William S Bakes

US Patent:

46827420, Jul 28, 1987

Filed:

Jan 6, 1986

Appl. No.:

6/816629

Inventors:

George M. Woodley - Shrewsbury MA
William S. Bakes - Somersworth NH

Assignee:

King Instrument Corporation - Westboro MA

International Classification:

B31F 506
B65H 2100

US Classification:

242 56R

Abstract:

A novel shift block assembly is provided for a cassette tape loading machine. The shift block assembly essentially comprises first, second and third shift blocks that are mounted for sliding and rotating motion on a common axis. Each of the shift blocks has a guideway for aligning tape to be spliced and also is provided with means for applying suction to hold a tape in position in the guideway. The three blocks are disposed in tandem along the common axis, and the first and third shift blocks are used to hold the two leaders, while the second shift block is used to hold the tape to be loaded. Means are provided for shifting each block axially along the axis and additional means are provided for rotating each block relative to the other on the axis. Also associated with the shift block assembly is a cutter mechanism which includes a knife having a knife edge disposed in a given cutting plane extending at a right angle to the aforementioned axis. The cutter mechanism is adapted for reciprocal operation so as to cause its knife blade to move back and forth along a first line of separation between the first and second shift blocks or a second line of separation between the second and third shift blocks, whereby the knife edge will sever a tape that extends between a pair of blocks across a given line of separation.