Device for setting one cassette tape of a series of cassette tapes into a tape drive section

A device for setting tape cassettes comprising:

• a cabinet;
• cassette housing means having housing sections arranged side by side therein for simultaneously housing at least two tape cassettes, the cassette housing means being freely movable between a first position where the cassette housing means is projected from a front side of the cabinet to enable the tape cassettes to be inserted into or picked up from the housing sections and a second position where one of the tape cassettes in one of the housing sections can be set at and released from a tape drive section in the cabinet;
• a cassette setting mechanism for moving any one of the housing sections from the cassette housing means to the tape drive section, so that the tape cassette housed in one of the housing sections moved to the tape drive section may be engaged with a tape drive, and for moving said one housing section from the tape drive section to the cassette housing means;
• and
• a drive mechanism mounted in the cabinet constructed and arranged to move the cassette housing means from the first position to the second position, thereby enabling one of the housing sections to be disposed at the tape drive section via the cassette setting mechanism, and to move the cassette housing means from the second position to the first position, wherein when the tape cassette housed in said one housing section is maintained at the tape drive section, at least one of the other tape cassettes may be inserted into or picked up from one of the of the housing means.