Exclusive Design Company

Robert A Smith

Frank D Ruble

John N Walsh

Roger O Williams

Roger R Stearman

Ira B Cushing

Stephen J Jurovich

Curt M Jacobs

A method and apparatus is disclosed for texturizing magnetic storage disks. The disk texturizing apparatus utilizes a combination of servomotors for rotating the disk and oscillating the disk towards and away from a texturizing media. The servomotors are controlled by a closed-loop control system which monitors and synchronizes the angular and linear position of the disk. Through such control, the disk rotation speed may be modulated in conjunction with the linear oscillation, thereby allowing a higher degree of triangularity in the texturization pattern. A pattern generation system and a graphical user interface for specifying, modeling, generating, modifying and displaying disk texturizing patterns are also disclosed. The texturizing pattern may be displayed in polar plot and linear plot form so that the user can more easily visualize and design the texturizing pattern. Warning signals are used when the texturizing pattern exceeds the acceleration or amplitude limitations of the physical texturizing apparatus, or when the designed pattern repeats. The pattern generation system may also be used to generate a data sequence describing a particular pattern which is exportable to the physical disk texturizing apparatus.

Method and apparatus for texturizing disks

The present invention provides an automated rigid-disk finishing system with 'fly-by-wire' control of each of the relevant parameters involved in the texturing process. The system includes an abrasive tape, a means for forcibly pressing the tape against the substrate to cut microscopic grooves into the substrate's surface, and a control means for simultaneously controlling the speed and tension of the tape and for sensing the tension developed in the tape on both sides of the tape/substrate interface. The described system is thus capable of establishing tape speed and tape tension simultaneously, while providing a measure of the actual work being accomplished on the rigid disk surface.

Automated rigid-disk finishing system providing in-line process control

An apparatus for texturing the front and back surfaces of a rigid-disk substrate used in magnetic recording systems is disclosed. The apparatus comprises first and second mechanical assemblies; each of the assemblies including an abrasive tape, a load-bearing roller member, and a means for moving said tape over said roller member. Each assembly further includes a means for applying various components of force to the roller members to abrasively press the tape against the substrate surface. The invented apparatus also includes a network for mechanically coupling each of the assemblies together such that the applied force components are identical for both the front and back surfaces of the substrate. The applied forces are made independent of the substrate's position or displacement.

Apparatus for texturing rigid-disks used in digital magnetic recording

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Robert A Smith