Carriage loading arm assembly having two magnetic transducers for a double sided floppy disc

A carriage-loading arm assembly for maintaining two magnetic transducers in operative relation with both sides of a double sided floppy disc comprising

• a first transducer coupled to one end of the carriage through a differential torsion spring support means wherein said carriage is adapted to position said first transducer in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with one side of a said disc, said differential torsion spring support means being adapted to support said first transducer against the one side of a said disc in a semi-compliant relationship with high flexure stiffness about two axes, one of which is radial with respect to a said disc and the other of which is normal to a said disc and in a fully compliant relationship with low flexure stiffness about a third axis which is circumferential with respect to a said disc;
• a second transducer coupled to one end of the loading arm through a gimbal support means wherein said loading arm is adapted to position said second transducer in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with the other side of said disc, said gimbal support means being adapted to support said second transducer in a fully compliant relationship with low flexure stiffness about all three of the axes with respect to a said disc;
• and
• means operatively coupled to said carriage and said loading arm for moving said loading arm having said second transducer mounted thereon toward the other side of a said disc to position said second transducer into contiguous engagement with the other side of a said disc and to urge a said disc into contiguous engagement with the first transducer positioning a said disc in close operative relationship therebetween enabling said first transducer and said second transducer to be responsive to a said disc being rotated therebetween such that the variations in flexure thereof along axes which are radial and normal to a said disc are compensated primarily by movement of the second transducer against its gimbal support means and partially by movement of the first transducer against its differential torsion spring support means and variations in flexure of a said disc along the third axis circumferential thereto and compensated by movements of each transducer against its associated support means.

In combination,

• a first transducer having a plano-concave surface which is adapted to be positioned in operative engagement with the one side of a rotatable flexible planar magnetic recording media;
• a differential torsion spring support means operatively coupled to said first transducer and being adapted to support said first transducer against one side of a said media in a semi-compliant relationship with high flexure stiffness about two axes, one of which is radial with respect to a said media and the other of which is normal to a said media and in a fully compliant relationship with a low flexure stiffness about a third axis which is circumferential with respect to a said media;
• a second transducer having a slider contact surface which is adapted to be positioned in operative engagement with the other side of a said media;
• a gimbal support means operatively coupled to said second transducer and being adapted to support said second transducer in a fully compliant relationship with low flexure stiffness about all three of the axes with respect to a said media;
• and
• a carriage-loading arm assembly which is adapted to have a said flexible planar magnetic recording media positioned between the carriage and loading arm assembly and wherein the carriage is adapted to be driven radially relative to the one side of a said media and wherein said loading arm is pivotally connected to said carriage and includes means for moving said loading arm toward and away from the other side of said media, said carriage having said first transducer and said differential torsion spring support means mounted thereon wherein said carriage is adapted to position said first transducer in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with said one side of said media, said loading-arm assembly having said second transducer and said gimbal support means mounted thereso wherein said loading arm is adapted to position said second transducer in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with said other side of a said media.

A carriage-loading arm assembly for maintaining two magnetic transducers in operative relation with both sides of a double sided floppy disc, the loading arm having one of the two transducers operatively coupled to one end thereof and wherein the loading arm is adapted to position the one of the two transducers in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with a selected side of the disc and the other of the two transducers being operatively coupled to one end of the carriage and wherein the carriage is adapted to position the other of the two transducers in different data transfer positions relative to and in engagement with the other side of the disc opposite to the selected side and means operatively coupled to the carriage and the loading arm for moving the loading arm having the one of the two transducers mounted thereon toward the selected side of the disc to position the one transducer into contiguous engagement with the selected side of the disc and to position the other of the two transducers into operative relationship with the other side of the disc, the carriage-loading arm assembly comprising

• at least one differential torsion spring support means for operatively coupling at least one of the two transducers to at least one of the carriage and the loading arm, said differential torsion spring support means being adapted to support said at least one of the two transducers against its associated side of a said disc in a semi-compliant relationship with high flexure stiffness about two axes, one of which is radial with respect to a said disc and the other of which is normal to a said disc and in a fully compliant relationship with low flexure stiffness about a third axis which is circumferential with respect to a said disc.