Stacked flexible record disk storage apparatus having enhanced disk separation

A signal storage apparatus having an axial stack of a plurality of coaxial planar compliant circular record disks and having a common axis extending through the center of each said circular record disk, said stack mounted for rotation as a unit about said common axis, a positioning apparatus adjacent said stack capable of axial and radial motions with respect to said disks, signal transducing means movable with said positioning apparatus,

• the improvement including in combination:
• a disk separator on said positioning apparatus comprising a wedge having an entering edge facing said stack and lying in a plane substantially parallel to said planar disks, said wedge including a pair of surface portions diverging at an angle opening radially outward of said stack of not greater than approximately 17.degree., one of said surface portions being a stack opening surface portion contiguous with said entering edge and extending axially at said opening angle;
• and
• said wedge having an extent transverse to said common axis such as to form a chord on said disks as said positioning apparatus moves said wedge in a radial inward direction, said entering edge being longer than a maximum length chord at maximum radial penetration into said axial stack of disks.

Signal storage apparatus having a coaxial stack of axially spaced-apart compliant circular record disks rotatable about a common axis, positioning apparatus disposed adjacent said stack and having axial and radial positioning movements,

• the improvement including in combination:
• a stack separator on said positioning apparatus and mounted thereon for disk segement axial separating (stack-splitting) motions including a radial motion component, said stack separator having a reference surface portion extending transverse to said common axis, a separating surface portion axially spaced from said reference surface portion and extending transverse to said common axis and a stack entering edge portion joining said surface portions at a radially inward end thereof, said surface portions subtending a radially outwardly opening acute angle;
• and
• a transducer mounted in said stack separator and having a transducing portion extending axially outwardly through said reference surface portion for enabling signal exchanging relationships with an axially separated portion of one of said circular record disks.

In a disk file data storage apparatus having a multiplicity of uniformly axially closely spaced coaxially aligned compliant circular record disks, each circular record member having a surface for bearing record indicia and rotatable as a unit in a first rotational sense,

• the improvement comprising:
• an access apparatus disposed circumferentially adjacent said disks;
• means mounting said access apparatus for axial movement along said disks;
• radial motion means on said access apparatus for generating motions having a radial component with respect to said disks;
• a disk-separating blade on said access apparatus radial motion means having an entering edge portion circumferentially facing into rotation of said disks for axially partially separating two of said disks, a trailing edge portion, and a pair of axially facing intermediate surface portions for respectively establishing an aerodynamical relation to said two disks and joining said edge portions, said intermediate surface portions having axial spacing varying radially in an increasing axial spaced-apart relation along a radial outward direction in a continuous substantially edge-formingless and cornerless manner;
• and
• a transducer in said disk-separating blade having a predetermined radial and circumferential location with respect to said entering edge portion, said transducer having a transducing portion extending axially beyond a first one of said intermediate surface portions for facing one of said two disks in a transducing relationship.

Signal storage apparatus having an axial stack of a plurality of coaxial planar compliant circular record disks with a common axis of rotation, a coaxial arbor mounting said record disks for rotation about said common axis;

• a positioning apparatus circumferentially adjacent said stack and capable of axial and radial motions with respect to said stack;
• signal transducing means movable with said positioning apparatus;
• the improvement including in combination:
• said record disks having a given diameter and exhibiting a given resiliency;
• a disk separation inducing member on said positioning apparatus for movements having a radial component with respect to and into said stack for axially partially separating a given two of said record disks and shaped to establish in coaction with said disks exhibiting said given resiliency and having said given diameter, a primary bending mode in said stack of disks in one axial portion of said stack with respect to said inducing member;
• and
• means for supporting said signal transducing means axially intermediate said given two record disks for enabling transducing operations with a one of said given two record disks.

The method of accessing one of a plurality of commonly rotating coaxial flexible record disks in an axial stack of such record disks;

• the improvement including the following steps:
• inducing a primary bending mode in at least certain disks axially adjacent said one record disk for bending a chord-defined segment in each said certain record disks axially away from said one record disk to form a chordal opening;
• and
• moving a transducing element into said chordal opening and to said one disk for transducing operations.

The method of creating a transducing access opening between two axially adjacent compliant circular coaxial record disks commonly rotating in a first rotational sense about a common axis of rotation,

• including the steps of:
• initiating a partial axial separation of said disks at a given circumferential location;
• and
• then increasing such partial axial separation including additional axial separation along the circumference in the direction of said first rotational sense a greater circumferential distance than any additional axial separation along a circumference in a direction opposite to said first rotational sense.

