Arrangement for holding a part attached to a support frame held against a rotatable member which is mounted within that support frame

Claim 2

In a mechanical apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a rotatable member mounted within said support frame and a part attached to said support frame, and provided with a sliding surface in contact with said rotatable member, said part having an axis of symmetry perpendicular to said sliding surface and the axis of rotation of said rotatable member, an arrangement for holding said part pressed against said rotatable member, said arrangement comprising: an universal joint means disposed between said support frame and a first point of said part to attach said part to said support frame, said universal joint means further allowing said part to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to said sliding surface, and a return spring element between said support frame and a second point of said part to urge said part against said rotatable member, said first and second points being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of said part.

Claim 3

Arrangement according to claim 1, said return spring element being a preset compression spring.

Claim 4

An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said universal joint means comprises a socket part fixed to the support frame, a ball held slidably within said socket and provided with an aperture extending diametrally through said ball, and a rod slidably disposed in said aperture and fixed to the first point of the part.

Claim 5

In a mechanical apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a cylinder mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about an axis of rotation, and a part attached to said support frame and provided with a sliding surface in contact with said cylinder, said part having an axis of symmetry perpendicular to said sliding surface and said axis of rotation an arrangement for holding said part pressed against said cylinder, said arrangement comprising: an universal joint means disposed between said support frame and a first point of said part to attach said part to said support frame, said universal joint means further allowing said part to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to said sliding surface, and a spring disposed between said support frame and a second point of said part to urge said part against said cylinder, said first and second points being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of said part and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said cylinder.

Claim 6

In a mechanical apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a cylinder mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about an axis of rotation, and a part attached to said support frame and provided with a sliding surface in contact with said cylinder, said part having an axis of symmetry perpendicular to said sliding surface and said axis of rotation an arrangement for holding said part pressed against said cylinder, said arrangement comprising: an universal joint means disposed between said support frame and a first point of said part to attach said part to said support frame, said universal joint means further allowing said part to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to said sliding surface, and a spring disposed between said support frame and a second point of said part to urge said part against said cylinder, said first and second points being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of said part and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said cylinder.

Claim 7

Arrangement according to claim 4, said spring being a preset compression spring.

Claim 8

In an apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a magnetic drum mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis of rotation, and a magnetic head attached to said support frame and provided with a sliding surface in contact with said magnetic drum, said head having an axis of symmetry perpendicular to said sliding surface and said axis of rotation, an arrangement for holding said head pressed against said drum, said arrangement comprising: an universal joint means disposed between said support frame and a first point of said head to attach said head to said support frame, said universal joint means further allowing said head to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to said sliding surface and a spring disposed between said support frame and a second point of said head to urge said head against said drum, said first and second points being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of said head and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said drum.

Claim 9

In an apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a magnetic drum mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis of rotation, and a magnetic head attached to said support frame and provided with a sliding surface in contact with said magnetic drum, said head having an axis of symmetry perpendicular to said sliding surface and said axis of rotation, an arrangement for holding said head pressed against said drum, said arrangement comprising: an universal joint means disposed between said support frame and a first point of said head to attach said head to said support frame, said universal joint means further allowing said head to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to said sliding surface and a spring disposed between said support frame and a second point of said head to urge said head against said drum, said first and second points being disposed on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry of said head and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said drum.

Claim 10

An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said universal joint means comprises a socket part fixed to the support frame, a ball held slidably within said socket and provided with an aperture extending diametrally through said ball, and a rod slidably disposed in said aperture and fixed to the first point of the head.

Claim 11

In an apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a magnetic drum mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis of rotation, and a transducer assembly comprising a row of separate modules, each of said modules containing a plurality of magnetic heads which are housed within said module, said modules being disposed side by side and in a line parallel to said axis of rotation of said drum, each of said modules is attached to said support frame and is provided with a sliding surface in contact with said magnetic drum, and each module has an axis of symmetry which is perpendicular to the sliding surface of said module and said axis of rotation, an arrangement for holding each of said modules pressed against said drum, comprising: a number of universal joint means equal to the number of said modules, each of said joint means being associated with a respective module and being disposed between said support frame and a first point of the associated module to attach said associated module to said support frame, each of said universal joint means being further adapted to enable the associated module to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface of said associated module, and a number of springs equal to the number of said modules, each of said springs being associated with a respective module and being disposed between said support frame and a second point of the associated module to urge said associated module against said drum; said first and second points of each module being disposed on opposite side of the axis of symmetry of that module and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said drum.

Claim 12

In an apparatus comprising a rigid support frame, a magnetic drum mounted within said support frame and adapted to be driven in rotation about its axis of rotation, and a transducer assembly comprising a row of separate modules, each of said modules containing a plurality of magnetic heads which are housed within said module, said modules being disposed side by side and in a line parallel to said axis of rotation of said drum, each of said modules is attached to said support frame and is provided with a sliding surface in contact with said magnetic drum, and each module has an axis of symmetry which is perpendicular to the sliding surface of said module and said axis of rotation, an arrangement for holding each of said modules pressed against said drum, comprising: a number of universal joint means equal to the number of said modules, each of said joint means being associated with a respective module and being disposed between said support frame and a first point of the associated module to attach said associated module to said support frame, each of said universal joint means being further adapted to enable the associated module to move in translation in a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface of said associated module, and a number of springs equal to the number of said modules, each of said springs being associated with a respective module and being disposed between said support frame and a second point of the associated module to urge said associated module against said drum; said first and second points of each module being disposed on opposite side of the axis of symmetry of that module and in a plane which passes through said axis of symmetry and which is perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said drum.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein each universal joint means comprises a socket part fixed to the support frame, a ball held being slidably within said socket and provided with an aperture extending diametrally through said ball, and a rod slidably disposed in said aperture and fixed to the first point of the associated module.