US3287010A - Strip transfer means for randomaccess systems - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACGESS SYSTEMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1965 o R a u E S w n m w m m D W N 1 T E T O a A VTD WSL l m E T w H W A J VI B Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5. 1965 R E F m s R O O D mw EOM VT l L S NE IM L EM THEIR ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Fileci March 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 mw m v 0m ON Nb .Nw Maw mm R o E 1 R a s w m m y l MNE Em V |SL TS wwfi L 4 5M Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Filed March 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllIHIIIHHIIHHIIH|IIIHIIIIIHHH INVENTORS ELIOT STONE 5 JAM L. DEINDOERFER M4! 14 BY THEIR ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Filed March 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ELIOT STONE JAMES L. DEINDOERFER BY nd; THEIR ATTORNEYS E. STONE ET AL Nov. 22, 1966 Filed March 5, 1965 United States Patent 3,287,010 STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM- ACCESS SYSTEMS Eliot Stone, Los Angeles, and James L. Delndoerfer, Huntington Beach, Calif., assignors to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 436,907 12 Claims. (Cl. 271) This invention relates generally to random-access storage systems employing flexible magnetic storage strips, and, more particularly, to improve means for transferrrng randomly selected strips from a magazine to a rotating capstan.

A random-access storage system of the prior art is disclosed in a copending US. patent application Serial No. 12,032, filed on March 1, 1960, inventor Eugene H. Irasek, and assigned to the same assignee as this application. In that system information is magnetically recorded on strips of flexible magnetic material. The strips are manufactured by applying suitable coatings of magnetic oxide material to a substrate of polyester film. Each strip is provided with coded retaining tabs formed at the upper end thereof and is disposed to depend by its tabs from suitable suspender means which forms part of -a strip storage magazine. One strip at a time is selectively released from the lower end of the magazine and freely drops through a chamber towards a rotating capstan. As the leading or lower edge of the strip approaches the capstan, a vacuum, produced through perforations in the capstan, draws the strip to the capstan, whereby the strip is accelerated and passed by the capstan through a magnetic transducer region having reading and writing magnetic transducer means. The capstan also imparts sufficient momentum to the strip to cause the strip, under the action of centrifugal force, to follow an upward path through an appropriate guideway back to the magazine. The guideway guides the moving strips up over the magazine and down to a stopped position within the magazine loading means which, in turn, loads the strip back onto the suspender means of the magazine. A pneumatic means is provided in the system for directing a stream of air through the strips for insuring that the depending strips are maintained in spaced-apart relationship.

The system is able to store, for example, two hundred fifty-six strips within the magazine wherein each strip is, for example, 14 inches long and 3% inches wide and has over two hundred thousand bits recorded thereon. Since any desired strip may be selectively released from the suspender means, dropped, accelerated to an operating speed, operated on, returned to a stopped position, and finally loaded back onto the suspender means within a small fraction of one second, rapid random access is available to any one of the strips. One of the important characteristics of such a system is that, not only is the access time to any one of the strips very short, but the access time is relatively the same for all the strips irrespective of their location in the magazine.

One of the problems associated with sucha randomaccess storage system of the prior art is to control the accelerating movements of a strip during its travel through the system. Thus, a strip released from any selected position along the bottom side of the magazine falls freely through a generally V-shaped chamber which has two converging walls, i.e., ramps, to guide the strip to the rotating capstan where the leading edge of the strip is grabbed by the suction provided on the surface of the rotating capstan to cause the strip to be rapidly accelerated. This rapid acceleration of the strip to the peripheral speed of the capstan causes the unrestrained central and trailing portion of the strip to whip about and slap against 3,287,0 10 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 the walls of the V-shaped chamber. Eventually, after a few thousand drops, dependent on the position in the magazine from which the strip falls, the polyester substrate in the strip tends to break down. This can result in the weakening or loss of one or more of the tabs, and the strip can lose its original coded identity. When a strip loses its coded identity, it will fall With some other strip when the latter is selected to drop.

