Tape recording system

A tape reproducing and recording system for recording selected pieces from a bank of recorded material having a system for selecting desired pieces of recorded material from a bank of recorded material and a memory for storing the selections made. A scanning or retrieval system is coupled to the memory and to a tape reproducing system having the bank of recorded material coupled thereto for locating the selected pieces in the bank of recorded material and reproducing the selected pieces. A recorder then records the selected pieces in the order they were reproduced whereby recordings can be made having only preselected recorded pieces thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to tape recording systems and specifically to 
a system for reproducing only selected pieces of recorded material and 
recording the selected pieces for the production of a custom recording 
having only requested recorded material thereon. 
In the past, it has been common to have a great variety of reproducing and 
recording equipment which is frequently combined. Typical recording 
equipment includes recording discs or records, wire recorders and magnetic 
tape recorders. The present invention is directed primarily to magnetic 
tape recorders and specifically to ways of reproducing customized, 
pre-recorded tapes. It has also been common in the past to provide means 
for feeding a plurality of pre-recorded tapes or records in a selected 
order for reproduction in that order and there has also been provided 
machines for selecting a predetermined recording for reproduction. 
Generally, however, pre-recorded eight track tapes or tape cassettes or 
even long playing records are mass produced with a variety of recorded 
pieces thereon for sale through retail outlets. The consumer is generally 
faced with the decision of buying the tapes or records when frequently he 
is interested only in a few or maybe one of a selected piece on the 
recording. This increases his cost for obtaining a selected piece and 
requires him to listen to the selected recordings which he has no desire 
to listen to. The present invention, on the other hand, would allow a 
consumer to order a custom tape of selected pieces from a large bank or 
selection which is then programmed into the present apparatus to produce a 
custom tape with only the pieces the customer desires to have on the tape. 
The present system is designed to be operated by a single individual and 
to be produced at a cost where it can be sold or used in any large 
metropolitan area as well as through mail order sales. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a tape reproducing and recording system having an 
input or selection means for indicating selections of predetermined 
recorded pieces of material from a bank having a plurality of pieces of 
recorded material. The selections made are stored in a memory which is 
scanned by a scanner which locates a selected piece in a bank of 
pre-recorded material located on a reproducing tape deck. The located 
material is then reproduced and recorded from a tape recorder coupled to 
the recording means for recording each selected recorded piece so that a 
recording can be made having only preselected pieces from the bank of 
pre-recorded material thereon. The system can have monitors for monitoring 
the pieces being reproduced and recorded and can place the selected pieces 
in a selected order if desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings an overall block diagram of a retrieval 
and recording system 11 is illustrated having a master control 14 which is 
used to turn the apparatus on, start and stop the tape players and 
recorders and index a predetermined number of selected pieces of recorded 
material such as pre-recorded tunes. The master control 14 activates the 
keyboard selector 17 which with the master control is the input to the 
apparatus 11 and allows coding numbers to be selected, each coded number 
being indicative of one unit of recorded material. The keyboard selector 
17 has a plurality of manually actuated switches which actuate silicon 
controlled rectifier switches in the register 24 which is a memory unit 
that stores the coded numbers indicative of selected tunes. The register 
energizes the electromechanical scanner 12 which works as a cross-over 
switch to the source program register 39 which works in connection with a 
bank of recorded material 41 such as master tapes with a large number of 
preselected tunes recorded thereon in a predetermined order each one 
having a coded number and being capable of being scanned by the scanner 12 
for stopping the pre-recorded material on a particular tune and then 
playing that tune for recording on a blank tape on a tape recorder. Tape 
reel registers 92 and 93 are used to identify the position of the recorded 
material 41 by reading marked points on the tape. 
