Magnetic holding and aligning device

Claim 1

A MAGNETIC HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING A REMOVABLE OBJECT THERETO, SAID OBJECT INCLUDING A MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM, COMPRISING: A MAGNETIZING MEANS INCLUDING NORTH AND SOUTH POLE FACES; A MAGNETICALLY PERMEABLE PORTION OF SAID REMOVABLE OBJECT THROUGH WHICH MAGNETIC FLUX FROM SAID MAGNETIZING MEANS FLOWS BY WAY OF SAID POLE FACES WHEN SAID OBJECT IS IN PROPER POSITION SO AS TO BE MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTED AND HELD THEREBY; AN AIR GAP PHYSICALLY DISPLACED AWAY FROM SAID OBJECT FORMING A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT IN PARALLEL WITH SAID MAGNETICALLY PERMEABLE PORTION OF SAID OBJECT WHICH THEREBY ACTS AS A MAGNETIC SHUNT, SAID AIR GAP BEING LONGER THAN ANY GAP BETWEEN SAID POLE FACES AND MAGNETIXALLY PERMEABLE PORTION OF SAID OBJECT WHEN SAID OBJECT IS IN SAID PROPER POSITION; AND ALIGNMENT MEANS COMPRISING MATING SURFACES OF SAID OBJECT AND SAID HOLDING MEANS TO ALIGN SAID OBJECT WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOLDING MEANS WHEN SAID OBJECT IS IN SAID PROPER POSITION, SAID MATING SURFACES BEING ARRANGED TO APPROXIMATELY MAINTAIN SAID ALIGNMENT OVER A RANGE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID OBJECT SUCH THAT SAID MAGNETICALLY PERMEABLE PORTION OF SAID OBJECT MAGNETICALLY SHELDS SAID MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM FROM SAID AIR GAP SO LONG AS SAID MAGNETIC RECORDING MEDIUM IS IN SUCH PROXIMITY WITH SAID AIR GAP THAT IT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE MAGNETIC FLUX THEREAT.