Patent ID: 6889927

Claim:
A take-up mechanism adapted to wind a tape medium from a tape source mounted in a tape transport machine that has a threading assembly including a leader block adapted to engage a free end of a tape medium at the tape source and to convey the free end to the take-up mechanism, said take-up mechanism comprising: (A) a hub having an outer surface about which the tape medium is to be wound, said hub rotatable about a central axis and having a recess formed therein through the outer surface; (B) a receiver block having a bay sized and adapted to engage said leader block in a docked state, said receiver block disposed in the recess and supported for reciprocal sliding movement between an extended position state wherein a portion of said receiver block extends outwardly of the outer surface of said hub such that said leader block can be received into and released out of the bay and a retracted position wherein said receiver block is disposed within the recess, said receiver block having an end surface that registers with the outer surface of said hub when in the retracted position so that the outer surface and the end surface together form a substantially smooth winding surface for said tape medium, the bay sized such that said receiver block can move into the retracted position with said leader block in the docked state thereby to capture said leader block within said hub; and (C) a rotatable drive operative to rotate said hub thereby to wind said tape medium thereon.