Abstract: A linear actuator for positioning the heads of a disk file relative to tracks on the disks employs a ceramic material having wear properties superior to steel in guide surfaces for guiding a head supporting carriage running on rotary bearings in contact with the guide surfaces. The preferred ceramic material is tetragonally stabilized zirconia.

Abstract: An actuator for positioning transducers with respect to a disk storage device data surface provides a substantially sealed head-disk enclosure from which the voice coil motor permanent magnets are excluded. The mounting flange-inner core member, end cap and collar and shorted turn provide a sealed enclosure about the transducer carriage, voice coil and working air gap of the voice coil motor (VCM) with the permanent magnet and outer core pieces assembled to the device thereafter. The permanent magnets can be excluded from the clean room assembly area and this source of the most destructive particulate contamination are outside the head-disk enclosure.

Abstract: During manufacture of a flexible disk drive, the drive's head is located in its penetration, radial, azimuth, tangential, roll and pitch attitudes by reading a test disk, as the head is held by a robotic head holder/manipulator. The head's signal produces closed-loop control of a serially-stacked array of rotary and linear motors which position the holder/manipulator. After the head is properly adjusted, it is clamped to the disk drive's head carriage.

Abstract: During manufacture of a flexible disk drive, the drive's head is located in its penetration, radial, azimuth, tangential, roll and pitch attitudes by reading a test disk, as the head is held by a robotic head holder/manipulator. The head's signal produces closed-loop control of a serially-stacked array of rotary and linear motors which position the holder/manipulator. After the head is properly adjusted, it is fixed to the disk drive's head carriage.

Abstract: Thermoplastic materials are joined to non-thermoplastic materials such as thermosetting materials by laser radiant energy which causes the thermoplastic material to flow onto the thermosetting material, preferably into a notch or groove or over a shoulder or lip to form a joint by mechanically locking the materials together.

Abstract: A clothespin-like gripper having a pair of clamp jaw portions resiliently urged together and adapted to embrace and thereby grip a magnetic diskette or disk-jacket assembly for pulling the diskette from an original position into a final position. A swingable blocker is provided on the gripper so that the diskette is thereby blocked from being embraced by the gripper whereby the gripper may be used to move the diskette back from its final position into its original position without any embracing action by the gripper.