Abstract: A tape cassette for use with a video tape recorder has conventional tape guiding and braking elements within its housing, including a pair of spaced guide pins for the tape adjacent each reel and a resilient strip that acts on the tape between the spaced guide pins and normally tends to deflect the tape from a straight path between the spaced guide pins for braking the tape when the cassette is not in use. A drag member is provided that contacts the tape when it is deflected to provide a tortuous path for the tape and thereby increase the resistance to tape movement.

Abstract: An information storage and retrieval system including an information containing cartridge, specifically a tape cartridge, and an apparatus for retrieving information therefrom is disclosed herein. The cartridge contains its information on magnetic tape within the housing and the latter has an opening for gaining access to the magnetic tape by the retrieval apparatus. At the same time, the cartridge housing carries a cover movable between a first position for covering the opening in order to protect its interior, especially the magnetic tape, from dust and other elements in the ambient surroundings and a second position for uncovering the opening in order to gain access to the tape.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a flexible storage disk is rotated within a disk cartridge to move successive radial portions of the disk over an opening in the cartridge. The opening is disposed to provide limited radial access to the disk. A head-to-disk stabilizing assembly seals the opening, preferably at the exterior of the cartridge, to cause the formation of a Bernoulli pull down force on successive radial portions of the disk as each portion is rotated over the opening. Such pull down force momentarily deflects each portion of the rotated disk toward the opening, causing a deflected portion of the disk to remain substantially in contact with a magnetic recording or reproducing head movable along the opening, and thereby ensuring a stable head-to-disk relation.

Abstract: A dither-controlled automatic scan tracking system for television signal playback includes a field-store memory for storing a scan track control signal related to the average amplitude-tune "shape" of the transducer deflection control signal. The memorized scan track signal is added to a wideband scan track feedback signal to produce a composite signal which improves tracking error. Anomalous errors can result from memorizing signals which are systematic but unrelated to transducer or head deflection from the track. The errors are reduced by reversing the dither phase each television field, thereby allowing those signals unrelated to deflection to be identified and cancelled. The dither phase reversal can be switched or a continous phase progression.

Abstract: An internal pass-through air filtration system for a rotating memory having a recirculating air flow, such as a Winchester-type disk drive, uses a bipolar electrostatic filtering medium having a 0.3 micron filtering efficiency of approximately 50%-80%. An "electret" medium is preferred. Advantageously, the electret medium is pleated accordian-style to increase its mechanical strength and to reduce its projected area, thereby enabling it to be frictionally or otherwise seated in a relatively compact air filtration system, without the use of a supporting framework.

Abstract: A linear adjustment mechanism for a double-sided flexible disk head assembly includes a bearing slot formed in the rear surface portion of a lower transducer arm, a slide block carrier by the upper surface of the lower arm member and an upper transducer arm member. The slide block has a vertically arranged bearing aperture for accommodating a crank having an eccentric pin dimensioned to be received in the bearing slot and a shank portion dimensioned to be received in the bearing aperture in the slide block. Rotation of the crank shank provides a translational force via the bearing slot and bearing aperture between the first and second arm members.

Abstract: A flexible magnetic disc drive apparatus which comprises a disc clamper assembly which is operated in interlock with a door to hold a flexible magnetic disc between the disc clamper assembly and spindle, a link mechanism for connecting the disc clamper assembly to the door, wherein the link mechanism comprises a door lever which is rotatably fitted at one end to the housing of the flexible magnetic disc apparatus in the vicinity of the disc clamper assembly, and is connected at the other end to the door and whose intermediate part is provided with a projection, and a clamper hanger which is rotatably fitted at one end to the housing between the door and the projection and is connected at the other end to the clamper hanger, and wherein, when the door is opened, the door lever pushes the clamper hanger upward to lift the disc clamper assembly above the spindle, and, when the door is closed, the clamper hanger is elastically brought downward by the urging force of the plate spring fitted to the door lever to le

