US2666593A

US2666593A - Reversible drive control for tape record feeding mechanisms

Info

Publication number: US2666593A
Application number: US19913A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burnham E Stone
Original assignee: Int Electronics Co
Current assignee: Int Electronics Co; INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS Co
Priority date: 1948-04-09
Filing date: 1948-04-09
Publication date: 1954-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1971-01-19

Description

TONE 2,666,593 REVERSIBLE DRIVE CONTROL FOR'TAPE RECORD FEEDING MECHANISMS Filed April 9, 1948 III/11111111111mill/111111III/Illall/In7/11/111/1all/1101111111111 lNV TOR. C. 6 4

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 19, 1954 REVERSIBLE DRIVE CONTROL FOR TAPE RECORD FEEDING MECHANISMS Burnham E. Stone, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The International Electronics Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 9, 1948, Serial No. 19,913

12 Claims.

' This invention relates to equipment for handling and feeding elongated records, the invention being particularly concerned with reversible drive control mechanism for such equipment.

In' a. typical machine adapted to handle elongated recordsfor instance a paper tape record carrying a coating'with 'magneti zable particles dispersed therein. a pair of tape reels are employed and reversible. drive mechanism is provided for feeding the tapevin either direction between therels. {A machine of this general type is discharged in thecopending application of Daniel H. Dashiell and Lloyd J. Bobb, Serial No. 11,995, filed February28, 1948.

For reversing theydirection of tape :feed a control shaft is provided and connections serve to interconnect the drive reversing member with the control shaft so that manual or automatic rotation of thecontrol shaft will bring about reversal in the direction of drive or feed of the tape'between the reels.

The present invention is concerned with an improved reversible drive control mechanism for use in, equipment of the character referred to just above.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a reversible drive control mechanism providing for great ease of operation while .atthe same time providing various control stations in the range of adjustment at which the control member adjustment will be retained with assurance, to thereby provide against unintentional reversal of drive.

In considering-another object of the inven-- tion,-- it is first noted that in a machine of the eneral character referred to above; as disclosed for example in said copending application, provision is made for automatically reversing, the direction of feed of a tape record after completiorroi' a run thereof in'one direction. For this purpose a; switch device is utilized, said device being operated by switch contact means carried by the tape record. The switch'device is included in a circuit which also comprises a solenoid adapted to act on the control system in a manner to automatically bring about reversal in the direction of tape feed upon completion of a run thereof in one direction. It is an object.

of the present invention to provide a reversing control which is more readily actuated or tripped by such an automatic reversing system.

'It is further mentioned-that the drive control mechanism of the present invention is characterized by exceptional simplicity from the 2 standpoint of fabrication and assembly of the required parts.

Now the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained will appear more fully from the following description, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of certain parts of a magnetic tape handling machine of the general type fully disclosed in the copending application above identified, and further incorporating the improved control mechanism of the present invention for the reversible driver Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of certain parts, taken as indicated by the section line 2-2 on Fi e 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of certain parts, also to an enlarged scale, this view being taken as indicated by the section line 3-3 on Figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 1, a-machine of the type to which the invention relates incorporates a pair of reel drive spindles 4 and 5. These spindles are adapted to support and drive tape reels diagrammatically indicated at 6 and I. The tape is adapted to be fed between the reels 6 and 1 in a feed path a portion of which leads the tape into engagement with the periphery of a tape driving capstan 8 secured to the capstan drive shaft 9. The specific manner in which the tape is threaded between the reels need not be considered herein since it forms no part of the present invention per se, but it is mentioned that this is fully disclosed in the copending application above referred to.

The reel driving spindles 4 and 5 and the capstan spindle 9 are adapted to be driven by a motor 4 I! carried by a'motor su port H one end of which is pivoted on a vertical axis coaxially with the reel spindle 4, as by means of a bearing sleeve I2. The other end of the motor mount is provided with a trackway Ha adapted to ride on a roller l3. mount, the motor shaft 1 4 may he brought alternatively into en agement with the capstan drivine' disc IE which is secured to the shaft 9. or with an intermediate drive disc l which latter is also in engagement with the capstan drive disc "5. Movement of the motor mount thus effects drive of the capstan disc 15 in either direction.

