference of the spool and still be effectively retained by the confronting shoulder portions.

Such a single spool cartridge has unique advantages over other types of magazines which have been proposed.

For example, magazine units having two spools permanent- 1y therein are relatively bulky and costly and unreliable and are not compatible with existing conventional machines. An endless band type magazine has the disadvantage that the record must be run through entirely to return to the beginning of the record, that is the direction of movement of the record cannot be reversed. Records of any considerable length are likely to bind and jam the supply system, and the record must be hand threaded or else the magazine must be relatively costly and contain relatively unreliable parts. This endless band type magazine is also not generally compatible with conventional machines.

The single spool magazine of the type shown in my copending application has other important functional advantages in that the magazine may be of circular configuration and minmum overall dimensions, as compared with a single spool magazine requiring separate housing walls in addition to its spool mechanism. A particularly important advantage of the symmetrical type single spool cartridge as disclosed in my copending application resides in the fact that the cartridge may be inserted onto the transducer machine in any desired angular orientation and thus may be simply dropped into a slot or the like, for example while driving or carrying out some other function requiring constant attention. Such asingle spool cartridge of the symmetrical type also has unique advantages in adapting itself to an extremely simple automatic changer mechanism such as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 41,860, filed July 11, 1960, now Patent No. 3,197,150, and also has significant advantages in computer applications and the like where a large number of cartridges must be stored and rapidly selected as disclosed in my copending application Serial No.- 97,590, filed March 22, 1961, now Patent No. 3,134,550.

In my previous automatic threading machines, a pre- 3,254,856 Patented June 7, 1966 threaded tape-like leader has been arranged along the transducing path and connected to the take-up reel and has been adapted to be engaged with a suitable coupling part on the end of the record medium threading portion so as to lead the record medium from the single spool cartridge along the transducing path and onto the take-up reel. The present invention relates to mechanism for directly disengaging the threading portion of the record medium from the single spool cartridge and leading the threading portion to a take-up device without the necessity for a pre-threaded tape-like leader. By the construction of the present invention, much more rugged parts may be utilized and the pre-threaded leader which is subject to wear and deterioration with repeated use is eliminated. Further, by the present invention, the take-up device may be a single spool cartridge configuration identical to the cartridge configuration placed on the supply position of the machine. In this manner, the number of different parts to be produced is dirninshed and at the same time the flexibility of the system is greatly enhanced. Furthermore, the system of the presentinvention is fully compatible with existing tape transport mechanisms and simply requires the addition of a few operating parts without any change in the existing tape transport mechanism itself.

It is therefore an important 'object of the the present invention to provide a novel automatic threading transducer machine which does not require a pre-threaded leader.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel single spool cartridge for an automatic threading transducer machine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic threading mechanism which may be applied to existing tape transport mechanisms without requiring substantial reconstruction thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for stripping the end of a threading portion of a single spool cartridge from the cartridge and conducting the same along a transducing path to a position for engagement with a take-up device, either manually or automatically.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for automatically engaging a threading portion of a record medium with a take-up device.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken .in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view of an automatic threading transducer mechanism in accordance with the present invention, the mechanism being particularly adapted to a magnetic transducing function by way of example;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the single spool cartridge for the embodiment of FIGURE 1, with a portion of the spool broken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the take-up reel of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontalsectional View illustrating the manner in which the record medium threading portion is automatically engaged by the take-up reel;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one form of tape threading portion for the embodiment of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of a modified takeup reel construction;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the automatic threading mechanism of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of a suitable 3 electric control circuit for the embodiment of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 9 is a somewhat diagrammatic horizontal sectional view of a device for use with a manually threaded machine and which serves to strip the record medium from a single spool cartridge upon manual rotation of the cartridge as well as pressing the record medium back into engagement with the cartridge as the record medium is being rewound onto the cartridge.

A single spool cartridge 10 is illustrated in FIGURE 2 by Way of example which is substantially the same as the cartridge illustrated in my Patent No. 3,025,011. This cartridge has a central hub portion 11 and a pair of end flanges 12 and 13 with confronting axially inwardly extending shoulder portions 14 and 15 defining an annular slot therebetween of width less than the width of an outer tape-like threading portion 16 of the record medium but greater than the width of the active portion of the record medium indicated at 17 in FIGURE 5 which is wound on the hub 11 inwardly of the outer threading portion 16. The record medium 17 may comprise a tape base with a layer of magnetizable particles thereon and the tape base may be suitably secured to a gradually tapering portion 15a of the outer threading portion 16.

