International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey Lawrence Thorn

Raymond Yardy

Shawn Michael Nave

Brian Gerard Goodman

Jonathan Edward Bosley

An apparatus for transporting a storage media cartridge in a data storage library is disclosed. The apparatus includes an accessor, a pinion and a rack having a straight section and a curved section. The curved section includes multiple rack teeth that are capable of rotating independently from each other to allow the pinion to travel along the straight section and onto the curved section of the rack, or vice versa, without any interruption.

Method for transporting a tape cartridge within a tape library storage system utilizing a curved rack section and independently rotatable teeth

A deep slot tape cartridge library module including a main wall having two major surfaces; a pair of side walls in spaced relation to each other and each extending orthogonally to both major surfaces whereby the main wall and side walls form a substantially 'H' shaped structure; an opening in the main wall, the opening extending longitudinally along the main wall a relatively short distance; a spring clip configured complimentarily to the opening and removably retainable therein; and a spring fixedly connected to the spring clip. A method for replacing a spring of a high density tape library where a spring assembly and main wall are utilized, the method including identifying a slot having a failed spring; emptying the identified slot of tape cartridges; extracting the spring assembly from the main wall; and replacing the spring assembly with a non-failed spring assembly.

Method and apparatus for easy spring replacement in a deep slot storage library

Data storage libraries as disclosed that provide for accessors that turn upon angled rails. In the library, a first rail and a second rail form an angle. The first and second rail each have a drive surface, but the drive surfaces are on different vertical planes. A switching mechanism of the accessor is then configured to move a drive mechanism between the different vertical planes of the drive surfaces. If the switching mechanism positions the drive mechanism adjacent to the drive surface of the first rail, then the drive mechanism engages the drive surface of the first rail to move the accessor along the first rail. If the switching mechanism switches the position of the drive mechanism adjacent to the drive surface of the second rail, then the drive mechanism engages the drive surface of the second rail to move the accessor along the second rail.

Accessor and rails for a data storage library

Tape library storage system including an accessor transport system

An apparatus for transporting a storage media cartridge within a data storage library is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first pair of rack and guide rail, a second pair of rack and guide rail, and an accessor capable of moving on the first pair of rack and guide rail or the second pair of rack and guide rail. The first pair of rack and guide rail is located orthogonally from the second pair of rack and guide rail. Located at an intersection between the first pair of rack and guide rail and the second pair of rack and guide rail, a turn plate may change a moving direction of the accessor. The turn plate includes two racks and four guide rails with a conical shaped rack tooth located at an intersection of the two racks.

Tape library storage system having a switching rack mechanism

An apparatus for calibrating a multi-gripper equipped accessor in an automated data storage library. More particularly, an apparatus for calibrating a multi-gripper equipped accessor in an automated data storage library, includes at least one additional sensor to calibrate each gripper. Also described is a method for calibrating a multi-gripper equipped accessor in an automated data storage library, wherein one or more additional grippers are calibrated to reduce the effect of tolerances in the system.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Jeffrey Lawrence Thorn