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Toshiba produced a respectable number and variety of models before discontinuing its Beta production. As you will recognize from the above photo their loading system was similar to the first style Sony Betas. They designed their own loading and tape handling mechanisms. Take note of the cam motor that was used to operate the tape travel modes and pinch roller. Click on the photo to bring up a graphic of the first design Sony tape path for comparison. Click on it again and you'll see closer views of various components plus some trouble spots. The Toshiba Betas are constructed well, the main concerns are the customary rubber belts and tire replacement. The plastic parts suffer from the predictable shrinkage and cracking. An example of a common problem is shown in the lower right in the photo. When this happens the tape will either fail to thread or make a lot of noise when doing so. The pendulum assembly makes use of a dual layer reel design, having the lower direct drive portion of the reel driven by the rubber tire for fast forward and rewind, and an upper geared portion that has felt clutches so they can slip during scan and play modes. The pendulum would swing from one reel to the other depending on motor direction. Selecting the driving portions of the reels was controlled by the cam motor.
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