GB1332478A - Automated changer-player for magnetic tape cartridge recordings - Google Patents

Abstract

1332478 Automatic cartridge changing/playing J A BRITZ 11 Nov 1970 [13 April 1970] 53671/70 Heading G5R An automatic tape cartridge changer-player has a step driven rotary drum store, and cartridges therefrom may be played back selectively and sequentially. The step drive for the drum 26 comprises a solenoid actuated ratchet wheel and pawl system 51, as in Figs. 1, 3, (Fig. 3, not shown), the solenoid 65 being arranged in a make and break circuit (Fig. 10, not shown) to obtain the step pulses. When a cartridge 45 has been rotated to a position 45A, it may be transferred to a holder 87 at a position 45B by a rod 119 in a motorized transfer system 111, Figs. 1, 2 (Fig. 2, not shown). The holder. 87 is then rocked to a position 45C (Fig. 4), to engage the cartridge with a tape deck 72, an activating pin 94 on an arm 97 (Fig. 1) being moved by a motor 108 via a shaft 106 and disc 105. The forward track of the tape is then played back by deck 72 and at the end of the tape a metal strip (205, Fig. 10) makes a contact (207, 208) to cause activation of the motor 108 to rock the holder 87 to a position 45D; a deck 73 then plays the reverse trunk. A tape strip (213) then causes the motor 108 to rock the holder back to position 45B whereupon the transfer system 111 is activated to return the cartridge to the drum. For cartridge selection purposes, a disc 141 has a series of spaced pins 145 which may be pressed or not pressed selectively and manually, or may be pressed automatically but non-selectively, (by a lever 151 as in Fig. 7, not shown), so that contacts 148, 149 of a switch 146 may or may not be made. :The transfer system 111 is then operated, or not operated, accordingly. The tape deck motors 75, 81 (Fig. 4) are controlled according to the angular positions of cams 131-134 (Fig. 1) on the shaft 106.