Head positioning and tape support apparatus for data recorder

In a machine for magnetic recording and playback of data on a plurality of parallel tracks of a record medium moving longitudinally on a transport path past a record/playback head, a housing apparatus operable to selectively align at least one record/playback head with each one of the record tracks;

• the housing apparatus including:
• (a) a housing body fixedly secured proximate to the transport path and having a convex front face non-linear in longitudinal section and lying in contact with the record medium across the entire transverse dimension of the record medium at two closely spaced-apart areas along the record medium transport path, the housing body being provided with a head holder encompassing cavity therein and a magnetic core positioning tongue receiving slot extending in direction transverse to the direction of record medium movement, said housing body slot being open from said housing body cavity through its non-linear front face between the two spaced locations;
• (b) a record/playback head holder mounted in the housing body cavity for movement with respect to the housing body in direction transverse to that of record medium movement, said holder including a magnetic core positioning tongue extending into the housing body slot;
• (c) at least one record/playback head mounted in the head holder, said head including:
• (1) a composite magnetic core having a core body which includes a pair of side legs together defining a convex curved forward face, the side legs being spaced apart to provide an effective non-magnetic gap between them, the core body also including another leg completing a magnetic path to the effective gap, and
• (2) at least one wound-wire coil around one of the core body legs;
• (d) wherein the core body is mounted in the head holder so that its curved forward face, including the effective gap, extends through the housing body slot in alignment with the direction of record medium movement, beyond the non-linear front face of the housing body and into contact with the record medium;
• and
• (e) wherein means is provided to move the head holder in direction transverse to the direction of record medium movement.

In a machine for magnetic recording and playback of data on a plurality of parallel tracks of a magnetic tape moving longitudinally on a transport path past a record/playback head, a housing apparatus operable to selectively align at least one record/playback head with each of the record tracks;

• the housing apparatus including:
• (a) a housing body fixedly secured proximate to the transport path and having a front face convex and curved in longitudinal cross section and lying in contact with the magnetic tape across the entire transverse dimension of the tape at two closely spaced-apart locations along the tape transport path, the housing body being provided with a head holder encompassing cavity therein and a magnetic core positioning tongue receiving slot extending in direction transverse to the direction of magnetic tape movement, said housing body slot being open from said housing body cavity and through its curved front face between the two spaced-apart locations;
• (b) a record/playback head holder mounted in the housing body cavity for movement with respect to the housing body in direction transverse to that of the magnetic tape movement, said holder including a magnetic core positioning tongue extending into the housing body slot;
• (c) at least one record/playback head mounted in the head holder, said head including:
• (1) a composite magnetic core having a core body which includes a pair of side legs together defining a curved forward face, the side legs being spaced apart to provide an effective non-magnetic gap between them, the core body having another leg completing a magnetic path to the effective gap, and
• (2) at least one wound-wire coil around one of the core legs;
• (d) wherein the core body is mounted in the head holder so that its curved forward face, including the effective gap, extends through the housing body slot in alignment with the direction of magnetic tape movement, beyond the curved front face of the housing body, and into contact with the magnetic tape;
• and
• (e) wherein means is provided to move the head holder in direction transverse to the direction of record movement.

In a machine for magnetic recording and playback of data on a plurality of parallel tracks of a magnetic tape which is moving longitudinally on a transport path past a record/playback head, a housing apparatus operable to selectively align at least one record/playback head with respect to each one of the record tracks;

• the housing including:
• (a) a housing body fixedly secured proximate to the transport path and having a convex curved front face lying in contact with the magnetic tape across the entire transverse dimension of the tape at two closely spaced-apart locations along the tape transport path, the housing body being provided with a head holder receiving cavity therein which is open through its curved front face between the two spaced-apart locations;
• (b) a record/playback head holder mounted in the housing body cavity for movement with respect to the housing body in direction transverse to the direction of magnetic tape movement;
• (c) at least one record/playback head mounted in the head holder and including a composite magnetic core having a core body which includes a pair of side legs together defining a convex curved forward face, the side legs being spaced apart to provide an effective non-magnetic gap between them;
• (d) wherein the record/playback head extends through the cavity opening in the housing body rounded front face to bring the curved forward face of the core side legs, including the effective gap, into contact with the magnetic tape in alignment with direction of magnetic tape movement;
• and
• (e) wherein means is provided to move the head holder in direction transverse to the direction of magnetic tape movement.

In a machine for magnetic recording and playback of data on a plurality of parallel tracks of a magnetic tape of a predetermined maximum transverse dimension, the tape moving longitudinally on a longitudinally fixed transport path past a record/playback head:

• a housing apparatus operable to selectively operably align at least one record/playback head with each of the record tracks while supporting the tape across its entire transverse dimension immediately before and after the head is operably aligned with that track;
• the housing apparatus including:
• (a) a housing body fixedly secured proximate to the transport path and having a fixedly positioned front face of convex rounded configuration and of dimension and position to lie in contact with the magnetic tape across the entire predetermined maximum transverse dimension of the tape at two closely spaced-apart locations along the tape transport path, the housing body being provided with a head holder encompassing cavity and with a magnetic core positioning tongue receiving slot extending in direction transverse to the direction of magnetic tape movement, said housing body slot being open from said housing body cavity and through its curved front face between the two spaced-apart locations;
• (b) a record/playback head holder mounted in the housing body cavity for limited movement with respect to the housing body in direction transverse to that of the magnetic tape movement, said holder including a magnetic core positioning tongue extending into the housing body slot;
• (c) at least one regular record/playback head mounted in the head holder, said head including:
• (1) a composite magnetic core having a core body which includes a pair of side legs together defining a curved forward face, the side legs being spaced apart to provide an effective non-magnetic gap between them, the core body having another leg completing a magnetic path to the effective gap, and
• (2) at least one wound-wire coil around one of the core legs;
• (d) wherein the core body is mounted in the head holder so that its curved forward face, including the effective gap, extends through the housing body slot in alignment with the direction of magnetic tape movement, beyond the rounded front face of the housing body, and into contact with the magnetic tape;
• (e) wherein the limited movement of the head holder with respect to the housing body is between a first position where a record/playback head is aligned with the parallel track of the magnetic tape closest to a first edge of that tape and a second position where a record/playback head is aligned with the parallel track closest to a second opposite edge of said magnetic tape;
• and
• (f) wherein means is provided to move the head holder in direction transverse to the direction of tape movement between its first and second positions while the magnetic tape continues its movement on its fixed transport path while maintaining the same spacial relation to the curved front face of the housing body with which it is in contact at the two spaced-apart locations.