Patent ID: 7777986

Claim:
A cartridge library comprising: at least one drive; a cartridge magazine comprising at least one cell configured to accommodate a cartridge of information storage media; a transport mechanism configured to transport the cartridge between the magazine and the drive, the transport mechanism comprising: a robot comprising: a robot carriage comprising cartridge engagement elements configured to selectively engage and release the cartridge; a robot tray configured to facilitate linear motion of the robot carriage, the robot carriage being situated on a first side of the robot tray; a robot motive system comprising: a robot first motive subsystem configured to displace the robot linearly in a first direction; a robot second motive subsystem configured to rotate the robot at least partially about an axis extending in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction; a carriage motive system configured to displace the robot carriage linearly in a third direction toward and away from the cartridge magazine, the third direction being orthogonal to the first direction and to the second direction; a robot third motive subsystem configured to displace the robot linearly in the second direction, the third motive subsystem comprising an elevator frame having planks extending in the first direction and having a plank height in the second direction; wherein at least one of the robot motive subsystems and the carriage motive subsystem comprise hardware situated on a second side of the robot tray, the hardware extending from the second side of the robot tray in the second direction to an extent not substantially greater than the plank height.