Telex Computer Products, Inc.

Other

Daniel R O'Neill

Alan Painter

George L Glaeser, Jr

Hale M Jones

James P Urynowicz

Capstan

The present invention is an improved capstan which is used in a magnetic tape transport system, to accelerate a length of magnetic tape. The capstan includes a cylindrical post, adapted to be connected to a drive shaft of a capstan motor in a magnetic tape transport system, a pair of discs, each of which has a set of outer holes disposed adjacent to and distributed about its periphery and a set of inner holes disposed adjacent to and distributed about its central axis, coupled together by the cylindrical post disposed about their central axes. The capstan also includes a first set of cylindrical posts, coupling the inner holes of one disc to the inner holes of the other disc, and a second set of cylindrical posts, coupling some of the outer holes of one disc to some of the outer holes of the other disc. The capstan further includes a cylindrical tape band, which has a set of grooves running concentrically with the discs and the other edges of which are joined to the peripheries of the discs. The capstan if formed by a two step process of plating a platen in the shape of the capstan with a metal, such as nickel, and then dissolving or etching away the platen in a selected solution. The resulting capstan not only has a relatively large diameter with a low moment of inertia, but also a low mass without sacrificing its structural strength.

Process for forming a capstan

The invention is a tape path of a magnetic tape which is incorporated in a tape transport system. The tape path includes a file reel and a machine reel, each reel driven by a drive motor, a capstan, a magnetic head and a control system for controlling the two drive motors and the capstan. The tape path also includes a pair of vacuum chambers disposed in a V with the vertex of the V formed at their closed ends, a pair of auxiliary vacuum chambers disposed adjacent to each vacuum chamber, and a set of rollers and air bearings to guide the magnetic tape along the tape path.

Tape path for a magnetic tape transport system

The present invention is an improved capstan which is used in a magnetic tape transport system, to accelerate a length of magnetic tape. The capstan includes a cylindrical post, adapted to be connected to a drive shaft of a capstan motor in a magnetic tape transport system, a pair of discs, each of which has a set of outer holes disposed adjacent to and distributed about its periphery and a set of inner holes disposed adjacent to and distributed about its central axis, coupled together by the cylindrical post disposed about their central axes. The capstan also includes a first set of cylindrical posts, coupling the inner holes of one disc to the inner holes of the other disc, and a second set of cylindrical posts, coupling some of the outer holes of one disc to some of the outer holes of the other disc. The capstan further includes a cylindrical tape band, which has a set of grooves running concentrically with the discs and the other edges of which are joined to the peripheries of the discs. The capstan is formed by a two step process of plating a platen in the shape of the capstan with a metal, such as nickel, and then dissolving or etching away the platen in a selected solution. The resulting capstan not only has a relatively large diameter with a low moment of inertia, but also a low mass without sacrificing its structural strength.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Monica, CA, United States of America

Daniel R O'Neill