Abstract: A tape drive assembly includes a compact rectangular housing mounting a fixed take-up reel. A removable supply reel is mounted on a pivotable carrier which is adapted to be swung into a closure position on the housing to place the supply reel in operative position adjacent the take-up reel. In such operative position the supply reel is frictionally engaged by an endless drive belt which also frictionally engages the take-up reel so as to drive both reels and cause the tape to be fed therebetween in a path that passes adjacent a read/write head. The drive belt is formed of a viscoelastic material so that it is maintained on its supporting rollers under tension with the supply reel in or out of engagement with it and so that a constant tension is maintained on the drive belt, and hence the tape, at different driving speeds.

Abstract: A storage unit for tape and a leader strip includes a reel, and a disc adjacent one reel flange to deflect as the leader strip is wound into the space between the disc and the other flange.

Abstract: A tape storage unit comprises a single reel having flanges between which tape is stored and protected by a strippable leader strip wound about the tape and snapped into grooves in the flanges. A tape transport compatible with the reel includes a second reel with leader receiving grooves formed in its flanges, there being structure to guide and urge the leader toward the grooves in the reels in either direction of tape travel; also, novel drive systems for the reels are provided.

Abstract: A tape transport assembly employing a belt drive for the tape comprises:A. a pair of reels for tape to be transported from a supply roll on one reel to a take-up roll on the other reel,B. an endless belt located to arcuately engage the tape rolls on the respective reels for rotating the rolls and reels to effect said transport in response to endwise travel of the belt, andC. support means for supporting the reels and belt to accommodate bodily displacement of at least one reel relative to the belt into and out of position in which the tape roll on said one reel arcuately deflects and engages a first section of the belt.

Abstract: A tape transport assembly typically employing a belt drive for the tape comprises:A. a pair of reels for tape to be transported from a supply roll on one reel to a take-up roll on the other reel,B. at least one peripheral support to peripherally engage one of said reels to position same upon initial reception thereof in said assembly, andC. centering support means carried by the assembly for relative movement into and out of centrally supporting position in which said one reel is displaced out of peripheral engagement with said peripheral support and is centrally supported for rotation.

Abstract: A leader strip is connected with a tape at one end of the tape; and the leader strip has characteristic lengthwise unit bending stiffness which is substantially greater than leader characteristic widthwise unit bending stiffness. Further, the overall width of the leader typically exceeds the overall width of the tape, and the edge portions of the leader are engageable with non-grooved inner walls of reel flanges to be frictionally retained in position between the inner walls. A magnetic tape transport is provided with two such reels between which the tape and leader are transported.

Abstract: An electrical resistance package comprises:A. an insulative substrate,B. a network in film form on the substrate, the network including resistance branches,C. there being terminals on the substrate and associated with the respective branches for registration with contact pins, whereby the resistance branch may be selectively electrically connected via said terminals with the pins in registration therewith.