US3850358A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Continuous compliant guide for moving web
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1973-02-26
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1993-02-26
Abstract
Abstract Magnetic tape is guided to and from a read/write station with long continuous compliant guides. The objectives of the guides are to (1) eliminate at the read/write station perturbations in movement of the tape caused by the tape sink or tape source outside the guided length, (2) remove skew or lateral displacement of the tape due to cyclic perturbations in edge profile of the tape, and (3) distribute tension equally across the width of the tape at the read/write station even though there is unequal tension in the tape at the tape source or tape sink. All of these objectives are accomplished by continuously compliantly guiding the tape through a curved path with uniformly distributed edge force both before and after the read/write station. The uniformly distributed edge force is typically provided by a series of high compliant spring-loaded fingers distributed continuously along the guided length or by a continuous compliant strip mounted along the guided length. The continuously distributed guiding may be applied to both edges of the tape or only to one edge of the tape. The guide path may assume any curved or twisted path, and many paths are shown herein. In addition, to enhance the guiding control, the tape source and tape sink may be decoupled from the guide by providing a vacuum column either at the source or at both the source and the sink.
Inventors
- 👤 M Nettles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 13:09
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H23/00; B65H23/04; B65H23/32; G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/60; G11B15/61; B65H2406/00; B65H2406/10; B65H2406/11; B65H2406/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for guiding a web over an arcuate path both immediately before and immediately after a work station to achieve highly accurate guiding of the web past the work station, said apparatus comprising: a compliant edge guide for guiding the web in the same lateral position along the path irrespective of variations in the width of the web or variations in the dynamic forces on the web; means for mounting said compliant guide continuously along the arcuate path both before and after the work station; said compliant guide being both transversely and pivotally compliant with a low spring constant whereby guide forces applied to the web are nearly constant and uniform continuously along the arcuate path both before and after the work station irrespective of deflection of the guide by the web.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
Apparatus for guiding a web over an arcuate path both immediately before and immediately after a work station to achieve highly accurate guiding of the web past the work station, said apparatus comprising: a compliant edge guide for guiding the web in the same lateral position along the path irrespective of variations in the width of the web or variations in the dynamic forces on the web; means for mounting said compliant guide continuously along the arcuate path both before and after the work station; said compliant guide being both transversely and pivotally compliant with a low spring constant whereby guide forces applied to the web are nearly constant and uniform continuously along the arcuate path both before and after the work station irrespective of deflection of the guide by the web.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises: a spring-loaded guide strip for loading the web with substantially the same lateral force irrespective of perturbations in web width or dynamic forces on the web.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises: a plurality of spring-loaded guides spaced immediately adjacent each other continuously along the arcuate path, each guide pushing against the edge of the web with substantially the same force irrespective of variations in the width of the web or dynamic forces on the web.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises: a pneumatically loaded guide strip for pressing against the edge of the web with substantially the same edge force irrespective of width variations or variations in the dynamic forces on the web.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and, in addition, means for rigidly guiding one edge of the web so that said compliant guide is only mounted continuously along the other edge of the web and causes the web to be laterally referenced against said rigid edge guiding means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and, in addition, means for decoupling the web at either one or both ends of the guided length from large dynamic forces and perturbations in the movement of the web outside the guided length.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said decoupling means comprises a vacuum column positioned at one or both ends of the guided length.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1 and, in addition, means for providing an air bearing along the entire arcuate path both before and after the work station so that the web may be more easily guided by said compliant guide continuously mounted along the guided length.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compliant edge guide is mounted by said mounting means on each side of the work station for a distance equal to the web runout.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compliant edge guide is mounted by said mounting means on each side of the work station for a distance equal to at least four times the width of the web.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for continuously compliantly guiding magnetic tape for a predetermined guided length both immediately before and immediately after a read/write station to guide the same point on the tape repeatedly past the same point on the read/write station, said apparatus comprising: means for radially guiding the magnetic tape over an arcuate path for said predetermined guided length; means for laterally guiding the magnetic tape with a lateral force continuously distributed along said predetermined guided length, said lateral guiding means being both transversely and pivotally compliant whereby the lateral force on each integral section of the magnetic tape is independent of perturbations in tape width or dynamic forces applied to the tape externally of said predetermined guided length; said predetermined guided length being long enough to redistribute non-uniform longitudinal stress levels outside the guided length to uniform stress levels in the tape before the tape reaches the read/write station.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
