Cartridge tape drive

A cartridge tape drive for an elongate, rectangular cartridge having an access door along a side edge thereof which operates by pivoting about an axis substantially perpendicular to a base plate of the cartridge to expose a portion of a magnetic tape within the cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and containing a means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head mounted in said housing in a manner which prevents horizontal movement of said head with respect to said housing;
• means for sensing the presence of at least a portion of the cartridge within said housing at a first position;
• means responsive to said sensing means for moving the cartridge from said first position at least partially laterally to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• and
• means operative with said moving means for opening the access door of the cartridge as the cartridge is moved from said first position to said second position;
• wherein said access door opening means further comprises means for engaging the access door pivotably about an axis substantially coaxial with the axis of the cartridge access door.

A cartridge tape drive for a rectangular cartridge having an access door along an edge thereof which is operable to allow access to a magnetic tape within the cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head in said housing;
• means for sensing the presence of at least a portion of the cartridge within said housing at a first position;
• means comprises a motor and a first gear driven by said motor responsive to said sensing means for automatically moving the cartridge from said first position at least partially laterally to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• means operative with said moving means for opening the access door of the cartridge as the cartridge is moved from said first position to said second position;
• and
• means comprises a second gear positionable in an engaged position with said first gear and a means for manually rotating said second gear for manually moving the cartridge out of operative arrangement with said magnetic head and withdrawing the cartridge from said housing;
• and
• said second gear is further moveable between said engaged position and a disengaged position in which said second gear does not engage said first gear.

A cartridge tape drive for a rectangular cartridge having an access door along an edge thereof which is openable to allow access to a segment of a magnetic tape within the cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and containing means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head fixed to said housing to prevent lateral movement of said head with respect to said housing;
• means for sensing the presence of at least a portion of the cartridge within said housing at a first position;
• means responsive to said sensing means for moving the cartridge from said first position in a lateral plane to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• means operative with said moving means for opening the access door of the cartridge before the cartridge reaches said second position;
• and
• means fixed to said housing for positioning said cartridge in said second position so that the relative position between said cartridge and said head is accurately defined;
• wherein said positioning means engages the cartridge as the cartridge is moved from said first position to said second position when said cartridge is nearly in said second position;
• said positioning means further comprises resilient engaging means defining three points and a plane for an accurate and repeatable second position for engaging the cartridge in direction perpendicular to said lateral plane;
• and
• said resilient engaging means further comprises a surface fixed to said housing, a ball bearing displaced at a determined distance away from said surface, and a spring resiliently urging said ball bearing toward said surface whereby the cartridge in said second position is resiliently engaged between said surface and said ball bearing.

A cartridge tape drive for a rectangular cartridge having an access door along a side thereof which is operable to allow access to a magnetic tape within the cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and a means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head fixed to said housing to prevent lateral movement of said head with respect to said housing;
• means for sensing the presence of at least a portion of the cartridge within said housing at a first position;
• means responsive to said sensing means for automatically moving the cartridge from said first position in a lateral plane to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• means operative with said moving means for opening the access door of the cartridge before the cartridge reaches said second position;
• wherein further said moving means comprises a motor and a first gear driven by said motor;
• means for manually moving the cartridge out of operative engagement with said magnetic head and withdrawing the cartridge from said housing;
• said manually moving means comprises a second gear positionably in an engaged position with said first gear and a means for manually rotating said second gear;
• and
• said second gear is further movable between said engaged position and a disengaged position in which said second gear does not engage said first gear.

A cartridge tape drive for a rectangular cartridge having an access door along a side thereof which is openable to allow access to a magnetic tape within the cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and a means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head fixed in said housing to prevent lateral movement of said head with respect to said housing;
• means for gripping the cartridge in a first position in said housing;
• means operatively coupled to said gripping means for transporting the cartridge from said first position in a lateral plane to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• means operative with said transporting means for opening the access door of the cartridge before the cartridge reaches said second position;
• and
• means fixed to said housing for positioning said cartridge in said second position so that the relative position between said cartridge and said head is accurately defined;
• said positioning means further engages the cartridge as the cartridge is moved from said first position to said second position when said cartridge is nearly in said second position;
• said position means further comprises means for resiliently engaging the cartridge in a direction perpendicular to said lateral plane;
• said resilient engaging means further defines three points and a plane for an accurate and repeatable second position for the cartridge;
• and
• said resilient engaging means further comprises a surface fixed to said housing, a ball bearing displays a predetermined distant away from said surface, and a spring resiliently urging said ball bearing toward said surface whereby the cartridge in said second position was resiliently engaged between said surface and said ball bearing.

The cartridge tape drive for an elongate, rectangular cartridge having an access door along a side edge thereof which operates by pivoting about an axis substantially perpendicular to a base plate of the cartridge to expose a portion of a magnetic tape within the cartridge, the cartridge having a length of approximately six inches and a width of approximately four inches with the access door closed and a width of approximately five and three-quarter inches with the access door fully open, said cartridge tape drive comprising:

• a housing dimensioned to fit within a space having a height of no more than three and one-quarter inches and a width of approximately five and three-quarter inches and having a frontal opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge endwise and containing means for supporting the cartridge within said housing;
• a magnetic head mounted in said housing in a manner which prevents horizontal movement of said head with respect to said housing;
• means for sensing the presence of at least a portion of the cartridge within said housing at a first position;
• means responsive to said sensing means for moving the cartridge from said first position at least partially laterally to a second position in operative engagement with said magnetic head;
• and
• access door opening means comprising means for engaging the access door pivotably about an axis substantially coaxial with the axis of the cartridge across door and operative with said moving means for opening the access door of the cartridge as the cartridge is moved from said first position to said second position.