Contractile reel hub

Claim 1

A REEL HUB FOR A TAPE TRANSPORT HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING A TAPE REEL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SMOOTH WALLED CENTRAL BORE, SAID REEL HUB COMPRISING SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE DRIVINGLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTER END OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, EXPANSIBLE CLUTCH MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN CONTRACTED AND EXPANDED POSITIONS, SAID CLUTCH MEANS HAVING AN EXPOSED SURFACE OF FRICTION MATERIAL WHICH DEFINES A CYLINDER IN SAID EXPANDED POSITION HAVING A DIAMETER EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE CENTRAL BORE OF THE TAPE REEL, HAND-ACTUATED OVER CENTER LEVER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CLUTCH MEANS FOR EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING SAID CLUTCH MEANS, THE HAND-ACTUATED PORTION OF SAID HAND-ACTUATED OVER CENTER LEVER MEANS BEING EXPOSED ON THE OUTER END OF SAID REEL HUB AND BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CYLINDER DEFINED BY SAID FRICTION SURFACE WHEN SAID CLUTCH MEANS IS IN ITS CONTRACTED POSITION TO ENABLE SAID TAPE REEL TO BE SLIPPED OVER THE OUTER END OF SAID REEL HUB ONTO SAID CYLINDER WITHOUT INTERFERENCE, MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID HANDACTUATED OVER CENTER LEVER MEANS AFTER ITS SNAPS OVER CENTER IN SAID EXPANDED POSITION, AND RESILIENT MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID FRICTION CLUTCH MEANS RADIALLY OUTWARD TO FACILITATE THE OVER CENTER SNAP ACTION AND TO URGE SAID FRICTION SURFACE AGAINST THE WALL OF SAID CENTER BORE AND SAID HAND-ACTUATED OVER CENTER LEVER MEANS AGAINST SAID STOP MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID CLUTCH MEANS IN ITS EXPANDED POSITION UNTIL SAID HAND-ACTUATED PORTION IS MANUALLY GRIPPED AND ACTUATED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO CONTRACT THE CLUTCH MEANS.