The tape reel registers 92 and 93 produce the signals and actuate the tape 
reproducer and tape player and hold the electromechanical scanner 
retriever 12 until a particular recording is completed. The holding is 
through the feedback scanner retriever control unit 29, connected from the 
tape reel register 92 to the electromechanical scanner retriever 12. The 
master control 14 is used to turn on the reproducing unit 31 through the 
reproducer control unit 27 which is, of course, connected to the 
reproducing unit 31 which also supplies power to the recording unit 45 
through the recording unit controls 44 which is used to produce the final 
recording which may be a recorded tape 46. A monitor 73 may be speakers or 
headphones to monitor the reproduction from the reproducing unit 31 to 
assure that the unit is operative and is reproducing the programmed 
material. 
FIG. 2 illustrates the master control 14 and keyboard selector 17 while 
FIG. 3 illustrates the layout of the electromechanical scanner retriever 
12 and FIG. 5 shows the layout of the remainder of the system with some 
additional details set forth in FIGS. 6,7, and 8. FIG. 2 has the master 
control unit 14 separated by dash lines and including the selector 
actuating switch 50 along with the tape scan actuating switch 51 both 
connected from a 110 volt power source. A plurality of selectors 53 each 
having a number starting with 1 and going through 100, or more, are 
provided on a selector board. Each selector actuates a switch. A power 
supply 58 provides the low voltage to each selector switch 53 which low 
voltage is supplied from the selector unit 17 illustrated in dash lines to 
the register 24 illustrated in dash lines. The register 24 acts as a 
memory for the unit and each switch 53 is connected to a memory chip 54 
which may be a silicon controlled rectifier gate (SCR) which applies a 
voltage thereacross and illuminates a numbered indicator light 59 and 
holds the line open until disengaged. An electromechanical relay may also 
be used with the memory chip 54 to obtain a higher voltage if desired by 
having the SCR hold the electromechanical relay to apply a higher voltage 
through the chip 54 and out of the trunk lines 55. The master control unit 
14 also applies a voltage through a line 56 when the tape scan switch is 
actuated and through a line 57 when the selector switch is actuated, which 
selector switch provides the voltage through a power supply 58. The 
voltage from each memory chip 54 is applied to the electromechanical 
scanner retriever unit illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as in FIGS. 6 
and 7 through the trunk line 55 which applies a voltage to a plurality of 
electrical contacts 60 on the face 61 of the electromechanical scanner 
retriever 12. Each numbered electrical contact 60 has an equivalent or 
matching electrical contact 62 also on the board 61. The electromechanical 
scanner retriever 12 has a frame 63 having a rotating screw 64 mounted in 
a bushing at one end and through the frame at the other to a gear box 65 
which is in turn connected to an electric motor 66. Electric motor 66 
operates the gears in gear box 65 to produce a desired speed of rotation 
of the screw 64 which is operatively engaged by the screw engaging member 
67 of the sliding retrieval member 68 which rides on a pair of bars 70 and 
71 connected between the upright frame members 63. Thus, rotation of the 
screw 64 will move the thread engaging pawl 67 and thereby the selector 
bar 68 on the support bars 70 and 71. As the screw 64 rotates, it moves 
the bar 68 along the case 61 moving the contact member 71 along the 
contacts 60 and 62. Selector bar 68 is a conductor that contacts each 
contact member 61 and its equivalent contact member 62 and connects the 
two to form a passage for an electrical current so that if a voltage is 
being applied to one of the contacts 60 as a result of a selector 53 being 
pushed for a particular coded selection. The member 68 can also be stopped 
on that particular code number to apply a voltage therethrough for 
actuating the recording and reproducing system for a particular tune to be 
recorded. The scanner retriever system 12 is, of course, synchronized with 
the recording material in order to select the particular recording. The 
switching bar 68 has a pair of switches 73 to indicate the off position 
for shutting off the motor 66 to hold the bar 68 in a rest position. Once 
the motor is actuated, the bar switch 68 moves along the base 61 until a 
predetermined contact 60 which has a voltage applied thereto is reached, 
in which case, the bar 68 is stopped while the music source is reproduced 
and then continues to move until the next live contact 60 is reached. 
