GB2162150A - Tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to enable communication by transmittal of a tape recorded video message, a studio or booth (10) is equipped with means for recording a message on video tape and for transferring the recorded message on to a tape cartridge which is adapted to be despatched, as by post, to a recipient equipped with a video recorder and a specially adapted cassette therefor with which the tape cartridge can be assembled for playback when the cassette is fitted into the recorder. The cartridge may be in the form of a single reel (Figure 3) or a twin spool cassette 61 which when fitted to the adaptor cassette 60 forms a conventionally sized cassette. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to Communication utilising Video Tape Field of the invention This invention relates to a system of communication utilising video tape and to video tape cartridges for use in said system.

Background to the invention As an adjunct to communication by letter or telephone, it is known to a first person wishing to send a message to a second person to record the message on audio tape, and despatch the cassette through the post for playback after delivery.

However, the same system cannot readily or usually be adapted for video tape, for a number of reasons. These include, first, the camera means enabling video tape recording is very expensive; second, a variety of non-compatible video tape recordal and playback systems exist, as well as different T/V systems; and third, video tape cassettes are in themselves relatively expensive and, due to their weight and bulk, are expensive to despatch through the post.

Object of the invention It is an object of this invention to provide a system which renders more practicable the possibility of communication utilising video tape.

The invention According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for communication utilising video tape comprises a studio or booth equipped with camera and recording means for recording on video tape, means for winding the recorded tape on to a tape cartridge adapted to fit onto a video tape cassette, and preferably means for packaging the loaded cartridge.

According to another aspect of the invention, a video tape cassette adapted to fit into a standard video recorder has a blank space for removably receiving a tape cartridge as a spool therein, and means on the other spool, which may or may not be removable, for enabling the attachment thereto and detachment therefrom of the leader of a tape pulled from a fitted cartridge.

According to another aspect of the invention, a video tape cassette adapted to fit a standard video recorder has at least one of its normal tape spools adapted to drive an idler wheel positioned and arranged to engage the drive of a supplementary tape cartridge when the latter is detachably fitted to the casing of said video tape cassette.

Broadly, therefore, the invention provides a publicly accessible booth or studio, for example in or attached to a shop, where a video tape can be recorded on payment of a fee. The person paying the fee will in return receive a packaged video tape spool ready for postal or like despatch. In the booth, the person may sit in front of the camera, with any selected background, and have recorded a video tape on which he appears, and at the same time have an associated sound track recorded with music and;or a message.

The person receiving the packaged video cartridge will be able to utilise a standard video recorder, equipped with a modified cassette which receives the video cartridge. In the case that the cartridge is a single spool received on one side of the cassette, the other side has a specially adapted spool to which a leader pulled from the loaded cartridge is readily attached. The tape on the cartridge can then be played, rewound and detached.

According to the type of T/V system and/or video recorder owned by the would be recipient, the person recording the tape will be able to select, at the recording booth or studio, the type of spool and recording system which is appropriate.

At the recording booth or studio, a preferred tape recording system will include a blank recording tape feed spool, a leader tape feed spool, a take-up spool, means for splicing leader tape to recording tape, and a message cartridge, such as a removable message spool, to which a recorded tape can be transferred from the take-up spool after cutting the recording tape on completion of the recorded message and preferably after splicing thereto a trailer tape drawn from the leader tape spool.

Control of the recording system, including the camera, may be by means of a human operator, but automatic control in an unmanned booth or studio is also envisaged. In the latter case, the user would make an initial selection,on a push-button panel, as to the length of recording required, the type of recording system and the type of message spool required, type of scenic background, type of sound accompaniment, etc.

