Abstract: A system disposed in a tape drive, for extracting a magnetic recording tape wound on a single reel in a cartridge received in the tape drive, has a lever arm which moves a gripper hook and a gripper hook follower, in hinged engagement with each other, into and out of the tape cartridge to engage the gripper hook with a leader pin at a free end of the tape. A mechanical gripper switch is rotated after the gripper hook has been moved into the tape cartridge to cause the gripper hook to engage the leader pin. The lever arm then moves the gripper hook follower, the gripper hook and the magnetic tape engaged therewith through a tape guide and through a channel in a take-up reel located in the tape drive, so that the leader pin is positioned at a periphery of the hub of the take-up reel.

Abstract: A tape drive has a motor-driven take-up reel therein with a fan assembly mounted to a bottom flange of the take-up reel for co-rotation with the take-up reel. The take-up reel with the fan assembly is mounted in the tape drive so that the fan assembly draws air into the interior of the tape drive through an opening in a wall of the tape drive housing next to the fan assembly.