Abstract: A wiper spring attached to a ramp formed in a floppy disc jacket base, which biases against a fabric liner to force the fabric liner against the floppy disc. The wiper spring is preferably metal, such as phosphor bronze, berilium copper or stainless steel. The wiper spring is attached to the jacket base by two or more posts formed on the base which protrude through openings formed in the spring and which are peened to hold the spring in place.

Abstract: An improved coined reel leaf spring for a video tape cassette is provided having a central portion and arms emanating therefrom. The arms include at least one rib formed therein adding strength to the arms and allowing a one-half reduction in the conventional thickness of the coined reel leaf spring required to effect bending and biasing. The reduced thickness, of course, reduces material costs for the coined reel leaf spring and overall production costs for the tape cassette.

Abstract: An assembly tray is injection molded with an open bottom to provide access to articles supported by the tray during manufacturing. Gear teeth are included on the bottom of the tray in the shape of a timing belt for indexing the tray during manufacturing. Stacking ledges are provided in the rim on top of the tray so that one tray can be stacked on top of another without sticking. A torsion box is provided on the sides of the tray to provide torsional stability. The assembly tray can be selected from a stack of other trays, used in automated manufacturing and stacked in another stack. The assembly tray is particularly suited for assemblying components of tape cassettes.

Abstract: A continuous loop tape cassette for use with an external tape player/recorder apparatus, having a cassette base, a cover and a separate tape guide positioned therebetween. The separate tape guide includes an elongated bridge molded of a low friction plastic and having substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, left and right ends with curved, relatively flat, front surfaces which are slightly slanted relative to the substantially planar top and bottom bridge surfaces, and a flange formed integrally of the front top surface of each end. In addition, locating holes are formed at each left and right end to receive corresponding projections formed on the cassette base and to orient the bridge relative to the tape cassette. Finally, there is provided between the left and right ends a leaf spring having a relatively soft, tape contacting member thereon for exerting a uniform pressure on the running tape as it crosses the magnetic head of the external tape player/recorder apparatus.

Abstract: An antitheft container for a compact digital, audio disc, including: a fold-over album having an outer flat sheet of die cut, thin, soft PVC material, an inner shell of thin, rigid vaccum formed PVC material with first and second square portions each having a rib formed therein for engagement with one another when the album is folded over and a middle insert of advertising literature sealed between the inner shell and the outer sheet; and a fold-over protector member having a vacuum-formed clear rigid PVC shell, also with a rib formed thereon, an extending flap and a hinge therebetween for folding the protector member. The front of the protector member temporarily engages the first portion of the inner shell via the complementary ribs, whereas the flap of the protector member folds over the outer sheet of the album.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge having a self-contained ratchet assembly and drive gear assembly. Three principal components are provided: a drive gear; a ratchet gear spool connected by a ring gear formed thereon to the drive gear; and a take-up spool having internal teeth which are rotatably mounted on a ratchet formed on the external diameter of the ratchet gear spool. The drive gear is driven by a simple printer motor at a constant speed, which, in turn, drives the ratchet gear spool at a constant speed. This action, in turn, drives the take-up spool through the flexible plastic ratchet at a speed that varies with the amount of ribbon accumulating on the take-up spool.

Abstract: An automated apparatus and method for assembling a flexible recording disc, including a single A-ring assembly station having an A-ring pick-up substation and a disc/A-ring assembly substation.

Abstract: A tape cassette pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly and related methods for manufacturing the pressure flap and for assembling the pressure flap in the cassette housing. The pressure flap is substantially flat and made of a flexible material. The flap has a first free end with a low coefficient of friction for normally urging a tape portion into contact with a support member of the cassette housing so as to minimize slackness of the tape, and a second end for being fixedly attached to the cassette housing. A piece is formed at the fixed end to form a flange. The fixed end is then inserted between a pair of walls and the support member formed in the cassette housing. The inserted fixed end of the pressure flap terminates at an area formed by the second wall positioned substantially at an angle to the first wall, so that the pressure flap cannot be pushed out of position relative to the tape upon which it resiliently abuts.

Abstract: A tape cassette pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly and related methods for manufacturing the pressure flap and for assembling the pressure flap in the cassette housing. The pressure flap is generally flat and made of a flexible material. The flap has a first free end with a low coefficient of friction for normally urging a tape portion into contact with a guide member of the cassette housing so as to minimize slackness of the tape, and a second end for being fixedly attached to the cassette housing. At least one angled rectangular flange is formed at the fixed end. The fixed end is then inserted between at least one wall and a columnar support member formed in the cassette housing such that the pressure flap cannot be pushed out of position relative to the tape upon which it resiliently abuts. The at least one angled flange formed in the fixed end of the pressure flap abuts a columnar supporting member.

Abstract: A transparent tape cassette storage container having a cover and a base and using a latching mechanism employing a projection on the cover and an interference recess in the base for receiving the projection. The interference in the latch is just enough so that it holds the base and cover securely, but also unsnaps easily when the user wishes to open the container. There is also used a pivoting mechanism to hinge the cover relative to the base. Finally, the front of the cover includes indentations and the base includes serated projections for aiding handling of the cassette storage container during opening and closing.

