Tape ending indicator for tape recorder

Claim 1

A tape ending indicator for a tape recorder, comprising: a rotating member operatively connected to a supply or take-up reel of a tape recorder and adapted to rotate at a speed proportional to the rotational speed of said supply or take-up reel; a plurality of magnets mounted on and spaced at equal intervals along the periphery of said rotating member; a magnetic head disposed adjacent to the periphery of said rotating member for generating a pulse signal each time one of said magnets passes said magnetic head; a flip-flop circuit responsive to said pulse signal, the output of said flip-flop changing each time said pulse signal is applied thereto; a count pulse generator for producing count pulses of a fixed frequency, the frequency of said count pulses being substantially greater than the frequency of said pulse signals generated by said magnetic head; gate means connected to said flip-flop circuit and said count pulse generator for passing said count pulses whenever said gate means is enabled by said output of said flip-flop circuit whereby the number of count pulses passed by said gate means is proportional to the frequency of pulses generated by said magnetic head; indicator means for counting the number of pulses passed by said gate means and for providing an indication that a terminal end of a tape is approaching when the number of count pulses passed by said gate means reaches a predetermined value.