Modular disk file unit

Claim 2

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing being supported only by the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on said housing and adjacent opposite sides of the disk; and wherein said housing is substantially rigid in the portion where the recording heads are mounted and elastically deformable in a direction normal to the disk in the portion adjacent the journal boxes.

Claim 3

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing being supported only by the first and second journal boxes, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves, each in the form of a flexible membrane with a rigid rim, in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said halves being supported at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on Said housing in a rigid portion thereof near the rim and adjacent opposite sides of the disk.

Claim 4

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing being supported only by the first and second journal boxes, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves, each in the form of a flexible membrane with a rigid rim, in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said halves being supported at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on Said housing in a rigid portion thereof near the rim and adjacent opposite sides of the disk.

Claim 5

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face to face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said housing halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; a rigid mounting plate secured to each housing half at its periphery and cantilevered inwardly from the periphery for remaining in a substantially fixed position; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on each of the mounting plates and adjacent opposite sides of the disk.

Claim 6

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face to face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said housing halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; a rigid mounting plate secured to each housing half at its periphery and cantilevered inwardly from the periphery for remaining in a substantially fixed position; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on each of the mounting plates and adjacent opposite sides of the disk.

Claim 7

A memory unit as defined in claim 3 wherein each of the housing halves is relatively more stiff at its perimeter and relatively less stiff adjacent its center.

Claim 8

A memory unit as defined in claim 4 wherein; the first and second bearings are duplex pairs of angular contact bearings each having a pair of inner bearing races fixed relative to the memory disk and a pair of outer bearing races fixed relative to the respective housing half.

Claim 9

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first duplex pair of angular contact ball bearings on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position and having a pair of inner bearing races fixed relative to the memory disk; a second duplex pair of angular contact ball bearings on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearings for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position and having a pair of inner bearing races fixed relative to the memory disk; a first journal box supporting the first bearing and fixed relative to the outer bearing races thereof; a second journal box supporting the second bearing and fixed relative to the outer bearing races thereof; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said housing halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries, each housing half being relatively more stiff at its perimeter and relatively less stiff adjacent its center; a mounting plate secured to each housing half at its periphery and cantilevered inwardly from the periphery for remaining in a substantially fixed position; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on each of the mounting plates and adjacent opposite sides of the disk; and wherein each of the means for supporting the journal boxes has relatively less flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the disk than the housing halves adjacent their centers.

Claim 10

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first duplex pair of angular contact ball bearings on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position and having a pair of inner bearing races fixed relative to the memory disk; a second duplex pair of angular contact ball bearings on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearings for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position and having a pair of inner bearing races fixed relative to the memory disk; a first journal box supporting the first bearing and fixed relative to the outer bearing races thereof; a second journal box supporting the second bearing and fixed relative to the outer bearing races thereof; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk, said housing comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said housing halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries, each housing half being relatively more stiff at its perimeter and relatively less stiff adjacent its center; a mounting plate secured to each housing half at its periphery and cantilevered inwardly from the periphery for remaining in a substantially fixed position; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on each of the mounting plates and adjacent opposite sides of the disk; and wherein each of the means for supporting the journal boxes has relatively less flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the disk than the housing halves adjacent their centers.

Claim 11

A modular magnetic memory disk unit as defined in claim 6 wherein; the first and second journal boxes each comprise: a main support ring around the respective outer bearing races and connected to the means for supporting the respective journal box; a first bearing cap secured to the main support ring and having a portion pressed against an end of one of the outer bearing races; an outer bearing cap secured to the main support ring and having a portion pressed against an end of the other outer bearing race, said unit further comprising: a support shaft for the rotatable magnetic memory disk, and mounted in the inner bearing races, the shaft including a shoulder against an end of one of the inner bearing races; and a nut on the support shaft and pressed against the end of the other of the inner bearing races.

