Abstract: A low cost small footprint thermal printer including a thermal print head and a motor drive roller/platen mounted opposite to the print head for pinching web material therebetween to draw said material from a supply roll and advance it past said print head. The roller/platen is mounted on a hinged door which can be opened to provide access to a supply roll compartment and closed to position the roller/platen in operative relationship adjacent to the print head. In its closed operative position, the roller/platen is spring biased against a fixedly mounted print head.

Abstract: A data transfer system using cassettes with a tape drive is configured with a number of removable cassettes stored in front to rear alignment adjacent one side (e.g. the bottom) of the tape drive. Cassettes in a removable cassette tray in a magazine are disposed in two levels, and shifted between entry and exit regions of the cassette tray after each successive cassette is derived from the tape drive and a new one is supplied. A transporter moves the individual cassette between the cassette tray and the tape drive. Advantageously, this system is configured to fit into the form factor of a standard height enclosure, with a high density DAT format tape drive occupying the upper half and the cassette tray and magazine occupying the lower half.

Abstract: Two magnetic heads are mounted respectively in front of two springs, and face each other across a gap in a frame into which a recording disk can be exerted. The springs are respectively flexed back by means of two spring biased pivot levers, so that the heads do not engage the disk. These levers have tongues in their front, which hold the springs down. A cone-ball actuator pivots the lever towards each other permitting, in turn, the springs to flex towards each other so that the heads engage the disk.

Abstract: A three part cone member assembly is provided for positioning a flexible disk on a drive hub. The three parts are, a disk with annularly arranged apertures, a plastic trunketed cone established by oblique arms and feet which stick in the apertures thereby determining the cones geometry; the third part is a metallic member with resilient arms, positioned in the plastic cone whereby each metal spring arm urges a plastic arm against the outer surface of the respective aperture.