Patents by Inventor Robert B. Watrous
Robert B. Watrous has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5148340Abstract: An actuator comprises a slotted stator which is mounted in a stator frame. The stator is connected to the frame by an attachment which allows the stator to move rotationally, axially and laterally relative to the frame without distorting the dimensions of the stator. The stator has an air bearing outer surface which receives a slider. A head arm assembly is attached to the slider such that the head arm assembly may be completely positioned within the stator slot when the slider is fully retracted.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1990Date of Patent: September 15, 1992Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 5130874Abstract: An actuator assembly for a magnetic recording disk file and method of fabricating same. A sleeve surrounds and is axially moveable relative to a stator to control the axial position of a head/arm assembly relative to a magnetic recording disk. The sleeve is separated from said stator by a gas-bearing film. Electronic circuit components are mounted on a canister that surrounds said sleeve and is substantially thermally isolated from said sleeve to dissipate heat generated by said components. The canister is in the form of a hollow rectangle which surrounds the rectangle sleeve with clearance and is secured to the sleeve at a minimum number of points to permit cooling air to flow through the clearance space with minimal obstruction. A flexible flat conductive input/output cable is secured to three sides of the canister, and a flexible flat conductive power cable is secured to the remaining side of the canister.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1991Date of Patent: July 14, 1992Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4585397Abstract: A pump includes a pair of circular metal bellows rigidly secured to the pump housing at the perimeter of their accordion-like ring structures and interconnected at their centers so as to be capable of flexing in phase. An electrical coil is attached to the interconnected bellows and is axially movable with the bellows. The coil is surrounded by a permanent magnet structure secured to the pump housing. Each bellows communicates with an associated fluid chamber which has a valve structure for the inlet and outlet of fluid. The coil is electrically connected to an alternating current power supply, the connection being made through the electrically conductive bellows. The bellows flex in phase in the presence of the alternating current to the coil and thus alternately pull fluid in and force fluid out of the respective fluid chambers. Since the fluid chambers are connected to a common fluid output and since the bellows axially flex in phase, there are two pressure pulses per pump cycle.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1985Date of Patent: April 29, 1986Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Roy P. Crawford, Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4506307Abstract: A magnetic head slider and actuator assembly comprises an X-shaped shuttle actuator movable within a slotted portion of a frame within which permanent magnets are positioned. The shuttle actuator supports an electrical coil for interaction with the magnetic flux provided by the magnets, and suspensions on which magnetic head sliders are mounted.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 1981Date of Patent: March 19, 1985Inventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4450493Abstract: A magnetic head slider and actuator assembly has an air bearing magnetic head slider that is coupled to an electrical coil. Permanent magnets are positioned in a stationary frame to provide a magnetic field adjacent to the coil. When current is supplied to the coil, it moves within a slot in the frame between the permanent magnets and transports the head slider accordingly. In this way, the magnetic head slider is actuated to access data tracks on a magnetic disk.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 1981Date of Patent: May 22, 1984Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4443824Abstract: A magnetic head arm that supports suspensions and head sliders is formed as an integral die cast rigid structure having two coextensive C-shaped channels along the sides terminating in a thick base. Bridge elements formed between the two channels support the head suspensions and sliders. Apertures in the walls of the channels provide air flow for cooling, and serve to reduce mass thereby enabling faster access to data tracks.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1981Date of Patent: April 17, 1984Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Norman K. Frater, Gregory G. Gill, Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4286297Abstract: A flying magnetic head assembly includes a head suspension formed with spaced resilient sections for providing opposing angular motions, so that the head slider mounted to the suspension maintains a parallel relation to the surface of a magnetic medium, as the suspension and slider are moved aerodynamically into flying transducing relation with the medium.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 1979Date of Patent: August 25, 1981Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Ronald R. Root, Michael W. Warner, Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4268879Abstract: A magnetic head arm suspension assembly which supports air bearing head sliders and magnetic transducers comprises a rigid load beam coupled to a box-like arm through a spring element which has flexible legs. The load beam is seated in a recess in the arm, so that the centerlines of the load beam and of the spring are coincident. In this manner, the sliders and magnetic transducers, which are mounted to the suspension assembly, are loaded in a direction perpendicular to the planar surface of a moving storage medium and maintained in a parallel plane relative to the planar surface of the medium.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 1979Date of Patent: May 19, 1981Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4167765Abstract: A magnetic head/arm assembly has a suspension for an air bearing head slider that includes a single piece substantially rectangular flexure with two parallel flexible narrow fingers, a relatively stiff cross leg, and a central finger to which the slider is attached. A combined load beam-spring element is formed from a single piece and is fastened to the flexure so as to engage a load protuberance formed with the central finger. The substantially triangular load beam/spring element has flanges formed along a portion of its length to concentrate the resilient spring action at the opposite end to the flexure while providing a stiffening action along the remaining portion of its length. The stiff cross leg section of the rectangular flexure is crimped to detent the central finger to keep the attached slider parallel while allowing for the load protuberance thickness to the load beam.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 1978Date of Patent: September 11, 1979Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 4141049Abstract: In a disk file, a mechanism places the magnetic transducer into and out of a transducing position by using the air flow generated in the file by the rotating disk. The magnetic head is biased out of contact with the magnetic disk media. As the disk media starts rotating and building up an air flow within the file, a nozzle directs this air against the slider to urge it towards the media. At running speed, the head is positioned at a flying height by negative air pressure generated by the slider flying over the media. The air flow nozzle can be a funnel shape formed in the arm assembly used to position the sliders over a track in the disk media or a knife edge assembly can be used to gather and direct the air flow towards the suspension and slider.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1977Date of Patent: February 20, 1979Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous
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Patent number: 3931641Abstract: A magnetic head arm assembly has a suspension for an air bearing head slider that includes a substantially rectangular flexure with two parallel flexible narrow fingers and relatively stiff crosslegs, and a central finger to which the slider is attached. A load beam is fastened to the flexure so as to engage a load protuberance formed with the central finger. Flexibility of pitch around a longitudinal axis and roll around an orthogonol axis are provided thereby. Stiffness and rigidity against radial, circumferential and yaw motions are also realized.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 1974Date of Patent: January 6, 1976Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Robert B. Watrous