Stationary head cartridge tape drive with moveable x-y table and method

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides for providing access to said length of tape, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms an elongate slot which extends longitudinally in a direction substantially parallel to an x axis, said slot formed in a plane defined by said x axis and a z axis, a y axis defining direction extending through said slot, said axes being mutually orthogonal so as to define a coordinate system, with said housing end extending in a x-z plane including said x axis and said z axis, said slot sized and shaped to receive one of said ends of said cartridge when said cartridge is aligned with said slot in said x-z plane and is inserted through said slot in a direction substantially parallel to said y-axis in an x-y plane including said x axis and said y axis;
• a magnetic head;
• a mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge sufficiently to provide access to said length of tape by said head;
• an elongate first guide mounted at least partially within said housing so that its length extends in a direction substantially parallel to said y axis;
• a dolly slidably supported by said first guide so as to be slidable in said direction substantially parallel to said y axis and fixed in a direction substantially parallel to said x axis and a direction substantially parallel to said z axis;
• a carrier upon which said cartridge may rest, said carrier being mounted on and supported by said dolly so as to be movable with said dolly in said direction substantially parallel to said y axis and be movable relative to said dolly in said direction substantially parallel to said x axis, movement of said carrier in said direction substantially parallel to said y axis actuating said door opening mechanism and movement of said carrier in said direction substantially parallel to said x axis bringing said length of tape into read/write position relative to said head;
• and
• a motor for moving said length of tape within said cartridge along said magnetic head when said head is in a read/write position relative to said length of tape.

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides which is nearer to one of said ends than another of said ends, said door providing access to said length of tape, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms a slot, said slot sized and shaped to receive said cartridge for loading into said housing with said one of said ends of said c cartridge which is nearer to said access door than said another of said ends being loaded into said slot first;
• a magnetic head;
• a ratchet mechanism mounted in said housing for at least partially opening aid door of said cartridge, said mechanism including a first portion having a set of serrate teeth and a second portion having an element mating with said set of serrate teeth, said element and said set of serrate teeth cooperating to prevent movement of said first portion relative said second portion in a given direction yet permitting movement of said first portion relative said second portion in a direction opposite said given direction, said mechanism including a leg connected to one of said portions for at least partially opening said door;
• a member mounted in said housing cooperating with one of said portion and said second portion to actuate said at least partial opening of said door of said cartridge by said ratchet mechanism;
• and
• a motor for moving said length of tape within said cartridge along said magnetic head when said head is in a read/write position relative to said length of tape.

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides, a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, and a base plate having a portion at each end which forms a detent, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides proximate one of said ends for providing access to said length of tape, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms a slot, said slot sized and shaped to receive the end of said cartridge proximate said access door when said cartridge is aligned with said end of said cartridge parallel to said slot;
• a magnetic head;
• an elongate table upon which said cartridge may rest, said table having at least one end mounted within said housing for receiving said end of said cartridge proximate said access door when said end of said cartridge proximate said access door is inserted through said slot, said table being movable relative to said head to position said length of tape in read/write position relative to said head, said head only being movable in a direction transverse to said length of tape to change tracks when said cartridge rests on said table;
• a mechanism, for at least partially opening said door of said cartridge mounted within said housing;
• a stop defining a registration surface for registering at least one surface of said base plate of said cartridge proximate said door, said stop being mounted on said housing so as to be rotatable away from said table to avoid interference with said mechanism for at least partially opening said door of said cartridge;
• an arrangement for interacting with at least one of said detent forming portions of said base plate to bias said base plate against said stop;
• and
• a spacer secured to said table which presses against a portion of said arrangement for overcoming the bias of said arrangement to prevent said arrangement from interfering with the movement said table, wherein the movement of said table relative to said head to position said length of tape in read/write position relative to said head, causes said spacer to stop overcoming the bias of said arrangement to permit said arrangement to cooperate with at least one of said detent forming portions to bias said base plate against said stop.

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides proximate one of said ends for providing access to said length of tape, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms a slot sized and shaped to receive said ends of said cartridge when said cartridge is aligned with said ends of said cartridge parallel to said slot;
• a magnetic head;
• a mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge sufficiently to provide access to said length of tape by said head;
• and
• an elongate table mounted within said housing upon which said cartridge may rest, said table being movable at least in a direction substantially parallel to an x axis and also in a direction substantially parallel to a y axis, wherein said x axis and said y axis intersect and are perpendicular to one another, movement of said table in a direction substantially parallel to said y axis actuating said door opening mechanism when said cartridge rests on said table and movement of said table in a direction substantially parallel to said x axis bringing said length of tape into a read/write position relative to said head when said door opening mechanism has been actuated;
• a table drive for moving said table in an x-y plane including said x-axis and said y-axis, said table drive comprising:
• a gear assembly;
• an elongate link having one end secured to said table and another end secured to said gear assembly for moving said table in said direction substantially parallel to said y axis;
• and
• means mounted on said table and driven by said gear assembly for propelling at least part of said table in said direction substantially parallel to said x axis.

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides proximate one of said ends having a flange end and an access end for covering an access and for providing access to said length of tape within said access, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms a slot sized and shaped to receive said ends of said cartridge when said cartridge is aligned with said ends of said cartridge parallel to said slot;
• a stationary magnetic head;
• a mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge sufficiently to provide access to said length of tape by said head;
• and
• means for guiding and moving said cartridge so that said cartridge access door moves part said magnetic head while said access door is substantially closed, and for guiding and moving said cartridge toward said magnetic head once said access door is substantially opened by said mechanism to bring said length of tape within said access into a read/write position relative to said head.

A method of bringing a length of tape within an elongate rectangular cartridge having two sides and two ends which are shorter than said sides, including an access door having an access end and a flange end said door covering an access in one of the cartridge sides and positioned proximate one end of the cartridge into a read/write position relative to a stationary magnetic head positioned within a housing of a drive for said cartridge, said housing defining a space and one end of said drive defining an elongate slot into which said ends of said cartridge are insertable, said method comprising:

• inserting the end of said cartridge proximate said access door through said slot so that said flange end of said access door is inserted through said slot before said access end;
• moving said access end of said access door past said stationary magnetic head when said access door is closed;
• opening said access door;
• and
• moving the portion of said length of tape within said access back toward said magnetic head after said access door has been opened.

A method of bringing a length of tape within an elongate rectangular cartridge into a read/write position relative to a magnetic head positioned within a housing of a drive for said cartridge, said cartridge having two sides and two ends which are shorter than said sides, and an access door having an access end and a flange end, said door covering an access to the tape within the cartridge, said access door being positioned on one of said sides, proximate an end of said cartridge, said drive housing defining a space for housing said cartridge and one end of said drive defining an elongate slot through which said cartridge is insertable in a direction substantially parallel to said cartridge sides, said method comprising:

• inserting both of said ends of said cartridge through said slot;
• moving said access end of said access door past said magnetic head when said access door is closed after inserting said both ends of said cartridge through said slot;
• opening said access door after moving said access end of said access door past said magnetic head;
• and
• moving the portion of said length of tape within said access back toward said magnetic head after said access door has been opened.

A method of bringing a length of tape within an elongate rectangular cartridge into a read/write position relative to a magnetic head positioned within a housing of a drive for said cartridge, said cartridge having two sides and two ends which are shorter than said sides, said drive having a slot at one end said slot dimensioned to permit insertion of said cartridge into said housing, said slot defining an x axis, a y axis and a z axis, said axis being mutually orthogonal so as to define a coordinate system, with said slot extending in an x-z plane, said y-axis extending through said slot, said slot sized and shaped to receive one of the ends of said cartridge when said cartridge is aligned with said slot in said x-z plane and is inserted along said y axis in an x-y plane, wherein said head is only movable in a direction parallel to said z axis, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting said end of said cartridge proximate said access door through said slot along said y axis with said cartridge sides oriented substantially parallel to said y-axis;
• moving said cartridge along said y axis so that said access door passes said magnetic head, after inserting said end proximate said access door through said slot;
• opening said access door after said access door has been moved past said magnetic head;
• moving the portion of said length of tape within said access back toward said magnetic head along said y axis after said access door has been opened;
• and
• next moving the portion of said length of tape within said access toward said magnetic head along an axis parallel to said x axis so as to cause operative engagement between said tape and said magnetic head.