The drive of the reel spindles 4 and 5 includes drive rollers l! and i 8 which are mounted respectively on the supporting members i9 and 20,. the. latter members in turn, having pin and slot connest-ions 2t and ZZEwith the'b -qiectingfarmsioi a walking'beam or support 2 3which is pivotally' By pivotal movement of the motor mounted coaxially of the capstan drive shaft 9. A spring 24 serves to draw the members 19. and inwardly and thus to retain the drive rollers l1 and IS in engagement with the periphery of the capstan drive disc l5. Upon oscillation of the support or walking beam 23, one or the other of the drive rollers ii and i8 is brought into operation to drive one or the other of the spindles 4 and 5. This drive includes a slip clutch unit indicated at for shaft 4, and at 26 for shaft 5.- When the roller l! engages the outer periphery of the unit 25, the drive becomes effective from the capstan disc [5 to the shaft 4; and at the other side of the machine,- when the roller 18 engages the periphery of the clutch unit 26, the spindle 5 is driven. The support; 23 for the rollers I1 and [8 may be shifted by a spring finger or element 23a connected with the movable motor mount in the manner more fully disclosed in the copending application above identified.

It is here mentioned that a braking force may also be applied to the spindles 4 and 5 by means of brake shoes 21 and 28 which are also adapted to engage the peripheral surface of the clutch units 25 and 26. These brake shoes are carried by a shift plate 28 movable toward and away from the devices 25 and 26 and adapted to be actuated in the manner referred to more fully herebelow.

. A reversing controlis provided for the machine, this control including a control shaft 30 having an operating handle 3|. The control shaft has positions of adjustment, corresponding to forward .operation and to reverse operation. The control shaft further has an intermediate neutral setting, and it is here pointed out that in all figures of the drawing the parts are shown in neutral position. The control shaft 3!, is adapted to actuate various devices, as is disclosed in the application identified above, includinga motor shut-off switch such as shown at 32 in Figure 2 operating to shut off the motor whenever the control shaft is moved to the neutral position. Various parts of the mechanism thus far described form no part of the present invention per se and therefore need not be considered in detail herein, but reference may be made to said c'opending application for additional disclosure of such features.

The motor reversing control mechanism of the present invention includes a drive reversing member 3 3 having a slot 34 at one end in which the control shaft 36 is engaged, and further having a slot at the other end cooperating with a pin 33 by means of which the movement of the drive reversing member is established as a reciprocating movement, in a direction generally toward and away from the motor Ill. The drive reversing member 33 is connected with the motor by means of a spring 37, this spring serving as the element through which the reversing force is transmitted to the motor, to thereby swing the motor mount and shift engagement of the motor shaft M as between its two operating positions. A bias spring 38 normally urges the motor mount in one direction, i. e., that direction tending to bring the motor shaft IR into engagement with the intermediate driving member [8. Such en-' gagement corresponds to reverse operation of the machine.

For the purpose of controlling the motor posi tion from the control shaft 30, a cam and cam follower device is employed to interconnect the control shaft and the drive reversing member 33,

Thus, a cam member 39 is keyed to the control shaft 3'0 so as to move therewith, this cam mem- 4 her having a cam surface 40 cooperating with a follower roller 4| carried by the drive reversing member 33. The cam surface 40 is in large part formed as an arc eccentric with respect to the axis of control shaft 30.