In handling of the cartridge 10, the free end of the threading portion or leader 16 which is indicated at 16b in FIGURE 5 is retained radially inwardly of the confronting shoulder portions 14 and 15 so as to prevent unwinding of the record medium from the cartridge. The threading portion 15 is preferably substantially thicker than the active portion of the record medium and while being sufficiently flexible to be readily wound onto the cartridge 16 has a substantial stiffness in comparison to the active portion of the record medium so as to facilitate its automatic threading by the mechanism of the present invention. The threading leader must also have sufficient flexibility so as to curl or bow across its width as it is pulled between the confronting shoulders 14 and 15.

The hub portion of the single spool cartridge may be provided with a conventional central axial aperture 20 and with conventional radial slots such as 21 for engaging a driving tooth associated with the supply spindle 24. Preferably the supply single spool cartridge is entirely symmetrical with respect to a central diametric plane at right angles to the axis of the cartridge so that the cartridge may be inverted and unwound from a take-up spindle of a conventional magnetic tape recorder, for example. The cartridge spool itself is, of course, symmetrical with respect to any central axial plane in the plane of the central axis of the spool so that the cartridge may be placed on the supply spindle 24 in any random orientation.

The illustrated transducer mechanism may utilize the tape transport of any conventional magnetic tape recorder, for example, and may include a suitable magnetic erasing head 30, a suitable magnetic recording and/or playback head 31, a suitable capstan drive shaft 33 and a suitable shiftable capstan pressure roller 34 which may be shiftable toward and away from the capstan shaft 33 as indicated by double headed arrow 35 to selectively engage the tape in driving relation to the capstan 33. The transducer mechanism may also be provided with a take-up spindle receiving a take-up reel 41. The take-up reel may comprise a central cylindrical hub portion 43 and a pair of end flanges 44 and 45 which in the illustrated embodiment omit the confronting shoulder portions such as indicated at 14 and 15 on the supply cartridge 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the flanges 44 and 45 are uniformly spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the threading portion 16 so as to freely receive the threading portion between the flanges. The hub portion 43 is provided with a central aperture 46 and radial slots such as indicated at 47 for engaging with a suitable driving jaw associated with the take-up spindle 40. The takeup spindle 40 may be of a conventional construction such as found on present magnetic tape recorders.

In order to provide an automatic threading function, a number of parts may be applied to a conventional tape transport mechanism including guide members 50, 51 and 52 positioned along the transducing path at the inactive side of the tape and' a guide member 53 adjacent the supply position and at the active side of the transducing path. The guides are of configuration and position so as to insure that the threading portion 16 of the record medium will be led along the transducing or threading path and into proximity to the take-up reel hub 43 during the threading operation. Ledges have been indicated at a, 51a and 52a on guides 50, 51 and 52 at the level of the inner faces of lower flanges 12 and 45 of spool 10 and reel 41, respectively, for underlying and slidingly supporting the lower edge 166 of threading portion 16 during its threading movement. If required, threading feed rollers 56 and 57 may be provided between the guides 50 and 51 for engaging with the free end of the threading portion 16 as it is led from the supply cartridge 10 and for thereafter impelling the threading portion along the transducing or threading path to a position adjacent the take-up reel 41.

Referring to FIGURE 7, a finger 61 is illustrated pivotally mounted at 61 and having a relatively pointed end portion 62 which is adapted to fit in the slot between the confronting flanges or shoulder portions 14 and 15 of the cartridge so as to ride on the threading portion 16 of the cartridge and engage under the free end 16b of the threading portion to force the threading portion out of engagement with the cartridge shoulders 14 and 15 and along the threading path. A compression spring is illustrated at 64 tending to urge the finger in the clockwise direction about pivot 61 so as to press the pointed end 62 against the outer layer of the threading portion 16 on the cartridge 10.

Suitable means are provided for rotating the cartridge 10 in the counterclockwise direction during the threading operation, and in the illustrated embodiment, this drive means comprises a drive roller having a frictional driving surface for engaging the rim portion 12a of the flange 12 so as to rotate the cartridge about the axis of spindle 24. The cartridge drive roller '70 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 72 and is carried on a mounting arm 73 which is pivotal about a fixed pivot pin 75. A compression spring 76 urges the mounting arm '73 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction about the pivot so as to press the drive roll 70 into driving engagement with the rim 12a of the cartridge 10.

The threading feed roller 56 is mounted by means of a shaft 80 on a mounting arm 81 which is pivotally mounted on a fixed shaft 82. The arm 81 is urged to rotate in'the clockwise direction about pivot 82 by means of a compression spring 84 so as to press the threading feed roller 56 toward the idler feed roller 57 which is rotatable on a fixedly mounted shaft 87.

