To lower the coefficient of static friction of the circumferential surface of the guide or drum constituting the magnetic tape apparatus. A flat portion is formed between peak portions. The peak portions and flat portion are formed so that the relationship: a'<a is satisfied, where "a" represents a distance between the ridges of the peak portions, i.e., pitch of the peak portions, and "a'" represents a bottom width of the peak portions. When this relationship is satisfied between the peak por...

An aluminum head drum for use in a video cassette recorder is coated with a protective layer comprising diamond-like carbon. The protective layer of diamond-like carbon is obtained using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and has a thickness ranging from 0.3 .mu.m to 2.0 .mu.m. The protective layer has a varying mechanical hardness, wherein the mechanical hardness has a maximum value at a region of the protective layer coming in contact with the aluminum head drum, decreases smoo...

A headblock assembly of a magnetic video tape recorder, comprising a baseplate adapted for being detachably yet rigidly mounted to a chassis panel of the video tape recorder which mounts in turn an upper mounting element and a lower mounting element, these mounting elements being inclined to contacting surface with the said baseplate and relative to the common axis of said elements, a driving electric motor attached to said lower mounting element, a tape drive drum attached to said upper mountin...

A rotary head type magnetic recording/reproducing device includes a stationary drum, and a rotary drum disposed coaxially with the stationary drum and secured to the rotary shaft of the motor. The rotary drum has a cylindrical portion which is slightly greater in diameter than the stationary drum, a first truncated cone portion integrally connected to the cylindrical portion at a bottom thereof and decreasing in diameter in a direction toward the stationary drum at a first taper angle, and a sec...

A magnetic record/playback apparatus for continuously recording at least two tracks of data conforming to a digital recording format applied to a first magnetic tape having a first tape width onto one track formed on a second magnetic tape having a second tape width larger than the first tape width, and for reproducing the data from the second magnetic tape. This apparatus includes a fixed drum and a rotating drum adapted to be rotated relative to the fixed drum. The rotating drum has a record/p...

In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape by means of at least one rotary head which extends into an annular gap between coaxial drum members for scanning oblique tracks on the tape while the latter is guided helically about the peripheral surfaces of the drum members, at least one of the drum members is rotated at a sufficient speed to produce an air bearing or cushion between the tape and the peripheral surface of each rotated drum member, and the peripheral s...

In rotating-head magnetic recording, the rotor carrying the magnetic transducer is enlarged in width so that the width of the rotor is much greater than the track width of the head. The rotor is mounted in the middle of an air bearing mandrel around which magnetic tape is wrapped. The wide rotor also provides an air bearing for the tape. The air bearing for the rotor and mandrel is accomplished by forcing air through their cylindrical surfaces. These cylindrical surfaces may be either a porous m...

Apparatus for recording or reproducing signals on a magnetic recording tape by wrapping the tape around a rotary drum unit of type including a stationary drum and a rotary drum supported by the stationary drum is provided with grooves which are formed in the stationary drum, the grooves being deeper than the depth of surface coarseness of the stationary drum and being located adjacent a point at which the tape parts from the stationary drum when the tape travels for recording or reproduction.

In a helical drive tape apparatus, a rotary head drum is disposed between two sections of a split cylindrical mandrel about which a magnetic tape is guided. The head drum supports at least one magnetic transducer at its periphery, so that the total diameter of the head drum and projecting transducer is greater than the diameter of the adjacent mandrel sections. The projecting transducer has a spherical contoured portion and is configured at its leading edge, relative to the moving tape, to form ...

The improved tape guide mechanism includes a step in the surface of a scanning drum for a record/reproduce apparatus which moves an interface between a guide band of the apparatus and the surface of the scanning drum out of the tape path in a configuration which also minimizes tape buckling.