Internal division actuation of ventilated floppy disk stack

Claim 2

In a random access disk file data storage system comprised of multiple flexible disks arranged for co-rotation in a stack configuration, said disks having displaceably interfacing storage surfaces which are ordinarily spaced at intervals too narrow for transducing access, a method of providing storage transducing to said surfaces on a random selection basis comprising: supplying an outward ventilation flow of air under pressure to said intervals between all of said surfaces through a common space encompassed by the rotation of said surfaces; directing an intermittent increment of outward flow through said common space to a selected one of said intervals; selecting said one interval variably on a random selection basis; and controlling the displacements of said surfaces due to said increment of additional air flow to form a stable split opening encompassing said one interval and rendering the surfaces facing said one interval accessible for storage transducing operations.

Claim 3

The access method of claim 1 including the steps overlapped with said increment directing step of: establishing the rotational paths traced by said surfaces in a first stable configuration in which all of said spaces between surfaces are inaccessible; and confining said ventilation flow to a reduced pressure range associated with rendering the rotation of said surfaces subject to self-sustaining displacement in response to transient application of said additional flow.

Claim 4

The access method of claim 2 including the step following said controlling step of: selecting another interval to receive a said directed flow increment prior to completion of a said transducing operation in said one interval; and repeating said directing step relative to said another interval immediately following said completion.

Claim 5

For separating a rotating stack of flexible storage disks having radially porous ventilating spacers between successive disks, in order to provide a split space for transducing access to normally inaccessible storage surfaces of the disks, actuator apparatus comprising: a tubular member mounted for translational movement through a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks, said member having an internal channel extending through said member and terminating in an actuation opening alignable with a single said ventilating spacer; means for translating said member intermittently to align said opening with a selected said spacer; and means for transmitting varied pressures, through said channel and between said member and said disks and spacers for sustainably displacing the rotational orbits of said storage surfaces relative to the rotational position of said selected spacer, whereby a stable split space for transducing access is formed at said position.

Claim 6

For separating a rotating stack of flexible storage disks having radially porous ventilating spacers between successive disks, in order to provide a split space for transducing access to normally inaccessible storage surfaces of the disks, actuator apparatus comprising: a tubular member mounted for translational movement through a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks, said member having an internal channel extending through said member and terminating in an actuation opening alignable with a single said ventilating spacer; means for translating said member intermittently to align said opening with a selected said spacer; and means for transmitting varied pressures, through said channel and between said member and said disks and spacers for sustainably displacing the rotational orbits of said storage surfaces relative to the rotational position of said selected spacer, whereby a stable split space for transducing access is formed at said position.

Claim 7

Actuator apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said member is arranged to rotate with said stack and to be independently translated relative to said stack.

Claim 8

Actuator apparatus according to claim 4 wherein: said transmitted pressures are controlled to permit said member to be translated relative to said split without disturbing the rotation of said surfaces.

Claim 9

Actuator apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein said member comprises: a hub section positionable in said common space, said hub section containing separated rim portions defining said actuation opening and having little clearance relative to said disks; and a hollow tubular section on one side of said hub section having substantial clearance relative to said disks; said channel extending through said tubular section into said hub section.

Claim 10

Actuator apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said hub section extends outwardly from said tubular section to said rim portions having said little clearance relative to said disks; said rim portions spanning plural said disks and spacers; said opening having a width less than the width of a said spacer.

Claim 11

Actuator apparatus according to claim 7 including: means for transmitting varied background pressures to spaces between said disks and tubular section on said one side of said hub section and through said common space on the other side of said hub section.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9 including means for maintaining substantially equal background pressures at all times in said common space on both said one and other sides of said hub section.

