Recording and reproducing apparatus for a record carrier in tape form

In an apparatus having

• a pair of spaced and rotatably mounted winding spindles,
• a friction wheel connected to each winding spindle,
• a swivellable carrier arranged centrally in relation to said two winding spindles,
• a rotatable driving part mounted on said carrier for driving said friction wheels, said carrier being swivellable to alternately bring said driving part into driving friction contact with a respective friction wheel, the improvement comprising:
• biasing means engageable with said carrier for swivelling said carrier toward each respective friction wheel and for biasing said driving part against the respective friction wheel;
• two spaced swivel bearings each associated with a respective friction wheel, each bearing being adjustable between an initial position and a fixed operating position, said fixed operating positions being selected such that said carrier swivels about and bears on a respective said swivel bearing in its fixed operating position when said biasing means swivels said carrier to engage a respective one of said friction wheels and such that when said driving part is in contact with said respective one of said friction wheels a plane through the axis of said driving part and the axis of the respective swivel bearing about which said carrier swivelled to engage said respective one of said friction wheels extends essentially perpendicularly to a plane through the axis of said driving part and the axis of said respective one of said friction wheels;
• and
• control means for controlling the movement of said swivel bearings between said initial and fixed operating positions to control the swivelling of said carrier.