Claim 12

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of modular disk memory units in the cabinet; means for mounting each of the modular units in the cabinet for ready removal therefrom; means in the cabinet for rotatably driving at least a portion of each of the memory units; each of the modular memory units comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory disk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box in the cabinet; means for supporting the second journal box in the cabinet; a closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk.

Claim 13

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of modular disk memory units in the cabinet; means for mounting each of the modular units in the cabinet for ready removal therefrom; means in the cabinet for rotatably driving at least a portion of each of the memory units; each of the modular memory units comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory disk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box in the cabinet; means for supporting the second journal box in the cabinet; a closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk.

Claim 14

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of modular disk memory units in the cabinet; means for mounting each of the modular units in the cabinet for ready removal therefrom; means in the cabinet for rotatably driving at least a portion of each of the memory units; each of the modular memory units comprising; a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory disk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box in the cabinet; means for supporting the second journal box in the cabinet; housing means for elastically interconnecting the journal boxes with a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold a peripheral portion of the housing means in substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means; said housing means comprising a closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk.

Claim 15

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of modular disk memory units in the cabinet; means for mounting each of the modular units in the cabinet for ready removal therefrom; means in the cabinet for rotatably driving at least a portion of each of the memory units; each of the modular memory units comprising; a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory disk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box in the cabinet; means for supporting the second journal box in the cabinet; housing means for elastically interconnecting the journal boxes with a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold a peripheral portion of the housing means in substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means; said housing means comprising a closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk.

Claim 16

A rotatable disk memory unit as defined in claim 9 wherein the housing comprises a first substantially circular housing half mounted at its center on the first journal box; a second substantially circular housing half mounted at its center on the second journal box, each of the first and second housing halves having a substantially rigid rim at its periphery, the peripheral rims being secured together for forming a substantially rigid housing periphery; and a recording head mounting plate for supporting at least a portion of the magnetic recording heads, each of the recording head mounting plates being secured to the peripheral rim of a housing half and cantilvered inwardly therefrom for holding the magnetic recording heads in a substantially fixed position.

Claim 17

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory dIsk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box, each of said means for supporting applying an insubstantial axial load on the bearings; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk; and wherein said bearing means each comprises a first bearing part fixed to its respective journal box and a second bearing part fixed to the housing; and wherein the housing has a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold the recording heads in substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means.

Claim 18

A rotatable disk magnetic memory unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first journal box on one side of the memory dIsk; a second journal box on the other side of the memory disk; first bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the first journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; second bearing means for rotatably supporting the disk in the second journal box in a substantially fixed axial position relative thereto; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box, each of said means for supporting applying an insubstantial axial load on the bearings; a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk and supported only on the first and second journal boxes; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on the housing adjacent opposite faces of the disk; and wherein said bearing means each comprises a first bearing part fixed to its respective journal box and a second bearing part fixed to the housing; and wherein the housing has a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold the recording heads in substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means.

Claim 19

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; means for interconnecting the journal boxes with a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold the recording heads in a substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means, said means comprising a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk and comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on said housing adjacent opposite sides of the disk.

Claim 20

A modular magnetic memory disk unit comprising: a rotatable magnetic memory disk; a first bearing on one side of the disk for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a second bearing on the opposite side of the disk from the first bearing for rotatable support thereof in a substantially fixed axial position; a first journal box supporting the first bearing; a second journal box supporting the second bearing; means for supporting the first journal box; means for supporting the second journal box; means for interconnecting the journal boxes with a flexural rigidity in a direction normal to the plane of the disk within the range of values limited at one extreme by the minimum rigidity required to hold the recording heads in a substantially fixed position, and at the other extreme by the maximum rigidity that applies an insubstantial axial load on the bearing means, said means comprising a substantially closed housing surrounding the disk and comprising first and second substantially circular halves in face-to-face relation on opposite sides of the disk, said halves being mounted at their respective centers on the respective journal boxes and interconnected at their peripheries; and a plurality of magnetic recording heads mounted on said housing adjacent opposite sides of the disk.