As clearly appears in Figure 1, the cam surface 40 has an intermediate station. corresponding to neutral adjustment.- In the neutral setting (the position of Figure 1) the follower roller 41 is engaged with said neutral station. Preferably this station is formed as a portion of the cam surface substantially concentric with the axis of the control shaft 30. In the neutral station, therefore,- the-return spring 38 acting on the motor mount will not tend to move the control shaft. The cam surface 40 further has a station indicated at 42, corresponding to forward adjustment. When the control shaft 30 is manually rotated in a counterclockwise direction when viewed as in Figure 1, the follower roller 41 engages the station t2, and-the movement from the position shown in Figure 1. to the forward position ofadjustment draws the drive reversing member 33 toward the control shaft 30 and thereby overcomes the biasing action of spring 38', and brings motor shaft l4 into engagement with the capstan ,dr-ivedisc- IS. The cam station 42 is also.- preferably formed substantiallyas an arc of a circlebohcentricwith the axis of the control shaft 30 Thus, inthe-forward position of adjustment, thereturnspring 38 does not tend tomovethe controlshaft. .At the other. end of the .cam surface-4| is a. station 43 correspondingto reverseadjustment. a

Because of the shapefof the camsurface 40, when the parts are adjusted to the. forward operating position (follower M at station 42), if the control shaft is slightly shifted toward-the reverse setting, the action ofspring 38 will immediately cause the cam member-to ,swingto the other extreme operating position, 'i. e., the re verse operating position. This .motion will be substantially unimpeded atthe neutral station,

because of the fact that the neutral station formed as a surface substantially concentric with the axis of the control shaft 30.

A tripping solenoid 44 is utilized for the pur-. pose of initiating movement of the control shaft and the cam away from the forward. operating position. This solenoid has an armature 45 with. a nonmagnetic extension 46, preferably carry.-

ing a rubber bumper or the like 87', adapted to carries a roller iladaptedto engage a part of the'brake mounting plate 29 in the manner more fully disclosed in the impending application above identified. The link 48 and the roller 53 thus constitute a means for applying the reel brakes 21 and 48. As fully brought out in the above mentioned copending application, these parts are arranged so as to apply the reel brakes whenever the control shaft 30 is adjusted to the neu-.

tral setting and to release the brakes in either of the operating positions. v 7

It will be observed that in the arrangement herein disclosed, the link 48 serve; two i. e., as the brake operating member and also as the connection through which the tripping solenoid 44 operates.

Solenoid 44 is adapted to be energized by switch means, preferably switch means actuated by the tape itself toward the end of the run thereof in the forward direction, whereby to secure automatic reversal of the direction of tape feed. Switch means for this purpose form no part of the present invention per se but are fully disclosed in the copending application already mentioned,

It is to be noted that the arrangement of the solenoid in association with the operatinglink 48 is of advantage from still another standpoint. Thus, whenever the control shaft is manual- 1y adjusted to the forward operating position,

the link 48 is moved towardthe left when viewed as in Figure 1 and this movement automatically resets the armature of the solenoid, to thereby properly condition the solenoid for subsequent 7 operation to eifect reversal in the direction of tape feed.

I claim:

1. In equipment for handling an elongated record and having a reversible drive for reversibly translating such a record, control mechanism comprising a reciprocable drive reversing member having forward and reverse positions of adjustment and being spring biased toward reverse operating position, a rotative reversing control member having corresponding positions of adjustment, and cooperating cam and cam follower elements one associated with one of said members and the other with the other of said members, the cam being configured to efiect reciprocation of said reciprocable member upon rotative adjustment of the rotative control member in one direction and to eifect rotative adjustment of the rotative control member in the other direction by the action of the spring bias, and the cam further having a substantially arouate station toward one end of the cam corresponding to the forward operating position, with the arcuate contour of said arcuate station substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of the rotative control member.

2. A construction according to claim 1 and further including trip means operative on the rotative control member to initiate relative cam and cam follower movement in a direction to disengage the cam follower from said arcuate station and thereby provide for reversal of direction of tape translation under the influence of the spring bias of said reciprocable member.

