"""Expandable loop"" method of and apparatus for automatically threading a web material"
US4772969A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 1987 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B15/6656
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of and apparatus for automatically threading a web material from a supply reel to a take-up reel along an external transport path. In a preferred embodiment, the transport path is defined by a plurality of transport elements, arranged to cooperatively communicate with the oxide surface (the information-bearing side) of a magnetic tape, to cooperatively guide the tape along its transport path past a magnetic head station. A vacuum source serves for establishing an air pressure gradient the effect of which is to controllably pull tape, spanning the tape supply and take-up reels, toward the transport elements in the form of an expandable loop which takes the shape of the tape transport path when the loop expands to bring the information-bearing side of the tape into operative engagement with each transport element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.