The method of accessing a given record surface on a rotating circular flexible record disk, a plurality of rotating flexible disks axially adjacent, coaxial with, and facing said record surface,

• the method including the steps of:
• inducing a primary bending mode in said axially adjacent disks such that at one circumferential location a radially outward facing access opening occurs;
• and
• exchanging signals with said record surface via said access opening.

For use with a signal storage apparatus having flexible record disks, a combination compliant disk separator and transducer mount,

• including in combination:
• a wedge-shaped body having an elongated entry edge portion with a given radius of curvature tansverse to its elongation;
• a disk-stabilizing surface being one surface portion of said body coterminous with said entry edge portion;
• a disk-separating surface being a second surface portion of said body coterminous with said entry edge portion and distending an acute angle with respect to said disk-stabilizing surface;
• and
• a transducer assembly mounted in said body intermediate said surface portions remote from said entry edge portion being in a predetermined juxtaposition to said entry edge portion, and having a transducing portion extending through said stabilizing surface to outside said body.

For use with a signal storage apparatus having flexible record disks, a combination compliant disk separator and transducer mount,

• including in combination:
• a body having a wedge-shaped portion having an elongated leading edge portion and a pair of flexible disk stabilizing surfaces coextensive therewith and extending therefrom in a manner to distend an acute angle;
• and
• a transducer assembly mounted on said body and having a transducing portion extending outwardly from one of said surfaces in a predetermined juxtaposition to said entry edge portion.

For signal storage apparatus, a combination compliant member separator and transducer mount apparatus, including in combination:

• a body having a wedge-shaped portion with an elongated substantially straight entry edge portion;
• a first surface portion in said wedge-shaped portion and coextensive with said entry portion and extending therefrom along a plane contiguous with said entry portion;
• a second surface portion in said wedge-shaped portion and coextensive with said entry edge portion and extending therefrom at a given angle with respect to said first surface portion and along a plane contiguous with said entry portion;
• said entry edge portion having an initial entry point with fluid communication ports for directing fluid outwardly from said apparatus along a line which, if extended, would lie intermediate said surface portions;
• and
• a transducer mounted inside said separator and having a transducing portion extending through said second surface portion remote from said entry edge portion and said fluid communication ports.

For use in a random-access signal storage apparatus having a coaxial stack of commonly rotating record disks, a combination disk separator and transducer mount,

• including in combination:
• a body having a pair of disk-separating surfaces joined along an elongated leading body edge and distending a given acute angle from said leading body edge;
• and
• a transducer assembly in said body and having a transducing portion operative through one of said surfaces for enabling transducing operations with a record disk.

A chord roll type disk separator for use with a random access signal storage apparatus having a plurality fo commonly rotating coaxial flexible record disks,

• the improved chord roll type disk separator including in combination:
• a first planar sheet having one longitudinal edge of greater length than another longitudinal edge;
• a second sheet having a similar areal shape and extent as said first planar sheet and joined to said first planar sheet along said one longitudinal edge, said second sheet being coextensive with said one planar sheet at said one longitudinal edge;
• said sheets subtending an acute angle from said one longitudinal edge;
• means intermediate said sheets for stabilizing same, and substantially closing space therebetween along edges of said sheets;
• a joining surface with a given radius of curvature extending between said sheet along and coextensively with said one longitudinal edge;
• and
• support means connected to both said sheets remote from said one longitudinal edge.

For a signal storage apparatus employing a stack of coaxial common axially supported circular record disks for being commonly rotated and accessed by deflecting a segment portion of selected ones of said disks,

• the improvement including in combination:
• a stack of axially spaced-apart storage disks having a minimal axial spacing at the axial center of the stack and a maximum axial spacing between disks at an axial end of said stack;
• and
• a rigid disk mounted for rotation with said flexible disk at said one axial end.

For a signal storage apparatus, a stack of coaxial commonly axially supported circular record disks, each said disk having a conformal substrate, an arbor extending coaxially through said stack and supporting said disks,

• the improvement including in combination:
• a stack stabilizing means secured to said arbor at one axial end of said stack;
• and
• a plurality of axially spaced-apart circular conformal disks on said arbor axially intermediate said record disks and said stack stabilizing means and being axially spaced apart a greater distance than axial spacing between said record disks.

For a signal storage apparatus, a stack of coaxial common axially supported circular record disks, each said disk having a conformal substrate, an arbor extending coaxially through said stack for supporting said disks,

• the improvement including in combination:
• access enhancement means including spacers of variable axial lengths disposed between adjacent ones of said disks;
• and
• means to stabilize said stack during rotation.