Abstract: A flexible magnetic disc drive apparatus comprising a housing including a front plate, a drive spindle rotatably mounted to the housing for rotatably driving a magnetic disc, an elongated frame including opposed rails, opposed first and second ends, and a crossbar extending between the rails and forming a stop, the frame being disposed over the spindle with its second end pivotally mounted to the housing, a latch hingedly mounted to the first end and coupled to the front plate such that the latch is movable between a closed and an open position, a spindle-clamping assembly, an elongated member formed of a resilient material and mounted to the frame proximate the first end such that its distal end is adapted to be engaged by the crossbar when the latch is moved to the open position, the member serving to carry the spindle-clamping assembly and to bias it towards the spindle, whereby when the disc is supported on the spindle and the latch is in the closed position, the member biases the spindle-clamping assembl

Abstract: An improved magnetic read/write head-positioning apparatus including a cantilevered lead screw head carriage-driving mechanism and a damping assembly for damping any transverse motion of the unsupported end of the lead screw. The damping assembly includes a leaf spring having one end affixed to the supporting frame and the other end positioned opposite the unsupported end of the lead screw, and a slider button disposed between the leaf spring and the unsupported lead screw end and carried by the lead screw so as to frictionally engage the leaf spring and cause a force to be exerted on the unsupported lead screw end tending to resist any transverse motion thereof.

Abstract: A playback circuit for use with a magnetic recording transducer, in a magnetic recording apparatus, the transducer developing an alternating current readback signal having alternating positive and negative peaks, the playback circuit comprising a differentiator responsive to the readback signal and operative to produce a differentiated signal having first and second polarities and having zero crossings in time coincidence with the positive and negative peaks, a bidirectional one-shot device responsive to the differentiated signal and operative to produce a first bistate signal having transitions in time coincidence with the zero crossings and to produce a second signal comprising a sequence of pulses having leading edges that correspond in time to the zero crossings and having trailing edges that lag the leading edges by a predetermined time interval, a latch for producing a third signal having transitions that correspond in time to the trailing edges and having a level that corresponds to the level of the fi

Abstract: A magnetic head assembly and the method of manufacture therefor comprising a generally cylindrical housing having a tapered portion at one end thereof terminating in a circular aperture having an inner diameter, a circular slider body having an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter, a media engaging surface and an internal surface and being disposed within the circular aperture and affixed to the housing. The body also includes a first elongated slot disposed along a first diameter and extending through the body, a second slot disposed along a second diameter normal to the first diameter and extending into the body from the internal surface, and a central aperture extending through the body at the intersection of the first and second slots. A read/write transducer has a pair of read/write pole pieces which are separated to provide a read/write gap and which extend into the first slot with the read/write gap positioned with the central aperture.

Abstract: A print hammer apparatus is disclosed which comprises a resilient member having a fixed end and a movable end, the movable end being movable between a cocked position and a striking position, a hammer affixed to the movable end and carried thereby over an arcuate path between the cocked position and the striking position, the hammer including an impact head at one end and a flag member at the other end, the flag member being of magnetic material and having a flag face with a surface which is at all points angularly disposed at an angle other than normal to the path, a stator pole piece having a pole face which matingly corresponds to the flag face, a magnetic side pole disposed laterally of the path, a permanent magnet coupled to the pole piece and to the side pole and operative to develop a magnetic force for causing the hammer to move against the influence of the resilient member and into the cocked position with the flag face engaging the pole face, and a coil disposed on the pole piece for momentarily dev