Another commonly assigned copending application Serial No. 316,106, filed October 14, 1963, inventors Glaser et al., discloses that, because, in normal operation, most of the strips are generally dropped when they are located in the loader side or right side of the magazine, as opposed to the left side, it is desirable to provide two spaced rotating vacuum rollers protruding slightly above the surface of the ramp located under the loader end of the magazine (hereinafter called the load ramp). These rotating vacuum rollers in the load ramp tend to hold the strip against the surface of the ramp as the strip moves through the V-shaped chamber, and thus help arrest the whipping action on strips dropped from the loader side of the magazine. 'Thus, a strip dropped from the loader side of the magazine can be dropped many thousand times more without damaging the tabs. However, a random-access system, by its very nature, drops strips from any part of the magazine including the left side, which is the side directly over the rotating capstan. It should be noted that the vacuum rollers on the load ramp become gradually less etfective in holding and thereby arresting the whipping action of a strip dropped from positions progressively further from the right side of the magazine. Thus, it has been determined that a strip dropped from the left portion of the magazine onto the left ramp of the V-shaped chamber (hereinafter called the shroud ramp since it covers the capstan), is acted upon such that its free trailing or tab end is slapped against the surface of the right ramp, i.e., the load ramp, as a result of the leading edge of the strip being grabbed by the rotating vacuum capstan. It should be noted that when the rotating capstan grabs on to the leading edge of the strip, the free end of the strip is thrown in a direction in which it would assume a position tangential to the surface of the capstan, if it were not for making contact with the load ramp. Thus, to further increase tab life on these strips, it is highly desirable to minimize the whipping of the strips dropped from the loader end of the magazine, such as the central or left end thereof. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention such means include a vacuum roller substantially flush with the surface of the shroud ramp and resilient pads disposed in proper places on the load ramp to provide a soft impact area for the tabs to slap against.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide means in a strip random-access system for reducing wear and damage to strips dropped from any position in the magazine.

Another object of this invention is to reduce excessive damage to the tab portion of a strip falling from a magazine of a random access system by providing means for absorbing the whiplash and impact force of the tab portion of the strip on the wall of a V-shaped chamber when the strip is accelerated by a rotating capstan.

Still another object of this invention is to provide easily replaceable resilient padding on one of the ramps in the V-shaped chamber in a random-access system to prevent damage to the strips when slapped against the ramp.

Briefly, the present invention provides vacuum rollers disposed in the load ramp of the V-shaped chamber under the magazine and a vacuum roller disposed in the shroud ramp. Then, when a strip is dropped from a position over the shroud ramp, the vacuum roller in the shroud ramp tends to hold the leading and central portions of the dropped strip against the surface of the shroud ramp while the strip is moving towards the rapidly rotating vacuum capstan. Because the shroud ramp shields part of the capstan and is in close proximity to it, there is limited space in which to add additional structure for the vacuum roller. Therefore, the vacuum roller is placed relatively high on the shroud ramp. Now, when the trailing portion of the strip, including the tab end, passes this vacuum roller, the tab end is free of the vacuum drawn around the roller and is caused by the action of the capstan to whip over and slap against the load ramp. Therefore, to protect the tabs from damage, in accordance with the present invention, resilient pads are placed at the impact points on the load ramp to soften the impact with which the tab portion of the strip whips against the surface of the load ramp. In order not to slow up a strip dropped from the loader side, it should be noted that the resilient material in the pad is covered with a suitable flexible, thin, smooth film, made of, for example, polyester plastic which has good abrasive qualities and provides a low friction surface on which the strips may slide.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be made apparent or will become apparent upon considerationof the appended claims and from the following description of a typical embodiment of the invention that is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the random-access storage system;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a typical flat, flexible information storage strip showing, in particular, the strip in a flexed position;

' FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the suspender means of FIG. 1 showing the structure for supporting and selecting a particular strip;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial section and elevation of the V-shaped chamber under the magazine showing a strip being initially guided by the roller in the shroud ramp along the Wall of the chamber to the rotating capstan;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged, partial section and elevation of the V-shaped chamber shown in FIG. 4 showing the strip of FIG. 4 whipping against the pads provided on the load ramp after the tab end of the strip has passed the roller in the shroud ramp;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged pictorial view showing primarily the load ramp located under the magazine loader;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged pictorial view showing primarily the shroud ramp on the V-shaped chamber;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged pictorial view of a resilient pad to be inserted within a recess formed in the ramp of the V-shaped chamber; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged pictorial view of the resilient pad showing the protective cover for the adhesive thereon partially removed.

