International Business Machines Corporation

William J Rueger

Helfried O Rinkleib

William W Chow

Joseph G Bullock

Thomas W Dodge

Thomas G Osterday

Bernard L Callender

A tape support which provides several different functions in a reel-to-reel tape drive is disclosed. The tape support provides means for sensing tension in the tape, buffers or decouples the tape at the magnetic head from any perturbations arising at the take-up reel, and reliably guides the tape along the tape path. The tape travels along an arcuate surface of the tape support on an air bearing. A port in the arcuate surface senses pressure between the tape and the arcuate surface. This pressure is communicated to a transducer which provides an output representing the tension on the tape. Flanges on the ends of the tape support provide guiding of the tape over the air bearing and also provide venting of the air bearing to prevent tape vibration. A purge line expels a gaseous medium out of the sense port thereby keeping the sense port clear of contaminants.

Air bearing tape support for guiding tape and sensing tape tension

Apparatus for threading cartridge magnetic tape over a predetermined data processing path to a takeup reel. A cam track is provided in a cover over the path. The track has a beginning point for positioning a longitudinal cam member into engagement with a leader block exposed through an opening in the cartridge. The track terminates over the takeup reel rotational axis. A bifurcated linkage member is connected at one end to said longitudinal cam member, and to a drive motor. Rotation of the linkage member positions the longitudinal cam member between ends of the track engaging the leader block and threading it through the path and into a slot on the takeup reel.

Apparatus for threading magnetic tape in a magnetic tape transport

An air bearing for forming an air cushion with a tensioned medium between first and second flanges located on opposite ends of a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface includes a plurality of air emitting apertures for forming an air interface with the tensioned medium. The flanges and cylindrical surface include an undercut which serves to reduce the formation of seals by the edges of the tape medium with the cylindrical surface.

Air bearing for tape drives

A web transport, such as a reel-to-reel magnetic recorder, includes a web regulator between one reel and a transducing station. In a constant tension web transport, web regulator ensures a relatively constant length of web between the transducing station and the one reel. In a preferred form the regulator is a vacuum chamber having a narrow web receiving opening and a wider cavity such that as the web forms a bight in the chamber into said wider cavity, air flows past the web to regulate bight size in accordance with web tension tending to maintain a constant web length.

Method and apparatus for regulating webs transported in a reel-to-reel

An automatic threading apparatus using a pantocam for a magnetic tape transport is disclosed. A leader block attached to the free end of the tape in a cartridge is connected to a pick-up pin attached to one end of a broken arm linkage. The broken arm linkage has its second end fastened to a rotatable shaft. The extension of the broken arm linkage is controlled by a follower link which includes a bearing that follows a cam groove. Rotating the broken arm linkage causes the tape from the cartridge to follow the tape path, such as a cucumvoluted path, in a sweeping motion past air bearing guides and a transducer into a take-up reel. The threading pin remains in contact with the leader block which forms a smooth surface for the tape with the take-up reel.

Pantocam web threading apparatus

In a cartridge comprised of a base member including a hub for receiving a wound web and a shell cover to generally enclose the winding surface of the hub, the shell cover has been modified to prevent unintentional disengagement of the shell from the base. The base member and shell each carry a portion of a locking mechanism which enables them to be releasably locked together in a hub enclosing relationship. The locking mechanism normally requires a separate tool to disengage it when separation of the base and shell is desired. This invention concerns modification of the cartridge and shell which prevents unintentional disengagement of the base and shell due to kinetic shocks, such as dropping on a hard surface.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

William J Rueger