Filmstrip transducing apparatus and method

• US 4,087,839 A
• Filed: 07/19/1976
• Issued: 05/02/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1955
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Refac International Limited
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/706,506
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 358/102, 358/127, 358/132, 358/214, 360/93, 360/96, 360/132, 242/179, 242/210
• US Class Current: 348/96
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0012 with more than one selection steps, e.g. selection of a record carrier from a selected compartment of a compartmented storage storage devices for articles B65G1/0407
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0019 for images on filmstrips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6875 wherein the recorder or player is moved towards a selected cassette in the magazine
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6895 Automatic tape changing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/02 Driving or moving of heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input

Abstract

A transducing and drive apparatus and method for scanning information recorded on filmstrip or record tape. The record medium, which may comprise photographic film containing tandemly arranged individual picture frames or other forms of electro-optically scannable information or magnetic tape containing video and/or audio recordings, is provided in a cartridge or magazine to which a scanning and drive means is coupled for reproducing the information contained on the filmstrip or tape by driving same in the magazine past a scanning head. A plurality of cartridges or magazines may be disposed adjacent each other and each one may be selectively coupled to and scanned by means of the transducing apparatus which also contains means for driving the tape and a selected of two tape takeup reels.

Claims

1. Transducing and drive means for record tape provided in cartridges comprising in combination:

a support,

a magazine containing an elongated flexible strip of record bearing material,

supply and take-up means for said flexible strip including first and second reels supported for rotation within said magazine and means for guiding said flexible strip between said first and second reels,

said magazine having walls surrounding said first and second reels,

an opening in a wall of said magazine to permit access to said elongated flexible record strip,

means for predeterminately supporting said magazine on said support,

transducing and drive means supported for movement adjacent said magazine when said magazine is predeterminately supported on said support,

first and second coupling means supported by said support and movable after a magazine has been predeterminately located on said support to effect driving coupling with said first and second reels of said magazine,

separately operable motor means for driving said first and second coupling means,

a transducer movably supported by said support and movable thereon into opertive relation with a section of said flexible strip exposed to the exterior of said magazine through said opening to permit the transducer to transduce signals with respect to said strip,

third coupling means coupleable to a portion of said tape located between said first and second reels for engaging said tape,

first motor means for operating said first coupling means to drive said reel for taking up the tape thereon,

second motor means for operating said second coupling means to drive said second reel for taking up the tape thereon,

third motor means for operating said third coupling means,

said third motor means being reversibly operable to operate said third coupling means in driving said record strip from either said first or said second reel means.

2. Transducing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including control means for controlling the operations of said first, said second and said third motor means after coupling has been effected between said first coupling means and said first reel means, said second coupling means and said second reel means and said third coupling means and said tape for continuously operating either, said first and third motor means or said second and third motor means to cause tape driven by said third motor means to be taken up by the reel of said magazine disposed on the take-up side of said third coupling means.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first and second coupling means are coupleable directly to said first and second reels.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein each of said reels contains a hub, each of said hubs being rotatably supported by respective side wall portions of the magazine and each of said hubs contain coupling means operable to be engaged by respective of said first and second coupling.