GB2112748A

GB2112748A - An apparatus for winding video tape on reels

Info

Publication number: GB2112748A
Application number: GB08235467A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshiharu Kubo
Original assignee: AWA ENG KK; Awa Engineering Co Ltd
Current assignee: AWA ENG KK; Awa Engineering Co Ltd
Priority date: 1981-12-16
Filing date: 1982-12-13
Publication date: 1983-07-27
Also published as: GB2112353A; GB2112353B; GB2112748B

Abstract

An apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette comprises a winding means (17-23) for winding video tape on the reels (4) and a feeding means for feeding a pair of reels (4) to the winding means (17,23), the winding means having two shafts (17,18) on which two reels (4) can be removably mounted, at least one of the shafts (18) being movable in the direction far away from the other (17), connecting means (19,20,28) for connecting tapes being provided so as to be able to be brought in and out of the passage of the movable shaft (18), the connecting means (19,20,28) being put out of the passage of the reels (4) when the reels (4) are being moved far away from each other, and with the reels (4) being spaced from each other, the connecting means (19,20,28) is brought in and out of the space between the reels (4) so as to connect the reel tape wound on the reels (4) with video tape. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB 2 112 748 A 1

SPECIFICATION

An apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette An apparatus f or winding long tape on reels of a video tape cassette and cutting a given length of the tape has been already practically used. However, in a conventional apparatus of this kind, though the tape lo is automatically wound and cut, reels cannot be automatically mounted on the winding apparatus but they are manually mounted one by one. There fore, this winding step requires many hands.

Since video tape cassettes are produced and sold in a large scale, it is very important that winding step is carried out at a high efficiency and smaller number of workers.

Further, it is convenientthat a pair of reels wound with video tape are transferred in the state of being close to each other when they are directly set into a cassette case by the winding means as well as when they are mounted on a tray and transferred.

Usually, with a pair of reels placed close to each other, a short reel tape preliminarily wound on the reels is drawn out and the drawn out part of the reel tape is connected with the video tape, and then the rear end of the video tape is cut and connected with the reel tape.

However, it is advantageous that such operation of the mechanism is apt to lack sureness, take too 95 much time and the efficiency is low.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette in which in winding video tape on a pair of reels the reels are spaced away from each other and the video tape is wound on the reels in this state so that the video tape is connected easily, surely and efficiently, and further by providing a mechanism for removing a member for connecting the video tape out of the course of the reels when the reels are transferred, the reels can be transferred rapidly and efficiently.

Brief summary of the invention

Now, examples of the present invention will be 110 described below with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are a front view and a side view of an example of an apparatus forwinding video tape on reels of a cassette according to the presnet 115 invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a holding member; Figures 4to 17 are schematical sectional views showing the process of winding video tape on the reels; Figure 18 is a front view of another example of the apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette according to the present invention.

An apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette shown Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a 125 transfer means which is a feeding means and a rotating arm, and a winding means.

In the transfer means, a conveyor 2 is used which transfers a tray on which reels are removably mounted to a feeding position i.e. transfer position 1 and away from an issue position i.e. transfer position 1, and the tray is transferred in the upright state.

The rotating arm 3 is equally spaced from the transfer positon 1 and the winding position 5, and carried by the shaft 6 in the plane including the transfer position 1 and the winding position 5 i.e. in the vertical plane in Figures 1 and 2 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 6. With this construction, when the rotating arm 3 rotates through 180 de- grees, the reels 4 in the transfer position 1 are transferred to the winding position 5 and the reels 4 in the winding position 5 transferred to the transfer position 1.

The shaft 6 of the rotating arm 3 is connected to a reduction motor 7 and rotated at a pitch of 180 degrees by the reduction motor 7. The shaft 6 can be somewhat displaced by a cylinder in the axial direction so as to take the clamped reels out of the winding means and the tray and then rotate, and thereafter remount the reels on the winding means and tray.

