Abstract: A shaft assembly comprises a shaft having at least one small diameter portion located on the way in the axial direction thereof, and at least one member mounted to the outer periphery of the small diameter portion of the shaft rotatably and/or movably in the axial direction. The shaft assembly is produced by first forming the member on a large diameter portion of the shaft and then moving the member from the large diameter portion to the small diameter portion. The member moved to the small diameter portion is mounted to the small diameter portion rotatably and/or movably in the axial direction by the shrinkage thereof.

Abstract: A head loading system including a head support mechanism supporting heads for at least reproducing information in juxtaposed relation to a recording medium, and a loading actuator driving the head support mechanism to move the heads toward and away from the recording medium. The loading actuator include motion converting arrangement for converting a linear motion of a solenoid into a rotary motion which is capable of increasing the amount of motion when the linear motion is converted into the rotary motion, thereby enabling the loading actuator to drive the heads with a small amount of linear motion. The motion converting arrangement includes a rotary member connected to a plunger of the solenoid and formed with grooves, a frame juxtaposed against the rotary member and formed with grooves and a bearing fitted between the grooves. The linear motion of the plunger is converted into a rotary motion of the rotary member by the action of the bearing performed in cooperation with the grooves.

Abstract: A storage apparatus for cartridges used with a system for recording, storing and reproducing information comprises a cylindrical member with a plurality of inclined cells. A disk-like shield plate formed with an opening is arranged adjacent to one side of the cells. A motor which is controlled by a decoder and encoder rotates the member and the shield plate. When a particular cartridge is to be removed from a cell, the member and the shield plate are rotated to bring one of the inclined cells and the opening in the shield plate into alignment with each other at an uppermost position. The cartridge is discharged from the cell by gravity. When it is desired to store cartridges in the cells, the member and the shield plate are rotated to bring one of the inclined cells and the opening in the shield plate into alignment with each other at a lowermost position where a cartridge is moved by gravity into a cell.