GB2256304A

GB2256304A - Magnetic tape transfer apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2256304A
Application number: GB9211156A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Masayoshi Matsuyama; Masato Yamamoto
Original assignee: Sony Magnescale Inc
Current assignee: Sony Magnescale Inc
Priority date: 1991-05-27
Filing date: 1992-05-26
Publication date: 1992-12-02
Also published as: IT1254589B; DE4217602A1; GB9211156D0; ITRM920388A1; ITRM920388A0; JP2503853Y2; JPH04132613U

Abstract

A magnetic tape transfer apparatus in which magnetic surfaces of master and copy tapes (M, C) are placed in direct contact, and information magnetically recorded on the master tape (M) is transferred to the copy tape (C), comprises first and second restricting members (1, 3) located within a travelling path of the master tape (M) with a predetermined distance therebetween for guiding the master tape (M) in its width direction, and a third restricting means (S) located within a travelling path of the copy tape (C) for biasing the copy tape (C) in a direction to be matched with the master tape (M). <IMAGE>

Description

MAGNETIC TAPE TRANSFER APPARATUS This invention relates to magnetic tape transfer apparatus.

In a known transfer apparatus, the magnetic surfaces of a master tape and a copy tape are placed in close contact with each other and a magnetic field is applied thereto, whereby information magnetically recorded on the master tape is recorded on the copy tape. The master and copy tapes must be in close contact while superimposed with high accuracy in their width direction. To this end, immediately before their contact, the positional displacements of the master and copy tapes in their width direction are corrected (see Japanese laid-open patent specification 58/23330).

In this case, if the width of each tape were uniform, the positional displacement between the tapes could be corrected positively. However, in fact, the width of a copy tape is not always uniform, so that its positional displacement relative to the master tape cannot always be corrected satisfactorily.

To overcome this problem, there has been proposed a device in which a rotary roller with its outer periphery formed with a taper is employed to bias the master and copy tapes in the width directions thereof (see Japanese laid-open patent specification 2/247823).

However, generally speaking, the master tape does have a substantially uniform width, so that it is not really necessary to apply a bias to the master tape in its width direction. Moreover, as the master tape is used many times, the application of a bias to it every time it is used, may damage the master tape.

According to the present invention there is provided a magnetic tape transfer apparatus in which magnetic surfaces of master and copy tapes are placed in direct contact, and information recorded on the master tape is transferred to the copy tape, the apparatus comprising: a pair of first and second restricting means located within a travelling path of the master tape with a predetermined distance therebetween and for guiding said master tape in its width direction; and a third restricting means located within a travelling path of the copy tape and for biasing said copy tape in a direction to be matched with said master tape.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of magnetic tape transfer apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of another example of a restricting member usable in the embodiment of Figure 1; and Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing other examples of the restricting member.

Referring to Figure 1, in the magnetic tape transfer apparatus, information such as a video signal, for example, magnetically recorded on a master tape M is transferred to (or copied on) a slave or copy tape C.

The positional displacement of the master tape M in its width direction is corrected by a pair of circular post guides or restricting members 1 and 3 which are located in the travelling path of the master tape M with a predetermined distance therebetween.

The guides 1 and 3 are respectively provided on one end thereof in their longitudinal direction with flanges la and 3a, and are disposed such that the respective flanges la and 3a oppose each other in the width direction of the master tape M while guiding the master tape M therebetween. Accordingly, the positional displacement of the master tape M in the direction indicated by an arrow P in Figure 1 is restricted by the guide 1, while that of the master tape M in the direction indicated by an arrow Q in Figure 1 is restricted by the guide 3.

In the travelling path of the copy tape C there is provided a restricting member 5 whose outer circumferential or peripheral surface is formed as a tapered surface or frustoconical surface 2. In this case, the diameter of the tapered surface 2 decreases gradually in the direction indicated by the arrow P. Thus, when the copy tape C is transported, it is moved (biased) in the direction indicated by the arrow Q (direction to be matched with the master tape M) by the tapered surface 2, and hence the positional displacement of the copy tape C relative to the master tape M is corrected.

At the stage immediately before a transfer drum 9 at which the information on the master tape M is transferred to the copy tape C, there is provided a guide 7 having a flange 7a at one end corresponding to the end of the guide 1 with the flange la. By the guide 7 the master tape M and the copy tape C are positioned such that they are in close contact accurately in position in the width direction thereof as described above and then transported to the transfer drum 9.

