Patent GB-1170207-A (GB)
Title: Magnetic Tape Cassette Changer.
Inventor: KOZU ISAO
IPC: G11B15/68
Filed: 1968-05-16
Abstract: 1,170,207. Tape cassette players. MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO. Ltd. 16 May, 1968 [16 May, 1967; 16 Feb., 1968], No. 23315/68. Heading G5R. Magnetic tape cassettes are stored in a tray intermittently driven so that the cassettes are sequentially fed to a position from which they are conveyed to a tape deck and to which they are returned after use. Cassettes 14 in a tray 16 are lowered to a position where spool turntables 200, 202 and capstan 204 on a movable deck 172 are engaged with the cassette. Motor 46 drives pinion 62 through gears 52-60 but because of toothless portions 84, 86 on a controlling gear 70, cannot drive the gear until one or other of clutch members 74, 76 is moved into the path of a lug 66 on pinions 62. On rotation of gear 70 a pin 108 riding in slot 106 rotates a lever 104 carrying a link 112 to lower an elevator 116 supporting at 138 a cassette 14. As the cassette is lowered, brackets 168 on the elevator engage pins 156 to rotate and lower a lever 152 so that a rubber pad 165 thereon engages the top of the cassette whereby slides 188 on a stationary deck 170 are engaged and lowered by the cassette and, being coupled at 191, 192 to the deck 172, bring the latter into the operative position where it is latched 306 to the deck 170 which carries a pinch roller 182 and erase and record/playback heads 180, 178. A pin 308 on the elevator 116 rotates a threearmed lever 316 (Fig. 5) during lowering to operate a microswitch 322 to direct power from the changer motor 46 to a tape transport motor 206 and disengages the other clutch 78 via arm 326 and lever 282 so that the gear 70 stops with toothless portion 86 opposite the pinion 62 and the pad 165 is raised clear of the cassette. The tape is played until a stop-foil or cessation of spool rotation is sensed to operate a solenoid 328 to release the latch 306 allowing the deck 172 to disengage from the cassette which thereby rises until meeting the pad 156 during which time the elevator pin 308 releases lever 316 to transmit power to the changer motor 46 and release clutch 78. The cassette is thereby returned to its original position in the tray 16. A further pin 346 on gear 70 rotates spur wheel 350 coupled by gears to a pinion meshing with a rack on the tray to advance the latter and position the next cassette above the entry shoot 30. A detent lever (37, Fig. 10, not shown), engages a star wheel (366) to position the rack accurately. The play button 18 still being depressed, the changer begins another cycle. When the last cassette has been returned to the tray, the elevator is lowered again but, not carrying a cassette, the slides 188 and thereby pin 308 are not moved so that the elevator is raised immediately it reaches its lowest position but an L-lever 376, being unoperated by the pin 308, blocks movements of the detent lever (370) so as to rotate arm 236 and release bars 230, 232 latching the play button 18. Start button 18 is depressed to close power switch 264 and rotate L-lever 270 to engage clutch 76. Reject button 20 operates switch 401 to actuate solenoid 328. Wind and rewind buttons 22, 24 control tape winding (not detailed) and are latched until winding is complete whereupon ejection is initiated and buttons 22, 24 released while still latching play button 18 to continue the complete programme. Stop button 22 initiates fast wind via projection 408 and operates the stop mechanism 316 as described above. Record button 28 can only be latched with play button 18 to prevent accidental operation but can be depressed to set recording level. Manual positioning of the tray is possible with controls in the stop position.