Strip-handling means are provided for handling a record strip forming a coil on a spool and having a leading end on the outside periphery of said coil. A threading device is movable between an inoperative position and an operative position and is adapted in said operative position to engage the outside periphery of said coil and to remove said leading end from said coil. A final control member has an engaging surface and is operatively connected to said threading device and slidable to an inoperative position and an operative position to move said threading device to its inoperative and operative positions, respectively. A drive member is disposed adjacent to said engaging surface and rotatable on an axis and movable in a direction which is generally radial to said axis into and out of engagement with said engaging surface. Said drive member in engagement with said engaging surface is rotatable to move said final control member to its operative position. A mode control switch is movable to a predetermined position. The strip-handling means are adapted to initiate the unwinding of said strip from said coil when said switch is in said predetermined position. An intermediate control member is operatively connected to said switch and said drive member and arranged to move the latter into engagement with said engaging surface in response to a movement of said switch to said predetermined position.