US 4,512,527 AGranted

Cassette loading apparatus

AssigneeElectro Sound, Inc.

InventorsGeorge D. Rehklau, Lee A. Cotterill, Robert Z. Langevin

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Abstract

A multistation cassette loading apparatus 10 loads a predetermined amount of blank or pre-recorded magnetic tape into cassettes 12. Cassettes to be loaded are oriented and positioned on a conveyor 16 by an automatic feed mechanism 14. A loading mechanism 18 transfers each cassette to the first station of a four station turntable 20. At the first station, the leader tape 320 of the cassette is extracted. At the second station, the leader is oriented in a splice block 24 and is held in place by vacuum. The leader tape is cut into two sections of equal length by a cutter 34. At the third station, one section of the leader tape is spliced to the end of a reel of supply tape 38 by a splicer 40. A measured amount of supply tape is wound into the cassette at a constant tension. A cushion of air blown around the reel of tape in the cassette during winding reduces frictional heating from tape drag. After the measured amount of tape is loaded into the cassette, the supply tape is cut by another cutter 46. At the fourth station, the cut end of the supply tape is spliced to the other section of the leader tape by splicer 48. After the excess tape is wound into the cassette, it is unloaded from the turntable.

Claims52

Dependent claims

Cassette loading apparatus for winding tape into cassettes having a tape leader connected between at least two spools comprising:

tape supply means for providing recording tape;
transport means receiving a plurality of cassettes for carrying each cassette sequentially in a stream by a plurality of work stations;
extraction means for extracting a loop of the tape leader from each cassette received at a first work station;
holder means carried by said transport means for receiving, aligning and holding a length of the tape leader forming the loop;
first cutter means disposed at a second work station for cutting the length of the tape leader creating first and second leader segments each with a cut end and each connecting with one of the spools of the cassette;
splicing means disposed at a third work station for splicing an end of the recording tape to the cut end of said first leader segment attached to a first spool of said cassette;
winding means disposed at said third work station for engaging and rotating the first spool of the cassette and winding a desired length of the recording tape about such spool;
second cutter means disposed at said third work station for cutting said recording tape creating a first cut end thereof thereof terminating the recording tape wound about the first spool of the cassette and a second cut end terminating the recording tape from the supply means;
splicing means disposed at a fourth work station for splicing the cut end of said second leader segment to the first cut end of the recording tape, whereby at least four cassettes are being operated on simultaneously.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.