Leader block for single reel tape cartridge

A magnetic tape cartridge comprising:

• an approximate square box having two elongated side pieces, approximate square and planar top and bottom sections, and elongated leading edge and back edge pieces, all of said pieces interconnecting said top and bottom sections such as to leave a tape access opening to the interior of the box at one corner of the leading edge piece and one side piece, said bottom section having a centrally located drive means opening, an apertured leader block receiving well disposed across said tape access opening;
• a reel rotatably positioned at the approximate center of the box to be accessed for rotation at said drive means opening about an axis of rotation;
• a web of magnetic tape wound on said reel and having a free end;
• a leader block having leading and rear surfaces and being attached to the free end of said web one side of said leader block approximate to its rear surface, said leader block being of a size for capture in the tape access opening by the leader block receiving well;
• said leader block including an outwardly-opening elongated slot and an enlarged pin boss receiving cavity aligned with the slot with the cavity opening toward said bottom section;
• said slot having a length and a depth with the length extending across the full height of and approximate to the leading surface of said leader block, the length being parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel and the depth being perpendicular to the leading edge of the box when said leader block is held within the leader block receiving well, the depth being less in size than the width of said leader block;
• and
• a shoulder in said leader block extending between said cavity to said slot.

A magnetic tape cartridge comprising:

• an approximate square box having two elongated side pieces, approximate square and planar top and bottom sections and elongated leading edge and rear edge pieces, all of said pieces interconnecting said top and bottom sections for enclosing a tape receiving cavity with a tape access opening to the tape-receiving cavity of the cartridge at one corner of the leading edge and one side piece, said bottom section having a centrally-located drive means opening, and a leader block receiving well disposed across said tape access opening;
• a reel rotatably positioned at the approximate center of the box to be accessed for rotation at said drive means opening;
• a web of magnetic tape wound on said reel and having a free end;
• a leader block having the free end of said web attached on one side of said leader block approximate to its rear surface, said leader block being of a size for capture in the tape access opening in the box in the leader block receiving well;
• said leader block having a slot with a length and a depth with the length extending across the full height of and approximate to the leading surface of said leader block, the length being parallel to the axis of rotation of said reel and the depth being perpendicular to the leading edge of the box when said leader block is held within the leader block receiving well, the depth being less in size than the width of said leader block;
• said leader block having a cavity at the rear of said slot extending a distance less than the height of the leading surface of said leader block from the bottom, said cavity having a cross-dimension larger than the width of said slot;
• and
• a shoulder in said leader block extending from the width of said cavity to the width of said slot.

A record-tape-containing cartridge, including in combination:

• a relatively-flat rectangular substantially-closed housing having a rectangular base wall lying in a first rectangular plane and with an aperture for receiving a tape driving element;
• said plane having first through fourth corners, three of said corners being coincident with corners of said rectangular base wall;
• a top wall facing and being spaced from said rectangular base wall, four side walls extending between said base and top walls for enclosing a tape containing cavity of said housing;
• a first of said side walls of said housing closing one side of said housing and having a first extremity spaced from said first corner of said plane;
• a second side wall of said housing closing a second side of said housing and being disposed at a right angle with respect to said first side wall and having an extremity spaced from said first corner of said plane such that an opening into the tape cavity of said housing lies between said first and second side wall extremities;
• said extremity of said first sidewall having an enlarged end portion;
• a tape-holding reel disposed inside and housing and having an axis of rotation coaxial to said aperture in said rectangular base wall and a tape disposed on said reel with a free end located adjacent said first corner;
• a well-forming wall inside said housing and extending between said first and second side walls and having two ends attached to said sidewalls closely adjacent to said extremities, respectively, and having a first portion disposed tangentially to said tape-holding reel and a second portion extending at a right angle to said first portion of said first side wall for forming an outwardly opening well, said first portion having a tape aperture for permitting said tape to leave and reenter said housing, said well-forming wall being disposed between said first corner and said tape reel;
• and
• a rectangular leader block affixed to said free end of said tape and adapted at a rear face thereof to fit against said well-forming wall second portion with said tape being affixed to one longitudinal wall of said leader block that faces said first portion when the leader block is fitted against said second portion, said rectangular leader block having a pin receiving outwardly-facing slot disposed in the leader block and having a longitudinal extent parallel to the width of said tape and so as to be adjacent the extremity of said second sidewall when the leader block is against said well-forming wall whereby said pivot block is subjected to moments of force about said second portion of said well-forming wall during insertion into and extraction from said well formed by said well-forming wall of the cartridge.

A leader block adapted to close a tape-containing cartridge and be affixed to a free end of such tape, comprising:

• an elongated rectangular block of plastic material having a width substantially the width of the tape and having oppositely facing front and rear surfaces, oppositely facing top and bottom surfaces and oppositely facing first and second side surfaces, said top, bottom and side surfaces between elongated and joined along their respective longitudinal edges with said front and rear surfaces closing the block at respective opposite longitudinal ends thereof;
• said second side surface including an outwardly-opening lock-pin-receiving slot extending the width of said block and being disposed a predetermined distance from said rear surface,
• said front and first side surfaces sharing an outward-facing extraction-pin-receiving slot extending the width of said block and being disposed at predetermined acute angle with respect to said first side surface;
• and
• said second side surface having a convex end portion extending from a second and greater predetermined distance from said rear surface than said lock-pin-receiving slot with said convex end portion terminating adjacent said extraction-pin-receiving slot.