Wide rotor for stable support of tape along path of transducer carried by rotor

Claim 2

Apparatus for supporting magnetic tape uniformly along the path of a rotating non-contact head for reading and writing information in tracks oriented at an acute angle relative to the direction of motion of the tape, said apparatus comprising: wide rotor means for carrying the magnetic head in a rotary path; means for supporting the tape with an air bearing in an arcuate path, said support means flanking both sides of said rotor means; said rotor means having means for supporting the tape along said rotary path with an air bearing and having a width substantially greater than the track width of the head whereby perturbations in tape support are damped out as the tape moves from said support means to said rotor means before the tape reaches the rotary path of the head.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor means provides the same type of air bearing support to the tape as said support means so that there is a continuity of support as said tape moves across said support means and said rotor means whereby perturbations in the tape support at transition regions between said support means and said rotor means are reduced.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the air bearing provided by both said guide means and said rotor means is substantially a hydrostatic air bearing of the same stiffness for both said support means and said rotor means.

Claim 5

In cross tape magnetic recording wherein magnetic tape is wrapped helically about a mandrel and flying magnetic head is carried on a rotor which splits the mandrel into two sections, improvements in said mandrel and rotor for providing a stable platform of support for the magnetic tape along the path of the rotating head, said improvements comprising: the width of said rotor being substantially greater than the track width of the head carried by said rotor so that tape support in the area immediately adjacent the head is stable and uniform; said mandrel and said rotor having means generating an air bearing of substantially the same stiffness for supporting the tape so that support of the tape will not be marKedly disturbed when the tape makes transitions between mandrel and rotor.

Claim 6

In cross tape magnetic recording wherein magnetic tape is wrapped helically about a mandrel and flying magnetic head is carried on a rotor which splits the mandrel into two sections, improvements in said mandrel and rotor for providing a stable platform of support for the magnetic tape along the path of the rotating head, said improvements comprising: the width of said rotor being substantially greater than the track width of the head carried by said rotor so that tape support in the area immediately adjacent the head is stable and uniform; said mandrel and said rotor having means generating an air bearing of substantially the same stiffness for supporting the tape so that support of the tape will not be marKedly disturbed when the tape makes transitions between mandrel and rotor.

Claim 7

The improvements of claim 4 wherein the surfaces of both said mandrel and said rotor are constructed of a nonporous material and have holes bored therein for providing substantially a hydrostatic air bearing between the tape and said mandrel and said rotor.

Claim 8

The improvements of claim 4 wherein the surface of both said mandrel and said rotor are constructed of a porous material and are pressurized with air so that air flows out of the surfaces to provide substantially a hydrostatic air bearing between the tape and both said mandrel and said rotor.

Claim 9

The improvements of claim 6 wherein the porous surfaces of said mandrel and said rotor have rounded edges of porous material where the mandrel sections are adjacent the rotor so that air is supplied in the transition region from mandrel to rotor to support the tape in the transition regions between the mandrel and the rotor.

Claim 10

Method for guiding magnetic tape through an arcuate path adjacent a non-contact rotating magnetic head in a manner to reduce perturbations in the tape relative to the path of the rotating head, said method comprising the steps of: wrapping the tape about a mandrel and a wide rotor carrying the magnetic head so that the tape is given an arcuate path adjacent the rotary path of the head, the width of the rotor being substantially greater than the track width of the head; supporting the tape in the region of the rotary path of the head only with the wide rotor so that perturbations in support of the tape caused by transitions between the rotor and the mandrel have no effect on support of the tape along the rotary path of the head; generating a bearing force between the tape and both the mandrel and the rotor of substantially the same type so that there is a continuity of support of the tape across the mandrel and rotor combination.

Claim 11

Method for guiding magnetic tape through an arcuate path adjacent a non-contact rotating magnetic head in a manner to reduce perturbations in the tape relative to the path of the rotating head, said method comprising the steps of: wrapping the tape about a mandrel and a wide rotor carrying the magnetic head so that the tape is given an arcuate path adjacent the rotary path of the head, the width of the rotor being substantially greater than the track width of the head; supporting the tape in the region of the rotary path of the head only with the wide rotor so that perturbations in support of the tape caused by transitions between the rotor and the mandrel have no effect on support of the tape along the rotary path of the head; generating a bearing force between the tape and both the mandrel and the rotor of substantially the same type so that there is a continuity of support of the tape across the mandrel and rotor combination.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 wherein said generating step comprises the steps of: generating a hydrostatic air bearing between the tape and the mandrel; generating an air bearing substantially hydrostatic between the rotor and said tape wherein the air bearing between the rotor and the tape has substantially the same stiffness as the air bearing between the mandrel and the tape.