Abstract: The present invention is a hard drive test fixture for supporting a hard drive during quality control testing. The test fixture includes a pan having a base. Rails are attached to the base of the pan for providing structural support to the pan and for positioning of the hard drive. A connection card is removably attached to the rails and is adapted for connection to the hard drive. The test fixture includes an ejection rod for facilitating removal of the hard drive from the test fixture.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a system of fabricating a barrier wall between the testing and tester volumes of an environmental test chamber. This aspect may use a plurality of pallets adapted to receive a device under test and a testing apparatus, a framework adapted to receive a plurality of pallets, and a plurality of insulation bricks associated with the plurality of pallets. The insulation bricks may be adapted such that they can cooperate to form an insulating barrier between the device under test and the testing apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention is a hard drive test fixture for supporting a hard drive during quality control testing. The test fixture includes a pan having a base. Rails are attached to the base of the pan for providing structural support to the pan and for positioning of the hard drive. A connection card is removably attached to the rails and is adapted for connection to the hard drive. The test fixture includes an ejection rod for facilitating removal of the hard drive from the test fixture.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a system of fabricating a barrier wall between the testing and tester volumes of an environmental test chamber. This aspect may use a plurality of pallets adapted to receive a device under test and a testing apparatus, a framework adapted to receive a plurality of pallets, and a plurality of insulation bricks associated with the plurality of pallets. The insulation bricks may be adapted such that they can cooperate to form an insulating barrier between the device under test and the testing apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention is a hard drive test fixture for supporting a hard drive during quality control testing. The test fixture includes a pan having a base. Rails are attached to the base of the pan for providing structural support to the pan and for positioning of the hard drive. A connection card is removably attached to the rails and is adapted for connection to the hard drive. The test fixture includes an ejection rod for facilitating removal of the hard drive from the test fixture.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a system of fabricating a barrier wall between the testing and tester volumes of an environmental test chamber. This aspect may use a plurality of pallets adapted to receive a device under test and a testing apparatus, a framework adapted to receive a plurality of pallets, and a plurality of insulation bricks associated with the plurality of pallets. The insulation bricks may be adapted such that they can cooperate to form an insulating barrier between the device under test and the testing apparatus.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly for use in a disk drive having a load and unload ramp, the head suspension assembly including a load beam, a cover having a load and unload tang, a coating sandwiched between the cover and the load beam, and a head lead wire extending through the coating. In a preferred embodiment, the coating is a visco-elastic thermoplastic adhesive and the cover is a constraining material; whereby the cover is adhered to the load beam and undesired vibrations of the head suspension assembly are dampened. In a method of fabricating the head suspension assembly, the cover is placed over the load beam after the coating is applied and after the head lead wire is strung over the load beam, and then the cover is adhered to the load beam by heating the coating, preferably by placing a heated platen over the cover.

Abstract: Photographic films, such as X-rays, are duplicated by exposing an unexposed copy film in the presence of an intimately overlying developed film to be copied. The device exposure station has a pair of rollers at the entrance to drive the film pair and to remove from the interface between the films trapped air that would compromise the accuracy of resolution and contrast of the copy. Another pair of rollers at the outlet from the exposure station cooperates with the roller pair at the exposure station inlet to maintain the film pair within the exposure station in a planar orientation to avoid curvature which is another principal source of compromised resolution in film copies.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly for use in a disk drive having a load and unload ramp, the head suspension assembly including a load beam, a cover having a load and unload tang, a coating sandwiched between the cover and the load beam, and a head lead wire extending through the coating. In a preferred embodiment, the coating is a visco-elastic thermoplastic adhesive and the cover is a constraining material; whereby the cover is adhered to the load beam and undesired vibrations of the head suspension assembly are dampened. In a method of fabricating the head suspension assembly, the cover is placed over the load beam after the coating is applied and after the head lead wire is strung over the load beam, and then the cover is adhered to the load beam by heating the coating, preferably by placing a heated platen over the cover.

