US 4,541,557 AGranted

Magnetic tape guide roller system

AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH

InventorsWolfgang Fell, Heinrich Zahn, Peter Gunschmann, Winfried Buchel

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Abstract

To guide magnetic tape, particularly tape used in video tape recording, and especially for digital video signals for self-centering of the tape with respect to a datum (41) of a roller system, two coaxially journalled frusto-conical rollers are provided, which are independently rotatable with respect to a shaft (4) having a shaft axis (40) and, further, tiltable about tilt axes (13, 14) which extend at right angles to the shaft axis (40) and intersect the intersection point of the then existing axes of rotation (7, 8) of the respective rollers with the shaft. Upon drift or creep of the tape (1) from symmetrical positioning with respect to the rollers, return forces will be applied to the tape tending to return the tape to centered, symmetrical position, independently of the running direction of the tape.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In combination with magnetic tape (1),

a guide roller system for dynamically centering the tape, while running, against lateral shifting, in a precisely predetermined position with respect to a datum (41), without damaging the edges of the tape, having
a support shaft (4) having a shaft axis (40);
two frusto-conical rollers (2,3);
and bearings (5,6) for rotatably mounting the rollers on the shaft,
wherein, in accordance with the invention,
said rollers (2,3) are rotatable, independently of each other, about instantaneous axes of rotation (7, 8);
said bearings are located between the shaft and the respective rollers, and rotatably position the rollers on the shaft, with spacing from each other, mirror-symmetrically with respect to said datum, and being characterized by permitting individual deflection or tipping or tilting of the rollers, about respective tilt axes (13,14) which intersect
(1) the instantaneous axes (7,8) of rotation of the respective rollers, and
(2) the axis (40) of the shaft (4), under force applied by the magnetic tape running in either direction over the surfaces of the rollers.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.