Sound recording and/or reproducing apparatus with movable carriage receiving removable tape cassette

Apparatus for sound recording and/or reproducing on magnetic tape contained in a cassette having two bobbins around which the magnetic tape is wound, comprising:

• a movable carriage (C) for receiving a tape cassette;
• a supporting frame (A) having guide means only allowing movement of said carriage linearly and horizontally between a loading position and an operative position to locate a cassette in said apparatus, such that the longitudinal axis of the active length of the magnetic tape in a cassette in the carriage is moved parallel to the direction of displacement of the carriage along said guide means;
• a vertically movable supporting plate (C1) beneath said carriage;
• guiding means (22,23 and 31,33) retaining said supporting plate and only allowing movement of said supporting plate substantially in the vertical direction between inoperative and operative positions while always maintaining said supporting plate substantially parallel to the bottom of said carriage;
• tape dragging means (75,94) coupled to said supporting plate for engaging a bobbin of a received cassette when said carriage and said supporting plate are in their operative positions;
• drive means including a motor for driving the other of said bobbins of a received cassette;
• recording and/or reproducing means including at least one recording and/or reproducing head for engaging the tape in a received cassette;
• said carriage including means to actuate said tape dragging means and said drive means, and for bringing the at least one head into engagement with said magnetic tape, responsive to said carriage being moved to its operative position in said frame whereby said casssette is operatively received therein;
• commutable clutch means (74,78-92) for operatively connecting said tape dragging means with the drive motor;
• a swinging frame (96,98,100) and means hinging said swinging frame to said carriage (C) about a swinging axis substantially parallel with the direction of displacement of said carriage and therefore with the longitudinal axis of the active length of the tape contained in a received cassette, said swinging frame supporting at least said at least one head, said hinging means providing pivotal movement of said swinging frame between an operative position in which said at least one heat engages the tape of a received cassette and an inoperative position spaced from a received cassette;
• spring latch means (40,42) provided between said carriage (C) and said supporting frame (A), to retain said carriage in its operative position or inoperative position;
• and
• two driving means, the first of which (32, 34) is coupled to selectively lift and lower said supporting plate and the second of which 114,116) is coupled to cause said swinging frame to swing about its swinging axis, both driving means acting responsive to the displacement of the carriage along said guide means whereby when said carriage is in its operative position said support plate and said swinging frame are in their operative positions.