Abstract: A method and system for utilizing an interlocking dissimilar metal component in the formation of a hard disk drive is disclosed. The method provides a hard disk drive component having at least one interlocking dissimilar metal component, the at least one interlocking dissimilar metal component having at least two dissimilar metals on a single side. The interlocking dissimilar metal component is utilized to provide a similar materials weld location for coupling two dissimilar metals to a single side surface of the at least one interlocking dissimilar metal hard disk drive component.

Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk having: a C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends, wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider, and the other end is affixed or connected to the flexure member for obtaining rotational movement of the piezoelectric element to enable faster and more accurate tracking of the disk by head transducer. Alternately, the C-shaped piezoelectric element has one end affixed or connected to suspension mount plate and other end affixed or actuator arm to obtain larger head movement for further enhanced track following. The C-shaped element could be multiple layered or be shaped like a horizontal or vertical spiral to further increase the element and head movement and tracking accuracy along with faster seek and travel.

Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk, wherein the piezoelectric microactuator element is positioned adjacent to one side of and substantially coextensive with a slider, the slider being attached to the moving end of a flexure, and the two ends of the microactuator element are attached to the moving end and fixed legs of the flexure and provide rotary motion.

Abstract: A joining technique and design for welding hard to weld elements of a disk drive suspension machines or coins the parts to be welded at their weld interface. A small pocket is formed at the weld interface to let evaporated material gases escape during welding and reduce gas bubble trapping in the weld nugget. For laser welding, a pocket is formed in thick parts to control the welded web thickness for fast melting and thorough mixing of top and bottom materials. For resistance spot welding, it may be necessary to form pockets in both materials on the electrode contact side to reduce material thickness. This technique provides a weld interface design that solves joint reliability and dynamic variation problems. This technique can be used to attach aluminum-to-aluminum or other materials that are difficult to weld due to porous welds, and to improve weld quality of both spot and seam welds.

Abstract: A joining technique and design for welding hard to weld elements of a disk drive suspension machines or coins the parts to be welded at their weld interface. A small pocket is formed at the weld interface to let evaporated material gases escape during welding and reduce gas bubble trapping in the weld nugget. For laser welding, a pocket is formed in thick parts to control the welded web thickness for fast melting and thorough mixing of top and bottom materials. For resistance spot welding, it may be necessary to form pockets in both materials on the electrode contact side to reduce material thickness. This technique provides a weld interface design that solves joint reliability and dynamic variation problems. This technique can be used to attach aluminum-to-aluminum or other materials that are difficult to weld due to porous welds, and to improve weld quality of both spot and seam welds.

Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk having: a C-shaped piezoelectric element having opposite ends, wherein one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider, and the other end is affixed or connected to the flexure member for obtaining rotational movement of the piezoelectric element to enable faster and more accurate tracking of the disk by head transducer. Alternately, the C-shaped piezoelectric element has one end affixed or connected to suspension mount plate and other end affixed or actuator arm to obtain larger head movement for further enhanced track following. The C-shaped element could be multiple layered or be shaped like a horizontal or vertical spiral to further increase the element and head movement and tracking accuracy along with faster seek and travel.

Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect the selected track on a disk, wherein the piezoelectric microactuator element is positioned adjacent to one side of and substantially coextensive with a slider, the slider being attached to the moving end of a flexure, and the two ends of microactuator element are attached to moving end and fixed legs of the flexure and provide rotary motion.

Abstract: A microactuator device for effecting fine positioning of a transducing head with respect to a selected track on a disk having: an S-shaped piezoelectric element with three or more legs having opposite ends, wherein either; one end of the piezoelectric element is affixed or connected to one end of the slider, and the other end is affixed or connected to the flexure member, or both ends of element affixed to corresponding ends of slider and center affixed to flexure, for obtaining movement of the head transducer to enable fast and accurate tracking of read/write track on a high track density disk. Attachment of the one leg of piezoelectric element to the flexure produces translation movement of the slider and head transducer while attachment of the center leg of the element to flexure and two ends legs to the slider produces a rotary movement of the head transducer.