Referring to FIG. 1, the various mechanical components of the random-access storage system are shown assembled on an upright back plate 11. The upright plate 11 is suitably mounted on a frame 13, partially shown. The frame 13 is part of an enclosed console (not shown) that may also enclose a suitable electronic circuit for the system. The electronic circuit provides the signals to selective solenoids that actuate the mechanical components of the system. The signals to the solenoids are fed'through suitable wiringthat is disposed on the back side of the plate 11 and substantially hidden from view.

As disclosed in the above-mentioned Irasek application, Serial No. 12,032, random-access systems of the type described provide for storing information on strips 12 (a typical strip is shown in FIG. 2) in the form of magnetic recordings. The strips 12 are flat, flexible, and relatively long in relation to their width and are made, for

example, of iron oxide coated on a flexible polyester base such as polyethylene terephthalate. are disposed to depend lengthwise by their tabs 12a (formed at the upper edge) from suspender means 14 (as shown in FIG. 3) that is fixed to the upright plate 16 are actuated by selective signals supplied by an electronic circuit.

The suspender means 14 also includes an air supply hood 18 which directs a stream of air through a suitable grill (not shown) and down through the depending strips 12. The hood 18 is so shaped to protrude through the back plate 11 and is connected to suitable air blowers (not shown) by a flexible hose 17. The hood 18 includes internal baflies (not shown) which force the air to blow evenly across the suspender means 14 to maintain the strips 12 in spaced-apart relationship within a magazine 19 (FIG. 1). Now, when a strip is released from the magazine, the released strip falls freely into a V-shaped chamber 20 (more clearly shown in FIG. 4).

Referring to FIG. 4, the V-shaped chamber 20 includes two converging walls, a load ramp 22 and a shroud ramp 23, that guide any released strip towards the periphery of a rapidly rotating capstan 24. 'It should be noted that any strip at the moment it leaves the magazine 19 is free- I falling, that is, the surfaces of the free falling strip are laterally unrestrained or unsupported. The falling strip,

for example, strip 12', after moving through the chamber 20, is attracted to the rotating capstan 24 by a vacuum drawn through suitable radially disposed perforations 27 that are formed in the capstan 24 and that communicate with a suitable duct 28. The duct 28 passes through the upright plate 11, and in turn, is coupled to a suitable vacuum pump (not shown). This causes the rotating capstan 24 to rapidly pull and accelerate the falling strip out of the chamber 20. Since the capstan 24 is rotating in the direction of arrow 25 the accelerated strips tend to slap against the ramp 22. Since this invention provides vacuum means (as will be described hereinafter) on both ramps 22 and 23 for drawing the falling strip to one of the ramps 22 or 23, the rapidly accelerated strip 12' is inhibited somewhat from violently whipping about and re-; slapping against the ramps 22 and 23. However, even with the vacuum means, some of the strips 12, when ac-.

celerated by the capstan, do slap against the ramp 22 and resilient means which tend to retard tab damage is provided at the impact points to soften the impact with which the tab portion of the strip whips against the surface of the ramp 22. The resilient means for retarding tab damage on a strip will be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the dropped strip being held by the rotating capstan 24 is passed across a transducer means 33 thathas read and write magnetic hearls located at the upper end thereof adjacent the capstan 24.:

The read and write signals are coupled to and fromthe transducer means 33 through a suitable Wire cable 34. When the strip passes the transducer means 33,. the strip, due to centrifugal force, leaves the capstan 24 and enters the vertical guideway 38 to be returned to the magazine 19. The strip is guided upwards by the vertical guideway 38 to be returned to the magazine 19. The strip is guided upwards by the vertical guideway 38 where it enters an arc-guideway 41. Within the arc-guideway 41 the strip interrupts a light beam shining on a photocell 42, and a signal is produced by the electronic circuit. The signal indicates that a strip is returning to the magazine 19 and a loading means 43, which loads strips into the magazine, is prepared to receive the strip. The speed of the strip' The strips 121 entering the loading means is controlled by a strip-control roller assembly 44. After the strip is in the loading means 43, a strip loading cycle is performed by the loading means in response to a command signal generated by the electronc circuit.

