Abstract: A universal disk drive system (30) incorporates multiple read/write heads (204) supported on a rotatable carousel assembly (180) for selective positioning and alignment relative to a flexible magnetic disk on a drive spindle (120). A disk is received and fed along an input path to the drive spindle (120) by feed rollers (36,38) driven in unison. A clamp cone assembly (90) is mounted for movement relative to the drive spindle (120) for clamping either one of two predetermined sizes of disks against the drive spindle with coaxial inner and outer clamp cones (102, 104). The carousel assembly (180) includes a spider (186) supported for rotation about an angled spindle support (158). A read/write head (204) is supported on each angled arm of the spider (186) for precise radial and pivotal alignment relative to the disk by means of a slidable carriage (220) and azimuth adjustment module (246). Rotation of the carousel assembly (180) is controlled by an index and locking assembly (320).

Abstract: A system for facilitating the mass production of computer software on a magnetic storage medium. The system includes a master media transport system including means for reading data from a moving member, and a large plurality of slave media transport systems, including means for writing data on the media being transported by the plural slaves. A communications link couples the master to all of the slaves and the master provides a synchronizing signal to each of the plural slaves. Control means are provided in each of the slaves to cause the movement of the media at each of the slaves to be in precise synchronism with the movement of the medium at the master transport. Once synchronization is achieved, the data is read from the master medium and broadcasts to each of the slaves simultaneously for recording at predetermined desired locations on the media.

Abstract: The item to be demagnetized is placed in a chamber surrounded by electrical windings defining a pair of coils that are disposed in a mutually orthogonal configuration. Currents for the two coils are developed in a microprocessor-controlled inverter circuit and are applied through semiconductor switches in such a way that the resulting demagnetizing field is rotating and follows a predetermined amplitude variation in accordance with one or more profiles stored in the memory of the microprocessor.

Abstract: A system for handling and sorting floppy disk-type data, storage media. A stack of diskettes to be sorted is positioned proximate a diskette reader having a floppy disk drive contained therein. A picker mechanism is disposed beneath the stack and operates to repeatedly remove the lowermost disk from the stack and to feed it via a reversible pinch-roller conveyor first to the drive mechanism in the reader where information is read and then to one of a plurality of sorter bins located serially downstream from the reader via the same conveyor, the particular sorter bin being determined by the information read from the floppy disk.

Abstract: Sorter slide apparatus for disk jacket combinations that include a slide extended into a bin of a sorter for receiving such combinations as they are discharged into a bin and conveying them to a removable box of a magazine. The disk combinations in being moved to be discharged into a bin have their open rear flaps in advance of the remainder of the jacket, and when discharged fall onto the upper part of the slide to slide downwardly and transversely while the upper slide portion supports them to be inclined downwardly both in longitudinal and transverse directions. The transverse intermediate portion of the slide has edges to cause the combinations to swingingly rotate through an angle of about 90.degree. whereby the opened flap faces toward the bin.