International Business Machines Corporation

Jerry Walter Hammar

Kamal Emile Dimitri

Chi-Hung Dang

Francisco Antonio Baca

John Edward Kulakowski

Rodney Jerome Means

Roland N Zapfe

Wayne Alan McKinley

Richard D Kusel

Robert LaMar Bingham

Robert Lamar Bingham

Erik E Bengds

Erik E A Bengds

Scott Richard Lockaby

Mark A Bolden

Heather L Bolden

An apparatus and a method for the cleaning of magnetic tape cartridge drive, particularly such as removable data-storage media tapes, and especially an arrangement and method of providing a disposable cartridge retention spring cleaning tool.

Disposable LTO cartridge retention spring cleaner tool

A cleaning system for cleaning a picker in an automated media library includes a removable cleaning cartridge. The cleaning cartridge contains cleaning tape that is automatically advanced. The cleaning cartridge has a window through which access to the cleaning tape is provided. The picker has rollers that must be periodically cleaned of debris. The picker is aligned with a designated cleaning bin and one of the rollers is placed in contact with the cleaning tape. The roller then wipes against the cleaning tape. After the roller is cleaned, the cleaning tape advances so that a clean, unused portion of the cleaning tape is available through the window. The cleaning cartridge is extracted from the bin so that another roller can be cleaned. After each roller is cleaned, the cleaning cartridge is returned to the bin, and the picker returns to picking and placing media cartridges until another cleaning operation is required.

System and method of cleaning an automated tape library with a pass-through cleaning tool using cleaning tape

A housing for an information storage medium where at least one surface of that housing includes a plurality of grooves. A locomotion apparatus to move Applicants' housing within an information storage and retrieval system, where that apparatus includes at least one rotatable shaft and at least one drive member disposed on that shaft, where each such drive member has the shape of a truncated cone, and where each such drive member includes a drive surface which includes a plurality of ribs. Applicants' drive member contacts the grooved surface of Applicants' housing such that one or more of the ribs disposed on the drive surface intermeshes with one or more of the grooves in the housing. Rotation of the rotatable shaft in a first direction causes the housing the move in a second direction. Rotation of the rotatable shaft in a third direction causes the housing to move in a fourth direction.

Housing for information storage medium and apparatus to move same

An Input/Output periscope station for automated storage and retrieval systems is disclosed. The periscoping I/O station provides a push down action after a cartridge is imported or exported and which can be used to automatically exchange cartridges with adjacent libraries. The periscoping I/O station includes a periscope arm, a first motor for moving the periscope arm along a first axis, a second motor for rotating the periscope arm about an axis of rotation, a cartridge supporter comprising a plurality of slots for holding a corresponding plurality of cartridges and a mounting fixture for mounting the periscope arm to a library. The system further includes LED sensors for monitoring when a cartridge is being inserted in or retrieved from the plurality of slots of the cartridge support, or when a cartridge is stuck. The first and second motors position the cartridge supporter for exchanging cartridges with robots such that cartridges may be exchanged with libraries that are mounted back-to-back and/or side-to-side. A guiding mechanism is provided for guiding the cartridge supporter when being lowered into the library.

Input/output periscope station for libraries

Disclosed is a combined pass through and load/unload system for automated data storage libraries. Separate portals open into each of the libraries. A pivoting robot supports a housing which is capable of supporting at least one removable multi-cartridge magazine, and pivots about a pivot axis. An actuator withdraws or extends the housing toward or away from the pivot axis. A pass through controller operates the pivoting robot to position the housing at a portal and operates the actuator to extend the housing into the portal so that the library may load and/or unload the data storage media into or out of the removable magazine(s) in the housing. The controller then operates the actuator and robot to withdraw the housing out of the portal. The controller may position the housing at the bulk load/unload position so an operator may unload and/or load magazines from the housing. The controller may position the housing at the portal of the other library to allow the transfer of media thereto. Each library may have a pass through controller and the other library may position and extend the housing into its portal, whereby the picker of the other library may unload the data storage media.

Pass through and load/unload for automated data storage libraries

A storage and retrieval library has a column of storage cells including at least some side-by-side storage cells. A media accessor with a picker gripper for accessing media in one side of the side-by-side cells is rotatable about a pivot to an opposed position for accessing media in the other side of the side-by-side cells. For multi-sized media, a column may have storage cells extending the full width of the column for holding a large sized media, and a second type of smaller cells arranged side-by-side, each for holding a small sized media. A media picker has a first gripper for accessing large sized media from the full width cells, and a second gripper for accessing small sized media from one side of the side-by-side cells. The media picker is rotatable about a pivot to an opposed position for the second gripper for accessing small sized media from the other side of the side-by-side cells.

Storage and retrieval library with side-by-side storage cells

Disclosed is an automated data storage library in which a library accessor, arranged for accessing data recording media stored in storage bins, may also exchange electronic components of the library. The media are provided with access engagement surfaces for engagement by the library accessor(s). A plurality of removable mounts, having access engagement surfaces matching the data recording media access engagement surfaces, are provided for individually mounting electronic components, such as data storage drives and communication jumpers. Component slots are provided in the library for individually supporting the removable mounts, and mating low insertion force connectors are provided respectively on the removable mounts and ones of the component slots for removably connecting the electronic components to the library. Thus, a library accessor may engage selected removable mounts to change communication jumper locations and may change the data storage drives between library controllers, and replace a failed RAID data storage drive with a spare drive. Actuators may be operated by a library accessor to release and engage the low insertion force connectors to effectively provide zero insertion force connections.

Automated data storage library component exchange using media accessor

Disclosed is an automated data storage library for storage and retrieval and selective export and import of portable data storage media stored in storage cells of portable magazines. Each portable magazine has a detent, and has registration surfaces, such as a sleeve at each of two corners. A columnar elevator supports a columnar stack of the portable magazines, and has an opening at its top level external to the library, and pushes the stack toward the top level. Fixed registration shafts in the library mate with the magazine sleeves to prevent lateral movement while allowing columnar movement of the magazines. The media may be accessed by a picker at the storage cells of the magazines at all levels in the stack internal to the library. A releasable latch engages the detent of the magazine at the penultimate level of the stack (e.g., the top position within the library), holding the stack against the upward pushing of the elevator, and external latches each engage a magazine in the stack at the top level. Selected ones of the latches are released by a library manager or operator to allow the elevator to push a selected magazine in the column to the top level, where it may be exported. The magazines held at the penultimate level or lower may still be accessed by the picker.

Automated data storage library with a movable column for selective

The present invention provides a retainer system of an automated storage and retrieval system, or library, which prevents information storage elements, or cartridges, from escaping from their respective storage cells when the entire library is transported from one location to another. The retainer system comprises a retractable cable, a null, or dummy, cartridge, and an array of storage cells. One end of the retractable cable is attached to the null cartridge and the other end of the cable is affixed to one end of the array of storage cells. Initially, the null cartridge is positioned in a storage cell located adjacent to the end of the storage array where the cable is affixed. When all the information storage elements are placed inside their respective storage cells within the array, the null cartridge is moved from its original position to a storage cell at the opposite end of the storage array. As the null cartridge is moved, the cable is extended across the front opening of all the intermediate storage cells between the initial storage cell adjacent to the affixed end of the cable and the final storage cell at the opposite end of the storage array. Extending the cable across the front opening of the storage cell holds the information storage element within the storage cell and prevents its escape during the transportation of the library.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Jerry Walter Hammar