The above-mentioned means which tends to inhibit a strip from whipping about and from becoming damaged will now be described. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown the means on the load ramp 22. As described in the above-mentioned Glaser et al. application, any selected strip dropped from the general area of the chamber 20, disposed above the load ramp 22, is prevented from whipping violently by a vacuum drawn around two rotating rollers 46 and 47 disposed in slots 48 and 49, respectively, formed in ramp 22. The vacuum is produced within a chamber 52 (FIG. 5), by fixing a suitable vacuum pump (not shown) to a duct 51 (FIG. 6). As shown and described in the Glaser et al. application, the vacuum draws a falling strip dropped from over the load ramp 22 and holds the strip against the rollers 46 and 47, which are rotated in the direction of arrows 60 by a suitable motor 53 (FIG. 6), belt 54, and pulleys 55, and thereby move the selected strip towards the capstan 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 7, the improved embodiment of the V-shaped chamber 20 in this invention includes a roller 56 disposed within a bore 57 provided in the shroud whose surface forms ramp 23. The bore 57 communicates with the chamber 20 and with a vacuum pump by suitable means (not shown) so that air is drawn from the chamber 20. Now when a strip such as strip 12 (FIG. 4), which has been positioned in the magazine 19 over the shroud ramp 23, in the approximate position of arrow 59, is released, the lower edge of the falling strip contacts the shroud ramp 23 and slides over the roller 56. The strip 12' is drawn to the ramp 23 by the vacuum drawn through the bore. In turn, the surface of rotating roller 56 moves the falling strip towards the capstan 24. The roller is rotated in the direction of arrow 77 by a motor 78 (FIG. 1), belt 79 and pulleys 81. A finger 61 (FIG. 7) disposed flush with the surface of the shroud ramp 23 prevents the lower or leading edge of a falling strip from hanging up on the lower lip formed by the wall of the bore 57 and the surface of the ramp 23. It should be noted that because the shroud ramp 23 tapers to an edge 62 about capstan 24, the bore 57 has to be [formed relatively high in the ramp 23. Then, after the trailing edge of the strip 12 with the tabs passes the roller 55, the vacuum drawn through the bore 57 is no longer effective in restraining the strip and the strip is free to whip about and slap against the load ramp 22. Because of the effect on the strip of the vacuum roller 56 on the shroud ramp 23, the tabs impact area on load ramp 22 is lower and therefore the impacting force is less damaging than it would be if no roller 56 is placed in the shroud ramp 23. FIG. 5 illustrates the strip 12' as it may appear as it moves to moves to the other side of the chamber and slaps against the load ramp 22 after the trailing edge with the tabs has passed the roller 56. To help prevent damage to the tabs on any of the strips which happen to slap against the load ramp 22, the ramp 22 is covered with resilient pads 63 at the lower portion thereof where the tabs 12a are likely to strike. It should be noted that all the strips which happen to slap against the load ramp 22 do not assume the exact position as shown for strip 12' in FIG. 5. However, the pads are sufficiently large such that if a strip does slap against the load ramp this strip impacts the ramp in the region of the pads 63. Since the roller 47 in load ramp 22 is needed to control the movement of a strip which is selected and dropped from over the load ramp 22, the pads 63 are placed above and below the roller 47. Then, in order to provide a cushioning effect in the region of the roller 47, the roller 47 includes a plurality of metallic rims 71 (FIG. 6) disposed to protrude uniformly above rubber rings 72. The rubber rings 72 are disposed between the rims 71. When a selected strip happens to be drawn against the load ramp 22 by the vacuum formed in chamber 52, the rims 71 provide the necessary friction drive to keep the strip moving towards the capstan 24. The rims 71 are so spaced that if the tabs 12a on any particular strip happen to slap against the roller, the tabs pass between the rims 71 and strike the resilient rubber rings 72.

