US 5,235,474 AGranted

Apparatus and method for automatic storage of computer data

AssigneeAdvanced Digital Information Corporation

InventorNathan H. Searle

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Abstract

A computer storage unit usable with DAT cassettes. The unit has a tape drive, a carriage that is movable laterally relative to the tape drive opening, and a magazine having slots sized to releasably hold the cassettes therein. The magazine is releasable attachable to the carriage. A pair of gripper arms is rotatably mounted at the end of an arm attached to a traveler which moves the gripper arms between a selected magazine slot and the tape drive opening. The gripper arms are rotatable between a grasping position, a pushing position and an open position using a solenoid-driven actuator arm which linearly moves a head block to which the gripper arms are loosely connected at a position offset from their axis of rotation. A sensor is used in conjunction with the gripper arms to selectively move the cassettes during a test cycle to determine if cassettes are present in the magazine slots and whether the cassettes are in backwards. The magazine has a base and a detachable cover with integrally molded spring latches. Walls in the magazine base which define the magazine slots each have a recess which receives a movable button releasably holding the cassettes within the slots.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A computer storage unit usable with tape cassettes, comprising:

a tape drive having an opening to receive one of the tape cassettes;
a carriage;
a carriage drive providing drive to said carriage to selectively move said carriage laterally relative to said tape drive opening;
a magazine having a plurality of slots, each said magazine slot being sized to releasably hold one of the cassettes and having an open side positionable toward said tape drive opening, said magazine being releasably attachable to said carriage for travel therewith with said open sides of said magazine slots positioned toward said tape drive opening, said carriage drive being operable to move said carriage laterally to position a selected one of said magazine slots at said tape drive opening and hold said magazine slot in generally planar alignment with said tape drive opening for selected movement of one of the cassettes between said selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
a pair of gripper arms rotatable between a grasping position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to grasp one of the cassettes, a pushing position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to engage and push against one of the cassettes, and an open position with said gripper arms open sufficiently to receive one of the cassettes therebetween and release the cassette if grasped therein;
a traveler having said gripper arms attached for travel therewith;
a traveler drive providing drive to said traveler to selectively move said traveler so as to move said gripper arms attached thereto between said selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
an actuator mounted to said traveler for travel therewith, said actuator selectively rotating said gripper arms between said grasping position to grasp one of the cassettes, said pushing position to push one of the cassettes toward said tape drive opening, and said open position in preparation for grasping one of the cassettes or to release the cassette if grasped therein;
and
a controller controlling operation of said actuator and said traveler drive to selectively rotate and move said gripper arms to move selected ones of the cassettes in said magazine slots into said tape drive opening and remove the cassette therein from said tape drive opening and return the cassette to a desired one of said magazine slots.

7 more elements

A computer storage unit usable with tape cassettes and a magazine having a plurality of slots, each magazine slot being sized to releasably hold one of the cassettes and having an open side, comprising:

a tape drive having an opening to receive one of the tape cassettes;
a carriage to which the magazine is releasably attachable for travel therewith with the open sides of the magazine slots toward said tape drive opening;
a carriage drive providing drive to said carriage to selectively move said carriage laterally relative to said tape drive opening, said carriage drive being operable to move said carriage laterally to position a selected one of the magazine slots at said tape drive opening and hold the magazine slot in generally planar alignment with said tape drive opening for selected movement of one of the cassettes between the selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
rotatable between a grasping position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to grasp one of the cassettes, a pushing position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to engage and push against one of the cassettes, and an open position with said gripper arms open sufficiently to receive one of the cassettes therebetween and release the cassette if grasped therein;
a traveler having said gripper arms attached for travel therewith;
a traveler drive providing drive to said traveler to selectively move said traveler so as to move said gripper arms attached thereto between the selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
an actuator mounted to said traveler for travel therewith, said actuator selectively rotating said gripper arms between said grasping position to grasp one of the cassettes, said pushing position to push one of the cassettes toward said tape drive opening, and said open position in preparation for grasping one of the cassettes or to release the cassette if grasped therein;
and
controller means for controlling operation of said actuator and said traveler drive to selectively rotate and move said gripper arms to move selected ones of the cassettes in the magazine slots into said tape drive opening and remove the cassette therein from said tape drive opening and return the cassette to a desired one of the magazine slots.

6 more elements

A method of performing computer storage using tape cassettes, comprising:

providing a tape drive having an opening to receive one of the tape cassettes;
providing a carriage;
providing a carriage drive which drives said carriage to selectively move said carriage laterally relative to said tape drive opening;
providing a magazine having a plurality of slots, each said magazine slot being sized to releasably hold one of the cassettes and having an open side positionable toward said tape drive opening;
releasably attaching said magazine to said carriage for travel therewith with said open sides of said magazine slots positioned toward said tape drive opening;
operating said carriage drive to move said carriage laterally to position a selected one of said magazine slots at said tape drive opening and hold said magazine slot in generally planar alignment with said tape drive opening for selected movement of one of the cassettes between said selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
providing a pair of gripper arms rotatable between a grasping position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to grasp one of the cassettes, a pushing position with said gripper arms closed sufficiently to engage and push against one of the cassettes, and an open position with said gripper arms open sufficiently to receive one of the cassettes therebetween and release the cassette if grasped therein;
providing a traveler having said gripper arms attached for travel therewith;
providing a traveler drive which drives said traveler to selectively move said traveler so as to move said gripper arms attached thereto between said selected magazine slot and said tape drive opening;
providing an actuator mounted to said traveler for travel therewith, said actuator being selectively operable to rotate said gripper arms between said grasping position to grasp one of the cassettes, said pushing position to push one of the cassettes toward said tape drive opening, and said open position in preparation for grasping one of the cassettes or to release the cassette if grasped therein;
and
controlling operation of said actuator and said traveler drive to selectively rotate and move said gripper arms to move selected ones of the cassettes in said magazine slots into said tape drive opening and remove the cassette therein from said tape drive opening and return the cassette to a desired one of said magazine slots.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.