Magnetic head positioning mechanism with longitudinal rod and cam

Claim 2

Apparatus for simultaneously moving four magnetic heads proximate to a magnetic disc storage medium bearing information on its two faces, wherein two of said heads are disposed on one side of said medium and two of said heads on the other side of said medium, wherein said heads are simultaneously moved toward or away from the respective faces of said medium between operative and nonoperative positions, wherein, for each of said heads, there is provided a rod rotatable around its longitudinal axis under the action of a cam and the rotation of said rod controls the movement of the corresponding one of said heads, and wherein the axes of said four rods are parallel, wherein the improvement comprises: an assemblage of toothed elements, each of said elements being attached to one of said rods and meshing with at least one other of said elements, one of said elements being actuated by said cam.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said assemblage of toothed elements is disposed such that two of said rods corresponding to two of said magnetic heads disposed on one side of said magnetic medium turn simultaneously in opposite directions.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said assemblage of toothed elements is disposed such that two of said rods symmetrical relative to said magnetic medium turn in opposite directions.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said toothed elements comprise toothed wheels meshing with one another, and wherein each of said wheels is mounted on one of said rods.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said toothed elements comprises an arm orthogonal to one of said rods and affixed thereto, each of said arms comprising at least a portion of the profile of at least one gear tooth cooperating with a corresponding portion of another of said arms, and wherein the pitch circle of each of said tooth portions is centered on the axis of the corresponding rod.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein first and second of said rods are associated with said heads disposed on one side of said magnetic medium and third and fourth of said rods are associated with said heads disposed on the other side of said medium, wherein said first and second rods are attached to respective first and second ones of said arms, each of said first and second arms comprising two gear tooth portions, wherein said third and fourth rods are attached to respective third and fourth ones of said arms, each of said third and fourth arms comprising one gear tooth portion, the gear tooth portions of said first arm meshing with respective gear tooth portions of said second and fourth arms, the other gear tooth portion of said second arm meshing with the gear tooth portion of said third arm, and wherein elastic means is provided between said third and fourth arms for urging the gear tooth portions of said third and fourth arms against the corresponding gear tooth portions of said first and second arms.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein one of said first and second arms is actuated by said cam.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said second, third and fourth arms are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said magnetic disc medium and said first arm is substantially parallel to said plane, when said second, third and fourth arms are in the positions in which said magnetic heads are nonoperative.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said cam has the form of a disc whose plane is parallel to that of the magnetic disc medium, and wherein said first arm is actuated by said cam.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein three of said arms are substantially alike and wherein only one of the tooth portions of each of two of said three arms is employed.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said second, third and fourth arms are substantially alike, and wherein only one of the tooth portions of each of said third and fourth arms is employed.

Claim 13

Apparatus for simultaneously moving a plurality of magnetic heads toward or away from a magnetic recording medium, comprising: a plurality of rods mounted for rotation around their respective longitudinal axes, means for coupling each of said rods to one of said magnetic heads to provide movement of said head when the corresponding rod rotates, a rotating cam, an element affixed to each of said rods, said elements being mutually engaged for rotating all of said rods in response to rotation of one of said rods, and a cam follower mounted on one of said elements and disposed to follow said cam to provide for rotating the one of said rods to which said one element is affixed.

Claim 14

Apparatus for simultaneously moving a plurality of magnetic heads toward or away from a magnetic recording medium, comprising: a plurality of rods mounted for rotation around their respective longitudinal axes, means for coupling each of said rods to one of said magnetic heads to provide movement of said head when the corresponding rod rotates, a rotating cam, an element affixed to each of said rods, said elements being mutually engaged for rotating all of said rods in response to rotation of one of said rods, and a cam follower mounted on one of said elements and disposed to follow said cam to provide for rotating the one of said rods to which said one element is affixed.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein all of said rods are parallel.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said magnetic recording medium comprises a pair of opposed plane faces, and wherein a plurality of said magnetic heads are disposed opposite each of said faces.