Patent ID: 6160678
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
Apparatus for storing plural items of recording media and for transferring the plural media items to and from a mechanism for reading and/or writing to the media items, said apparatus comprising:a storage area for storing a plurality of the media items so that there are a plurality of said media items simultaneously spaced around a common axis of rotation for said media items and there are a plurality of said media items simultaneously spaced along said axis, said mechanism being fixedly located adjacent to said storage area and displaced from said storage area along said axis so that said axis passes through said reading and/or writing mechanism;means for rotating the stored media items as one body about said axis so as to permit access to any of the media items from only one direction transverse to said axis and;transfer means operable to collect said media items from said one direction and to transfer said media items between the storage area and said mechanism, wherein the apparatus is adapted to receive a magazine carrying the media items and the rotating means is operable to rotate the magazine, the apparatus being arranged so the magazine is insertable into and removable from the storage area at will with the media items in place without removal of the means for rotating from the storage area.