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US 4,918,548 AGranted
Cartridge loader
AssigneeDigital Equipment Corporation
InventorsMiles C. O'Donnell, Edward Steltzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tape drive is mounted on a carriage alongside a horizontal or vertical rack of tape cartridges. The carriage supports an arm with a linear actuator for removing a selected cartridge from the rack and inserting it in the tape drive and for extracting the cartridge from the drive and returning it to the rack. The actuator advances a cartridge in the insertion stroke by pushing it from the back and in the extraction stroke by hooking a notch on the cartridge.
Claims36
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a rack with slots for a plurality of data storage modules, said rack having a front side and a back side;
- a carriage movable alongside said front side of said rack to a desired position to select a module;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium;
- and
- a linear actuator supported by said carriage having a linear insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to said rack, said linear actuator including a rigid pawl articulated with respect to a portion of said linear actuator.
2 more elements
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a rack with slots for a plurality of data storage modules;
- a carriage movable alongside said rack to a desired position to select a module;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium;
- and
- a linear actuator supported by said carriage having an insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to said rack, said actuator including a first bidirectional linear drive system, a traveller coupled to said linear drive system and advanced thereby, and a module mover coupled to said traveller, said module mover including a movable frame, a surface connected to the frame for pushing against a mating surface of the module on the insertion stroke and an implement connected to the frame to catch hold of said module to withdraw it during the extraction stroke.
2 more elements
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a rack with slots for a plurality of data storage modules,
- a carriage movable alongside said rack to a desired position to select a module,
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium;
- and
- a linear actuator supported by said carriage having an insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to said rack, said actuator including a first bidirectional linear drive system, a traveller coupled to said linear drive system and advanced thereby, and a module mover resiliently slidably coupled to said traveller.
2 more elements
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a vertical rack with parallel slots for a stack of data storage modules;
- an elevator carriage movable vertically alongside said rack to a desired position to select a module;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium, said drive having an insertion/lock lever;
- and
- a linear actuator mounted on said carriage having an insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and actuating said insertion/lock lever which enables said drive to operate, and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to the same slot in said rack.
2 more elements
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a vertical rack with parallel slots for a stack of data storage modules;
- an elevator carriage movable vertically alongside said rack to a desired position to select a module, said elevator carriage including a horizontal elevator platform carrying said drive;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium,
- a linear actuator mounted on said carriage having an insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to the same slot in said rack, and
- a vertical lead screw at one side of the platform, a traveller on the lead screw, an elevator arm extending horizontally from said traveller, said elevator arm supporting said platform at a midpoint underneath the platform.
2 more elements
A data storage cartridge loading method comprising
- placing cartridges in slots in an open rack,
- moving a carriage supporting a drive for utilizing a selected cartridge into operative alignment with a slot,
- advancing a cartridge toward the drive in an insertion stroke by pushing the cartridge from its end farthest from the drive with a linear actuator, and
- retracting the cartridge by hooking a notch on the cartridge and dragging the cartridge back into its slot in the rack by means of the same linear actuator.
1 more element
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a rack with slots for a plurality of data storage modules, said rack having a front side and a back side;
- a carriage movable alongside said front side of said rack to a desired position to select a module;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium;
- and
- a linear actuator supported by said carriage having an insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to said rack, said linear actuator including an arm mounted on said carriage and extending around said rack to said back of said rack.
2 more elements
A drive loading system for data storage modules, comprising
- a rack with slots for a plurality of data storage modules, said rack having a front side and a back side;
- a carriage movable alongside said front side of said rack to a desired position to select a module;
- a drive mounted on said carriage to receive and utilize a selected module as a storage medium;
- and
- a linear actuator supported by said carriage having a linear insertion stroke for removing said selected module from a slot in said rack and inserting it into said drive and an extraction stroke for withdrawing said module from said drive and returning said module to said rack, said linear actuator including a self-locking pawl articulated with respect to a portion of said linear actuator.
2 more elements
A data storage cartridge loading method comprising
- placing cartridges in slots in a rack,
- arranging a drive for utilizing a selected cartridge in operative alignment with said rack for movement therealong,
- advancing a cartridge toward the drive in an insertion stroke by pushing the cartridge from its end farthest from the drive, and
- retracting the cartridge by gripping the cartridge and pulling it out of the drive.
1 more element
A data storage cartridge loader, comprising
- rack means for receiving cartridges in slots,
- means for arranging a drive for utilizing a selected cartridge in operative alignment with said rack means for movement therealong,
- means for advancing a cartridge from the rack in the direction of the drive during an insertion stroke by pushing the cartridge from its end farthest from the drive, and
- means for retracting the cartridge from the drive by gripping the cartridge and pulling it out of the drive.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.