Patent ID: 7500633

Claim:
A take-up reel for a single reel cartridge magnetic tape drive, said single reel cartridge including a magnetic tape on a reel, said magnetic tape including a leader pin at a free end, comprising: a first flange and a second flange spaced from one another to define a tape winding space therebetween; a central hub mounted between said first and second flanges, said central hub having a substantially cylindrical wall, said cylindrical wall defining a gripper space; a leader pin gripper selectively receivable in said gripper space, said leader pin gripper including a hook portion having a hook for selective engagement with the leader pin of the magnetic tape; and an alignment spring mounted at said central hub, said alignment spring contacting the leader pin when the leader pin is engaged in said hook portion of said leader pin gripper and said leader pin gripper is in said gripper space, said alignment spring pressing the leader pin in an axial direction.