Other

Exabyte Corporation

Michael Donald Langiano

Christopher L Turner

Michael William Langiano

A tank refilling system is configured to keep liquid in a destination tank close to a predetermined destination tank fill line. The tank refilling system has a source tank connected to a destination tank with a flow through secondary process therebetween. Liquid flows between the tanks by gravity fed drainage. A single liquid supply channel to transfer pressurized supply liquid is comprised of a plurality of piping segments and one or more valves, all connected in series. A source tank mounted valve is configured to permit liquid to flow until the height of liquid level in the source tank reaches a predetermined level. A destination tank mounted valve is configured to permit liquid to flow until the height of liquid level in the destination tank reaches a predetermined level. The apparatus of the invention also prevents tank overflow for both the source tank and the destination tank.

Apparatus to implement automatic refilling functionality for a liquid holding tank that is the final tank in a flow-path-interconnected series of tanks

A cleaning wheel positioning mechanism for precisely controlling the contact pressure of a cleaning wheel against a recording drum in a magnetic recording system is presented. In accordance with the invention, the cleaning wheel positioning controller uses knowledge of the drum drive motor voltage (or current) to detect the contact pressure of the cleaning wheel against the drum. During a cleaning operation, which preferably occurs automatically during a periodic cycle, the cleaning wheel positioning controller first detects a reference drum motor voltage/current based on the drum drive motor voltage/current when the cleaning wheel is in its fully retracted position. Cleaning wheel positioning controller then monitors the drum drive motor voltage/current, and compares it to the reference drive motor voltage/current. When a predetermined amount of increase in drum drive motor voltage/current over the reference voltage/current value occurs, which indicates that the cleaning wheel is positioned against the drum, the cleaning wheel positioning controller effectuates the halting of movement of the cleaning wheel rack, preferably by turning off the cleaning wheel drive motor.

Current sensing drum/cleaning wheel positioning method and apparatus for magnetic storage system

A capstan controlled tape transport mechanism that includes a tape tension controller for preventing tape slack in the tape path is presented. The transport mechanism includes a capstan, a spinnable reel, and a reel motor which controls the speed of revolution of the reel in response to a reel motor voltage/current. The spinning of the reel results in the winding of the tape around the reel to generate a tape stack whose radius varies according to the amount of tape wound around the reel hub. Each revolution of the reel generates a fixed number of reel tach pulses per reel revolution. The spinnable capstan controls the transport of tape across the capstan in the direction of the reel, generating a fixed number of capstan tach pulses per capstan revolution. The tape tension controller calculates a target count representing the expected number of capstan tach pulses per reel tach pulse based on the current tape stack radius, and monitors the received number of capstan tachs per received reel tach at the current tape stack radius. If the received number of capstan tachs exceeds the target count, the tape tension controller increases the reel motor voltage/current to cause the reel to spin faster to take up any existing slack in the tape path. Once the tape tension controller starts to receive reel tach within the target number of capstan tachs for the given tape stack radius, any existing adjustment voltage is ramped back down to the nominal reel motor voltage/current.

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Berthoud, CO, United States of America

Michael Donald Langiano