Automatic tape loading apparatus for cassettes and the like

In an apparatus for automatically loading a plurality of cassettes of the type having at least one rotatable spool and a leader attached to said spool with a predetermined length of tape or the like including:

• a loading station;
• means for storing a plurality of cassettes to be loaded;
• means for advancing said cassettes, one at a time, from said storing means to said loading station;
• means for extracting the leader from each cassette in the loading station;
• means for feeding supply tape to be loaded from a rotatable reel thereof;
• splicing means for joining the leading end of said tape to the trailing end of said leader;
• rotatable drive means for rotating the spool of each cassette to wind a predetermined length of said tape therein;
• and cutting means to sever the tape upon completion of the winding operation, the improvement comprising a drive motor for imparting rotational movement of the reel of supply tape;
• a clutch-brake assembly operatively linking the drive motor and the reel to activate said reel and control the drag thereon;
• and means connected to the clutch-brake assembly for controlling the speed of the supply tape;
• said means including vacuum means for receiving a loop of supply tape and responsive to the size of said loop to correspondingly control the operation of the clutch-brake assembly to maintain a relatively constant loop size.