International Business Machines Corporation

John R Bertschy

Sylvia Lui Lee

T Jay Cameron

Walter E Broom, Jr

Kenneth L Deckert

The start-up of a rotating disk file is controlled by first moving the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) supporting the read/write heads radially outwardly from the inside diameter (20) of the disks (10, 12, 14) by applying a voltage from voltage source (70) to voice coil motors (34, 44), sensing the position of the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) on the disk surfaces with a position sensor (80), initiating rotation of the disk drive motor (18) when the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) have moved a dewetting distance, and terminating radial translation of the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) when the disk drive motor (18) has reached operating speed and the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) are riding on a bearing of air above the disk surfaces. The instrumented radial translation of the sliders (30, 32, 40, 42) overcomes the stiction forces at the slider-disk interface without damage to the read/write heads, the disks (10, 12, 14) or the slider suspensions (36, 38, 46, 48).

Apparatus and method for instrumented radial translation of a read/write

In continuous flow ink jet printers, over 95% of the ink in the ink reservior is recirculated each time the volume of ink in the reservoir is cycled through the printer. The apparatus herein provides a very low evaporation rate for the recirculating ink. With a low evaporation rate, the ink may be replenished with ink alone rather than having to supply ink concentrate and solvent to readjust the ink composition. The low evaporation rate is achieved by keeping the temperature of the ink in the reservoir and at the print head near ambient temperature of the printer's environment and by minimizing the air flow through the reservoir. In addition, the ink in the reservoir is replenished as it is consumed.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

John R Bertschy