Switches 74 and 99 indicate that the bar 68 has travelled through all of 
the contact points 60 to the end of the cycle, at which time it is rapidly 
returned by reversing the motor 66 to the stop position on switch contact 
72 and 73. Thus, once the selector has had all of the programmed recorded 
material selected, the recorder scanner retriever can be actuated to begin 
the recording in which case the bar 68 begins to move until the first 
actuated code number is reached which piece is reproduced and recorded and 
then the bar 68 continues until the next selected piece is reached, and so 
forth, until the entire selected recording material has been reproduced 
and recorded onto an individual tape. A cam switch 75 is actuated by 
switching plunger 76 riding as a cam follower on a cam 77 which is fixedly 
attached to the screw 64 and actuates the switch 75 for each rotation of 
the screw 64. 
The scanner retrieval unit 12 has an output line 80 connected to each of 
the switch contacts 62 and output line 81 connected to the switch 72 for 
indicating the off position. Switch 73 is connected by a line 82 to the 
motor 66 for turning off the motor at a predetermined time which motor 
also has a line 83 connected to the switch 74 for switching the motor to 
reverse for returning the switching bar 60 to its beginning position. Line 
84 is connected to the motor 66 for turning the motor on in a forward 
direction on command of a scanning control and a line 85 is connected from 
the scan switch 75 to the scanning unit while the output line 85 is 
connected to the scanner retriever control unit 29. 
Referring more specifically to FIG. 5, the reproducing unit 31 is 
illustrated as a reel-to-reel tape recorder having a large source of 
material 41 attached thereto in the form of large tape reels, each tape 
having metal tabs 90 on one side and 91 on the opposite side, which tabs 
are read by switches 92 on one side and 93 on the opposite side. Switch 92 
synchronizes material 41 with the scanner retriever 12 and also reads the 
beginning of each recorded piece while switch 93 locates the end of each 
recorded piece which are read with magnetic tape reading heads 92 and 93 
to indicate the position of the tape 94 from the reels 41 on the 
reproducing unit 31. The recording is done through the recording head 95 
of the reproducing unit 31. The recorder 45 is connected by lines 96 to 
the head of the reproducer 31 so that the recorder can reproduce directly 
from the head 95 onto blank tape cartridges 46 which may be an eight track 
tape cartridge. A pair of electrical lines 97 connected to a pair of 
speakers 98 can reproduce the amplified reproduced signals converting them 
into acoustic signals where they can be monitored as they are being 
recorded in the recorder 45. Each completed recorded tape 46 is removed 
from the recorder and delivered to the customer. The recorder 45 is 
actuated whenever the reproducing system 31 is reproducing from the 
recorded material 41 and is switched on by line 100 connecting into the 
recorder control 44 and is in turn switched through a line 102 from the 
player control box 27. Player control box 27 is also connected to the 
reproducer 31 and is connected through line 80 to the contacts 62 for 
actuating the play control switch 89 for actuating the reproducer 31 and 
recorder 45 and is connected through line 81 to the off switch 79 for 
switching the system off after the completion of the cycle. Line 56 is 
connected directly to the master control box for actuation of the 
start-stop of the tape and scanning controls while electrical conductor 
104 is connected from the reproducing switch 93 to the fast forward switch 
105 and to reproducer control 27 and produces the signal through switch 93 
indicating the end of the first piece. The fast forward switch is actuated 
to continue searching the tapes for the next piece to be reproduced which 
is identified by the switching switch 92. The scanner retriever control 
box 29 operates through solenoid switches and is connected to the motor 66 
through electrical line 84 for turning the motor 66 on upon actuation of 
the scanner retriever control 29. The line 85 is connected to the cam 
switch 75 connecting it to the scanner control 27 as is line 107 which is 
connected from switch 92 to indicate the start of a tune for actuating the 
scanner retriever control box 29. The scanner retriever control box 29 
controls the operation of the motor 66, the screw 64, and thereby the 
moving switch bar 68 riding along the base 61 of FIG. 3 connecting the 
switching contacts 60 to those of 62 for starting and stopping in response 
to a SCR memory chip 54 controlling voltage when applied by previously 
depressing selected switches, or switch, in keyboard selector 17. When 
contact 62 has been actuated and has a voltage applied thereto, it 
actuates the reproducing unit 31 and turns off the motor through the 
scanner retriever control box 29 until the tune is completed. Starting, 
beginning, or ending a tune by switches 92 and 93 which read the metal 
tabs 90 and 91 to indicate the beginning and end of a tune while the cam 
switch 75 synchronizes the scanner control by counting the number of 
revolutions of the scanning screw 64. 