Drive roller 70 and feed roller 56 are illustrated as being driven by means of a suitable motor having an output shaft 91. The shaft 51 carries a V-pulley 93, FIGURE 7, which is coupled to a V-pulley 94 by means of a suitable V-belt 95 for driving of the roller 70. Similarly, a second V-pulley on motor shaft 91 drives a pulley 99 on shaft 80 by means of a stretchable rubber belt 100 so as to drive the feed roller 56.

The motor shaft 91 also carries a drive pinion which meshes with a large gear 111 mounted on a fixed shaft 112 so as to rotate a cam member 114 in the clockwise direction during the threading operation. The gear ratio between gears 110 and 111 is selected so that the cam member 114 makes one complete. revolution during a threading operation. Thus, by the time the free end 16b of the threading portion 16 of the record medium reaches a position as indicated in FIGURE 1 in coupling relation to the take-up reel 41, the cam portion 114 engages the cooperating ends 60a, 73a and 81a, FIG- URE 7, of mounting arms 60, 73 and 81 so as to move the stripping finger 62, the drive roller 70 and the threading roller 56 to inoperative positions. The cam portion 114 may also actuate a suitable switch operating button 120 of a switch 121 so as to deenergize the motor 90 at the end of the threading operation. This motor may be started by momentarily pressing a push button 122, FIG- URE 8, to initiate the threading operation, or automatically when a new cartridge is put into place by hand or by a changer.

Thus, feed of the threading portion 16 of the record medium from cartridge is interrupted when the end 1611 of the threading portion reaches theposition shown in FIGURE 1. At this time, the take-up reel 41 has rotated so as to engage its teeth 130 in apertures 131 in the end of the threading portion 16. The teeth 130 may have sloping leading edges as indicated at 130a in FIGURE 4 so as to force the end of the threading portion radially inwardly into conforming relation to the hub 43.

When button 120 of switch 121 is actuated by cam 11 4, switch contacts 132 and 133 are shifted to the left as seen in FIGURE 8 against the action of spring 134 to deenergize threading motor 90 and discontinue low speed energization of take-up motor 135, and to operate the transducing machine for a normal transducing operation.

As indicated in FIGURE 4, teeth 130 may have a radial extent substantially greater than the thickness of threading portion 16. The second layer of threading portion 16 on hub 43 will form a smooth cylindrical configuration by resting on the outer tips of the teeth as indicated at 137 in FIGURE 4. The teeth may be uniformly spaced about the entire circumference of hub 43 and apertures 131 will be limited to a length 160 of threading portion 16 equal to the circumference of hub 43. The non-apertured part 16d of threading portion 16 may have a length exceeding the outer circumference of spool 10 to close all of the apertures 131 when thread-v ing portion 16 is on cartridge 10, but in any event will have a length at least equal to one circumference of takeup reel hub 43. Thus, leader 16 preferably has a length substantially equal to an integral number (two or greater) times the take-up hub circumference.

When the take-up reel has been properly engaged with the end of the threading portion 16, the capstan pressure roller 34 may be shifted to press the record medium against the capstan 33 so as to begin the transducing operation, the take-up spindle 40 being driven at a sufficient speed to maintain an appropriate tension on the record medium beyond the capstan 33 as is conventional.

Suitable felt pressure pads may be provided operating through windows in the guide 51 so as to press the tape into stable coupling relation to the heads 30 and 31 as in a conventional magnetic tape recorder.

' The path of tape 17 from supply reel 10 is indicated at 140 in FIGURE 7 for maximum tape diameter on cartridge 10 and at 141 for minimum tape diameter with the finger 'in its extreme counterclockwise position as determined by the action of the cam portion 114 and as indicated at 60'. The spool shaft 24 may be located in relation to finger 60 so that the tape clears finger 60 even when the tape is at the level of the inner hub of spool 13 as indicated in FIGURE 7; but it has been found that the finger 60 may ride on the tape, especially if it is shaped so that a sharp bend does not occur in the tape as indicated in FIGURE 1.

As examples of modification of the preferred embodiment which may be suitable under certain conditions it may be noted that the single spool cartridge 10 may have only a single annular shoulder defining the slot such as shoulder 14 and that the other shoulder 15 may be omitted, flange 13 having a plane inner face.

