# US 5,710,685 A · Apparatus for reducing distortion during recording in a tape recorder

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- Number: US 5,710,685 A
- Document ID: US5710685A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/461,064
- Filed: 1995-06-05
- Granted: 1998-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 1985-04-02
- Assignees: Church of Spiritual Technology
- Inventors: Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, deceased; Norman F. Starkey, legal representative
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710685A

## CPC

- G11B 23/50: Reconditioning of record carriers; Cleaning of record carriers {; Carrying-off electrostatic charges}(G11B3/58 takes precedence)
- G11B 15/60: Guiding record carrier (guiding devices structurally associated with magazines or cassettes G11B23/04)
- G11B 23/021: {comprising means for reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture (combined with means for reconditioning or cleaning G11B23/507)}
- G11B 23/502: {of tape carriers}
- H05F 3/02: by means of earthing connections
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)
- H05F: STATIC ELECTRICITY; NATURALLY-OCCURRING ELECTRICITY

## Abstract

An apparatus for reducing distortion during recording in a tape recorder of the type including a recording head which includes an electrically grounded, electrically conductive member in light contact with a coated surface of the recording tape provided adjacent the recording head. With this structure, excess electrons present on the coated surface of the tape after recording are removed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for reducing distortion during recording on a recording tape having a predetermined width and a magnetic coating face, said recording made in a tape recorder of the type including a recording head, by moving said magnetic coating face over said recording head in a recording direction, said apparatus comprising an electrically conductive member in contact with said magnetic coating face said electrically conductive member being smooth, non-rotatable, and having a length greater than the width of said tape, provided adjacent the recording head downstream of the recording head in the recording direction and being electrically grounded whereby excess electrons present on said magnetic coating face after recordings are removed from the tape;
and an insulated, electrically conductive wire attached at one of its ends to said member with a nut and screw at a portion adjacent to one end of said member, and attached at its other end to an electrically conductive, grounded component of said apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An apparatus for reducing distortion according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive member comprises a bar.

### Claim 3

An apparatus for reducing distortion during recording on a magnetic medium having a magnetic coating face and a predetermined width, said recording being made in an information recording device including a recording head, by moving said magnetic coating face over said recording head in a recording direction, said apparatus comprising a static, non-rotatable electrically conductive member having a width greater than the width of said magnetic coating face and in contact with said magnetic coating face, said electrically conductive member being electrically grounded and provided adjacent said recording head downstream of said recording head in the recording direction: and
an insulated, electrically conductive wire attached at one end of its ends to said member with a nut and screw at a portion adjacent to one end of said member, and attached at its other end to an electrically conductive, grounded component of said apparatus.

### Claim 4

A magnetic tape recorder system comprising:
a magnetic recording tape having a recording medium on one surface, a first end and a second end and a predetermined width;
a recording head adapted to record signals on the magnetic coating as the tape is passed over the head during recording;
a smooth, non-rotatable, electrically conductive bar having a predetermined length which is greater than the width of said tape, a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness adapted for sweeping off excess electrons present on the tape after the tape has passed over the recording head; and
an insulated, electrically conductive wire attached at one of its ends to a side wall of said bar with a nut and screw at a position adjacent to one end of said bar and attached at its other end to an electrically conductive, grounded component of said system.

### Claim 5

An improved magnetic tape recorder system having a recording head and magnetic tape of predetermined width, which moves in a predetermined direction over the recording head during recording operation and stores a recorded signal thereon, the improvement comprising:
a non-rotatable electrical conductor having a length greater than the width of said magnetic tape and positioned adjacent to the recording head on the side of the recording head downstream in the direction of motion of the magnetic tape, the electrical conductor in electrical contact with the magnetic tape and with ground; and
an insulated, electrically conductive wire attached at one of its ends to a wall of said conductor, with a nut and screw at a position adjacent to one end of said conductor and attached at its other end to an electrically conductive, grounded component of said system.

### Claim 6

A process for recording signals on a magnetic tape comprising the steps of:
selecting a magnetic tape having a signal recording medium of predetermined width and on one side thereof; passing the magnetic tape in a tape travel direction and over a recording head to record a signal on the recording medium to produce a recorded tape;
passing the recorded tape over a non-rotatable electrical conductor having a surface which faces said one side of the magnetic tape;
contacting said surface of said conductor in continuous line contact with said one side of the magnetic tape, said line contact extending transverse to the tape travel direction and at least across the width of said signal recording medium;
removing electrons from the surface of the magnetic tape; and
grounding said conductor through an insulated, electrically conductive wire attached at one of its ends to a wall of said conductor with a nut and screw at a position adjacent to one end of said conductor and attached at its other end to an electrically conductive, grounded component of said system.