Patent GB-1505132-A (GB)
Title: Automated record tape library systems
IPC: G11B15/68
Filed: 1975-05-06
Abstract: 1505132 Automatic tape cartridge selection XYTEX CORP 6 May 1975 [6 May 1974] 18845/75 Heading B8W [Also in Division G5] An automated record tape library has magnetic tape cartridge storage cells C, Fig. 1, arranged in rows on opposite sides of a horizontal guide rail R, a magnetic tape drive unit A located to one side of rail R and including magnetic tape recording/playback means, and a tape cartridge transfer assembly S for selectively transferring tape cartridges T between the cells C and drive unit A; the assembly S having a carriage 12, Fig. 2, movable along the rail R and carrying a vertical post V, a row selector mechanism B movable up and down the post V and rotatable therearound to selectively face the cells C at either side of rail R, and a cartridge engaging mechanism 64, Fig. 4, on the row selector B and movable horizontally transversely of the rail R toward and away from a said storage cell, or the drive unit A, with which the row selector B has been aligned by the movements along rail R and post V, for selected replacement or removal of a tape cartridge T. The tape library may comprise a control module M<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 1, and one or more storage modules M each having five rows of tape cartridge storage cells C on each side of the rail R which runs throughout the modules M, M<SP>1</SP>. Each module M has a tape transport D in a reel mount unit A which is operable to transport a cartridge T from a load station N to tape transport D and therefrom to an unload station O, transfer assembly S moving the cartridges between cells C and stations N and O. The reel mount unit A may be as described in Specification 1,488,942, and the cartridges T may be as disclosed in U.S.A. Specification 3,620,478, the tape transport D having a vacuum system for auto-tape-threading. The transfer assembly S is driven along rail R by a pinion 15, Fig. 2, of a motor 16 engaging a rack 20 on rail R, the carriage 12 of the row selector being moved vertically on post V by means of a belt 44 secured to carriage 12 and driven by a motor 47, and the row selector being rotated about post V by a drive gear (104), Fig. 7 (not shown), of a motor (100) engaging and rotating around a non-rotatable gear (105). The cartridge-engaging mechanism has a vacuum chuck 64, Fig. 4, raciprocable along a rod 61 by a motor 80 and drive-belt 82 between a forward cartridge loading/unloading position and a retracted position in which a tape cartridge held by vacuum applied to chuck 64 by pump 79 is received in a holder 88. To indicate the horizontal position and speed of the transfer assembly S relative to modules M and the cell positions therein, arrays 29<SP>1</SP>, 30<SP>1</SP>, (31<SP>1</SP>), 31<SP>11</SP>, Fig. 3 (not shown), and Fig. 2, of LEDs and phototransistors on assembly S sense patterns of light and dark areas on stationary encoded strips 29, 30, 31. The vertical position of the row selector is similarly sensed by LEDs/phototransistors and an encoded strip 52, the angular position of the cartridge-engaging mechanism is sensed by LEDs/phototransistors (111) and an encoded strip (110), Fig. 7, and the horizontal position transverse to track R of the cartridge-engaging mechanism is sensed by LEDs/phototransistors (96) and encoded strip (97), Fig. 5 (not shown). A control system, Fig. 14 (not shown), including a minicomputer (115) controls operation of the reel mount unit A, and, in response to start and stop address data and to signals from said phototransistors and from an incremental encoder 22, Fig. 2, driven by motor 16, effects required movements of the various parts of the transfer assembly S with control of acceleration, deceleration, maximum speed and position centring.