Limited play tape cassette system

In a reel-to-reel tape cassette comprised of a bottom half and a top half and two reels between the halves with tape having its ends secured to said reels, one separate end to each reel for transfer from one reel to the other during play and back during rewind, each reel having flanges greater in diameter than a full roll of said tape, apparatus for counting and limiting the number of rewind-play cycles, wherein each cycle counted consists of any play or replay following a rewind of more than a predetermined segment, said apparatus comprising

• a follower arm pivoted on a pin between said reels and offset from a line connecting the axes of said reels, said follower arm being spaced from and movable between flanges of one reel to between flanges of the other of said reels as tape is transferred between said reels,
• a count wheel assembly comprising a ratchet wheel and pawl for preventing backward motion of said ratchet wheel,
• a clutch for coupling reciprocating motion of said follower arm to said count wheel assembly, said clutch including means for limiting rotation of said ratchet wheel to an arc just encompassing a count of one ratchet tooth of said ratchet wheel for each play before engagement by said pawl on the next ratchet tooth,
• a notch in said ratchet wheel of said count wheel assembly,
• means spring biased to engage said notch in said count wheel assembly, and
• means responsive to said spring biased means engaging said notch for preventing further play after said number of rewind-play cycles.