Abstract: A hard disk drive suspension having a load beam with an original thickness of 4 mils (approximately 0.1 mm) is simultaneously etched on both sides in selected areas to approximately half of its original thickness. The selective partial etching makes intricate features which are otherwise unattainable by conventional forming operations. These features reduce the weight of the load beam and provide a very stiff structure when the etched features or pockets are enclosed in an extended, box-like fashion by a flexure and mount plate. The only press forming operations remaining are to generate a load/unload tab semicircular cross-section and dimple. This configuration more than triples the first torsion frequency from about 2 to 6 KHz or higher, thereby increasing the servo band width by a multiple of 3. Moreover, when the box-like portion of the suspension is replaced by milliactuator motors, the etched suspension meets the mass, inertia, sag, and servo bandwidth requirements with micro-actuation capability.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically adjusting the gram load and static attitude in a head suspension assembly comprising one or more lasers, a fiber optic switch, a measurement apparatus and a computer control means. The fiber optic switch includes a plurality of fiber optic lines which direct the output of the laser to well-defined regions on the suspensions in a disk drive. Irradiation of the suspension by the laser causes a load change which alters the static attitude change in the slider. In the method of the present invention, the initial gram load or static attitude is measured by the measurement apparatus and the control means calculates how much energy is required to cause the change needed to achieve the desired condition. Other information, such as the type of laser to be used is also specified by the control means.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically adjusting the gram load, static attitude and the flying height of the slider in a head suspension assembly comprising one or more lasers, a fiber optic switch, a measurement apparatus and a computer control device. The fiber optic switch includes a plurality of fiber optic lines which direct the output of the laser to well-defined regions on the suspensions in a disk drive. Irradiation of the suspension by the laser causes a load change which alters the flying height, and/or a static attitude change in the slider. In the method of the present invention, the initial gram load, flying height or static attitude of the slider is measured by the measurement apparatus and the control means calculates how much energy is required to cause the change needed to achieve the desired condition. Other information, such as the type of laser to be used is also specified by the control device.

Abstract: An MR head receives ESD protection from a mechanism that automatically and releasably shorts the MR head whenever a suspension assembly on which the head is mounted is not installed in an HDA. The suspension assembly includes a flexure underlying a load beam, which is connected to an actuator arm. The MR head is mounted to a distal end of the flexure, leads from components of the MR head being brought out in the form of MR wire leads running along the load beam and the support arm to a nearby terminal connecting side tab. The conductors are separated and exposed at a designated point along the flexure to provide a contact region. A shorting bar, which comprises an electrically conductive member attached to the actuator arm, automatically connects the MR wire leads at the contact region when absence of support for the MR head permits the load beam to bend sufficiently toward the shorting bar.

Abstract: An MR head receives ESD protection from a mechanism that automatically and releasably shorts the MR head whenever a suspension assembly on which the head is mounted is not installed in an HDA. The suspension assembly includes a flexure underlying a load beam, which is connected to an actuator arm. The MR head is mounted to a distal end of the flexure, leads from components of the MR head being brought out in the form of MR wire leads running along the load beam and the support arm to a nearby terminal connecting side tab. The conductors are separated and exposed at a designated point along the flexure to provide a contact region. A shorting bar, which comprises an electrically conductive member attached to the actuator arm, automatically connects the MR wire leads at the contact region when absence of support for the MR head permits the load beam to bend sufficiently toward the shorting bar.

Abstract: The invention comprises an accessory for use with a driver for forceably inserting friction rock stabilizers into bores formed in earth structures (such as mine roofs). In the depicted embodiments, the Accessory comprises an elongate body having a driver element with a pin or boss at one, lower, "driven" end of the body for engaging and supporting an end of a stabilizer, and a second driver element with a socket, at the opposite, upper, "driving" end of the body for receiving an insertion tool. The latter driver element can be pivotably offset, to accommodate an angled, unobstructed address of the insertion tool to the upper end of the body, and to enable a linear insertion of a stabilizer, supported on the lower end of the body, into a bore.

