Automatic magnetic-tape cassette changing device

An automatic magnetic tape cassette changing device comprising

• a mounting frame,
• a feed-in magazine for the temporary storage of a juxtaposed stack of cassettes to be fed to a tape recorder in the sequence of stacking, mounted to said frame,
• a feed-out magazine mounted to said frame and arranged directly adjoining the feed-in magazine, for temporary storage in the reverse sequence of a number of cassettes moved away from said tape recorder,
• a cassette pusher,
• means for movably mounting the cassette pusher with respect to said magazine such that said pusher is movable to transfer a lowermost cassette of a stack of cassettes in the feed-in magazine to a position underneath cassettes stacked in the feed-out magazine,
• a drive mechanism arranged for operative movement, and
• means for actuating the cassette pusher in response to movement of the drive mechanism,
• wherein the improvement comprises means for lifting and lowering cassettes present in the feed-in magazine between a lower position in which, said device being mounted on a tape recorder, a lowermost cassette of a stack of juxtaposed cassettes is in the position for operative engagement by the tape recorder, and a higher position in which the lowermost cassette is positioned in line with the cassette pusher, and for lifting juxtaposed cassettes present in the feed-out magazine from a lower position to a higher position, in said higher position a lowermost cassette in said feed-out magazine being disposed at least one cassette thickness higher than a corresponding position of the lowermost cassette in the feed-in magazine when said feed-in magazine has been lifted to its higher position,
• wherein said lifting and lowering means includes:
• a lifting element mounted for motion with respect to said frame between a higher and a lower position in the direction of stacking of the cassettes, and a cassette carrier element connected to said lifting element, and arranged to engage a lower surface of the lowermost cassette in the feed-in magazine, and
• a resilient element connected to the lifting element and having a bent portion so arranged that, upon movement of the feed-out magazine from the lower position to the higher position the lowermost cassette in the feed-out magazine is engaged so as to lift the stack of cassettes in the feed-out magazine;
• and so connected and arranged that, a cassette having been moved by the pusher member into position underneath the stack of cassettes in the feed-out magazine, upon movement of the lifting element from the higher position to the lower position the resilient element is displaced by said cassette underneath such that the bent portion moves past said cassette underneath to a lower position for engagement with said cassette underneath.