Concept Design

Robert Gaude

Robert I Farrow

Drey Johnson

Paul DeMint

Ray O McNeill

A cassette loader for loading a length of magnetic tape into a cassette having opposing major sides, and opposing top, bottom and first and second opposing side edges, respective first and second through capstan access holes. Positioners are used for referencing the position of the cassette at a processing station during processing. The positioners are carried by the cassette loader for engaging the bottom and the top of the cassette and for engaging the top of the cassette. One of the first or second positioners includes a place bar for urging the other positioner against the cassette under pressure and for ejecting the cassette when winding is complete.

Cassette loader with precision cassette extraction and winding reference

A cassette loader for loading a length of magnetic tape into cassette having a relatively short length of leader tape pre-loaded into the cassette and attached by opposite ends to respective first and second cassette hubs. The cassette loader includes a leader equalization position for holding a cassette; a leader equalizer for winding the leader tape substantially completely onto one or the other of the first and second cassette hubs while the cassette is in the leader equalization position and a cassette loading position spaced-apart from the leader equalization position for loading a length of magnetic tape into a cassette which has previously been processed in the leader equalization position. A cassette loading position is provided for loading a length of magnetic tape into the cassette at the cassette loading position simultaneously with the operation of the leader equalizer on the cassette in the leader equalization position. A transfer device transfers successive cassettes from the leader equalization position to the cassette loading position. An ejector ejects cassettes loaded with magnetic tape from the cassette loading position to permit loading of another cassette for loading with magnetic tape.

Cassette loader with simultaneous leader tape equalization and loading

A cassette loader for loading a length of magnetic tape into a cassette having a relatively short length of leader tape preloaded into the cassette and attached by opposite ends to respective first and second cassette hubs. The cassette loader has a leader tape extraction position for holding a cassette, a leader tape extractor for extracting the leader tape from the cassette in preparation for splicing the leader tape to a length of magnetic tape and a cassette loading position spaced-apart from the leader tape extraction position for loading a length of magnetic tape into a cassette the leader tape of which has previously been spliced to the magnetic tape in the leader tape extraction position. A cassette loader is provided for loading a length of magnetic tape into the cassette at the cassette loading position simultaneously with the operation of the leader tape extractor on the cassette in the leader tape extraction position and a transfer device is provided for transferring successive cassettes from said leader tape extraction position to the cassette loading position. A cassette ejector is provided for ejecting cassettes loaded with magnetic tape from the cassette loading position to permit loading of another cassette for loading.

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Burlington, NC, United States of America

Robert Gaude