Abstract: A tape cassette dust door polar member, a dust door spring assembly and a related method for manufacturing and assembling the dust door spring assembly. The dust door polar member has a fixed end and a rounded free end. The rounded free end has a wide slit and a narrower slit extending therefrom toward the fixed end. The dust door spring assembly comprises this polar member and a spring having a short first leg and a long second leg angled relative to each other. The short first leg of the spring is positioned within the second slit of the polar member and the second leg of the spring is urged against the dust door to effect torsion of the spring. In the method of assembly, the wide and narrow slits of the dust door polar member sequentially receive the first short leg of the spring and twist the spring in a clockwise direction, to urge the second long leg against the dust door to effect torsion.

Abstract: A tape cassette for use with an external tape player/recorder apparatus having upper and lower cassette halves and an independent tape guide for insertion between the cassette halves. The independent tape guide is a subassembly comprising an elongated bridge molded of plastic and having a top planar surface, a bottom planar surface, a front, a back, a left end and a right end, two pairs of corner posts located substantially centrally of the front and a plurality of lateral projections extending from the front in relatively perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge. Each pair of corner posts has holes formed therein to receive a stainless steel pin therethrough also in perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge, which together with the plurality of lateral projections define the tape sliding surface.

Abstract: A tape cassette dust door latch, a dust door latch spring assembly and a related method for assembling the dust door latch into the tape cassette. The dust door latch has a lock plate with a boss projecting perpendicularly therefrom and a coil spring with first and second ends, the first end of the spring surrounding the boss and the second end of the spring being a free end. The cassette has an upper half case and a lower half case, the upper half case having an abutment member located in the vicinity of the lock plate, and the lower half case having a means for rotatably receiving the dust door latch. In the method of assembling, first, the dust door latch is inserted into the receiving means in the lower half case, and then the upper half case is assembled onto the lower half case such that the abutment member receives the free end of the coil spring, directs it downwardly, and holds the coil spring in a biased position.

Abstract: A video tape cassette reel having an economically and simply made pivot button member formed independently of the discs and the hub making up the tape reel. The pivot button member is made of a material which resists abrasion, e.g., polyacetal, whereas the hub portion and the flat discs or reels are made of a less expensive plastic. In one embodiment, the pivot button member has a base with a pivot button thereon and three substantially flat legs extending radially from the base. The legs are inserted through a central opening in the upper reel disc and the pivot button member is twisted about 60 degrees so that the legs are lodged under the upper disc and the pivot button member becomes secured in place. In another embodiment, the pivot button member has a substantially flat base with a pivot button thereon.

Abstract: A bracket for mounting a cassettebox that includes a flat substantially thin rectangular plate member attachable to a table, shelf or other like surface. Integrally formed on the flat plate member are alignment and locking elements formed along the side edges of the flat plate member for positioning a flat plate member of another bracket in side engaging alignment thereto, so that cassetteboxes mounted on adjacent brackets are aligned with each other in side-by-side relationship. In addition, there are provided male beveled side edges integrally formed along the front portion of the flat plate member for insertion into female dovetail grooves formed along the bottom side edges of the cassettebox. Flanges are formed along the non-beveled rear portions of the side edges of the flat plate member for aligning engagement with and positioning thereon track members formed along bottom side edges of the cassettebox that is to be mounted onto the bracket.

Abstract: A container for holding a cassette that includes a rectangular casing and a spring-biased drawer reciprocally and slidably received in the casing for holding a cassette in either of the short directions of the cassette, wherein the drawer has a front portion which extends downwardly to expose the cassette when the drawer is in its partially outwardly-extended cassette-exposing position from the casing. Hub-lock projections are formed on the pivotal front portion of the drawer to engage the hub-openings of a stored cassette only when the drawer is in its cassette-storing position. The hub-lock projections disengage or drop away from the cassette when the forward portion of the drawer bottom wall extends downwardly in the cassette-exposing position.

Abstract: The video cassette storage box is of two-piece modular construction having a storage compartment slightly larger than the normal size video cassette and provided with interlocking dovetail structure at each of the four corners so that a plurality of storage boxes may be interlocked together, either vertically or horizontally. The box construction is of elongated rectangular shape, with an overall thickness substantially less than that of the width and length and open along one portion thereof. Mounted within the storage box is a slidable tray provided with an opening tab at one end connected to the tray by a living hinge, and provided at the other end with a tongue for engagement with the edge of a video cassette for the purpose of engaging and pulling same out of the box along with the tray. The front tab with living hinge permits the label area of the video cassette to be clearly visible at all times when the cassette is being stored within the storage box.

Abstract: A tape cassette for use with an external tape player/recorder apparatus having upper and lower cassette halves and an independent tape guide for insertion between the cassette halves. The independent tape guide is a subassembly comprising an elongated bridge molded of plastic and having a top planar surface, a bottom planar surface, a front, a back, a left end and a right end, two pairs of corner posts located substantially centrally of the front and a plurality of lateral projections extending from the front in relatively perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge. Each pair of corner posts has holes formed therein to receive a stainless steel pin therethrough also in perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge, which together with the plurality of lateral projections define the tape sliding surface.