The arms 3a, 3b are linearly elongated in the upward or downward directions. The upper and lower arms 3a, 3b are equall in length and provided at its end with a pair of holding members.

The holding member 9 is provided with a clamping arm 10 which clamps the reel 4 in the three directions. The clamping arm 10 is formed as a whole in L shape and rotatably carried through a pin 11 at the middle bent portion by a support 15, and provided with a roller 12 at its end near the center.

The roller 12 is positioned in a groove provided in a reciprocating shaft 13 which reciprocates in the axial direction. When the reciprocating shaft 13 is pushed at its left end by a thin cylinder 14 rightwardly in Figure 3, the clamping arm 10 is opened, and with the retraction of the thin cylinder the reciprocating shaft 13 is pushed and displaced leftward by a coil spring 16 interposed between the reciprocating shaft 13 and the support 15, whereby the clamping arm 10 clamps the reel.

The winding means is used for winding a given length of tape on each of a pair of reels 4transferred to the winding position 5. The winding means comprising two shafts i.e. fixed shafts 17 and a movable shaft 18, vertically movable supports 19, 20 which are connecting members, a magnetic tape table 21, a tape table 22 and a cutter 23 ' the operation of which is shown in Figures 4to 17.

The fixed shaft 17 is rotated by a motor 24 and winds a given length of video tape on the reel 4 mounted on the fixed shaft 17.

The movable shaft 18 is slidably mounted on a guide 25 so as to move awayfrom the fixed shaft 17, and also connected to the cylinder 29 so as to be displaced by the cylinder.

The vertically movable supports 19, 20 are connected to the cylinder 26, 27 so that they are independently moved out of the passage of the reel in demounting. On the upper end surfaces of the vertically movable supports 19, 20 air ports 28 are provided for sucking video tape by air. Furtherthe vertically movable supports 19, 20 are upwardly and downwardly movable between the fixed shaft 17 and the movable shaft 18 when the movable shaft 18 is 2 GB 2 112 748 A 2 displaced away from the fixed shaft 17.

In the upper surface of the magnetic tape table 21, an air port is provided for sucking video tape. The magnetic tape table is disposed above the left-hand vertically movable support 19 and vertically moved by a cylinder.

The adhesive tape table 22 is disposed above the boundary of the two vertically movable supports 19, so as to be movably in the vertical direction. The adhesive tape table 22 is adapted to attach an 75 adhesive tape to the upper surface of the tape sucked onto the vertically movable supports 19, 20.

The cutter 23 is so constructed to cut the tape sucked by the vertically movable supports 19,20 at the boundary of the two vertically movable supports 19, 20. For this purpose, the cutter 23 is provided just above the boundary of the two vertically movable supports 19, 20 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

The operation of the winding means for winding 85 tape on reels comprises the repetition of the follow ing steps.

(1) Asshown in Figure4,two reels4,4in a set are mounted on the fixed shaft 17 and the movable shaft 18 by means of the rotating arm 3.

(2) Then, as shown in Figure 5, the movable shaft 18 is displaced rightwardly in line with the guide 25 with issuing a short tape wound on the reel 4.

In this condition, the vertically movable supports 19, 20 are in the lower position and the magnetic tape table 21, cutter 23 and the adhesive tape table 22 are in the upper position.

(3) As shown in Figure 6, two vertically movable supports 19, 20 go up and suck by airthe tape wound on the reel 4.

(4) In the state of item (3), the cutter 23 goes down and cuts the tape at the boundary of the two vertically movable supports 19, 20 and then the cutter goes up (Figure 7).

(5) Only the left-hand vertically movable support 105 19 goes down till the magnetic tape table 21 sucks the video tape onto its upper surface and comes in the same plane with the right-hand vertically movable support 20 (Figures 8, 9).

(6) The adhesive tape table goes down and adhere and connect the video tape and the reel tape (Figure 10).

(7) The adhesive tape table 22 goes up, and the two vertically movable supports 19, 20 and the magnetic tape support 21 go down. Thus they are spaced away from the tape (Figure 11).

(8) The fixed shaft is rotated to wind the video tape on the reel (Figure 12).

(9) When a given length ofthetape iswound on the reel mounted on the fixed shaft 17, the fixed shaft 17 stops rotating, and the magnetic tape table 21 and the right-hand vertically movable supports 20 go up and suck the video tape by air. In this state, the cutter 23 goes down and cuts the video tape (Figure 13).

(10) After the cutter 23 goes up, the magnetic tape table 21 goes up, and the left-hand vertically movable support 20 which has been sucking the reel tape goes up till it comes to the same hight with the right-hand vertically movable support 20 (Figure 14).130 (11) The adhesive tape table 22 goes down again and adheres and connects the reel tape to the rear end of the video tape (Figure 15).

(12) The two vertically movable supports 19,20 go down away from the passage of the movable shaft 19 (Figure 16).

(13) The fixed shaft rotates and winds the tape. In this state, the movabel shaft 18 comes near the fixed shaft 17, and the two tapes are displaced to the clamping position of the clamping arm 10 of the rotating arm 3.

(14) In the state of item (13), the rotating arm 3 transfers the reels on which the tape has been already wound to the transfer position 1, and also transfers the vacant reels to the winding position 5.

The operations of items (1) to (4) are repeated to wind the video tape on the vacant reels.

The operation of the rotating arm 3 for conveying the reels from the transfer position 1 of the transfer means to the winding position 5 thereof comprises the following steps.

(1) The tray on which the reel is mounted is transfers in the upright state to the transfer position 1. At this time, in the Figures 2 and 3, the cylinder 8 is pushed out and the shaft 6 of the rotating arm 3 is displaced leftwardly.

(2) The shaft 6 is displaced rig htwardly by the cylinder 8. At this time, the thin cylinder 14 is pushed out, the reciprocating shaft 13 is displaced right- wardly and the clamping arm is opened.

After the rod of the cylinder 8 is retracted, the rod of the thin cylinder 14 is retracted and the clamping arm 10 clamps two reels.

(3) The rod of the cylinder8 is pushed out and the shaft 6 is displaced leftwardly Then, the drive motor 7 is driven and the shaft 6 is rotated through 180 degrees whereby the reels are transferred to the winding position.

(4) The rod of the cylinder 8 is retracted and the clamped two reels are mounted on the fixed shaft 17 and the movable shaft 18.

(5) The rod of the thin cylinder is pushed to release the reel from the clamped state. Then, the cylinder 8 is pushed out and the shaft 6 is displaced leftward.

The abovementioned operation is one that is firstly carried out when no reel has been put yet in the winding position. If reels on which the tape have been already wound are put in the winding position and vacant reels are in the transfer position, the operation comprises the following steps.

(1) With the upper and lower clamping arms 10 of the rotating arm 3 being opened, the rod of the cylinder is retracted and then the rod of the upper and lower thin cylinders 14, whereby the upper clamping arm 10 clamps two reels in the winding position.

(2) After the cylinder 8 is pushed out, the shaft is rotated through 180 degrees whereby the vacant reels in the transfer position 1 are transferred to the winding position 5 and the reels on which the tape has been wound in the winding position are transferred to the transfer position 1.

(3) After the rod of the cylinder is retracted, the rod of the thin cylinder 14 is pushed out whereby the 3 GB 2 112 748 A 3 clamped reels are transferred to the transfer position and the winding position, and then the rod of the cylinder 8 is pushed out.

(4) The reels on which the tape has been wound are transferred by the transfer means, and then the vacant reels are transferred to the transfer position, The operation of item (1) to (4) are repeated so that the reels in the transfer and winding positions are mutually exchanged.

In the apparatus for winding the video tape on reels of a cassette shown in Figures 1, 2 the feeding position and the issue position in the transfer position is the same, and the rotating arm 3 has two arms in a linear form. With the rotation of this rotating arm 3 through 180 degrees, the reels are fed and issued.

Figure 18 shows an example of the present invention in which the feeding position la, issue position 1 b and the winding position 5 are located about the shaft 6 of the rotating arm 3 so as to be equally spaced from the shaft 6 and with a pitch of degrees.

The rotating arm 3 has three arms each of which is provided with a clamping arm 10 for clamping reels at its end. The transfer means is provided with a feeding conveyor 2a and an issue conveyor 2b.

Mechanism for rotating the rotating arm 3, for displacing the shaft 6 of the rotating arm 3 and for driving the clarming arm 10 can be the same as used in the examples shown in Figures 1 to 3. In this example, however, the rotating arm 3 is rotated at a pitch of 120 degrees.

In the operation of this apparatus, each time when the rotating arm 3 clamping a pair of reels is rotated through 120 degrees, the reels in the winding position 5 is transferred to the issue position 1 b and the reel in the feeding position 1 a is transferred to the winding position 5.

The advantage of this construction is that the feeding and issue of the reels can be separately 105 carried out.

Effects In an apparatus forwinding video tape on reels of a cassette according to the present invention having 110 the above-mentioned construction, video tape is not connected with the two reels being held nearly equally spaced from each other with those contained in the cassette. The space between the two reels is shortened while they are transferred to raise the transfer efficiency. On the other hand, in the process of winding video tape, the two reels are spaced with a more distance so that a connecting member can be interposed therebetween and the tapes can be connected in a sufficiently large space. Consequent ly, the tapes can be connected easily, surely and rapidly. Further, when the reels are transferred, the connecting member is displaced out of the passage of the reels and brought in and out of the space between the reels for connecting the tapes. Thus the mechanism for displacing the reels can be remark ably simplified, and the tape wound on the reels is prevented from being slided or removed. It is very advantageous that the tape winding is stabilized and poor products and wrong operation of the mechanism can be extremely eliminated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette comprising a winding means (17-23) for winding video tape on reels (14) and a feeding means (2,3) forfeeding a pair of reels (4) to the winding means (17-23), the winding means (17-23) having two shafts (17,18) on which two reels (4) can be removably mounted, at least one of the shafts (18) being movable in the direction far away from the other (17), connecting means (19,20,28) for connecting tapes being provided so as to be brought in and out of the passage of the movable shaft (18), the connecting means being put out of the passage of the reels (4) when the reels (4) are being moved far away from each other, and with the reels (4) being spaced from each other, the connecting means (19,20,28) is brought in and out of the space between the reels (4) so as to connect the reel tape wound on the reels (4) with video tape.

2. An apparatus for winding video tape on reels of a cassette, as claimed in Claim 1, in which the connecting means (19,20,28) is provided with two vertically movable supports (19,20), a magnetictape table (21), and adhesive tape table (22) and a cutter (23), the two vertically movable supports (19,20) being located between the mutually spaced two reels (4) and adjacent to each other in the direction of the elongation of the tape so as to come close to each other, further the vertically movable supports (19,20) being provided at their upper surface with an air opening (28) for sucking the tape, and being independently movable in the vertical direction, the magnetic tape table (21) being provided at its upper surface with an air opening for sucking the tape and movable to the uppermost position of one of the vertically movable supports (19), the adhesive tape table (22) being movable near the boundary of the two vertically movable supports (19,20) so that the tape placed adjacent to each other on the two vertically movable supports (19,20) or the tape sucked onto the vertically movable supports are connected with the tape sucked on the magnetic tape table (21) by means of adhesive tape in the same plane, the cutter (23) being displaced between the two vertically movable supports (19,20) in the upper position to cut the tape sucked onto the vertically movable supports (19,20) or displaced between the magnetic tape table (21) and one of the vertically movable supports (19) to cut the tape.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey, 1983. Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.