Claim 13

For separating a continuously revolving stack of multiple flexible storage disks, having ventilating spacers between successive disks which are useful to couple air outwardly to spaces between storage surfaces of the disks and thereby replenish air expelled by centrifugal action, said disks having storage surfaces displaceably confined by inflexible end plates rotating with and confining said stack whereby said surfaces are slightly displaceable in their rotational ambits by flexible deflection, actuator apparatus for causing stable said deflections suitable for forming access splits comprising: selective pressure transmittal means extending into a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks and end plates, said common space formed by aligned holes in said disks and at least one of said end plates; said transmittal means comprising a hollow tube having: an enlarged hub section occupying a small portion of said common space and spanning plural disks representing a small fraction of said stack with very little clearance relative to said spanned disks; said enlarged section containing a narrow slotted orifice connecting the interior of said tube with said common space; said orifice being alignable with a single selected said spacer; and a constricted section in one side of said hub section having substantial clearance relative to said disks; means adapting said pressure transmittal means to rotate with said disks and to be translatable relative to said disks; means for intermittently translating said pressure transmittal means relative to said disks to position said slotted orifice in alignment relative to one selected said spacer; first variable pressure supply means coupled to said pressure transmittal means for transmitting variable pressures through the interior of said transmittal means and said slotted orifice to a said one spacer in a directed outward flow; and second variable pressure supply means coupled to the clearance space on said one side of said hub and to the common space on the other side of said hub for coupling varied pressures to spacers other than said one spacer via said common space; said second pressure supply means being operative alternately to provide a pressure in a first range, for conditioning said disk surfaces to bistable deflection equilibrium in sustainable inaccessible (unsplit) and accessible (split) configurations, and a pressure in second range for conditioning said disk surfaces to monostable deflection equilibrium in said inaccessible configuration; said first pressure supply means being operative transiently in association with said second pressure supply means to supply pressure through said orifice for actuating said surfaces in bistable equilibrium to transfer from said inaccessible configuration to said accessible configuration relative to the position of said selected spacer.

Claim 14

For separating a continuously revolving stack of multiple flexible storage disks, having ventilating spacers between successive disks which are useful to couple air outwardly to spaces between storage surfaces of the disks and thereby replenish air expelled by centrifugal action, said disks having storage surfaces displaceably confined by inflexible end plates rotating with and confining said stack whereby said surfaces are slightly displaceable in their rotational ambits by flexible deflection, actuator apparatus for causing stable said deflections suitable for forming access splits comprising: selective pressure transmittal means extending into a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks and end plates, said common space formed by aligned holes in said disks and at least one of said end plates; said transmittal means comprising a hollow tube having: an enlarged hub section occupying a small portion of said common space and spanning plural disks representing a small fraction of said stack with very little clearance relative to said spanned disks; said enlarged section containing a narrow slotted orifice connecting the interior of said tube with said common space; said orifice being alignable with a single selected said spacer; and a constricted section in one side of said hub section having substantial clearance relative to said disks; means adapting said pressure transmittal means to rotate with said disks and to be translatable relative to said disks; means for intermittently translating said pressure transmittal means relative to said disks to position said slotted orifice in alignment relative to one selected said spacer; first variable pressure supply means coupled to said pressure transmittal means for transmitting variable pressures through the interior of said transmittal means and said slotted orifice to a said one spacer in a directed outward flow; and second variable pressure supply means coupled to the clearance space on said one side of said hub and to the common space on the other side of said hub for coupling varied pressures to spacers other than said one spacer via said common space; said second pressure supply means being operative alternately to provide a pressure in a first range, for conditioning said disk surfaces to bistable deflection equilibrium in sustainable inaccessible (unsplit) and accessible (split) configurations, and a pressure in second range for conditioning said disk surfaces to monostable deflection equilibrium in said inaccessible configuration; said first pressure supply means being operative transiently in association with said second pressure supply means to supply pressure through said orifice for actuating said surfaces in bistable equilibrium to transfer from said inaccessible configuration to said accessible configuration relative to the position of said selected spacer.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the width of said slotted orifice is less than the thickness of a said ventilating spacer.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said pressure transmittal means, said pressure supply means and said translating means are cooperative to permit translational movement of said transmittal means relative to said disks while said surfaces are in said accessible configuration without disturbing the deflection equilibrium of said surfaces.

Claim 17

A random access mass storage system comprising multiple flexible disks co-rotating in an ordered stack at close inter-disk spacing intervals, said spacing intervals insufficient for entry of a storage transducer head when rotational orbits of storage surfaces of said disks are undeflected and including means for supplying variable background ventilating pressures to said stack to replenish air expelled from spaces between said storage surfaces by centrifugal action, apparatus for producing stable separational deflection of said storage surfaces relative to a selected position in said stack in a split configuration suitable for external entry of a said storage head, said apparatus comprising: a hollow actuator extending through aligned holes in said disks; said actuator including a slotted hub section having a rim spanning a small fractional segment of said stack with little clearance; the interior of said actuator having a pressure transmission channel connecting with said hub slot for applying incremental actuation pressure to a single interdisk spacing interval adjacent said slot; means for causing said hub to co-rotate with said disks while allowing said hub to be translated relative to said inter-disk spacing intervals; means for selectively translating said hub to position said slot relative to said intervals; and means for transmitting variable incremental pressure -- via said actuator, hub and orifice -- to a selected said interval in cooperation with said translating means and said background pressure supplying means for causing said disk surfaces to be deflected relative to said selected interval into a said stable configuration for head entry.

