Automatic video-tape cassette changing device

An automatic video-tape cassette changing device adapted to be used in combination with a recording and reproducing apparatus, which comprises:

• a main body having a rectangular-shaped open space provided on a bottom surface thereof for receiving one or more stacked video-tape cassettes, a cassette entering inlet provided at a rear wall of the main body in a coplanar relationship with the bottom surface and communicating with the open space and a cassette access opening of said apparatus, and a cassette discharging outlet formed at a side wall of the main body and communicating with the open space for discharging recorded or reproduced cassettes ejected from said apparatus;
• projecting pieces provided at a front wall of the main body and adapted for supporting the stacked cassettes;
• a pair of cassette feeding mechanisms mounted on the side walls of the main body in an opposite relationship with each other for dropping cassettes in sequence on the bottom surface of the main body, each of said cassette feeding mechanisms including a driving gear driven by a motor, an intermediate gear engaged with the driving gear, a driven gear meshed with the intermediate gear, and a cutout cylindrical holder integrally formed at a first side of the driven gear and suitable for gripping the lowermost one of the stacked cassettes;
• and
• cassette pushing means associated with one of the cassette feeding mechanisms for pushing the lowermost cassette supported on said projecting pieces of the front wall of the main body in a horizontal direction and separating it from the stacked cassettes by the actuation of said one of the cassette feeding mechanisms at the substantially same time as the release of a rear portion of the lowermost cassette from the cutout cylindrical holders takes place, said cassette pushing means including an eccentric cam provided at a second side of the driven gear, a cam following slide plate in contact with the eccentric cam, a pushing lever hinged at an end portion of the slide plate and rotatably pivoted at a pin fixed to a partition of the main body for pushing a front portion of the lowermost cassette through the movement of the slide plate in the rotating motion of the eccentric cam, and means for biasing the slide plate against the eccentric cam.