Background of the Invention

In tape handling devices it is necessary to have a reel which is "taking up," or winding, the tape which is being pulled from a supply reel. Very often, in the prior art, the take up reel and the supply reel are interchangeable, depending on which way the tape is being driven. In such an arrangement both reels are often located in one housing, a cassette, and there is no need to "start," or load, a tape onto a take up reel.

However there are some applications in the prior art where the supply reel is provided as an entity unto itself and the tape thereon is pulled therefrom by an "empty" take up reel. A film on a motion picture projector is a typical example of the last mentioned prior art arrangement. Other uses of this kind are well known. In the prior art, with such arrangements, there has always been a certain amount of human factor involved. For instance in a movie projector arrangement, the film is threaded along a group of sprocketed drivers and idlers. In some other arrangements the tape is pulled from the supply reel* and "grabbed" by a vacuum port on the take up reel. In another arrangement the tape is pulled from the supply reel and hand loaded into a take up reel whereat there is a sheath, which, in

response to movement of the take up reel, operates to squeeze the tape and hold it in position while the tape winds on itself.

The present arrangement provides two tape leaders which are designed to be automatically, and readily, locked, or buckled, together. In my co-pending patent application entitled, "A Mechanism for Joining Tape Leaders", serial no. 578,766, I teach and claim a mechanism to be used with the two tape leaders described and claimed in the present patent application.

Summary of the Invention

In the present arrangement there is included a first tape leader which in a preferred embodiment is identified with the take up reel. The first tape leader is formed at one end to have an enlarged tab which is supported by a stem portion. The other end of the first tape leader is formed to be fastened to a take up reel so that when the take up reel is wound the first tape leader will wind on itself. In addition in the present arrangement there is included a second tape leader which in a preferred embodiment is identified with a supply reel. The second tape leader is formed to have a locking aperture at one end and a means to be secured to a tape to be pulled at the other end. The locking aperture is designed to have a relatively wide section through which the enlarged tab

SUBST.TUTESHEET

can pass, or be pushed. In addition the locking aperture has a relatively narrow section which will not pass the enlarged tab but which will accept the stem portion. Accordingly when the tab is passed through the locking aperture it can be moved toward the narrow section (the stem being permitted to move through the narrow section) until the enlarged tab bumps into the sides of the narrow section thus locking the first tape leader with the second tape leader. At the point, or area, where the enlarged tab is locked by the narrow section there are extensions, or bumps, on either side of the second tape leader. In order to effect a smooth wrap around of the two leaders, (so that a distortion of the tape does not result from winding the tape from the supply reel around locked leaders having bumps) , the two leaders are provided with smoothing apertures. The smoothing apertures are located, one each in respectively said first and second tape leaders, such that the extensions, or bumps, are fitted into the smoothing apertures and hence the wrap around of the leaders is smooth. The take up reel leader has a locating aperture in close proximity to the enlarged table so that the mechanism described in my co-pending application, mentioned above, or some other tool can be used to position the take up leader for automatic coupling to said supply reel tape leader.

The objects and features of the present invention can be better understood in view of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 depicts the enlarged tab of the first leader being initially moved through the wide section of the locking aperture;

Figure 2 shows the relationship of the enlarged tab as it moves to be locked by the narrow section; Figure 3 shows the enlarged tab in the locked position in the narrow section of the locking aperture; and

Figure 4 is a side, partially cross-sectioned, view of the two leaders wrapped on a take up reel. Consider Figure 1. In Figure 1 there is shown a tape leader 11 which is broken into sections to simplify the drawing. Actually the leader 11 is one continuous piece of material from the enlarged tab 13 to the end 15.

As can be seen in Figure 1, one end of the tape leader 11 is formed into an enlarged tab 13 which is supported by a stem portion 17. The enlarged tab in a preferred embodiment is shaped to closely resemble a mushroom. Other shapes could be used.

In close proximity to the enlarged tab 13 there is formed a locating aperture 19. The locating aperture 19 is used to enable a tool (such as the type mentioned in

my corresponding application, above) to be inserted therein so that the enlarged tab 13 can be moved into a position to be readily (and automatically) pushed through the locking aperture 21 of the supply reel leader 23. Also within the take up reel leader 11 there is formed a first smoothing aperture 25. When the enlarged tab 13 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 3, the stem 17 bulges out from the supply reel tape leader 23. The bump resulting from the above described bulging occurs in the region 27 (Figure 3) of the tape leader 23, but away from viewer looking at Figure 3. In addition when the enlarged tab 13 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 3, the enlarged tab 13 extends out from locking aperture 21, toward the viewer looking at Figure 3. The bump resulting at section 27 fits into the smoothing aperture 25 when the take up reel leader 11 is wrapped around the take up reel.

Finally there is formed a securing aperture 29 formed in close proximity to the second end 15 of the tape leader 11. The securing aperture 29 permits the leader 11 to be fastened to the take up reel so that the tape leader 11 moves with the take up reel.

As can be further gleaned from Figure 1 the locking aperture 21 is formed to have a wide section through which the enlarged tab 13 can pass. In addition the locking aperture 21 has a narrow section 31. The narrow

section 31 is wide enough to permit the stem 17 to pass therethrough but is narrow enough to block the enlarged tab 13 from passing therethrough. In the tape leader 23 there is also formed a smoothing aperture 33. As mentioned above the enlarged tab 13 extends away from locking aperture when the two leaders are locked as shown in Figure 3. The smoothing aperture 33 accepts the enlarged tab 13 when the two leaders are wrapped around the take up reel. The foregoing is better appreciated from Figure 4 which will be discussed hereinafter. If we examine Figures 1, 2 and 3 the lock up procedure can be readily understood. In Figure 1 the initial position is shown where the enlarged tab 13 is located opposite the wide portion of the locking aperture 21. The enlarged tab 13 is pushed (by a cam or otherwise) well into the locking aperture 21. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 2, the take up reel leader is pulled in the direction of rotation of the take up reel. To say it another wy the tab 13 is moved toward the narrow section 31. In this intermediate step the extensions 35 and 37 slide over the sides of the locking aperture near the narrow section 31 and hence the tab 13 becomes locked in. As the tape leader 11 is moved further in the direction of rotation of the take up reel the tab 13 becomes firmly locked with the leader 23 as depicted in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows a side view, partially sectionalized, of the two leaders wrapped around the take up reel 39. In Figure 4 the aperture 29 is shown secured to a finger 41. If the leader 11 is followed around the wrapped position the smoothing aperture 25 can be seen. As can be recognized in Figure 4 the bump created by the stem 17 (as described above) is shown fitting into the smoothing aperture 25. If the tape leader 11 is followed around the second layer, the extension of the tab 13 into the locking aperture 21 becomes apparent. If the leader 23 is followed around becoming layer 3 the smoothing aperture 33 is recognized. As can be seen in Figure 4, - the extension, or bump, formed by the tab 13 fits into the smoothing aperture 33. As can be gleaned from Figure 4 the two leaders 11 and 23 are wrapped around the take up reel 39 in a smooth fashion.

As can be further gleaned from Figure 4 the tape to be pulled, tape 43 is secured to the leader 23 by adhesive material such as rubberized adhesive or the like. Other forms of adhesive or other forms of securing the tape 43 to the leader 23 can be used.

The present arrangement of the two tape leaders, formed as described above enables a means to pull a tape to be automatically coupled to a tape to be pulled. In a preferred embodiment the tape leaders are fabricated from

a polyester material and are approximately .004to .010 mils thich. Other materials and thicknesses may be used

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: