Friction engaged tilting roller bearing tape guidance

A tape drive system for a tape having tracks extending in a longitudinal direction along the tape, comprising:

• a tape head;
• a drive adapted to move said tape along a tape path in a longitudinal direction across said tape head;
• a tape position sensor positioned to detect the lateral position of the tape;
• a tape roller bearing, comprising:
• a base having a first support frame;
• a second support frame;
• a tape roller barrel rotatably supported by said second support frame, said roller barrel being positioned along a tape path, and having a grooved surface adapted to contact and engage a surface of the tape as said roller barrel rotates;
• a pivot disposed at the tape roller barrel and pivotally coupling said second support frame to said first support frame;
• and
• an actuator coupled to said second support frame and adapted to pivot said second support frame and said roller barrel to tilt said roller barrel relative to said first support frame when said actuator is actuated;
• and
• a controller responsive to the tape position sensor and adapted to control the actuator to tilt the roller barrel to control the lateral position of the tape in response to the tape position sensor.