| 摘要 |
<p>Pneumatically controlled apparatus (10) serves jointly for automatically threading magnetic tape (16) along a transport path past a magnetic transducer head (26) external to a magnetic tape cassette (60), then transporting the tape along such path. Tape transport elements of the pneumatic-type-air-bearing guides (28a, 28b, 52, 54), a vacuum capstan (55a, 55b), etc. are arranged, like the magnetic head, on the oxide surface side (the information-bearing surface) of the magnetic tape. To thread the tape, a vacuum source (22) provides an air pressure gradient the effect of which is to draw tape, spanning a supply reel (18) and a take-up reel (20), from the cassette in the form of an expandable loop which takes the shape of the transport path when the tape loop expands into operative engagement with each transport element and the transducer head. The air-bearing guides (28a, 28b) are disposed immediately adjacent and tangential to opposing sides of the transducer head. The vacuum source, in cooperation with each air-bearing guide, provides the same air pressure gradient, used to thread the tape, to draw, and to thereby maintain, the tape adjacent the tape-guiding surface of each air-bearing guide during movement of the tape between the supply reel and the take-up reel.</p> |
