Apparatus for supplying tape loading machines with reels of tape
AssigneeTapematic U.S.A., Inc.
InventorLuciano Perego
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a cassette loading machine several loading modules carry out the loading of a predetermined amount of use tape into the individual cassettes, said tape being continuously supplied from a pancake mounted on a support hub. When one of the pancakes mounted on one of the hubs is out of tape, the intervention of a manipulating unit occurs and said unit picks up, by means of a grasping and release member carried by a supply module, a new pancake filled with use tape from a storage unit located sideways. The manipulating unit moves close to the out of tape pancake and removes it from the respective support hub with the aid of a grasping member carried by a discharge module. Them the new pancake filled with use tape is mounted onto the support hub in place of the out of tape pancake.
Claims15
An automated apparatus for supplying magnetic tape reels for cassette loading machines, comprising:
- at least one rotatable support hub capable of engaging a magnetic tape reel comprising:
- a core rotatable by a motor;
- and
- at least three locking levers circumferentially distributed about the core axis capable of exerting a force to fix the position of a reel on said support hub;
- a storage unit capable of storing, on a central support shaft having a free end, a plurality of reels of magnetic tape for mounting on said support hub, wherein said storage unit comprises means for biasing said plurality of reels toward said free end of said central support shaft;
- a main carriage slidably movable in relation to a loading machine and said storage unit, wherein said main carriage has at least on support arm extending therefrom, and wherein said support arm is movable relative to said support hub from a rest position in which it is spaced apart from a front wall of the loading machine to a working position in which it is located close to said front wall;
- and
- at least one grasping and release member connected to said support arm capable of engaging said support hub and said storage unit in order to remove an empty tape reel from said support hub, pick up a new tape reel from said storage unit and fit said new tape reel on said support hub in place of the empty reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.