A drive for an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape and including a door in one of said sides proximate one of said ends for providing access to said length of tape, said drive comprising:

• an elongate housing having one end which forms a slot sized and shaped to receive said cartridge when said cartridge is aligned with said ends of said cartridge parallel to said slot;
• a stationary magnetic head;
• a mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge sufficiently to provide access to said length of tape by said head;
• and
• a guiding means mounted within said housing which guides said cartridge to move in a plane defined by an x and a y axis, said x axis intersecting and being perpendicular to said y axis, said guide means guiding movement of said cartridge substantially parallel to said y axis so that at least a portion of said cartridge door travels past said magnetic head while said door is substantially closed, and so that movement of said cartridge substantially parallel to said x axis brings said tape into contact with said head after the opening of s said door by said door opening mechanism.

A drive for automatically loading an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape which is accessible by opening a pivoting door on one side of the cartridge, said drive comprising:

• a housing having one end which forms a slot sized and shaped to receive an end of said cartridge when said end of said cartridge is inserted in said slot;
• a magnetic head;
• a rachet mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge to expose a segment of said length of tape;
• a member mounted in said housing cooperating with said mechanism to actuate said opening of said door of said cartridge by said mechanism;
• a means for moving said cartridge;
• a means for guiding the movement of said cartridge in a plane defined by an x and a y axis, said x axis intersecting and being perpendicular to said y axis, said guide means guiding movement of said cartridge such that said cartridge moves linearly in a direction parallel to said y axis and linearly in a direction parallel to said x axis, said ratchet mechanism mounted on said guiding means;
• and
• a means for detecting the presence of said cartridge when said cartridge is at least partially manually inserted in said slot, wherein said detecting means actuates said guide means to automatically move said cartridge into said housing so that both ends of said cartridge are contained within said housing and guide said cartridge so that said exposed segment of tape comes into contact with said magnetic head.

A drive for automatically loading an elongate, rectangular tape cartridge having a pair of sides and a pair of ends which are shorter than said sides, said cartridge enclosing a length of tape which is accessible by opening a pivoting door on one side of the cartridge, said drive comprising:

• a housing having one end which forms a slot sized and shaped to receive an end of said cartridge when said end of said cartridge is inserted in said slot;
• a magnetic head;
• a rachet mechanism for opening said door of said cartridge to expose a segment of said length of tape;
• a means for moving said cartridge;
• a means for guiding the movement of said cartridge in a plane defined by an x and a y axis, said x axis intersecting and being perpendicular to said y axis, said guide means guiding movement of said cartridge in at least directions which are parallel to said y axis and parallel to said x axis, said ratchet mechanism mounted on said guiding means;
• a means for detecting the presence of said cartridge when said cartridge is at least partially manually inserted in said slot, wherein said detecting means actuates said guide means to automatically move said cartridge into said housing so that both ends of said cartridge are contained within said housing and guide said cartridge so that said exposed segment of tape comes into contact with said magnetic head;
• an actuator for said ratchet mechanism mounted on said housing, wherein said ratchet mechanism comprises:
• a first pivot;
• a drive arm rotatably mounted on said first pivot so that loading of said cartridge into said housing causes said drive arm to engage said actuator and rotate about said pivot;
• a second pivot;
• a ratchet rotatably mounted on said second pivot operatively engaging said drive arm so that pivoting of said drive arm causes rotation of said ratchet, said ratchet including an annulus defining a series of peaks spaced from one another by valleys;
• a third pivot;
• and
• a leg rotatably mounted on said third pivot operatively engaging said annulus of said ratchet so that rotation of said ratchet cause rotation of said leg into engagement with the door of a cartridge resting on said table, wherein the selective rotation of said leg opens the door.