As taught in the Glaser et al. application, the rollers 46 and 47 aid in moving towards the capstan 24 any strip drawn to the load ramp 22 by the vacuum in chamber 52. However, it has been found that the most desirable resilient materials that could be used for the pads 63 have a relatively large icoeflicient of friction, much larger than the metallic portion of the ramp 22 located above the pads. Then, in order to combine both properties, low friction and good resiliency to the pads, the pads 63 have a center made of, for example, wool tfelt cloth 66 (FIG. 5) covered with a flexible film 67 made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate. A typical pad is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Since the pads 63 are placed within suitable recess 73 formed in the load ramp 22, the pads 63 are readily held in place with a suitable adhesive. This manner of mounting the pads is especially useful since the pads can be easily replaced, if needed. FIG. 8 shows the pad 63 with a protective paper 74 over the adhesive, while FIG. 9 shows the paper 74 partially removed, exposing the adhesive 82. When the paper 74 is fully removed, the pad is placed in the recess 73 with the adhesive side next to the ramp 22. The pads 63, when they are placed within the respective recesses 73, are substantially flush with the surface of the ramp '22. However, as described in the Glaser et :al. application, the rollers 46 and 47 protrude slightly above the surface of the load ramp 22. Also, the roller 56 in the shroud ramp 23 is positioned so that it protrudes, for example, .030 of an inch above the surface of shroud ramp 23 in order to drive any strip in contact therewith towards the capstan 24.

From the foregoing explanation of the invention and a preferred physical embodiment thereof, modifications and changes therein will become evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific details of the described exemplary embodiment but only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supporting said strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising two converging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of the location of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near the bottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip as it leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip so that the strip tends to whip about; and resilient means disposed on at least one of said ramps to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

2. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means rfor supporting said strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising two converging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of the location of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near the bottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip as it leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip whereby the strip tends to whip about; and a resilient pad disposed on at least one of said ramps to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

3. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supporting said strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising two converging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of the location of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near the bottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip as it leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip; fourth means for causing a strip to be urged towards one of said ramps of said passageway as it drops through said passageway; and resilient means disposed on at least one of said ramps to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

4. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supporting said strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising two converging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of the location of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near the bottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip as it leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip whereby the strip tends to whip about; one of said ramps having a recessed portion; and a pad disposed within said recessed portion to provide a resilient, energy absorbing impact area for the accelerated strip to strike, said pad having a resilient filler to provide resiliency to said pad and a flexible smooth film covering said filler to provide a surface which is flush with the surface of the respective ramp and on which surface said strips are able to slide.

5. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said strip for movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: first means for supporting said strips by tabs formed on the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; a V-shaped chamber having a pair of converging walls to form a Wide opening disposed below and communicating with said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of the location of the strip in said first means, said V-shaped chamber having an exit slot formed by said converging Walls at the lower end thereof through which slot said dropped strip passes from said chamber; third means disposed near said exit slot for engaging the lower portion of the strip as it leaves said exit slot and for rapidly accelerating said strip out of said chamber; pneumatic means for causing the strip dropping through said chamber to be urged towards one of said walls of said chamber; and a pad disposed within a recess for-med in at least one of said walls of said chamber to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the strip when it strikes the area.

6. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said strips for movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: a magazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which any one of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having a rotary capstan for rapidly accelerating any dropped strip; a chamber disposed below said magazine and having two ctmverging ramps to provide a wide up- '8 per opening into which any one of the strips stored in said magazine can be dropped and to provide a narrow lower opening; said capstan being adjacent one of said ramps whereby said one ramp tapers to an edge so that said lower opening is disposed adjacent the periphery of the rotary capstan to guide any dropped strip thereto; a roller disposed in rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any dropped strip to be pushed towards said narrow opening when a dropped strip contacts the roller; means for drawing air through the space formed between the roller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped strip towards one of the ramps; and a resilient pad disposed on the lower portion of said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

7. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said strips for movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: a magazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which any one of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having a rotary capstan for rapidly accelerating said strips, one at a time after being dropped from said 1 magazine; a chamber disposed below said magazine and having two converging ramps to provide a wide upper;

opening into which any one of the strips can be dropped and to provide a narrow lower opening; said capstan be ing disposed adjacent one of said ramps so that said one ramp tapers to an edge to allow said lower opening to be disposed adjacent the periphery of the rotary capstan to guide any dropped strip thereto; a roller disposed in rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any dropped strip to be pushed towards said narrow lower opening when a dropped strip contacts the roller; means for drawing air through the space formed between the roller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped strip towards one of the ramps; and a resilient pad disposed on the lower portion of said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike, said pad having a resilient filler for providing resiliency to said pad and a smooth, flexible film covering said filler to provide a surface which is flush with the surface of the respective ramp and on which said strips are able to slide.