3. In equipment for handling an elongated record and havin a reversible drive for reversibly translating such a record, control mechanism comprising a drive reversing member adjustably movable in opposite directions between forward and reverse positions of adjustment and bein spring biased toward reverse operating position, a manually operable control member having corresponding positions of adjustment, a cam and cam follower device interconnecting the reversing member and the control member and serving to translate control-member adjustments into corresponding movements of the drive reversing member, said device providing for movement of the control member under the influence of the bias of the drive reversing member in a direction toward the reverse operating position, and releasable means for retaining the control member and the drive reversing member in forward operating position.

4:. A construction according to claim 3 in which the cam has an intermediate neutral station comprising a notch providing against movement of the control member under the influence of the bias of the drive reversing member.

5. In equipment for handling an elongated record and having a reversible drive for reversibly translating such a record, control mechanism comprising a drive reversing member adjustably movable in opposite directions between forward and reverse positions of adjustment and being spring biased toward reverse operating position, a manually operable control member having corresponding positions of adjustment, and a cam and cam follower device interconnectin the reversing member and the control member and serving to translate control member adjustments into corresponding movements of the drive reversing member, said device providing for movement of the control member under the influence of the bias of the drive reversing member in a direction toward the reverse operating position, the cam having a station for the cam follower at a point corresponding to forward operating position comprising a notch providing against movement of the control member under the influence of the bias of the drive reversing member.

6. A construction according to claim 5 and further including trip mechanism operative on the control member to eifect relative movement of the cam and cam follower to disengage the follower from said station corresponding to the for ward operating position and thereby provide for continued movement of both of said members toward the reverse position under the influence of the bias of the drive reversing member.

'7. A construction according to claim 6 and further includin means operable by a record to effect tripping of said trip mechanism.

8. In equipment for handling an elongated record and having a pair of reels, a reversible drive for reversibly translating such a record between the reels, releasable brakes for the reels, a manually operable control member for the drive and brakes having positions of adjustment corresponding to forward drive, neutral and reverse drive, a brake actuating element operable by the control member to apply both brakes in neutral setting of the control member and to release both brakes in either of the operating settings of the control member, and mechanism operating on said brake actuating element to move the control member from one operating setting toward the other. i

9. In equipment for handling an elongated record and having a pair of reels and a reversible drive for reversibly translating such a record between the reels, a manually operable control member for the drive having positions of adjustment corresponding to forward drive and reverse drive, and control mechanism comprising a solenoid having an armature operating on the control member to effect movement of the control member from one operating setting toward the other.

10. A construction according to claim 8 in which said mechanism comprises a solenoid having an armature operating on the brake actuating element andmovable thereby to provide for resetting of the armature upon manual movement of th control member to forward operating position.

11. A construction according to claim 9 and further including an operating element through which the solenoid armature transmits said force to the control member, the operating element also acting on the solenoid armature to reset the armature upon manual movement of the control member to forward drive position.

12. In equipment for handling an elongated record and having a pair of reels between which such a record is fed, a record drive system including a rotative drive element shiftably movable between two positions to alternatively drive the record in opposite directions, a manually operable 'rotative drive reversing control member, a reciprocable link connected with the rotative drive element and reciprocably shiftably movable therewith, a bias spring acting to move the rotative drive element and the connected link in one direction, a cam connected with the rotative control member, and afollower for said cam connected with said link, the cam having a cam surface operating to shift the said link and thus the rotative. drive element in a direction against the action of the bias spring when the rotative control member is moved in one direction and acting on the cam follower to move the drive control member in theopposite direction under the action of said .bias spring.

I BURNI-IAM E. STONE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Paine Jan. 28, 1902 Ries Nov. 1, 1904 Foster et a1 Aug. 18, 1936 Foster Feb. 1, 1938 Ross -1 Apr. 19, 1938 stechbart Feb. 13, 1940 Kuhlik Sept. 24, 1946 Waite Oct. 15, 1946 Begun Apr. 22, 1947 Stone Apr. 19, 1949 Nefi Mar. 14, 1950 Moreland et a1. Aug. 7, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 7, 1920'