Abstract: The invention comprises an Accessory for use with a driver for forceably inserting friction rock stabilizers into bores formed in earth structures (such as mine roofs). In the depicted embodiments, the Accessory comprises an elongate body having a driver element with a pin or boss at one, lower, "driven" end of the body for engaging and supporting an end of a stabilizer, and a second driver element with a socket, at the opposite, upper, "driving" end of the body for receiving an insertion tool. The latter driver element can be pivotably offset, to accommodate an angled, unobstructed address of the insertion tool to the upper end of the body, and to enable a linear insertion of a stabilizer, supported on the lower end of the body, into a bore.

Abstract: The mine roof plate comprises a rigid, sheet steel element of substantially uniform thickness having a domed section which reinforces the plate against distortion. The domed section is at least partially of generally quadrilateral configuration, having a substantially square base and defines an elevated section having an aperture therein circumscribed by a generally planar land surface. The periphery of the plate is of planar, rectangular configuration and disposed in spaced parallel relationship to the elevated section. The configuration of the domed section, in having right-angular corner portions, defines thereby reinforcing ribs, along the domed section, which terminate at the planar periphery of the plate.

Abstract: The invention comprises an Accessory for use with a driver for forceably inserting friction rock stabilizers into bores formed in earth structures (such as mine roofs). In the depicted embodiments, the Accessory comprises an elongate body having a pin or socket at one, "lower", "driven" end for engaging and supporting an end of a stabilizer, and a limb or socket at the opposite, "upper", "drive" end for receiving a driver. The latter limb or socket is offset, to accommodate an angled, unobstructed address of the driver to the upper end of the body, and to enable a linear insertion of a lower-end-supported stabilizer into a bore. In accommodating a driver at the upper end of the body, to forceably insert a stabilizer which has its termination supported on the lower end of the body (the insertion force, therefore, being applied through the body), the Accessory facilitates bore insertion of lengthy stabilizers, by means of conventional drivers, in low headroom, subterranean openings.

Abstract: Broadly, the invention comprises defining a friction rock stabilizer with a configuration which will allow its insertion into an earth structure bore with minimal thrust force, and then deforming the inserted stabilizer, for instance, by forcing an insert thereinto to cause radial expansion of the stabilizer to increase its frictional engagement with the bore surface and produce a high anchorage thereof. The stabilizer set of the invention comprises a stabilizer and at least one oversized expansion insert therefore.

Abstract: The amount of fissile material such as U-235 in each portion of a fuel element, some of which portions may also contain burnable poison such as gadolinium, is determined by detecting the gamma ray emission due to the natural radioactive decay of the fuel material, analyzing the gamma ray signals from each portion to provide a first count of gamma rays primarily due to the U-235 and a second count of gamma rays primarily due to the U-238 daughter products. These first and second counts are corrected for the cladding wall thickness, the density of the fuel material and the burnable poison content in each portion. The first (U-235) count is then corrected by the second (U-238 daughter) count and the thus corrected U-235 count is converted to an indication of the fuel enrichment in each portion. From the enrichment, the burnable poison content, the density of the fuel material and the volumes of each portion, the weight of U-235 in each portion can be determined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pneumatically loading an array of nuclear fuel rods into suitable storage containers and also for removing them therefrom. Within the method and apparatus, a vacuum is developed to hold the fuel rods in place upon a transfer unit, the vacuum condition being selectively terminated in order to release the fuel rods for unloading. Preferably, air pressure is employed to more rapidly eliminate the vacuum condition and facilitate release of fuel rods. The vacuum condition is maintained by outside air flow restricting passages if one or more fuel rods are missing from the array to be transferred.