As a further alternative, the take-up reel 41 may have a construction identical to supply cartridge 10, and suitable means may be provided for forcing the end of the threading portion 16 between the confronting shoulders corresponding to the shoulders 14 and 15 in FIGURE 2. For example, the tape threading portion 16 may be led along a path tangential to the outer periphery of the take-up reel during threading operation. Thereafter a pivotally mounted finger may press the threading portion 16 radially inwardly between the confronting shoulders such as 14 and 15 of the take-up reel, the arm of course having a width less than the width of the slot between the confronting shoulders on the take-up reel. The threading portion 16 could be pressed against teeth by means of the pivotally mounted finger-as the take-up reel was rotated to initiate winding of the threading portion on the take-up reel as in the embodiment of FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1, a finger is indicated at which is pivotally mounted on a fixed shaft 171 and is urged in the counterclockwise direction by compression spring 172. The finger 170 may have longitudinal slots therein at portion 170a thereof which accommodate the moving rows 175, 176 and 177, FIGURE 3, of teeth 130. In this case the finger 170 will directly engage the threading portion 16 and press the same against the surface of hub 43. If finger 170 is of solid cross section at portion 170a thereof, it will ride on the tips of teeth 130 but still serve to engage threading portion 16 therewith.

As a further alternative, utilizing a take-up reel with confronting peripheral shoulders such as shoulders 14 and 15 of the supply cartridge 10, the threading portion may be twisted by means of suitable retractible guides as it is fed along the path indicated in FIGURE 1 and between the flanges of the take-up reel 41.

As a further modification, the take-up reel may have a suitable hook at the end of a short leader portion secured to the hub 43 so that the hook normally assumes a posi tion near the outer periphery of the reel 41. The leader portion would have a length equal to or less than the radius of the take-up reel, for example. portion would then have a cooperating aperture or the like so as to engage with the hook duringrotation of the take-up reel 41 after the threading portion had reached a position such as indicated in FIGURE 1.

Where both the supply and take-up reels are identical, threading portions such as indicated at 16 may be provided at each end of the active portion of the record medium and the supply cartridge and take-up reel may be inverted and interchanged to play a second channel on the record medium. In this case, the threading portions at the opposite ends of the record medium may have titles and the like printed thereon for example with a different color to distinguish each class of music so as to be visible when the corresponding channel is available for immediate play. One such title has been indicated on the leader of FIGURE 5. The label on the opposite threading portion would be upside down with respect to the label indicated in FIGURE 5 but would read from the free end of the threading portion in the same way as indicated in FIG- URE 5.

During rewind operation, it will be apparent that a suitable tuck-in finger or roller such as indicated at 180 'may be positioned to extend between the confronting peripheral shoulders 14 and .15 sufiiciently so as to press the end 16b of the threading portion behind the confronting shoulders at the end of the rewind operation in the same manner as described in my copending application Serial No. 41,860. Or the finger 60 may be rotated slightly in a clockwise direction-during rewind so that it extends inwardly enough to tuck in the leader. Or the shaft 24 may be moved downward slightly during rewind to bring finger 60 inside. After rewind these are restored out of the Way to allow easy loading of the cartridge.

It may be noted that the system would still have substantial utility even if, after the automatic threading of the threading portion to a position adjacent. the outer periphery The threading of the take-up reel, the tape were manually threaded with a take-up reel such as indicated in my copending application Serial No. 41,860, for example or engaged with teeth 130 by means of a manually operated pivotal finger such as finger 170 just described. In this event, the threading path would extend tangentially of but spaced from the take-up reel $1 for convenience of manual access to the end of the threading portion 16. The threading portion may simply be an extra wide portion of the non-magnetic base of a tape record medium rather than a special extra thick leader material, for example in the case where a take-up reel as shown in Serial No. 41,860 is utilized.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modified take-up reel 182 facilitating manual engagement of apertured end 16c of the threading portion 16 with teeth 130 on hub 4-3. The top flange 183 is cut away as indicated at 184 and 185 to expose teeth 130 from above the reel. The reel is otherwise identical to reel 41.

It will be noted that the automatic threading mechanism of FIGURE 1 is applicable to the case of a conventional spool of tape record medium where the end of the tape is self-adhesive to an adjacent convolution thereof, but may be stripped or peeled from such adjacent convolution by means of a tfinger as indicated at 60.

As further possible modifications, a take-up reel such as indicated at 51 having a spacing between the flanges equal or greater than the width of the threading port-ion '16 may have at the innermost peripheral portion thereof adjacent the hub 43 .a tapering width so as to be frictionally engaged with the threading portion when the threading portion is pressed radially into engagement with such tapering portion adjacent the hub by means of a pivotal finger for example. Many other means for engaging the threading portion with the take-up reel are of course possible.