148 words
Apparatus for continuously compliantly guiding magnetic tape for a predetermined guided length both immediately before and immediately after a read/write station to guide the same point on the tape repeatedly past the same point on the read/write station, said apparatus comprising: means for radially guiding the magnetic tape over an arcuate path for said predetermined guided length; means for laterally guiding the magnetic tape with a lateral force continuously distributed along said predetermined guided length, said lateral guiding means being both transversely and pivotally compliant whereby the lateral force on each integral section of the magnetic tape is independent of perturbations in tape width or dynamic forces applied to the tape externally of said predetermined guided length; said predetermined guided length being long enough to redistribute non-uniform longitudinal stress levels outside the guided length to uniform stress levels in the tape before the tape reaches the read/write station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for radially guiding comprises: an air bearing forming an arcuate path which lies in the same plane for the entire guided length or where the plane of the arcuate path is itself twisted.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for radially guiding comprises: an air bearing forming a substantially circular arcuate path with two segments, one segment on each side of the read/write station.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 13 and, in addition: means for decoupling the tape at one or both ends of the guided length with a vacuum column so that some of the external dynamic forces normally acting on the magnetic tape are decoupled from the magnetic tape in the guided leNgth.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said lateral guiding means comprises: a rigid edge guide along said predetermined guided length at one edge of the magnetic tape; a transversely and pivotally compliant edge guide positioned continuously along said predetermined guided length at the other edge of the magnetic tape whereby the magnetic tape is laterally guided continuously and compliantly relative to the fixed edge guide.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises a plurality of spring-loaded edge guides immediately adjacent each other with each spring-loaded guide providing an edge force against the edge of the tape which is substantially independent of tape runout or dynamic forces on the tape.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises: a continuous compliant guide strip of flexible material having a spring constant in the order of a gram per mil of deflection per inch of guided length, and said strip has a thickness of a few mils.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said compliant edge guide comprises: a continuous strip of flexible material bonded to the surface of an elastic bag or diaphragm, said bag or diaphragm being pressurized by a constant pressure source so that the effective spring constant of the guide strip is substantially zero.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
115 words
Web guiding apparatus for guiding thin webs past a critical web control area comprising: guiding means for continuously edge guiding the web for a long guided length including the critical web control area; means for supporting the web in an arcuate path during the long guided length; said guiding means being compliant in two dimensions of motion, one dimension being transverse to the direction of motion of the web, and the other dimension being rotational about an axis normal to the surface of the web whereby said guiding means provides an edge force uniformly distributed along the guided length and said edge force is substantially invariant despite width and edge profile variations in the web.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
115 words
Web guiding apparatus for guiding thin webs past a critical web control area comprising: guiding means for continuously edge guiding the web for a long guided length including the critical web control area; means for supporting the web in an arcuate path during the long guided length; said guiding means being compliant in two dimensions of motion, one dimension being transverse to the direction of motion of the web, and the other dimension being rotational about an axis normal to the surface of the web whereby said guiding means provides an edge force uniformly distributed along the guided length and said edge force is substantially invariant despite width and edge profile variations in the web.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said arcuate path is a helical path and said critical web control area is the circular path of a rotating magnetic head near the midpoint of the helical path.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said guiding means comprises: a spring-loaded guide strip whose thickness is less than one-one thousandth of the cyclic variations in the edge profile of the web, the spring constant of said guide strip being less than a gram per mil of deflection per inch of guided length.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said guiding means comprises: a thin pivotal compliant strip sufficiently compliant to conform to the edge profile of the web; an elastic member pneumatically biased for carrying said compliant strip, the pneumatic bias providing the uniformly distributed edge force invariant despite width variations in the web.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said guiding means comprises: a plurality of spring-loaded guides mounted adjacent to each other along the entire guided length; each of said guides being compliant relative to the width of the web and the edge profile of the web so that edge force on the web will be uniformly distributed and there will be no stress concentration in the web caused by edge force.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |