Seagate Technology Incorporated

Eric Douglas Johnson

Michael William Pfeiffer

David Douglas Koester

Kevin James Spiczka

David F Borning

Dennis R Nielsen

Richard Gordon Goodrich

Micahel W Pfeiffer

Donald L Compton

An apparatus and associated method directed to encoding data from an object in order to simultaneously identify a serialization value of the object from the data while incrementally tracking the object's position from the data.

Incremental encoder and serializer

An apparatus for workpiece assembly is disclosed. In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus includes a carousel which rotates between a plurality of assembly stations for assembly. Workpieces are loaded onto or unloaded from the carousel at a load/unload station and the carousel rotates to position workpieces proximate to the plurality of assembly stations. As illustrated workpieces are loaded into a plurality of assembly nests on the carousel. The plurality of assembly nests include alignment fingers rotatable with the plurality of assembly nests or carousel to align components, for example to align discs of a hydrodynamic spindle assembly for merge operations.

Apparatus for workpiece assembly

Method and apparatus for forming and unloading a completed stack of articles. An assembly station includes a rotatable turret from which at least one stacker arm projects. The turret rotates to each of a number of article loading positions to sequentially load articles onto the arm in a desired order. The turret is then advanced to allow the articles to be concurrently unloaded from the stacker arm at an unloading position. In an automated disc drive manufacturing environment, the articles comprise respective numbers of magnetic recording discs and intervening disc spacers which are arranged into a disc/spacer stack as the stacker arm is advanced to a number of disc feeder and spacer feeder stations. The completed disc/spacer stack is then unloaded onto a spindle motor hub. Additional arms preferably project from the turret so that, as the turret rotates, multiple stacks are simultaneously formed and sequentially unloaded.

Assembly station with rotatable turret which forms and unloads a completed stack of articles

A disc cassette delidder and feeder system that includes a frame supporting; a feed-in conveyor with a movable conveyor portion, a delidder assembly attached to a lid elevator, a caddy grip and rotate assembly secured to a caddy elevator, and a re-lid assembly portion of an out-feed conveyor. The feed-in conveyor advances a disc cassette with a caddy portion confining a disc to the delidder assembly, the delidder assembly removes a lid portion of the disc cassette, the caddy grip and rotate assembly secures and rotationally aligns the caddy portion for removal of the disc, the caddy elevator indexes the caddy portion to finally present the disc for removal from the caddy portion, and the re-lid assembly confines the caddy portion while the delidder assembly rejoins the lid portion to the caddy portion.

Disc cassette delidder and feeder system for data storage devices

This document describes an apparatus and system for conveying components. The apparatus and system include several parts. The apparatus and system include a base that supports a rail. The apparatus and system also includes a pallet assembly that is capable of moving along the rail. The pallet assembly includes first and second surfaces that are separated by a thickness dimension. The apparatus and system also includes a positioning mechanism that is connected to the base. The positioning mechanism includes a drive roller that rotates about a first axis and engages the first surface of the pallet assembly. The positioning mechanism also includes an idler roller that rotates about a second axis, which is generally parallel to the first axis. The idler roller engages the second surface of the pallet assembly. Such an apparatus and system for conveying components may provide for high-acceleration, high-velocity transport of work pieces and may eliminate the need to lift and orient work pieces before performing various operations.

Precision conveyor

A method for balancing a spindle assembly for compensating for dynamic imbalance of the spindle assembly. The method uses a plurality of adjustable eccentric rings for dynamically balancing the spindle assembly. The plurality of eccentric rings are preassembled with the spindle assembly and the method includes the steps of measuring an imbalance of a combination of the spindle assembly and the eccentric rings preassembled with the spindle assembly and balancing the spindle assembly by adjusting the eccentric rings based upon a measured imbalance of the combination of the spindle assembly and the eccentric rings.

Method for balancing a rotating assembly using eccentric rings

An apparatus for assembling components of a data storage system. Assembly components are housed by a component storage member removably coupled to the frame of the apparatus for supporting a plurality of component stacks for automated assembly. The apparatus includes an assembly coupled to the component storage member for sequentially unloading components and assembling the unloaded components in a data storage system. The apparatus is adapted for high capacity, production and speed assembly.

Assembly device for assembling components

A balancing system for a spindle assembly for compensating for dynamic imbalance of the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly includes a rotor rotatable about a shaft. The rotor includes a plurality of radially concentric channels supporting adjustable eccentric rings for dynamically balancing the spindle assembly. The spindle assembly is balanced by adjusting the balanced of eccentric rings assembled with the spindle assembly based upon a measured balance of the spindle assembly and the eccentric rings.

Balancing system with adjustable eccentric rings for a disc drive assembly

An apparatus for use in assembling a disc storage system includes a modular input/output board. The modular input/output board includes at least one modular input board configured to receive sensor inputs from an assembly system and at least one modular output board configured to drive actuators of the assembly system. A header board is configured to transfer input signals from the modular input board and to transfer controller outputs to the modular output board.

Apparatus for assembling a disc storage system including a modular input/output board

An apparatus for assembling a disc storage system includes a base having a number of subassemblies. A disc pack subassembly is mounted on the base and is configured to support a disc pack and an actuator subassembly is mounted on the base and is configured to support an actuator assembly. A drive mechanism merges the disc pack subassembly together with the actuator subassembly whereby transducer heads in the actuator subassembly are positioned on disc surfaces of the disc pack. At least one of the subassemblies is releasably mounted to the base and the subassembly can be replaced for assembly differing disc storage systems or upon failure of the subassembly.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Eric Douglas Johnson