Referring to FIGS. 6,7, and 8, the electromechanical scanner retriever 12 
is more clearly illustrated in a perspective view having the frame members 
63 having a bushing 110 supporting the end of the helix screw 64 with pawl 
67 riding therein and attached to the contact bar 68 riding on the support 
bar guide members 70 and 71 and having the metal conductor portion 111 
with contact tips 112 for contacting the electrical contacts 60 and 62. 
The motor 66 is illustrated operated by lines 83, 84 and 82 driving a gear 
box 65 for operating the screw 64. Cam switch 75 has the cam follower 76 
riding on the cam 72 which is fixedly attached to the rotating screw 64. 
Input lines 55 and output lines 80 are also illustrated attached to the 
contact 60 and 62, as well as the switches 72 and 73 at one end and 
switches 74 and 99 at the opposite end thereof. The conductor bar 111 and 
contact points 112 riding on the switching bar 68 is more clearly 
illustrated in FIG. 7 while FIG. 8 illustrates the material in storage 
tape 41 having magnetic tape 94 thereon with metal tabs 90 on one side and 
91 on the other which actuate magnetic pickup switches 92 and 93 for 
scanning the tape, locating particular recorded pieces and reading out the 
beginning and end of each recording reproduced by the reproducer 41. 
Referring to all of the drawings, the operation is begun by an operator 
making a first selection on the keyboard selector 17 which registers on 
the scanner retriever 61 which would cause current to pass through the 
scanner switch bar 68 passing current through conductor 80 onto the play 
solenoid switch 89 in the tape player control box 27 thereby stopping the 
fast forward switch 105. The play switch 89 is connected by conductor 102 
to the recorder control switch 143 on the recorder control box 44 and 
through conductor 100 for turning the recorder 45 on and recording the 
selection from the reel-to-reel player tape 41 being played on the 
reel-to-reel player 31 on a blank tape 46. 
At the conclusion of the first selection, the bottom tab 91 passes over 
register switch 93 connected by a conductor 139 to stop position of 
recorded control switch 143 in the recorder control box 44 cutting the 
recorder off. Switch 93 is also connected by conductor 149 to the scan 
motor switch 129 in scan control box 29 starting the scan motor to move 
worm gear 64 causing the scan switch bar 68 to move until the cam operated 
switch 75 moves one rotation to the second digit, stopping the motor 
through conductor 85. Register switch 93 is also connected by conductor 
104 to dast forward switch 105 in tape player control box 27 starting the 
tape in fast forward to the next start metal top tab 90 on the tape, 
passes over tape register switch 92 connected by conductor 107 to scanner 
control switch 129, re-starting scan motor 66, worm gear 64 and cam 72. 
The cam plunger switch 75 then stops the scanner switch bar after one more 
rotation. 
If a selection is in the memory face 61 operation repeats recording the 
next selection. If the next contact 60 has not been selected and has no 
voltage applied thereto, the tape play switch 89 would not be energized as 
no current would pass through the scanner switch bar 68 onto the source 
program register 39 to energize through connector 80 the play switch 89 of 
the tape player control box 27. The reel-to-reel tape 41 will continue in 
a fast forward mode past the end bottom tab 91 passing over register 
switch 93 connected by connector 104 to fast forward switch 105 already in 
the fast forward position and the tape would continue in a fast forward 
mode until the next tab 169 passes over register 92, causing switch 129 to 
turn on and starting scan motor 66 to start worm gear 64 and worm gear cam 
72 to the next digit. Each rotation of the gear 64 is thereby synchronized 
with the reel-to-reel tape position. 
