Abstract: A disk drive structure is shown which maximizes the axial length available for mounting disks within a predetermined height such as dictated by a form factor. A cast aluminum box frame is used which supports the spindle and actuator assemblies and forms a part of the head disk enclosure in cooperation with a drawn metal cover. The box frame captures the spindle and actuator shafts at each end to ensure maximum overall assembly stiffness and minimize the axial length required by the structure supporting the spindle. The box casting geometry is angled to establish the casting/cover joint region at a location beyond the zone of tangency of the disks nearest the form factor so that only the thinner cover is interposed in the region where the disks most closely approach the form factor. The cover and box frame are sealed and secured to one another by a thin compliant tape that does not contribute stress to the box frame during thermal cycling.

Abstract: A flexible magnetic recording disk is nonremovably enclosed in a rigid jacket. A wall of the rigid jacket includes a movable wall-piece which operates as a disk cleaning member. The disk is clamped to a spindle/collet drive assembly while the disk cleaning member is spaced from the adjacent surface of the disk. Only after clamping has been accomplished is the disk subjected to the friction force of the cleaning member.

Abstract: A magnetic transducer support assembly includes parrallel flexure spring supporting elements which are of sufficient length to approximate linear motion over the length of translational displacement used. The flexures are formed of a single continuous length of flat spring material, and built-up portions on the spring stretches between the base member and transducer carriage are provided to resist twisting and other unwanted motions induced by vibration and similar influences. Displacement is achieved by cam actuation driven by a stepper motor which may control multiple such transducer mountings on a single side of a disk or on opposite sides of a disk.

Abstract: A drive machine for magnetic diskettes of the type including a flexible disk rotatably disposed in a jacket having aligned radial slots in the two thicknesses of the jacket. The machine includes a pair of transducers extending through one of the slots into contact with one side of the disk and a pair of backup pads effective on the other side of the disk respectively opposite the pair of transducers and swingably mounted by swing arms to the frame of the machine. A motor driven cam plate with a spiral groove and a follower therein are used for moving the transducers radially on the disk for registry with different magnetic tracks thereon, and the cam plate has a peripheral portion that moves the swing arms to disengage the pads from the disk at outermost magnetic tracks for the transducers. The disk is clamped between a rotatable drive spindle and a collet, and the collet is carried on a swing arm mounted on the frame.

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.

Abstract: A gripping or picker device, particularly for a jacketed magnetic disk or diskette, comprising a pair of arms extending along each other and fixed with respect to a common support and having outwardly diverging cam surfaces on their distal ends to provide a throat into which an article may be thrust. One of the arms has a flat leaf spring portion for moving the arms together, and the arms have plane substantially parallel facing surfaces connected with said cam surfaces for gripping the article frictionally when the article is thrust between the arms. One of the cam surfaces extends farther toward the common support than the other so that it faces the plane support surface of the other arm, and one of the arms has a stop portion abutting the other arm to limit the approaching movement of the arms toward each other to a distance which is equal to or greater than the thickness of the article to be gripped.

Abstract: A machine operative to sequentially pull jacketed flexible magnetic disk units (which may be termed "diskettes") into a data transferring position, close a collet on a disk driving spindle for clamping the disk onto the spindle for drivingly rotating the disk from the spindle and move magnetic heads into contact with the disk for a data transferring action. The machine includes a clothespin like picker or gripping device reciprocative so as to move into embracing relationship with the diskette and to then pull the diskette into data transferring position. The diskettes are contained in a magazine which is translatable transversely with respect to the path of travel of the picker device so that the picker device may be operative to grip any one of the series of diskettes, depending on the translated position of the magazine.