Head-positioning apparatus

Claim 2

In an apparatus for shifting a plurality of pairs of heads into and out of a stack of spaced memory discs and moving the heads of each pair oppositely into engagement with the discs on opposite sides sides thereof, said apparatus including a carriage with each pair of said heads carried on side-by-side, resilient head-supporting strips projecting cantilever fashion from the carriage, the improvement comprising: an actuator for each pair of said heads having an elongated spring arm dIsposed between said supporting strips and secured at one end to said carriage, and two wings projecting laterally from the free end portion of said spring arm and extending across said heads on opposite sides thereof, said wings being inclined in opposite directions from said spring arm, relative to a central reference plane, when said arm is free, thereby to shift said heads in opposite directions toward the respective discs, and to press the heads against the discs; and cams stationarily mounted along the path of said wings during movement of the heads into and out of said stack and operable to shift said wings toward said reference plane during movement out of the stacks and to release the wings for movement toward the discs during movement into the stack, thereby engaging and disengaging the heads automatically as an incident to such movements.

Claim 3

The improvement defined in claim 1 in which said wings have cam followers on the free ends thereof for engagement with said cams.

Claim 4

The improvement defined in claim 1 in which said spring arm is permanently twisted between its ends, and said cams untwist, and thereby load, the arm during movement of the wings toward said plane.

Claim 5

The improvement defined in claim 1 in which said spring arm is a flat strip disposed in an inclined plane, and said wings are disposed in said inclined plane when said arm is free.

Claim 6

The improvement defined in claim 1 in which each wing is inclined forwardly from said spring arm to a central section for engaging said heads, and is inclined rearwardly from said central section to the free ends of the wings, said free ends have followers thereon for engaging said cams.

Claim 7

The improvement defined in claim 1 in which said wings are inclined at a greater angle when said spring arm is free than when said heads are in engagement with said discs, whereby the spring arm applies a preselected approximate loading force to the engaged heads.

Claim 8

The improvement defined in claim 6 in which said followers are portions of said wings generally parallel to said spring arm.

Claim 9

The improvement defined in claim 6 in which said central sections are offset from the incline of said wings, and said heads are formed with dimples engaging said central sections.

Claim 10

Apparatus for shifting a head into and out of alignment with a memory disc and moving the head into and out of engagement with the aligned disc, said apparatus having, in combination: a carriage movable toward and away from said disc; a head disposed between said carriage and said disc and positioned for movement between a retracted position and an extended position in which said head is aligned with one side of the disc; means supporting said head for movement with said carriage and also for movement toward and away from said one side; an actuator including an elongated spring arm secured at one end to said carriage for movement therewith, and extending forwardly therefrom alongside said supporting means, and a wing on said spring arm projecting laterally therefrom across said head, said wing being mounted on said spring arm to be inclined toward said one side of said disc when said arm is free, and to press said head against the disc with a preselected approximate loading force; and means positioned along the path of said actuator to engage the latter and shift said wing away from said disc as the head is moved along the disc by movement of said carriage away from said disc, thereby to unload the head while stressing said spring, the last-mentioned means also releasing said actuator to permit said spring arm to shift said head toward said disc during movement of said head along said disc by movement of said carriage toward the disc.

Claim 11

Apparatus for shifting a head into and out of alignment with a memory disc and moving the head into and out of engagement with the aligned disc, said apparatus having, in combination: a carriage movable toward and away from said disc; a head disposed between said carriage and said disc and positioned for movement between a retracted position and an extended position in which said head is aligned with one side of the disc; means supporting said head for movement with said carriage and also for movement toward and away from said one side; an actuator including an elongated spring arm secured at one end to said carriage for movement therewith, and extending forwardly therefrom alongside said supporting means, and a wing on said spring arm projecting laterally therefrom across said head, said wing being mounted on said spring arm to be inclined toward said one side of said disc when said arm is free, and to press said head against the disc with a preselected approximate loading force; and means positioned along the path of said actuator to engage the latter and shift said wing away from said disc as the head is moved along the disc by movement of said carriage away from said disc, thereby to unload the head while stressing said spring, the last-mentioned means also releasing said actuator to permit said spring arm to shift said head toward said disc during movement of said head along said disc by movement of said carriage toward the disc.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which said supporting means is an elongated, resiliently flexible strip for normally holding said head in a position spaced from said disc, and said wing projects across the side of said head opposite said disc.

Claim 13

Apparatus as dEfined in claim 9 in which said spring is permanently twisted when free, and is untwisted and progressively stressed by said last-mentioned means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which said spring is a flat strip disposed in an inclined plane relative to said disc, said wing also being disposed in said inclined plane so as to twist and stress said spring as the wing is moved away from the disc.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which said last-mentioned means comprises a follower on said wing and a cam stationarily positioned along the path of said follower during movement of said actuator by said carriage, said cam being shaped to shift said follower away from said disc during movement of said carriage away from the disc, and to permit the wing to move toward the disc in the opposite direction of actuator movement.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which two of said heads are supported in side-by-side relation on two resiliently flexible supporting strips projecting toward said disc from said carriage with said spring arm disposed between said strips and with one wing projecting laterally from said arm across opposite sides of said strips to shift said heads in opposite directions, said last-mentioned means including a cam for each of said strips.