Abstract: An automated storage system uses a pass-through picker assembly interposed between a storage device and a plurality of storage cells, wherein the pass-through picker assembly is mounted on an accessor and incorporates independently operating fore and aft grippers driven by a single motor. The fore and aft grippers are tandemly mounted such that the fore gripper can be aligned to one of a plurality of storage cartridges located with the storage cells, and the aft gripper can be aligned with a storage slot of the storage device. The pass-through picker design allows the fore gripper to grasp a storage cartridge, feed the cartridge through to the aft gripper, release, and then allow the aft gripper to grip and pass the storage cartridge to the storage slot. In this way, a special priority cell of the storage cells, directly across from the storage slot, can very quickly pass a priority storage cartridge directly to the storage device without moving the pass-through picker assembly.

Abstract: A gear constructed of a monolithic material having a first reflectivity and having one or more projections is interlocked into a cam constructed of a monolithic material having a second reflectivity substantially different from the first reflectivity. The one or more projections are mated with corresponding one or more openings in the gear whereby such mating provides a torsional lock. A reflective sensor having a focal length corresponding to either a surface of the projections or a surface of the cam detects positions of the gear by transitions from reflective to non-reflective surfaces and vice versa. The detected transitions are used to provide feedback control to a motor driving the gear.

Abstract: An automated storage system transports data cartridges between a storage device and a plurality of storage cells via a picker assembly. The storage cells are formed of one or more removable magazines. The picker assembly accurately locates each data cartridge within a storage cell by first establishing a zero position reference and locating a home position relatively therefrom. The home position is a predetermined point on each magazine. An infrared detector and infrared sensor are situated on the picker assembly for precisely locating the home position. Each cartridge is known to be located within a predetermined tachometer count range from the home position. The detector/sensor is used to precisely locate each cartridge. The precise tachometer position is stored and the cartridge is returned to the known location. As a result, tolerance accumulation effects are eliminated in the system.

Abstract: An automated storage system uses a pass-through picker assembly interposed between a storage device and a plurality of storage cells, wherein the pass-through picker assembly is mounted on an accessor and incorporates independently operating fore and aft grippers driven by a single motor. The fore and aft grippers are tandemly mounted such that the fore gripper can be aligned to one of a plurality of storage cartridges located with the storage cells, and the aft gripper can be aligned with a storage slot of the storage device. The pass-through picker design allows the fore gripper to grasp a storage cartridge, feed the cartridge through to the aft gripper, release, and then allow the aft gripper to grip and pass the storage cartridge to the storage slot. In this way, a special priority cell of the storage cells, directly across from the storage slot, can very quickly pass a priority storage cartridge directly to the storage device without moving the pass-through picker assembly.