As the restricting member 5, there may be various examples such as one which is rotated, or alternatively fixed (not rotated). Instead of forming the tapered surface 2, a circular post restricting member 5 inclined at a predetermined angle in the width direction of the copy tape C (see Figure 2) may be used, and so on.

Figure 3 shows a further example of the restricting member 5 provided with a base 20 on which a shaft 10 is mounted. A base portion 51 and a head portion 52 are both attached to the shaft 10. In this example, the base portion 51 is fixed to the shaft 10 by screwing an attaching screw (not shown) into a screw-hole 51a bored through the base portion 51.

The base portion 51 and the head portion 52 are coupled by means of bearings 8 around the shaft 10. Also, a flange portion 6 is provided at the base portion 51 end, while a flange portion 4 is provided at the head portion 51 end. Around the shaft 10 between both the flange portions 4 and 6, there is provided a rotary member 53 having a tapered surface 2 on its outer periphery. The copy tape C contacts the tapered surface 2.

A nut portion 52A is formed through the head portion 52, and a screw portion 10A of the shaft 10 is screwed into the nut portion 52A.

When the head portion 52 is loosed against the screw portion 10A, the flange portion 6 is moved towards the flange portion 4 by the return force of a compression coil spring 12 located at the base portion 51 end.

On the other hand, the flange portion 4 is always biased towards the flange portion 6 by the return force of a compression coil spring 14 located at the head portion 52 end. Thus, when the copy tape C contacts the tapered surface 2, the flange portion 4 is moved up and down in Figure 3 in response to the width of the copy tape C to guide it.

In other words, the restricting member 5 shown in Figure 3 corrects the positional displacement of the copy tape C relative to the master tape M by the biasing action of the tapered surface 2 and by the guides of the flange portions 4 and 6.

In this case, it may be possible to provide a flat surface 2B shown by the broken line in Figure 3, in place of the tapered surface 2.

Figure 4 shows another example of the restricting member 5, in which instead of the upper and lower flange portions 4 and 6 which are separately formed in the example of Figure 3, the upper and lower flange portions 4 and 6 are unitarily formed with the upper and lower ends of the rotary member 53 as shown in Figure 4. Moreover, the compression coil springs 12 and 14 shown in the embodiment of Figure 33 are removed, and the head portion 52 and the base portion 51 are directly coupled to the rotary member 53.

In this example, since the upper and lower flange portions 4 and 6 are rotated together with the rotary member 53, a coefficient of friction relative to the copy tape C can be reduced as compared with the example of Figure 3, ensuring smoother tape transport.

As described above, since the copy tape C is biased while the master tape M is guided suitably, even if the width of the copy tape C is not uniform, both the master and copy tapes M and C are matched in their width or the positional displacement therebetween can be corrected accurately, and hence the information such as video signal magnetically recorded on the master tape M can be transferred to the copy tape C satisfactorily.

Moreover, since no superfluous load is applied to the master tape M, there is no risk that the master tape M is deformed even when it is used repeatedly. Since there is provided the restricting member which biases the copy tape C in the direction to be matched with the master tape M, the tracking displacement of the information transferred to the copy tape C and caused by width fluctuation of the copy tape is very small. The satisfactory transfer of the information from the master tape M to the copy tape C can thus be carried out using a simple arrangement.

Claims

1. A magnetic tape transfer apparatus in which magnetic surfaces of master and copy tapes are placed in direct contact, and information recorded on the master tape is transferred to the copy tape, the apparatus comprising: a pair of first and second restricting means located within a travelling path of the master tape with a predetermined distance therebetween and for guiding said master tape in its width direction; and a third restricting means located within a travelling path of the copy tape and for biasing said copy tape in a direction to be matched with said master tape.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second restricting means respectively have flanges at opposite ends thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said third restricting means has a rotary member on an outer peripheral surface of which there is formed a tapered surface along which the copy tape is guided.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said third restricting means has flanges on upper and lower ends thereof, said flanges being spring-biased towards each other.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said rotary member has upper and lower flanges on its upper and lower ends integrally therewith.

6. A magnetic tape transfer apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A magnetic tape transfer apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 as modified by Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A magnetic tape transfer apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 as modified by Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A magnetic tape transfer apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 as modified by Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.