A mechanism for use with a video recorder/reproducer of the type which receives a standard video cassette for withdrawing the video tape from the cassette to prepare the tape for threading around a video scanner, for sensing tape position to provide inputs to the reel drive servo motors of independent, closed loop servo systems, and for adjusting the level of tension in the video tape during operation of the recorder/reproducer. The mechanism withdraws the tape in two diverging directions, equally from both reels. The tension level is controlled accurately and is selectively changed for different operating modes.

A plastic film product manufacturing apparatus includes a pair of draw rollers advancing a continuous length of plastic film, a plurality of guide rollers guiding the plastic film through at least part of the apparatus to the draw rollers and an endless flexible belt driving each of the guide rollers at a circumferential surface speed equal to the speed of the continuous length of plastic film advanced over the guide rollers. When the continuous length of plastic film is intermittently advanced by the draw rollers, and the guide rollers are simultaneously intermittently rotated by the endless belt. A primer mover drives both the draw rollers and the endless flexible belt to coordinate rotation of the draw rollers with the rotation of the guide rollers. One of the guide rollers is mounted on a dancer arm and a system of pulleys is provided for driving that guide roller by the endless flexible belt.

A photographic film loading method of loading photographic film at an apparatus which has a carrier for holding and conveying the film along a conveying path and which effects photometry of each frame image of the film at a predetermined position of the conveying path, comprising the steps of: spanning the photographic film between a supply reel and a winding reel; the carrier having a first portion disposed so as to be fixed at the apparatus and a second portion movable between a first position, at which the photographic film located on the conveying path is held between the first portion and the second portion, and a second position, which is withdrawn from the first position such that release of the holding of the photographic film between the first portion and the second portion is permitted, drawing-out an intermediate portion of the photographic film between the supply reel and the winding reel while the second portion is located at the second position, so as to locate the intermediate portion on the conveying path; and moving the second portion to the first position to hold the photographic film, thereby completing loading of the photographic film. Therefore, the photographic film can be loaded at the carrier without conveying a leader portion of the photographic film along the conveying path, and damage to the leader portion and jamming of the photographic film can be prevented.