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US RE40,598 E1Granted
Memory storage disk handling system having a servo-driven elevator pin
AssigneeMicroboards Technology, LLC
InventorWray Russ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory storage disk handling system includes a housing, an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks, a servo motor with a cam arm. The servo motor rotates to pivot the cam arm, which cams against the elevator pin to lift the elevator pin.
Claims86
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- and
- a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin, wherein the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes an arm mounted on the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft pivots the arm to lift the elevator pin.
2 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for receiving disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- the hopper being configured for aligning lifted disks into a stack and includes at least one pawl for holding lifted disks in the hopper, wherein the hopper includes a plurality of posts oriented to surround lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for receiving disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- the hopper being configured for aligning lifted disks into a stack and includes at least one pawl for holding lifted disks in the hopper, wherein the hopper includes three posts oriented to surround lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin for lifting the elevator pin in response to the servo motor;
- and
- the hopper defines a base and includes a stack retainer means extending from the base for aligning disks in a vertical stack, the stack retainer means includes more than one pawl for holding lifted disks, wherein the hopper includes a plurality of posts oriented to surrounded lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts on each of the plurality of posts.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin for lifting the elevator pin in response to the servo motor, the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes a single arm mounted on the shaft, wherein the arm has a fixed end and a moveable end, the fixed end is fixed with respect to the shaft, the moveable end includes a cam surface that cams against the elevator pin to enable the elevator pin to move in response to the servo motor;
- and
- the hopper defines a base and includes a stack retainer means extending from the base for aligning disks in a vertical stack, the stack retainer means includes more than one pawl for holding lifted disks.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing, wherein the elevator pin presses a single disk into a stack of disks;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a base having a position sensor;
- and
- a linkage assembly between the servo motor and the elevator pin wherein the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes an arm mounted on the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft pivots the arm to lift the elevator pin.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks in a stack;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- a plurality of pawls for holding disks, wherein the plurality of pawls slide between a retracted position which enables the elevator pin to lift disks into the stack and an extended position for holding disks, wherein the housing includes a plurality of posts oriented to surround lifted disks, and at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
A dispenser comprising:
- a first member configured to support a bottom disk of a vertical stack of disks, the first member including a horizontal surface that is configured to receive an outer edge of the bottom disk so that a bottom surface of only the outer edge rests on the horizontal surface;
- a second member operable in response to actuation to push the outer edge of the bottom disk off the horizontal surface, the second member having a thickness that is equal to or less than a thickness of the bottom disk so that only the bottom disk is pushed;
- and
- a third member configured to prevent an outer edge of a next-to--bottom disk of the vertical stack of disks from being pushed off the horizontal surface when the second member pushes the bottom disk, the third member having a side surface configured to act as a stop,
- wherein actuation of the second member pushes only the bottom disk off the horizontal surface causing only the bottom disk to fall out of the dispenser.
2 more elements
A method for dispensing a disk, the method comprising:
- providing a lower member with an aperture configured to pass a first disk of a particular type, the lower member having a horizontal surface by an edge of the aperture that is configured to receive an outer edge of the first disk so that a bottom surface of only the outer edge rests on the horizontal surface, preventing the first disk from falling through the aperture of the lower member;
- using an upper guide that includes an aperture through which the first disk and a second disk of the particular type can pass to stack the disks in a vertical stack such that the edge portion of the first disk rests on the horizontal surface and the second disk rests on the first disk;
- and
- in response to actuation, causing a pusher to push, at the outer edge, the first disk off the horizontal surface and into the aperture of the lower member, the pusher having a thickness that is equal to or less than a thickness of the first disk so that only the first disk is pushed, the aperture in the upper guide preventing the second disk from being pushed into the aperture in the lower member when the first disk is being pushed, wherein the first disk but not the second disk is dispensed to fall through the aperture in the lower member when the pusher is actuated.
1 more element
A method for dispensing a disk, the method comprising:
- stacking two or more disks of a particular type in a vertical stack and on a horizontal surface where the horizontal surface is configured to receive an outer edge of a bottom disk so that a bottom surface of only the outer edge rests on the horizontal surface, preventing the bottom disk from falling through an aperture;
- and
- pushing only the bottom disk off the horizontal surface, the pushing being effected at an outer edge of the bottom disk and while disks on top of the bottom disk are held so that they are not pushed off the horizontal surface, wherein the pushing dispenses only the bottom disk from the stack.
A dispenser comprising:
- a first member configured to support a bottom disk of a vertical stack of disks, the first member including a horizontal surface that is configured to receive an outer edge of the bottom disk so that a bottom surface of only the outer edge rests on the horizontal surface;
- a second member operable in response to actuation to push the outer edge of the bottom disk off the horizontal surface so that only the bottom disk is pushed;
- and
- wherein actuation of the second member pushes only the bottom disk off the horizontal surface causing only the bottom disk to drop.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- and a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin, wherein the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes an arm mounted on the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft pivots the arm to lift the elevator pin.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for received disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- the hopper being configured for aligning lifted disks into a stack and includes at least one pawl for holding lifted disks in the hopper, wherein the hopper includes a plurality of posts oriented to surround lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for receiving disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- the hopper being configured for aligning lifted disks into a stack and includes at least one pawl for holding lifted disks in the hopper, wherein the hopper includes three posts oriented to surround lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin for lifting the elevator pin in response to the servo motor;
- and
- the hopper defines a base and includes a stack retainer means extending from the base for aligning disks in a vertical stack, the stack retainer means includes more than one pawl for holding lifted disks, wherein the hopper includes a plurality of posts oriented to surround lifted disks, at least one pawl mounts one each of the plurality of posts.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a linkage assembly attached between the servo motor and the elevator pin for lifting the elevator pin in response to the servo motor, the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes a single arm mounted on the shaft, wherein the arm has a fixed end and a moveable end, the fixed end is fixed with respect to the shaft, the moveable end includes a cam surface that cams against the elevator pin to enable the elevator pin to move in response to the servo motor;
- and
- the hopper defines a base and includes a stack retainer means extending from the base for aligning disks in a vertical stack, the stack retainer means includes more than one pawl for holding lifted disks.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing, wherein the elevator pin presses a single disk into a stack of disks;
- a servo motor attached to the housing;
- a base having a position sensor;
- and
- a linkage assembly between the servo motor and the elevator pin wherein the servo motor includes a shaft, the linkage assembly includes an arm mounted on the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft pivots the arm to lift the elevator pin.
3 more elements
A memory storage disk handling system, comprising:
- a housing defining a hopper for holding disks in a stack;
- an elevator pin mounted on the housing for lifting disks into the hopper;
- and
- a plurality of pawls for holding disks, wherein the plurality of pawls slide between a retracted position which enables the elevator pin to lift disks into the stack and an extended position for holding disks, wherein the housing includes a plurality of posts oriented to surround lifted disks, and at least one pawl mounts on each post.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.