For handling the recorded tape cartridge (single spool), a preferred video cassette will be of a modified standard type, i.e. being standard in its capability for use in a conventional video recorder, but will have a removable cover or the like which when removed or opened exposes on one side a space to which the recorded tape cartridge can be fitted. On the other side will be exposed an empty spool specially adapted for ease of tape attachment thereto and detachment therefrom. For example, an outer annular tape channel may be carried on a spider connected to a central hub, one arm of the spider incorporating a spring loaded element which is retractable to permit insertion or withdrawal of a tape leader and is adapted to grip an inserted tape leader on release from its retracted position.

Description of drawings In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a recording booth; Figures 2A to 2D show details of a video tape recording system in diagrammatic manner; Figure 3 shows a single spool video tape catridge; and Figure 4 shows a video tape cassette with a supplementary tape cartridge fitted thereto.

Description of embodiment Figure 1 shows a recording booth divided into a section 10 constituting a studio and a section 12 constituting a control room which is operator manned. The studio 10 is equipped with video camera 14, monitor screen 16, lighting means 18 and microphone 20. It may also be equipped with interchangeable scenic backdrops, sound effect transducers and other apparatus and devices which will assist in the recording of a video tape.

The control room 12 includes a console 22 for use by the operator and which has all the necessary control means for the camera, lights, microphone and other equipment which is operative in the studio. The control also includes a video tape recording and editing system.

The tape system is shown diagrammatically in Figures 2A to 2D, the successive figures illustrating the manner in which a video tape is prepared.

The system comprises a blank video tape feed spool 24, a recording head 26, a cutter and splicer 28, a take-up spool 30, a leader tape spool 32 and a message cartridge 34. In the drawings the cartridge 34 is the single spool type later described, but it could equally be an add-on video cartridge as also later described.

When a user in the studio is ready for the recording to commence, a length of leader tape is drawn on to the take-up spool 30 (Figure 2A) and then the beginning of the video tape is drawn from the feed spool 24, the leader tape is cut, and the video tape is spliced to the leader tape (Figure 2B).

Recording then takes place while the video tape is being wound on to the take-up spool 30. At the end of the recording period, typically from 2 to 10 minutes for example, the video tape is cut and a length of leader tape is attached to the trailing end of the cut video tape (Figure 2C). The completed video video tape, complete with leader and trailer, is then wound on to the message cartridge 34 (Figure 2D).

The loaded video tape cartridge is then packaged and given to the user ready for posting or analogous despatch to the person who is to receive the message which has been video recorded.

The recipient of the cartridge is able to play the tape on a standard video recorder. As the sender who has used the recording booth will know the type of T/V system and type of recorder used by the recipient, it presents no problem to ensure that the cartridge is correctly prepared, since the recording booth will be equipped for the preparation of tapes for the PAL, NTSC and SECAM T/V systems and for BETA, VHS and other major types of video recorder.

It is only necessary for the recipient to possess a special cassette for his recorder which is adapted to have the cartridge fitted thereto in a manner enabling playback.

One possible type of modified standard cassette adapted for the purpose is a cassette having a blank space. In this case, the cartridge prepared at the recording booth takes the form of a single spool of the form shown in Figure 3.

This comprises a hub 40 connected by spider arms 42 to an outer tape-receiving channel 44. One arm 42 of the spider incorporates a quick tape-attachment/detachment device 46 comprising a spring-loaded plunger 48 urged against a fixed jaw 50. The top flange of the tape channel 44 is cut away at 52 above the device 46 to ease access to said device 46. In the drawing, the cut-away 52 reveals the bottom ratchet wheel 54 of the spool.

The device 46 is to facilitate tape handling by the operator in the recording booth, but in like manner the other spool in the recipient's cassette (not shown) is provided with a similar device which enables the recipient, having loaded the received cartridge in to the blank space in the cassette, to draw out the leader on the tape and readily attach it to the said other spool. The cassette can then be inserted into the recorder and played in the normal way.

An alternative form of modified cassette, especially suited to VHS recorders, is shown in Figure 4.