The various automatic threading means of the present application are, of course directly applicable to the automatic changer mechanisms and to the automatic supply cartridge loading mechanism of my copending applications Ser. No. 801,403, Ser. No. 41,860 and Ser. No. 97,590.

Electric circuit FIGURE 8 show-s an electric control circuit for the embodiment of FIGURE 1 simply by way of example to illustrate the operation thereof. When the transducer mechanism is in a stop condition prior to receipt of a new cartridge, a portion of the surface of cam member 114 will be maintaining button 120 in its depressed position against the action of spring means 134. In this condition, contacts 132 and 133 are open and contact 200 is closed. Relay 2111 is un-latched to interrupt the circuit from low voltage line 2113 at contact 204 to prevent energization of relays 207 .and 208.

When start switch 122, FIGURE 8, is actuated, current is supplied from low voltage line 203 through the upper contact of the start switch to threading motor 90 to begin driving of timing gear 111. As soon as cam member 1 14 moves out of engagement with plunger 120, spring means 134 returns the plunger 120 to the right to close contacts 132 and 133 and open contact 200. This supplies voltage to threading motor 90 through contact *133 so that start switch 122 can be released. Closure of contact 132 supplies voltage from line 203 to takeup motor 135 driving take-up shaft 40, FIGURE 1, in the counterclockwise direction.

When threading portion 16 has reached a position approximately as shown in FIGURE 1, cam member 114 actuates plunger 120, to interrupt the supply of voltage to threading motor 90 and take-up motor 135 from low voltage line 203. Just prior to this time latching relay 2611 is actuated to latched condition :by any suitable means, for example a conductive film on the threading portion 16 such as indicated at 210 in FIGURE 8 bridging stationary contacts 211 and 212. Thus, when contact 201 is closed, voltage is supplied from low voltage line 2113 through contact 200 of switch 1-21 .and through contact 294 of relay 2111 to actuate relay 207 and close contacts 212, 213 and 2414 thereof. Voltage is now supplied from high voltage line 220 through the lower contact of start switch 122 and contact 213 to the forward energizing circuit of capstan motor 225, and through the lower contact 2114 of relay 207 to capstan roller shifting solenoid 227 Which serves to resiliently press roller 34 against the capstan 33 to initiate capstan drive of the tape in the forward direction. High voltage is supplied from line 2211 and upper contact 212 of relay 207 and upper contact 230 of relay 208 to the take-up motor 135 to drive the take-up shaft '40 at normal speed for a tr-ansducing operation to maintain the tape taut between the capstan 33 and the take-up reel 41.

When the tape has been substantially completely wound on the take-up reel 11, a conductive strip on an inner leader 232, FIGURE 2, connected to the cartridge 10 may bridge between contacts 235 and 236 to actuate a latching relay 2 10 and close a contact 24 1 thereof. This in turn actuates relay 2418 to energize a supply motor 245 drivin-gsupply shaft 24 and to drive capstan motor 225 in the opposite direction while deenergizing takeup motor 135. Relay contact 231 may also control energization of solenoid 251 which when energized shifts tuck-in roller in the upward direction as seen in FIGURE 1 or the rig-ht as seen in FIGURE 8 through the medium of compression spring 251. When the threading portion 16 has been almost completely rewound on the cartridge 10, conductive strip 2 10 bridges contacts 2611 and 2 6 1 to momentarily energize release solenoids 265 and 266 unlatching relays 2111 and 240 to deenergize all solenoids and relays and return the circuit to its initial condition.

Summary of operation In operation of the embodiment of FIGURE 1, a single spool cartridge such as indicated at 10 in FIGURE 2 is placed on the supply spindle 24. At this time, cam member 114 of gear 111 is actuating arms 60, 73 and 81. When the cartridge has been positioned either manually or mechanically, start switch 122, FIGURE 8, is momen tarily operated either manually or automatically to energize motor 9% and drive the gear wheel 111 in the clockwise direction to disengage the cam member 114 from its cooperating elements including button 120 of switch 121. When this has occurred, motor for the take-up shaft 40 is energized by a low voltage to begin slowly rotating reel 41 in the counterclockwise direction while roller 70 drives supply cartridge 10 in the counterclockwise direction and spring 64 causes stripping edge '62 to be pressed against the outer surface of threading portion 16 of the record medium on cartridge 10.

