Abstract: A generally rectangular outer housing is sized to fit within the full height five and one quarter inch form factor. A drawer is mounted for sliding motion within the housing along a longitudinal axis thereof from a retracted position in which the drawer is substantially fully contained within the housing to an extended position in which a forward portion of the drawer extends beyond a forward transverse end of the housing. A DAT tape drive is mounted within a rear portion of the drawer and has a forwardly opening cassette insertion slot. A cassette magazine is provided that has a plurality of vertically spaced receptacles for holding a plurality of DAT cassettes in a vertically stacked configuration. A magazine loader is mounted in the forward portion of the drawer for receiving and vertically reciprocating the cassette magazine and for selectively transferring cassettes between the magazine and the cassette insertion slot of the DAT tape drive.

Abstract: A take-up leader is wound onto an inner driven hub of a take-up reel until a take-up link, which is connected to the end of the take-up leader, is pulled into a recess defined between the inner driven hub and a free-wheeling outer hub and abuts a stopper feature formed on the outer hub member. The inner hub is operatively connected to the outer abutment on the hub and both undergo synchronous rotation. A cartridge link, connected to the take-up link, is also drawn into the recess. The end surface of the cartridge link has a curved shape formed essentially contiguous with the outer periphery of the outer hub. A cartridge leader, which is connected to the cartridge link, is then induced to wind onto the outer periphery of the outer hub with essentially no loss of circularity. The cartridge leader can be made of the same material as the take-up leader, or can be an extension of the magnetic tape which is stored in the cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cassette loading system in a housing having an aperture which delivers a plurality of cassettes one cassette at a time into a cassette drive. The system includes a cassette drive having a cassette acceptor and a cassette magazine mounted through the aperture. The magazine defines a plurality of spaces, with each of the plurality of spaces sized and shaped to receive a cassette. The magazine is also adjustable within the aperture to align each of the plurality of spaces with the cassette acceptor of the drive. The system also include a cassette transfer system which moves each of the cassettes into the acceptor of the drive and retracts each of the cassettes upon ejection by the drive.

Abstract: A changer method and apparatus for the loading and unloading of data storage modules from a module drive, such as a computer back-up tape drive, is described. To load the drive, the changer pulls a data storage module, such as a DAT cassette, from a magazine by its end, or face, farthest from the drive. To unload a module from the drive, the changer pushes the module by its end or face found furthest in the interior of the drive's module operative station.