Abstract: A disc cassette for use in a recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a jacket having two opposed, spaced-apart panel walls between which a record disc is rotatable. The panel walls have openings adjacent one side of the jacket to define a window through which the disc may be exposed, and a shutter is moveable on the jacket between open and closed positions in respect to the window. A latch in the jacket is disposed between the panel walls and is yieldably urged outwardly in the gap, and a keeper on the shutter is engageable with the latch at the closed position of the shutter for locking the shutter in its closed position. The shutter has an opening in its outer surface at which the shutter is engageable for movement to its closed position.

Abstract: A magnetic recording apparatus includes a rotary disc rotatable about an axis and having an outwardly extending radial flange with three apertures therein; three pins mounted in the apertures on the rotary disc and positioned about a circle concentric with the axis for accurately supporting an information record disc thereon, each of the three pins projecting from the rotary disc to substantially the same height; and a magnet positioned on the flange of the rotary disc and having a height lower than the three pins for magnetically attracting the information record disc to secure the latter on the three pins.

Abstract: A magnetic disk assembly is comprised of a magnetic disk and a hub member centrally positioned on that disk and having a non-circular opening for receiving a circular drive shaft which serves to rotatably drive the magnetic disk. The hub member includes at least two reference surfaces which converge toward each other and which form two respective walls of the opening, and one or more resilient members having a surface which forms a third wall of the opening. The three walls are positioned and dimensioned such that when a circular drive shaft is received, the reference surfaces and the surface of the resilient member all tangentially contact the drive shaft to be rotated thereby when the drive shaft rotates.

Abstract: In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a flexible disc which is rotatably mounted in a jacket having an indicator for indicating the number of tracks on which the signals have already been recorded, a transducer records and/or reproduces the signals on a surface of the disc so as to form a plurality of circular tracks thereon. The transducer is subsequently moved in the radial direction of the disc to the next adjacent track. The apparatus is further provided with an indicator driving mechanism for driving the indicator of the jacket to shift the latter to a corresponding position as related to the number of the recorded tracks. The indicator driving mechanism is driven in synchronism with the movement of the transducer.

Abstract: A magnetic disc cartridge, having a jacket which contains a rotatable magnetic disc, is loaded into a cartridge holder of recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on the rotatable magnetic disc. The cartridge has a guide groove longitudinally extending in a direction in which the cartridge is inserted into the holder for receiving a guide element provided in the holder. A shutter is movable across a window provided in the jacket between a closed position and an opened position, and includes a projection extending into the guide groove to be contacted by the guide element when the cartridge is inserted properly into the holder. The guide element thus moves the shutter is from the closed position to the open position thereof when the cartridge is inserted in the cartridge holder.

Abstract: A still image playback apparatus which has a single playback head which is mounted on a head positioning means adjacent a magnetic disc which is rotated at the field frequency and wherein the disc has a plurality of concentric tracks each of which carry video signals of one field. The playback head is moved by the head positioning means from one of the tracks to an adjacent track so that video signals of one still image corresponding to two field periods of standard television signals are obtained during playback from the playback head when the disc has been rotated twice.

Abstract: In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a flexible disc which is freely rotatable between opposed walls of a substantially flat cartridge, a holding device is movable in respect to a base member from a cartridge receiving position to a loaded position at which a cartridge in such holding device is operatively disposed for engagement of the disc by a drive extending from the base member through first openings in the cartridge walls centered in respect to the disc for rotating the latter while a head mounted on the base member extends through second openings in the cartridge walls to record or reproduce signals on a surface of the disc. A guide plate mounted on the base member has an aperture through which the head extends and a first disc guiding surface surrounding such aperture, and a positioning plate is mounted on the holding device and has a second disc guiding surface which, in the loaded position, is in parallel, spaced confronting relation to the first disc guiding surface.

Abstract: A jacket for positioning a disc-shaped magnetic recording sheet in an information signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes an upper plate, a lower plate which cooperates with the upper plate for sandwiching the recording sheet therebetween, and a positioning device for maintaining the upper and lower plates a substantially fixed distance apart and which may include one or more of the following: (1) ferromagnetic pieces mounted in grooves in the outer surfaces of the upper and lower plates and having upper surfaces thereof situated below the outer surfaces of the plates, the ferromagnetic pieces being magnetically attracted by electromagnets or permanent magnets in the apparatus to pull the plates apart a fixed distance; (2) inclined surfaces at the periphery of apertures in the upper and lower plates and the apparatus includes claw-like members for engaging the inclined surfaces to pull the plates apart a fixed distance; (3) openings in the upper and lower plates, for example, central openings i

Abstract: A transducer head assembly for a video tape machine capable of supporting the magnetic head so that it can be moved transversely to the tape so that the head will be aligned with the magnetic signal track for different speeds and direction of movement of the tape as well as for situations when the tape is stopped. A pair of flexible supporting means are generally triangular shaped and have their rear edges attached to opposite sides of a supporting block and have their free ends connected to a connecting bar upon which the magnetic head is mounted. A coil is attached to the connecting bar and moves between one or more magnets such that when electrical signals are applied to the coil the connecting bar is moved to align the magnetic head. The spacing between the two flexible members is substantial so that a pantograph is formed which assures that the magnetic head moves substantially parallel to the surface of the tape and does not move in an arc.

Abstract: An auto-tracking control system for use in a helical scan video tape apparatus for reproducing video signals recorded in skewed parallel tracks on a video tape includes a magnetic reproducing head mounted on an electro-mechanically deflectable head support. The head support has a first portion responsive to high frequency dithering or wobbling control signals and a second portion responsive to low frequency skew or mistracking control signals.

Abstract: A rotary head assembly, for example, for recording and/or reproducing video signals on a recording tape which is wrapped about at least a portion of the periphery of a tape guide drum, includes a support body moved in a circular path concentric with the guide drum, for example, by being secured to a rotated part of the latter, and having a radially outward directed portion, a plurality of parallel, resilient cantilevered support arms which are secured at one end to the radial body portion at spaced apart locations along the latter so as to extend from such body portion substantially at right angles to the latter, and a head member secured to the other ends of the resilient cantilevered support arms so that centrifugal movement of the head member through a gap of the guide drum and into engagement with the tape wrapped about the drum is resiliently resisted by flexing of the cantilevered support arms.