Presently, leading edge 16]), FIGURE 5, of threading portion 16 comes into engagement with the stripping edge 62 to disengage the threading portion 16 from the confronting shoulders 14 and 15, FIGURE 2. As the threading portion 16 is unwound from the cartridge 10 it is-led along the threading path. Motor 90' may also drive a feed roller 56 to assist in movement of the threading portion 16 along the threading path until the end of the threading portion reaches the position indicated in FIG- URE 1. At this time, cam member 114 moves stripping finger 60 to an inactive position such as indicated at 60' in FIGURE 7 and disengages feed roller 56 and supply cartridge drive roller 70. Also at this time, capstan pressure roller 34 is shifted to engage the tape with capstan 33 and normal driving torque i supplied to the take-up spindle 40 to begin a record transducing operation.

The leading edge of the threading portion 16 is tapered as indicated at 16 to facilitate movement of the threading portion between the flanges 44 and 45, FIGURE 3, of the 9 take-up reel. A pivotal finger 170 is indicated for holding the apertured end portion 16c of threading portion 16, FIGURE 5, against teeth 130 on the hub 43 of the takeup reel. Since the hub is rotating slowly in the counterclockwise direction during threading operation, the end of the threading leader 16 is fed between the hub 43 and the portion 170a of finger 170 and into engagement with the teeth to initiate winding of the threading portion onto the take-up reel 41.

During rewind operation, a tuck-in roller 180 may be shifted upwardly as seen in FIGURE 1 to press the threading portion 16 behind the confronting shoulders 14 and 15, FIGURE 2. At the end of the rewind operation, tuckin roller 80 may be returned to its position shown in FIG- URE 1 to facilitate removal of the cartridge from the spindle 20.

It may be noted that the take-up reel may be engaged with the threading portion 16 while rotating at its normal speed where the driving clutch for the take-up reel does not present an undue inertia and would allow the reel 41 to slow to a speed corresponding to the speed of movement of the threading portion 16 when the teeth 130 initially engage with the threading portion. Where low speed operation of the reel 41 is unnecessary during threading, the connection between contact 132 and threading motor 135 may be omitted, contact 212 of relay 207 may be omitted, and the high voltage line 220 may be connected directly to the take-up motor 135 under the con trol of contact 230.

As a further modification, it may be noted that threading between a supply cartridge 10 and a take-up reel 41 may be effected above the transducer path of a transducing machine, after which the supply cartridge, the take-up reel and the length of record medium therebetween may be allowed to drop vertically downwardly onto the transducer mechanism. This type of an arrangement would be applicable to a transducer machine of existing design without any changes of the transducer machine itself since the automatic threading mechanism can simply comprise a casing placed on top of the transducer mechanism. Such; an automatic threading mechanism may comprise a top cover plate generally coextensive with the side of the transducer mechanism having the supply and take-up spindles. The cover plate would have circular openings therein aligned with the supply and take-up spindles to accommodate insertion of the supply cartridge and takeup reel into positions directly above and aligned with the supply spindle and the take-up spindle respectively. Suitable means may initially retain the supply cartridge and take-up reel in spaced relation above the take-up spindle and the supply spindle and such means may comprise, for example, three rollers having lower flanges which normally underlie the respective supply and take-up reels and 'rotatably support the reels above the supply and take-up nism and a suitable spring urged finger such as indicated at 170 in FIGURE 4 may serve to engage the end of the threading portion with suitable teeth on the take-up reel. One of the rollers supporting the take-up reel may cause the take-up reel to rotate in a direction to Wind the record medium thereon. A shiftable bottom plate may normally close the bottom side of the threading path so as to support the record medium during the threading operation. This bottom plate may be shifted to register a slot therein with the threading path so as to allow the tape to drop into the transducing path of the transducer mechanism. At the same time, two or more of the rollers supporting each of the supply cartridge and the take-up reel may be shifted to allow the supply cartridge to drop onto the supply spindle and the take-up reel to drop onto the take-up spindle. The cover' plate may be designed to provide manual access to the supply and take-up cartridges for removal of the cartridges from the supply and take-up spindles after play of the record medium. The supply and take-up cartridges may be of identical configuration and inverted and interchanged to play a second channel on the record medium if desired.

FIGURE 9 shows a tuck-in abutment finger 330 pivotally mounted at 331 adjacent a fixed supply spindle 332 of a conventionally threaded machine. The cartridge 10 on the spindle 332 is of the same construction as shown in FIGURE 2 and has a tape leader 16 which is to be tucked behind annular shoulders such as indicated at 14 and 15 in FIGURE 2 as the tape is rewound onto cartridge 10 from a take-up reel such as 182 in FIGURE 6. The operative end of finger 330' is of a height to fit between the confronting shoulders 14 and 15 of cartridge 10. A spring 333 is connected between the finger 330 and a base plate 334 which carries pivot pin 331 to urge the finger in the clockwise direction. A stop pin 3-35 is carried by the plate 334 in such a position that end 330a will normally assume a position as shown in FIGURE 9 engaging the tape leader 16 radially inwardly of the outermost convolution thereof on the cartridge so as to be adapted to strip the free end 16b of the leader from the cartridge when the cartridge is manually rotated in the counterclockwise direction. During rewind the spring 333 will exert sufficient force to tuck. the end portion of leader 16 which is Wider than the record tape behind the annular shoulders 14 and 15.