Claim 18

A random access mass storage system comprising multiple flexible disks co-rotating in an ordered stack at close inter-disk spacing intervals, said spacing intervals insufficient for entry of a storage transducer head when rotational orbits of storage surfaces of said disks are undeflected and including means for supplying variable background ventilating pressures to said stack to replenish air expelled from spaces between said storage surfaces by centrifugal action, apparatus for producing stable separational deflection of said storage surfaces relative to a selected position in said stack in a split configuration suitable for external entry of a said storage head, said apparatus comprising: a hollow actuator extending through aligned holes in said disks; said actuator including a slotted hub section having a rim spanning a small fractional segment of said stack with little clearance; the interior of said actuator having a pressure transmission channel connecting with said hub slot for applying incremental actuation pressure to a single interdisk spacing interval adjacent said slot; means for causing said hub to co-rotate with said disks while allowing said hub to be translated relative to said inter-disk spacing intervals; means for selectively translating said hub to position said slot relative to said intervals; and means for transmitting variable incremental pressure -- via said actuator, hub and orifice -- to a selected said interval in cooperation with said translating means and said background pressure supplying means for causing said disk surfaces to be deflected relative to said selected interval into a said stable configuration for head entry.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said translating means and background pressure supplying means are cooperative to permit translation of said hub while said surfaces are in a stable rotational configuration without disturbing the stability of said configuration.

Claim 20

In a random access disk file data storage system comprised of rotating flexible disks arranged in a stacked configuration -- said disks having displaceably interfacing storage surfaces which are normally inaccessible for transducing access -- and a ventilation facility for transmitting air under varied pressures to spaces between storage surfaces of said disks to replenish air expelled from said spaces by centrifugal action due to rotation of said disks, apparatus for controlling separation deflection of said disks for external transducing access comprising: means for operating said ventilation facility relative to said spaces between said disks to supply background ventilation pressure to said spaces between storage surfaces in a range associated with maintaining said surfaces in sustained bistable deflection equilibrium; means cooperative with said operating means and positionable variably relative to said disks, within a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks, for supplying a differential pulse of pressure to a space between selected interfacing said surfaces while said surfaces are in said bistable equilibrium in an unsplit configuration; thereby displacing said interfacing surfaces relative to each other in a self-sustaining split configuration extending over the entire rotational ambit of said surfaces; and means operative while said surfaces are in said split configuration for varying the ventilation pressure momentarily to upset said bistable equilibrium and thereby restore said surfaces to said unsplit configuration.

Claim 21

In a random access disk file data storage system comprised of rotating flexible disks arranged in a stacked configuration -- said disks having displaceably interfacing storage surfaces which are normally inaccessible for transducing access -- and a ventilation facility for transmitting air under varied pressures to spaces between storage surfaces of said disks to replenish air expelled from said spaces by centrifugal action due to rotation of said disks, apparatus for controlling separation deflection of said disks for external transducing access comprising: means for operating said ventilation facility relative to said spaces between said disks to supply background ventilation pressure to said spaces between storage surfaces in a range associated with maintaining said surfaces in sustained bistable deflection equilibrium; means cooperative with said operating means and positionable variably relative to said disks, within a common space encompassed by the rotation of said disks, for supplying a differential pulse of pressure to a space between selected interfacing said surfaces while said surfaces are in said bistable equilibrium in an unsplit configuration; thereby displacing said interfacing surfaces relative to each other in a self-sustaining split configuration extending over the entire rotational ambit of said surfaces; and means operative while said surfaces are in said split configuration for varying the ventilation pressure momentarily to upset said bistable equilibrium and thereby restore said surfaces to said unsplit configuration.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein: said variably positionable means comprises a hollow tube having a slotted hub configured to be movable relative to said disks without disturbing said bistable equilibrium.