This start-stop-start motion of the system continues completely 
synchronized until the scanner bar 68 gets to the reverse switch contact 
74 and 99 on the face member 61 thereby reversing scan motor 66 on the 
scanner retriever base 61. Contact 99 is connected by conductor 86 to the 
tape reverse switch 51 in the player control box 27 causing the tape 
player to also reverse. This reverses the entire operation with the 
exception that the memory write-in face 61 has nothing therein and the 
play switch 89 of player control box 27 is never energized. Accordingly, 
there is no interruption in the start-stop-start cadence of the mechanism 
in reverse until the scanner bar 68 reaches off switch 73 in memory 
write-in face 61 through conductor 82 stopping scan motor 66 and off 
switch 72 through conductor 81 to "off" switch 79 on the tape control box 
27 stopping tape player 31 and tape 41. 
This system operates as described by the scanner sliding retriever member 
68 of FIG. 3 starting at the beginning and shifting from one set of 
contacts 60 and 62 to the next. Each revolution of the scanning screw 64 
moves the scanning bar 68 from one contact 62 to the next and thereupon 
rotates the cam 72 which actuates switch 75 and turns off the motor 66 
with each cycle. Each time a voltage has been applied from the selector to 
one of the contacts 60 it then applies a voltage across the scanning bar 
68 to the opposite contact 62, thereby actuating the play solenoid 89 
through line 80 and starts the reproducer 31 of FIG. 5 operating. The 
control 27 is a standard control used with tape recorders except that it 
has been modified so that when the play switch 89 is actuated, it actuates 
through line 102 of the recorder 45 so that anytime the reproducer 31 is 
reproducing the recorder 45 is recording. Once all the selections have 
been made into the keyboard selector in FIG. 2, the master switch through 
line 56 turns on the fast forward which has the reproducer 31 running at 
fast forward until the play 89 is actuated at which time it slows down to 
playing speed. The scanning bar 68 of the scanner stops at each pair of 
contacts but is restarted by either the pick-ups 92 or 93 turning the 
scanner control 29 switch from off to on at which time the scanning motor 
runs the scanning bar 68 to the next set of contacts where it stops and 
waits for the tape on the reproducer 31 to reactuate it by the pick-ups 92 
or 93. Thus, once started, the reproducer continues either at fast forward 
or play until the complete recording is completed. While the scanning bar 
68 stops at each pair of contacts and waits to be turned on again by the 
scanner control 29, which may be almost immediate when the reproducer is 
in fast forward position or may have to wait for a longer period of time 
when the reproducer 31 is in a play position. The synchronization is not 
by the synchronizing of the speeds of motor 66 and the movement of the 
tapes on the reproducer 31, but rather by the actuation of the scanner in 
steps by the reproducer 31 so that the bar 68 riding on the drive screw 64 
must always move at least as fast as the fastest fast forward motion of 
the tape on 31 between tabs. 
It should be clear at this point that a system has been provided for the 
production of customized tapes by special order which has a programmed 
input through selection codes and allows an individual to insert a series 
of material which is on master tapes and in which the apparatus will 
automatically locate the recorded pieces, reproduce them and record them 
on blank magnetic tapes. It should be clear, however, that the invention 
is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed herein since 
improvements and changes are anticipated. For instance, it can be 
anticipated that integrated circuit memory units can replace individual 
SCR and relay memories and that improved electronic scanning can be 
provided for the scanner retrieval without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the invention. However, in the present form, many of the 
components are commercially available for different purposes but readily 
available for use in the present invention. Accordingly, this invention is 
not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed herein 
since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.