During loading of a cartridge on spindle 332, finger 330 may be manually rotated in the counterclockwise direction to a position such as indicated in dotted outline at 330. After the cartridge is in place, finger 330 is released and the cartridge is manually rotated in the counterclockwise direction to cause the end of finger 330 to engage under end 16]) of tape leader 16 and force the leader out from behind shoulders 14 and 15 where it may be conveniently manually engaged and threaded, .the end of the leader being pressed into detachable engagement with a take-up reel such as 182 in FIGURE 6. The threading path is indicated at 336 in FIGURE 9. During rewind of the tape onto the cartridge 10, the leader 16 is automatically pulled out of engagement with the take-up reel 182 and pressed behind the shoulders 14 and 15 by the action of tuck-in finger 330.

If a larger spool is to be placed on supply spindle 332, the plate 334 together with finger 330 may be removed from its mounting channel 337 in the direction of arrow 338. The channel 337 may comprise a flat base portion 337a secured to the top panel of the machine, for example by double faced pressure sensitive tape. The base portion has flanges 3371) and 337a defining opposed channels for receiving the edges of base plate 334 in sliding relationship. One end of each channel is closed by staking flanges 33'7b and 3370 as indicated at 3370! and 337e. The plate 334 may be held in place in channel 337 by friction or any other suitable means.

FIGURE 9 hereof corresponds to FIGURE 5b of my Patent No. 3,197,150.

It will be apparent that many further modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the broad concepts of the present invention.

'1 claim as my invention:

1. A transducing machine comprising means for rotatably mount-ing a cartridge having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion at the outerend thereof, means cooperable with a cartridge on said mounting means for automatically disengaging said threading portion of the record medium from the cartridge, means located along a threading path of the machine for receiving the record medium from the automatic disengaging means and for guiding the threading portion of the record medium along the threading path to a take-up position, means for driving the record medium along the threading path during the threading operation, and means for automatically disengaging said driving means when the free end of the threading portion of the record medium reaches said take-up position.

2. A transducing machine comprising a supply reel drive, a take-up reel drive and elements defining a transducing path therebetween, a single spool cartridge disposed on said supply reel drive in coupled relation thereto and having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion and having means retaining the free end of the threading portion in detachable engagement with the cartridge, disengagement means positioned adjacent the supply reel drive and cooperable with the free end of the threading portion of the record medium on the cartridge to disengage the threading portion from said detachable engagement means of the cartridge, guide means located along the transducing path for receiving the record medium from the disengagement means and for guiding the record medium toward the take-up reel drive for coupling to a reel on the take-up reel drive and winding thereon, means for driving the threading portion along the transducing path during the threading operation, and timing means responsive to the feed of the threading portion of the record medium along said transducing path for automatically interrupting the threading portion driving means when the end of the threading portion reaches a position in proximity to the take-up reel drive.

3. An automatic threading transducing machine comprising a single spool cartridge having a record medium Wound thereon including a threading portion at the outer end thereof releasably held by said cartridge, means for rotatably mounting said cartridge, means for disengaging said threading portion from said cartridge and for moving said threading portion along a threading path in the transducing machine, means for automatically receiving and storing said record medium at the end of said threading path during the forward transducing operation and for supplying said record medium to the threading path for rewind onto said cartridge during a rewind operation, reengaging means for reengaging said threading portion with said cartridge during rewind operation and movable from an inactive position relative to said cartridge affording convenient loading of said cartridge on said rotatably mounting means to an active position relative to said cartridge for reengaging the threading portion with said cartridge, and means responsive to a predetermined condition of the record medium after unwinding thereof from said cartridge for automatically initiating rewind of the record medium onto said cartridge and for automatically shifting said reengaging means from said inactive position relative to said cartridge to said active position relative to said cartridge for reengaging the threading portion with the cartridge at the end of the rewind operation.