Abstract: A method in which the wires from the heads on an actuator arm can be positioned and attached to the arm electronics automatically. A loadspring manufacturing assembly has a pair of wire carrying and positioning tails and a disposable portion. The disposable portion and the wire carrying and positioning tails each have pegs for controlling the position of the wire and for allowing twisting of the wire pairs for purposes of noise suppression. The wires are positioned about the pegs and twisted. The wires are then bonded to the loadspring assembly. A portion of the wire carrying tail has a window or opening therein. The wires are fanned out and spaced apart as they pass across the window. The wire carrying portion also has a living hinge. A portion of the wire carrying tail which includes a latching window which latches a peg is moved about the hinge and positioned at about a right angle to the loadspring. The disposable portion and the unused tail are removed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in which the wires from the heads on an actuator arm can be positioned and attached to the arm electronics automatically. A loadspring manufacturing assembly has a pair of wire carrying and positioning tails and a disposable portion. The disposable portion and the wire carrying and positioning tails each have pegs for controlling the position of the wire and for allowing twisting of the wire pairs for purposes of noise suppression. The wires are positioned about the pegs and twisted. The wires are then bonded to the loadspring assembly. A portion of the wire carrying tail has a window or opening therein. The wires are fanned out and spaced apart as they pass across the window. The wire carrying portion also has a living hinge. A portion of the wire carrying tail which includes a latching window which latches a peg is moved about the hinge and positioned at about a right angle to the loadspring. The disposable portion and the unused tail are removed.

Abstract: A carriage assembly for holding a pair of opposite transducers in contact with the opposite sides of a flexible disk including an arm carrying each of the transducers. A nominally flat leaf spring has the three-fold function of (1) providing a yielding connection between the two arms so that the two arms and therefore the transducers may be swung apart about this connection, (2) yieldingly holding the arms together at their places of closest approachment at which the transducers are in contact with the opposite faces of the disk and (3) providing a yielding connection between a carriage support and the arms as an assembly when in their closest approachment so that the arms and therefore the transducers may pivot with respect to the carriage with undulations out of plane of the disk. The transducers are each carried with respect to one of the arms by means of a normally flat gimbal spring which flexes to hold the transducers in proper pressure contact with the disk.

Abstract: A carriage assembly for holding a pair of opposite transducers in contact with the opposite sides of a flexible magnetic disk including a swing arm for carrying each of the transducers. E-shaped leaf springs support the swing arms with respect to a carriage using the two outer legs of each of the springs which are substantially flat and unstressed when the transducers are in contact with the disk. The central legs of the E-shaped springs are connected together so as to urge the swing arms and transducers together and allow the swing arms and transducers to be parted for the insertion of a disk into operative position. A gimbal spring and a loading spring support each of the transducers with respect to one of the swing arms. The gimbal springs, loading springs and E-shaped springs are balanced with respect to each other so as to hold the transducers in light data transferring contact with the disk.

Abstract: A suspension for a magnetic transducer including a normally flat gimbal spring in the form of a figure eight, with a pair of tabs or ears at the sides of the eight by means of which the spring is mounted; and a folded backup spring having legs extending from a mounting side to the other side and then back again, with a depending leg and flange portion effective to provide pressure on the center of the gimbal spring and transducer so that the backup spring provides resilient backup force against translation of the transducer on its main axis and the gimbal spring provides resilience against transducer pitching and rolling.

Abstract: An assembly of a pair of magnetic transducers held in substantial contact with a flexible magnetic disk wherein each transducer has a pair of disk contacting lands broadening in contour toward the trailing end of the transducer and tapering in contour toward the leading end of the transducer, with the leading and side edges of each land being gradually blended into the surrounding active surface of the transducer and with the trailing edge of the land being sharp. A first one of the lands of each transducer has the read/write magnetic gap in it, and this land is located opposite the land of the other transducer not having the read/write gap in it which is wider than the first land. The centers of the opposite lands are in alignment, and the centers are measured on a plane passing through the read/write gaps of the transducers.