The Quaker Oats Company

Cipher Data Products, Inc.

Ronald D Irvin

Karl B Offerman

Lynn C Jacobs

Gregory F Lambert

A magnetic tape drive in which a tape cartridge is endwise loaded and thereafter minutely moved into a precision alignment position with respect to a read/write head. The drive has a support frame with a front panel and an elongate tray dimensioned to have the cartridge inserted endwise thereon. The tray is supported by the frame for longitudinal sliding movement from a retracted position in which the tray is contained within the frame to an extended position in which a portion of the tray extends through a slot in the front panel. A mechanism is provided for opening the access door of the cartridge while the cartridge is supported on the tray and the tray is being moved from its extended position to it retracted position. Another mechanism is provided for simultaneously moving the head and a capstan drive into engagement with the cartridge once it has been fully inserted and for also moving clamp mechanisms against the bottom plate of the cartridge to minutely move the cartridge against adjustable reference location pins.

Cartridge alignment mechanism for tape drive

A magnetic head is attached to a hollow carriage which surrounds a hollow cylindrical positioner post rigidly secured at one end to a frame element of a tape drive. Precision ball bearings mounted to the carriage engage the outer surface of the cylindrical positioner post at longitudinally and circumferentially spaced locations. A positioner shaft extends through the positioner post and a tracking nut in one end of the carriage is screwed over a threaded segment of the shaft. A pin extends from the carriage and is longitudinally slidable in a recess in an anti-rotation block mounted on the frame element. A stepper motor can drive the shaft to reciprocate the carriage toward and away from the frame element thereby moving the head traversely with respect to a length of magnetic tape. An adjustable stop on the post limits movement of the carriage toward the frame element.

Precision bearing for reciprocating a magnetic head

Toy tape recorder

The object of this invention is to provide an improved phonograph having an improved tone arm assembly and structure associated therewith for automatically returning the tone arm to its rest position when the phonograph cover is closed. The improved tone arm is mounted in a slightly unbalanced condition for movement under the influence of gravity to a normal position. In this normal position the up and down motion of the needle on the record and the force exerted thereagainst is independent of the tone arm.

Phonograph having an improved tone arm assembly

The object of this invention is to provide a releasable hinge for swingable portions such as a cover and bottom of a container or the like. The releasable hinge comprises a pair of spaced apart, laterally flexible spring fingers projecting from one wall of one portion of the container into a blind notch on an opposed wall of another portion of the container. The side surfaces of the notch are arranged and spaced to flex the fingers together until lateral porjections at the ends thereof nest into complimentary recesses in the side surfaces for hingedly coupling the container portions together. When the container portions are rotated about the projections to a maximum open position of the container, back surfaces on the fingers engage and pivot about the blind end of the notch. Further open movement of the container portions causes the projections to be forced out of the recesses for releasing the hinge and preventing damage to the hinge and/or container portions.

Releasable hinge for swingable portions of a container

The object of this invention is to provide an improved drive control mechanism for the turntable of a phonograph. The drive control mechanism comprises a control lever successively movable in one direction from an off position to a 331/3 rpm (revolutions per minute) position or a 45 rpm position for record playing, and then in the reverse direction to its off position. A drive shaft has first and second drive portions of different diameter. A rotatable puck is interposed between the drive portions and turntable for selectively drivingly connecting the drive portions to the turntable. A linkage-means couples the control lever to the puck so that when the lever is moved between the off, 331/3 rpm and 45 rpm positions, the puck is selectively moved (1) out of engagement with the drive portions and turntable, (2) into engagement with the first drive portion and turntable, and (3) into engagement with the second drive portion and turntable respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Poway, CA, United States of America

Ronald D Irvin