Claims
- 1. A data storage library comprising:
- a picker assembly including:
- a picker casing having top and bottom sides which are bounded laterally by right, left, front and back sides, each of the right and left sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented x axis and each of the front and back sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented y axis, the x and y axes being perpendicular with respect to one another so as to define an x-y horizontal plane which is perpendicular to a vertically oriented z axis;
- first and second gripper devices mounted in the picker casing wherein each gripper device is capable of gripping a cartridge, the first gripper device reciprocably movable parallel to the x axis and the second gripper device reciprocably movable parallel to the y axis;
- one of the front and back sides of the picker casing having a first casing opening for receiving said cartridge within said picker casing and one of the right and left sides of the picker casing having a second casing opening for receiving said cartridge within said picker casing, and
- first and second translation means reciprocably moving the first and second gripper devices respectively parallel to the x and y axes respectively in a common plane with respect to one another so that said cartridge can be received or ejected from the picker casing through either the first casing opening or the second casing opening without moving from said common plane;
- means for reciprocably moving the picker casing along said z axis;
- first, second and third columns of cartridge receptacles, each column having a plurality of vertically stacked cartridge receptacles with openings along a vertical receiving side of the column;
- the first column being located adjacent the picker casing with its vertical receiving side facing said first casing opening as the picker casing is moved along said z axis so that said cartridge can be transferred between a receptacle in the first column and the picker casing;
- the second and third columns being located adjacent the picker casing with their vertical receiving sides facing the right and left sides respectively of the picker casing as the picker casing is moved along said z axis so that said cartridge can be transferred between a receptacle in either of the second and third columns and the picker casing, depending upon the location of said second casing opening;
- means for flipping the picker casing about the y axis so that the first gripper device can be positioned to grip said cartridge from a receptacle in either of the second or third columns; and
- said first and second translation means including:
- one of the top and bottom sides of the picker casing having a first slot which extends parallel to said x axis and the other of the top and bottom sides of the picker casing having a second slot which extends parallel to said y axis;
- first and second lead screws rotatably mounted to the picker casing with the first lead screw extending parallel to said x axis opposite said first slot and the second lead screw extending parallel to said y axis opposite said second slot;
- first and second nuts connected to the first and second grippers respectively and extending transversely through the first and second slots respectively;
- the first nut being threaded to the first lead screw so that upon selective rotation of the first lead screw the first gripper reciprocably moves within the casing parallel to said x axis and adjacent the first slot and the second nut being threaded to the second lead screw so that upon selective rotation of the second lead screw the second gripper reciprocably moves within the casing parallel to said y axis and adjacent the second slot; and
- the reciprocable movements of the first and second grippers being within said common plane.
- 2. A data storage library as claimed in claim 1 wherein each gripper device has two releasable action grippers which cooperate with one another to grip said cartridge.
- 3. A data storage library as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the second and third columns is replicated from said second and third columns respectively one or more times parallel to said y axis in a direction away from the first column.
- 4. A data storage library as claimed in claim 2 wherein the picker assembly and the first and second columns are replicated from said second column one or more times parallel to the x axis away from said third column.
- 5. A data storage library as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of the second and third columns is replicated from said second and third columns respectively one or more times parallel to said y axis in a direction away from the first column.
- 6. A data storage library as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one of said columns has a receptacle which contains a peripheral storage device which is in communication with a host data processing device.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/147,228, filed Nov. 3, 1993 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
147228 |
Nov 1993 |
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