Single reel tape cartridge

A magnetic tape cartridge comprising:

• an approximately square box having two elongated side pieces, elongated leading edge and rear edge pieces, all of said pieces interconnecting nearly flat top and bottom sections in a manner to leave tape access opening to the interior of the cartridge at one corner of the leading edge piece and one side piece and the bottom section of the box having a drive means opening, well means in said square box at said one corner opening outwardly to said tape access opening and having a shape for receiving a leader block;
• a reel positioned at the approximate center of the box to be accessed for rotation coaxially to said drive means opening;
• a web of magnetic tape wound on said reel and having a free end;
• a leader block having a cutout section in one side of said leader block approximate to its rear surface for attaching the free end of said web, said leader block having a size and shape for releasable capture in the well means;
• said leader block having a slot with a length and a depth with the slot extending along its length across the full height of and approximate to the leading surface of said leader block, the slot length being parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel and the slot depth extending perpendicularly to the leading edge of the box when said leader block is captured within said well means, the slot depth being less in size than the width of said leader block;
• said leader block having a receiving cavity at the rear of said slot and extending from the bottom a distance aligned with the slot length less than the height of the leading surface of said leader block, said receiving cavity having a width larger than the width of said slot;
• a shoulder in said leader block extending from said receiving cavity to said slot;
• and
• at least one compliant section in said leader block disposed adjacent to the rear surface and the side surface of said leader block containing said cutout section, said one compliant section incuding four cavities, two cavities opening to the bottom surface of said leader block and two cavities opening to the top surface directly opposite the two cavities opening to the bottom surface and a wall separating each of the two opposing cavities, one set of top and bottom surface opening cavities disposed adjacent to each side of said cutout and to the side surface of the leader block containing the cutout.

In a magnetic tape drive system having a threading means for automatic threading of a magnetic tape from a cartridge past air guides and a transducer to a drive mounted take-up reel, the combination wherein said cartridge includes:

• an approximately square box having two elongated side pieces, elongated leading edge and rear edge pieces, all interconnecting nearly flat top and bottom sections, and having a tape access opening to the interior of the cartridge at one corner of the leading edge and one side piece and a drive means opening in the bottom section of the box, a leader block receiving well opening outwardly to said tape access opening and having an interior opening to said box interior for passing tape therethrough;
• a reel positioned at the approximate center of the box to be accessed for rotation at said drive means opening;
• a web of the magnetic tape wound onto said reel and having a free end;
• a rectangular box-shaped leader block having a convex arc-shaped rear surface, said leader block having a cutout section in one side of said leader block approximate to its rear surface for attaching the free end of said web exterior to said square box, said leader block having a size for capture in the leader block receiving well, connection means in said leader block for connection to the threading means for unreeling said magnetic tape from said reel through said leader block receiving well and said interior opening;
• and
• at least one compliant section in said leader block disposed adjacent to the rear surface and adjacent to the side surface of said leader block containing said cutout section, said compliant section for assisting said leader block to conform to a cutout in a hub of the take-up reel such that the arc-shaped rear surface of said leader block faces outwardly of said hub to provide an essentially smooth circumferential surface for the hub for the radially outward layers of magnetic tape.

In combination, a magnetic tape cartridge in which a length of magnetic tape is wound on a single reel with the free end of the tape permanently connected to a leader block exterior to said magnetic tape cartridge, said cartridge completely surrounding said reel of magnetic tape except for an opening provided at one corner of said cartridge through which tape wound on said reel to be unwound as said leader block is moved away from said cartridge and through which the tape extends to the exterior leader block, a one corner portion of said cartridge through which said tape passes having a leader block receiving well including a bottom wall which has an opening through which said tape extends to outside said cartridge and said well including opposed walls attached to said bottom wall for engaging the leading and trailing walls of said leader block, said leader block overlaying said opening when said cartridge is not in use, said leader block including a slot extending from top to bottom of said leader block approximate to its leading wall and having a given width, said slot extending to and having an opening also extending from top to bottom of said leader block with said opening having two widths, at least one width being larger than the given width of said slot, said leader block further including a cutout section in one side wall for attaching the tape to the leader block, and including at least one compliant section in said leader block disposed adjacently to a rear wall of said leader block and the side wall of containing said cutout section.