8. An apparatus for providing random access: to any one of a group of elongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said strips for movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: a magazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which any;

one of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having a rotary capstan for rapidly accelerating any dropped strip for movement past said transducing.

rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any dropped strip to be pushed towards said narrow lower opening when a dropped strip contacts the roller; means for drawing air out of said chamber and through the space formed between the roller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped strip towards one of the ramps, the roller on said one ramp being disposed in the upper portion thereof out of the way of said capstan, and the roller on said other ramp being disposed in the lower portion thereof; and resilient means disposed above and below the roller on said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

9. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said strip for movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: first means for supporting said strips by tabs formed evenly spaced on the upper end of each strip to cause said strip to hang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said first means; transport means having a rotary capstan for rapidly accelerating any dropped strip for movement past said transducing means; a chamber disposed below said magazine and having two converging ramps to provide a wide upper opening into which any one of the strips can be dropped and to provide a narrow lower opening; said capstan being disposed adjacent one of said ramps so that said one ramp tapers to an edge to allow said lower opening to be disposed adjacent the periphery of the capstan to guide a dropped strip thereto; a roller disposed in rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any dropped strip to be pushed towards said narrow opening when the strip contacts the roller; third means for drawing air out of said chamber and through the space formed between the roller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped strip towards the respective ramp, the roller on said one ramp being disposed in the upper portion thereof out of the way of said capstan, and the roller on said other ramp being disposed in the lower portion thereof; resilient means disposed above and below the roller on said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike; and said roller disposed in the lower portion of said other ramp having a plurality of metallic rims evenly spaced along the axis of the roller and having resilient rubber rings disposed between said rims so that the tabs on the strip would impact on the rubber rings whenever an accelerated strip strikes against the roller with rubber rings.

10. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flat flexible strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for storing strips in an assembled group from which any one of said strips can be selectively released; second means spaced from said first means for engaging and pulling a strip after being released from said first means causing the released strip to whip about; third means including a guide wall interposed between said first and second means for guiding any released strip to said second means; and resilient means disposed on said wall in said third means to provide a resilient energy absorbing area for the strip to strike against as it is whipping about.

11. In an apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated flat flexible strips wherein any one of said strips is released from said group to move through a V-shaped chamber which guides the strip to a rotating capstan where the strip is rapidly accelerated by said capstan causing the strip to move toward a tangential position with respect to the periphery of said rotating capstan and in so doing slap against a Wall in said chamber, the combination with said chamber of a resilient pad disposed on said wall to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

12. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group of elongated strips, said apparatus including: first means for supporting said strips in face-toface relationship in an assembled group so that the strips hang in a vertical position and in a uniform stack so that any one of the strips is able to drop freely therefrom; a chamber comprising two converging ramps to form a wide opening disposed below said first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means and to form an exit slot at the lower end of the chamber through which the dropped strip passes, said chamber positioned with respect to said first means so that the strips which drop from the first half of the stack make contact with one of the ramps and the strip which drops from the second half of the stack makes contact with the other ramp before the respective strips pass out of said slot; a rotating capsan disposed near said exit slot and adjacent said other ramp for engaging the lower portion of a strip as it leaves said exit slot and accelerating the strip out of said chamber so that the accelerated strip tends to assume a tangenial position with respect to said capstan and in so doing slaps against said one ramp; and resilient pads disposed on said one ramp to provide a resilient energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

References Cited by the Examiner M. HENSON WOOD,

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner.

JR., Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

11. IN AN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING RANDOM ACCESS TO ANY ONE OF A GROUP OF ELONGATED FLAT FLEXIBLE STRIPS WHEREIN ANY ONE OF SAID STRIPS IS RELEASED FROM SAID GROUP TO MOVE THROUGH A V-SHAPED CHAMBER WHICH GUIDES THE STRIP TO A ROTATING CAPSTAN WHERE THE STRIP IS RAPIDLY ACCELERATED BY SAID CAPSTAN CAUSING THE STRIP TO MOVE TOWARD A TANGENTIAL POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTATING CAPSTAN AND IN SO DOING SLAP AGAINST A WALL IN SAID CHAMBER, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID CHAMBER OF A RESILIENT PAD DISPOSED ON SAID WALL TO PROVIDE A RESILIENT, ENERGY ABSORBING AREA FOR THE ACCELERATED STRIP TO STRIKE.

Images