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device including a detector means for detecting a closed state of a magnetic head insertion aperture opening and closing shutter attached to a disc cartridge when the disc cartridge is inserted into a cartridge holder up to a predetermined position, and a load stopping means for stopping the cartridge from assuming a loaded state upon detection of the closed state of the shutter by the detector means. Since the transfer to the loaded state of the disc cartridge is effected after making sure that the magnetic head insertion aperture is open, the recording and playback can be done always in a proper condition, thus permitting improvement of reliability.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk cartridge, a dial member is rotatable relative to the cartridge housing to a plurality of positions for indicating the number of tracks recorded on a disk surface. A resilient locking finger is connected to the dial member for engaging respective engagable means on the housing, which correspond to the various track number positions. Whenever the cartridge is removed from a recording and/or playback apparatus, the locking finger engages one of the engagable means to prevent the dial member from rotating out of the last position to which it was rotated. An access opening is provided in the housing to receive a rotational driver of the apparatus for rotating the dial member to its track number positions. The locking finger is supported for movement by the rotational driver to separate from any one of the engagable means as the driver is received through the access opening, thereby freeing the dial member for rotation by the driver.

Abstract: A measuring cassette for checking magnetic head insertion distance and tape guide height in a magnetic tape cassette machine. A spring tongue in the cassette has at least one strain gauge on its surface to measure tongue bending, and is arranged to be deflected by insertion of the head into the cassette so as to sense the head surface or tape guide alignment with respect to the cassette.

Abstract: In a head-to-disk stabilizing unit of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a flat air bearing surface surrounds an elongate opening to a negative pressure cavity. A record and/or playback head is arranged in the cavity with its transducer means (e.g., a magnetic gap) disposed at the opening in substantially coplanar relation with the air bearing surface. If a flexible magnetic disk is rotated at a relatively high speed to move successive radial portions of the disk over the air bearing surface and the opening, the surface will stabilize each portion of the rotated disk by damping out any flutter before a negative pressure formed in the cavity pulls the disk portion substantially into contact with the transducer means, thereby ensuring a constant and intimate transducer-to-disk magnetic coupling.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for indexing a transducer head, such as is used in magnetic tape recording, is disclosed. A transducer head is mounted on a head carrier. The carrier supports a cam follower and the carrier and cam follower are resiliently biased against a cam. A gear train, including both a motor and the above-mentioned cam are mounted on a common support device. The support device is pivotally mounted. The head can consequently be initially indexed to a given track on the tape by pivoting the support device; this has the effect of moving the entire cam up and down and consequently the head as well. Once the head has been indexed to a given track it is moved between the various tracks by rotating the cam via the gear train.

Abstract: A tape cassette has a pair of cassette halves coupled with each other to form a housing. Each cassette half has a plurality of projections protruding toward the other cassette half. A pair of reel hubs and a magnetic tape wound around the reel hubs are housed in the housing. A pair of liner sheets are arranged individually between the cassette halves and the magnetic tape to hold the magnetic tape elastically on both sides, thereby preventing irregular winding of the magnetic tape. Each liner sheet has a plurality of first protrusions protruding toward each opposite cassette half from those portions of the liner sheet which correspond to the projections of the opposite cassette half and elastically abutting against their corresponding projections. Further, each liner sheet has a plurality of second protrusions protruding toward and elastically abutting against the magnetic tape.

Abstract: A loading/ejecting device for loading and ejecting a floppy disk into and from a magnetic disk reproducing apparatus has a holder for containing the disk therein. The holder is supported by a pair of guide plates to be vertically movable directly between a first position where the disk can be inserted into or ejected from the holder and a second position where the disk can be reproduced or recorded. A loading/ejecting member is supported by the guide plates to be movable between an initial position and an advanced position. The member is urged by tension springs toward the advanced position and is locked by a locking member in the initial position. When the disk is inserted into the holder, a push member supported on the holder is moved by the disk to push the locking member, thereby disengaging the locking member from the loading/ejecting member.

Abstract: A position control system for controlling a motor-driven mechanism capable of occupying a plurality of specified positions comprises a plurality of switches for specifying a position to be occupied by the mechanism and an encoder for generating a specified position signal representative of the specified position and a loading circuit for providing a present position signal representative of the position presently occupied by the mechanism. A read-only memory circuit uses the specified and present position signals to provide a control signal for controlling the motor to move the mechanism to a particular position and a comparison signal and a particular position signal indicative of that particular position. A position detector responsive to the position of the mechanism provides a detection signal representative of the particular position when the mechanism reaches it.