Playback and/or recording device for magnetic recording media, especially still photographs provided with a magnetizable coating

A device for recording information onto a magnetic recording medium and/or reproducing recorded information therefrom, the device comprising holding means for holding the magnetic recording medium;

• a movably mounted head unit for tracking tracks on the magnetic recording medium, including a plurality of magnetic heads located to track respective ones of such tracks;
• a rotary prime mover rotating in a single direction;
• drive means constituted by runs of an endless drive loop driven by the rotary prime mover in a single direction and travelling in opposite respective directions;
• coupling means activatable for coupling the head unit alternatively to one or another of said runs of said endless drive loop so that the head unit be moved in one or the opposite direction;
• and control circuit means electrically connected to the coupling means and to the pluralityof magnetic heads, operative for causing the coupling means to alternately couple the head unit to the one and to the other of said runs to effect movement of the head unit in one and then the opposite direction and operative for activating successive ones of the plural magnetic heads in a predetermined sequence during respective movements of the head unit in one and then the opposite direction;
• and the control circuit means including means responding to premature withdrawal of the recording medium from the holding means by automatically returning the head unit to a predetermined starting position.

A device for recording information onto a magnetic recording medium and/or reproducing recorded information therefrom, the device comprising holding means for holding the magnetic recording medium;

• a movably mounted head unit for tracking tracks on the magnetic recording medium, including a plurality of magnetic heads located to track respective ones of such tracks;
• a rotary prime mover rotating in a single direction;
• drive means constituted by runs of an endless drive loop driven by the rotary prime mover in a single direction and travelling in opposite respective directions;
• coupling means activatable for coupling the head unit alternatively to one or another of said runs of said endless drive loop so that the head unit be moved in one or the opposite direction;
• control circuit means electrically connected to the coupling means and to the plurality of magnetic heads, operative for causing the coupling means to alternately couple the head unit to the one and to the other of said runs to effect movement of the head unit in one and then the opposite direction and operative for activating successive ones of the plural magnetic heads in a predetermined sequence during respective movements of the head unit in one and then the opposite direction;
• the control circuit means including digital counting means operative for counting the number of times the head unit has been coupled toand driven by the one and the other runs, and further including sensing switch means generating a first signal when the head unit is decoupled from the one run and coupled to the other run and a second signal when the head unit is decoupled from the other run and coupled to the one run, an OR-gate receiving the first and second signals and transmitting them to the counting means to be counted by the latter.