4. An automatic threading transducing machine comprising means for rotatably mounting a single spool cartridge having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion at the outer end thereof releasably held by said cartridge, means for disengaging said threading portion from said cartridge and for guiding the same along a threading path to a take-up position, a take-up device adjacent said take-up position for receiving said threading portion in detachable engagement therewith and for Winding said record medium thereon as it is unwound from said cartridge, said take-up device having means automatically engageable with said threading portion of said record medium at said take-up position for detachably coupling said record medium to said take-up device, means for initially driving said take-up device at a relatively low speed during coupling thereof with said threading portion, and means for driving said take-up device at a relatively higher speed after engagement of the threading portion with said take-up device.

5. A transducing machine comprising means for rotatably mounting a cartridge having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion at the outer end thereof releasably held by said cartridge, means for automatically disengaging said threading portion of the record medium from the cartridge and for guiding the threading portion of the record medium along a threading path to a take-up position, auxiliary means for driving the record medium along the threading path during the threading operation, releasable capstan driving means for engaging the record medium and driving the same along the threading path at a transducing speed, and means responsive to the threading portion of the record medium reaching said take-up position for automatically disengaging said auxiliary driving means and for automatically engaging said capstan driving means to begin a transducing operation with respect to the record medium.

6. The machine of claim 5 with said responsive means comprising means rotatable in synchronization with said cartridge and operable after rotation through a predetermined distance to automatically disengage said auxiliary driving means and to automatically engage said capstan driving means.

7. A single spool cartridge transducing machine comprising a single spool cartridge having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion at the outer end thereof releasably held by said cartridge, means for disen aging said threading portion from said cartridge and for guiding the threading portion along a transducing path to progressively unwind the record medium from said cartridge with the record medium occupying a locus of paths adjacent the cartridge as the record medium is progressively unwound therefrom, said threading portion disengaging means being located in spaced relation relative to said locus of paths and lying on the side of said locus of paths adjacent the path corresponding to a minimum amount of record medium on said cartridge.

3. The machine of claim 7 with said disengaging means comprising a member having a pointed end for stripping the free end of said threading portion from said cartridge.

9. The machine of claim 8 with means responsive to the threading portion being unwound from the cartridge a predetermined amount to automatically shift said member to a position clear of said cartridge but spaced from said locus of paths of said record medium adjacent said cartridge so that the record medium is out of contact with the pointed end of said member even when substantially completely unwound from said cartridge.

10. The machine of claim 9 with a reengagement member movable independent of said disengaging member and movable to a position to reengage the threading portion with the cartridge during rewind of the threading portion onto said cartridge while said disengaging member remains in said position clear of said cartridge.

11. An automatic threading transducing machine comprising means for rotatably mounting a single spool cartridge having a record medium wound thereon including a threading portion at the outer end thereof releasably held by said cartridge, means for disengaging said threading portion from said cartridge and for guiding the same along a threading path to a take-up position, a take-up device adjacent said take-up position for receiving said threading portion in detachable engagement therewith and for Winding said record medium thereon as it is unwound from said cartridge, said take-up device having means automatically engageable with said threading portion of said record medium at said take-up position for detachably coupling said record medium to said take-up device, means for initially driving said take-up device at a relatively low speed during coupling thereof with said threading portion, means for driving said take-up device at a relatively higher speed after engagement of the threading portion with said take-up device, and means responsive 13 14 to travel of the threading portion a predetermined distance 2,614,761 10/1952 Camras 242-541 along said threading path for automatically shifting the 2,891,736 6/1959 Blaes 24255.12 driving of said take-up device from said relatively low 3,001,025 9/1961 Gaubert. speed to said relatively higher speed. 3,006,650 10/ 1961 Ellmore.

5 References Cited by the Examiner MERVIN STEIN, Pn-mary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, DONALD W. PARKER, Examiners. 2,462,261 2/1949 Goloberg 24271.8

L. D. CHRISTIAN, G. F. MAUTZ,A '1 tE, 2,503,453 4/1950 Pratt et a1 "242-44 0 W mml'wrs

Claims (1)

1. A TRANSDUCING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING A CARTRIDGE HAVING A RECORD MEDIUM WOUND THEREON INCLUDING A THREADING PORTION AT THE OUTER END THEREOF, MEANS COOPERABLE WITH A CARTRIDGE ON SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGING SAID THREADING PORTION OF THE RECOND MEDIUM FROM THE CARTRIDGE, MEANS LOCATED ALONG A THREADING PATH OF THE MACHINE FOR RECEIVING THE RECORD MEDIUM FROM THE AUTOMATIC DISENGAGING MEANS AND FOR GUIDING THE THREADING PORTION OF THE RECORD MEDIUM ALONG THE THREADING PATH TO A TAKE-UP POSITION, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE RECORD MEDIUM ALONG THE THREADING PATH DURING THE THREADING OPERATION, AND MEANS FOR AUTO-

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