This comprises a narrow version of a standard cassette, referenced 60, which is adapted to receive a twin spool tape cartridge 61 which builds the cassette up to its normal dimensions in which it fits the recorder. The base cassette 60 has no tape on its floating spools 62, but instead these spools drive idler wheels 64 which slightly project through the edge of the cassette casing. The supplementary cartridge 61, which is the cartridge which has been prepared in the recording booth by the sender,attaches to the base cassette 60 so that its tape carrying spools 66 are driven by the idler wheels 64.The cartridge 61 may conveniently fit slidably on to the edge of the base cassette 60 through interengaging tongue and groove fittings or the like, and the entire arrangement is designed to provide for rigidity and floating action of the operative parts, in analogous manner to a conventional cassette.

In the example described above, the recording booth is manned by an operator, but automatic booths are also envisaged. In this case the booth would be equipped for receipt of a given payment for a recording of given length, and the recording equipment would be powered when payment has been made. The user would himself have accessible to him a control panel analogous to the operator's control console described above, but the tape recording and editing system of Figures 2A to 2D would operate automatically responsively to a switch on the control panel.

Forms of modified cassette can be envisaged in addition to those described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, enabled by the fact that, unlike the standard video cassette, only a relatively short tape length has to be handled. The tape cassettes and cartridges of the invention may, therefore, also be suitable for use by video equipment owners having private facilities for making video recordings.

Claims (14)

1. A video tape communications system comprising a studio or booth equipped with a camera and recording means for recording on video tape, a tape cartridge adapted to fit detachably to a video tape cassette, and means for winding a recorded video tape on to the tape cartridge.

2. A system according to claim 1, including means for packaging the loaded cartridge.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tape cartridge is adapted for attachment to a video cassette to be driven when the cassette is fitted to a video recorder.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the tape cartridge comprises a tape spool adapted to fit detachably as one spool in a video tape cassette itself adapted to fit into a standard video recorder.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the tape cartridge comprises a supplementary tape cassette adapted to fit to a driving cassette and form a combination cassette adapted to fit into a standard video recorder.

6. A system according to claim 4, in combination with the video tape cassette, said cassette having a blank space adapted to receive the tape cartridge as one spool thereof and means on the other spool for enabling attachment thereto and detachment therefrom of the leader of the recorded tape on the tape cartridge.

7. A system according to claim 5, in combination with the driving cassette, said driving c lssette being devoid of tape but having at least one of its spools in driving engagement with an idler wheel positioned and arranged to engage a drive of the supplementary tape cartridge when the latter is fitted to said driving cassette.

8. A method of video tape recording, comprising the steps of a) drawing a length of leader tape on to a takeup spool, b) splicing a video tape drawn from a feed spool to the leader tape, c) recording a message on the video tape whilst transferring video tape from said feed spool to said take-up spool, d) cutting the video tape at the end of the message, e) splicing a length of leader tape to the trailing end of the recorded video tape, and f) winding the video tape from the take-up on spool to a tape cartridge adapted to fit detachably to a video tape cassette.

9. A method of video tape playback using a tape cartridge recorded according to the method of claim 8, according to which the video tape cartridge is fitted to a video tape cassette, the cassette is fitted into a video recorder, and the recorder is operated to drive the cassette and thereby cause playback of the tape cartridge fitted thereto.

10. A video tape cassette for use in the system of claim 1, comprising a cassette adapted to fit into a standard video recorder and having a blank space adapted to receive a tape cartridge in place of one spool, the other spool having means for the attachment thereto and detachment therefrom of a tape leader drawn from the cartridge.

11. A video tape cassette for use in the system of claim 1, comprising a driving cassette and a tape cartridge constituting a supplementary cassette adapted to fit to the driving cassette to form a combination cassette adapted to fit into a standard video recorder, the driving cassette being devoid of tape Dut having means for driving engagement with the supplementary cassette for playback of the tape thereof.

12. A video tape communications system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A video tape cassette arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of video tape recording on a tape cartridge substantially as hereinbefore described.