Magnetic head soft loading and unloading device

A magnetic head soft loading and unloading device for use with an interchangeable two-sided magnetic recording medium comprising:

• a carriage movable along both sides of said magnetic recording medium;
• a pair of magnetic heads disposed on said carriage;
• a turnable first arm, at least one of said pair of magnetic heads being disposed on said first arm;
• said first arm being turnable to move said at least one of said pair of heads toward said magnetic recording medium to load said magnetic recording medium with said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads and moving said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads away from said magnetic recording medium to unload said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads from said magnetic recording medium;
• driving means, including an electromagnetic device for turning said first arm when said magnetic recording medium is loaded with said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads and when said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads is unloaded from said magnetic recording medium, said electromagnet device including an armature, a return spring operatively coupled to said armature for biasing said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads away from said magnetic recording medium, and an exciting winding disposed around said electromagnet device;
• a speed sensor for sensing a speed of movement of said first arm and producing a first signal indicative of said speed of movement;
• and a driving circuit means, responsive to said first signal, for controlling current flow through said exciting winding so as to control a speed at which said electromagnet device as energized by said current turns said first arm and thereby controls a speed at which said at least one of said pair of magnetic heads is moved toward or away from said magnetic recording medium.