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Anyone who has a Beta machine has examined the neat little cassette that holds the video tape. It's rigid, light and compact, not flimsy and sloppy like the larger cassette of the other format. Even though its intended size to "fit in your pocket" helped ultimately to bring down the format the mechanics and design of this little marvel are something worthy of closer examination. There is a collection of fourteen photos above so lets look at the one up now. On the right in this first picture you see part of the unlock lever (in the rectangular slot and the square cavity) in the side of the lid it used to keep it closed when not in use. When the cassette is inserted into the machine a protrusion on the receiving tray in the loader pushes the unlock lever to one side and frees up the lid. As it moves down into position during loading the lid flips up to open and expose the pocket, this presents the tape for threading. The locating holes position the cassette as it comes to rest on the frame at the end of loading cycle. The locating tab and the tape guards are there to insure that the tape doesn't wander out of the staging position during routine handling. Clicking on the picture will remove the arrows and terminology. Click again on the picture and you see the cassette over the frame with the locating parts identified. Click once again to remove the arrows, etc. Click again to see it sitting in position on the frame and with the threading components positioned just prior to moving the tape out into the tape path. The lever unlocking pegs rotate with the lid (shown opened in the lid at the top in this photo) and force the locking levers to swing out of the way and this allows the reels to move freely. Click to remove the arrows for a better view. Click again and this illustration has many of the individual components identified. The bosses the cassette sits on are clearly visible in the upper left. The lever unlocking peg that has the lid return spring is shown in the upper right. In the lower part of the photo you can see the teeth on the reels that the levers grab when the lid is closed. They are there to keep the reels from rotating and thus preventing tape spillage when the cassette is being handled. The friction tabs are to steady the tape so it leaves and enters the cassette in a controlled manner. The rollers reduce friction during high speed winding. End of tape detection uses a unique foil leader and metal sensing system. Click on the photo again and you will see the items with no identifiers. Another click and the bosses are explained. Click again and there is further information on the reels and levers. Clicking again shows the lid action detailed. Continuing on shows all the items identified once more and then with the terminology removed. The final photo shows how the cassette tape reels (or spools) are located upon the reel table assembly, this time with the frame and lower half of the cassette shell are removed for clarity. The photos will rotate through as many times as you wish. The photos will rotate through as many times as you wish. To go back to the window for BETA CASSETTE DESIGN click here. |