Parallel-feed tape spooling apparatus for concurrent winding of magnetic tapes onto a plurality of spools of the type used in endless tape cartridges

In a parallel feed tape spooling apparatus for concurrently winding magnetic recording tape onto a plurality of endless tape cartridge spools of the type in which an endless tape is withdrawn from the innermost winding on the spool and returned to the spool as the outermost winding and including a tape supply means for supplying a plurality of strands of magnetic tape which are to be wound onto a corresponding plurality of spools, tape feed means for feeding said strands of tape in spaced parallel feed paths from said tape supply means to a takeup means at which the plurality of spools are rotated to cause the strands of tape to be wound thereon, wherein an improvement in said takeup means comprises:

• a takeup shaft on which a plurality of the spools are arranged, side by side, for being jointly and coaxially rotated by said takeup shaft;
• drive means for rotatably driving said takeup shaft at a rotational speed selected such that the spools, if rotated at the same rotational speed, would tend to takeup the strands of tape at a longitudinal takeup rate that is in excess of the rate at which the strands of tape are fed by said tape feed means;
• and
• a plurality of spool holding slip-clutch hubs coaxially mounted on said takeup shaft in alternating side by side relation with respect to the plurality of spools, each of said slip-clutch hubs having one axial end thereof formed for detachably, coaxially holding one of the spools and having friction means for drive coupling said slip-clutch hub to said takeup shaft such that each of said slip-clutch hubs and attached spools are caused to rotatively slip relative to said takeup shaft in reaction to tension in the associated strand of tape so that the longitudinal takeup rate of each strand of tape is limited by and equal to the longitudinal feed rate of the tape strands and so that the strands of tape are wound onto the spools under tension established by said friction means of said slip-clutch hubs.

In a parallel feed tape spooling apparatus for concurrently winding magnetic recording tape onto a plurality of endless tape cartridge spools of the type in which an endless tape is withdrawn from the innermost winding on the spool and returned to the spool as the outermost winding and including a tape supply means for supplying a plurality of strands of tape which are to be wound onto a corresponding plurality of spools, takeup means including a takeup shaft on which a plurality of such spools are arranged, side by side, for being jointly and coaxially rotated by said takeup shaft, and tape feed means for feeding said strands of tape in spaced parallel feed paths from said tape supply means to the spools on said takeup means, the improvement comprising:

• a multiple tape strand threading means including an elongate threading bar disposed parallel to said takeup shaft and mounted for rotation with respect thereto, about an axis parallel to said takeup shaft and offset from the lengthwise axis of said threading bar, between a tape capturing position in which said threading bar is oriented crosswise of the strands of tape as such strands of tape extend between said tape feed means and the spools on said takeup means, and a tape threading position in which said threading bar is rotated circumferentially about the spools on said takeup means to a substantially diametrically opposite side of the spools from said tape capturing position, and a plurality of tape strand clamp means mounted at spaced intervals along said threading bar for clamping said strands of tape to said bar when it is in its tape capturing position, whereafter full spools may be removed from said takeup means and replaced by empty spools, and for pulling said strands of tape clamped by said clamping means into threading relation with a plurality of empty spools on said takeup means when said threading bar is rotated to said threading position.