Mechanism for transporting and receiving large and small tape cassettes

Cassette-housing racks for selectively storing cassettes of a first size and cassettes of a second size, a cassette of said first size differing from a cassette of said first size, each of said cassettes having at least two, parallel, opposite sides and said cassette-housing racks comprising:

• a housing for selectively holding a cassette of the first size or a cassette of the second size;
• first guides within said housing for guiding the two, parallel, opposite sides of said cassette of the first size so as to receive said cassette of the first size in a predetermined position within said housing;
• second guides movably arranged within said housing and being operable in a first position for guiding the two, parallel, opposite sides of said cassette of the second size so as to receive said cassette of the second size in a predetermined position within said housing;
• detection means for detecting the external form of said cassette of the first size;
• and
• control means interlocked with said detection means so as to move said second guides toward a second position inoperable for guiding a cassette of the second size, as said cassette of the first size is inserted into said housing.

A cassette transfer unit for transferring cassettes of a first size and cassettes of a second size different than the first size and each having at least two, parallel, opposite sides from cassette-housing racks to a recording and/or playback unit, and vice versa, said cassette transfer unit comprising:

• a cassette-housing unit;
• means for moving a cassette of a first size or a cassette of a second size from said cassette-housing racks into said recording and/or playback unit, and vice versa;
• first guides within said cassette-housing unit for guiding the two, parallel, opposite sides of said cassette of the first size;
• second guides movably arranged within said cassette-housing unit and being operable in a first position for guiding the two, parallel, opposite sides of said cassette of the second size;
• and
• drive means for moving said second guides from said first operable position inside the cassette-housing unit of said cassette transfer unit to a second inoperable position outside of said cassettehousing unit, and vice versa.

A cassette transfer unit for transferring cassettes from cassette-housing racks to a recording and/or playback unit, and vice versa, said cassette transfer unit comprising:

• a cassette-housing unit;
• conveyance means including transfer belts for conveying a cassette drawn from said cassette-housing racks or said recording and/or playback unit to aid cassette-housing unit;
• guide rails movable between a first, operable position inside said cassette-housing unit and a second, inoperable position outside of said cassette-housing unit;
• and
• drive means for moving said guide rails to said first position inside of said cassette-housing unit when said cassette drawn from said cassette-housing racks or said recording and/or playback unit is conveyed to said cassette-housing unit by said conveyance means, said cassette having a direction of movement with respect to said transfer belts that is corrected by abutment of said guide rails against said cassette.