US2862674A - Sound tape winding reels - Google Patents

Description

DC 2, 1958 G. HERRMANN SOUND TAPE WINDING REELS Filed April 5, 1955 Ghfer Herrmann wwf/, www

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O SOUND TAPE 4WINDING nanas Gnter Herrmann, Ronnenberg, Hannover, Germany, assignor.` to Protona Produktionsgesellschatt fr elektroakustische Gerate G. m. b. H., Hannover, Germany Application April 5, 1955, Serial No. 499,477

Claims priority, application Germany April 8, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 242-5512) This invention relates to an arrangement of spools for sound recording and reproducing apparatus, in particular for magnetic sound apparatus in which the sound carrier consisting of tape is wound from one spool to `another one. In order to save as much space as possible in midget apparatus, the spools are closely interspaced. As a rule, the sets of spools are arranged in such a way that the distance between the axes of the two spools always at least equals the sum of the two spool diameters. When, for example, the spool to be unwound is still completely lilled, the receiving spool is all empty, that is to say that for the preparing of the unwinding operation dead space is required, and thus a minimum dead space which cannot be underpassed with the known set of spools.

In film projection lapparatus it is already known to arrange the two reels in their connecting line in opposed relation without essential dead space. The space freed at the one reel is immediately lilled up by the other reel. However, at thisknown solution the reels of film are arranged on angeless rolls. In film projecting apparatus this solution is possible, because the film is guided in its lateral perforation by the maltese cross. The sound tapes of electro-acoustical apparatus, however, are not perforated and need an exact lateral guidance for achieving tight and space saving reels. Moreover, the reels must not slip off the core upon tilting or turning of the apparatus. Pocketsize magnetic sound recording and reproducing apparatus are expected to operate reliably in any position whichever.

In the spool arrangement according to the invention this is achieved by the feature that each spool of a complete set of two has one full-size flange and one reduced ange, and that the two spools are put together with the one inverted by 180 relative to the other, so that the two full-size flanges complete one another in guiding the tape. Thus each spool completes with its full-size ange the reduced ange of the other spool in such a way that in any position of the spools the sound carrier is exactly guided in space. The space occupied by the sound carrier steadily moves during the winding process from the one spool to the other, so that there is hardly any more dead space between the two spools and the flanges thereof.

Another advantage of the spool arrangement according to the invention is the reduction of the weight of the spool owing to the reduction of one flange. Moreover, spools with one full and one reduced flange are easier and cheaper in production, especially if die-cast or pressure-cast. The arrangement according to the invention does not impair the exchanging of spools which can be done as quickly and exactly as with the known spools.

Furthermore, the guidance of the sound carrier is improved by the arrangement according to the invention, because the unsuspended length between the two spools is essentially shorter than in the spool arrangements used so far. The sound carrier cannot sway, wobble or swing any more between the two spools and can thus be exactly wound up on the spools.

Expediently, the spools of each set have parallel axes and parallel turning planes. The arrangement works best when the spools of each set have parallel axes and the same running planes.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. l is a top plan view of the arrangement of spools, and

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of Fig. l with portions of the tape cut away.

Each set of spools has two identical spools 1 and 2 serving alternately as unwinding and receiving spools. Either of the spools 1 and 2 consists of a hub 3, a reduced ange 4 and a full-size ange 5. In the example shown the spools 1 and 2 are put with their hubs 3 on parallel axes 6, 7 connected with the drive of the apparatus and turning the spools in the same direction. 8 indicates the contour of the tape roll being on spool 1 and 2. Supposing the left spool 1 being the supply spool and completely lilled up, the rolled-up tape moves during the winding fully to spool 1. If spool 2 is the receiving spool, the rolled-up tape moves fully over to spool 2. Fig. 2 shows an intermediate stage during the winding. The maior portion of the rolled-up tape is on spool 1 and the smaller portion on spool 2.

The sound carrier 9 unwound from spool 1 passes the recording head 10 and is wound up on spool 2, or reverse. The recording head 10 serves in the known way for recording or reproducing the sound carrier 9.

What I claim is:

In an electro-acoustical recording apparatus using tape as a record receiving means, the combination of two tape winding reels each consisting of a hub, a full size ange on one end of said hub, a ange of reduced size on the other end of said hub, said hubs being on parallel axes and reversed on said axes with respect to each other with the full size flange on the first reel being opposed to the reduced size flange on the second reel and the reduced size llange on the lirst reel being opposed to the full size flange on the second reel, said hubs being spaced from each other a distance only slightly greater than the radius of the full size flange and the radius of the reduced size llange, whereby a substantially continuously guiding surface for a tape extending between said hubs is provided on both sides of the tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,043 Ecker Apr. 5, 1898 696,234 Gornston Mar. 25, 1902 1,725,443 Clayton Aug. 20, 1929 1,771,651 Newman July 29, 1930 2,181,878 Eckleberry Dec. 5, 1939

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