Claims
- 1. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library, the library having a vertically extending height and a horizontally extending length, comprising:
- library means having a plurality of cartridge receptacles arranged in first and second adjacent columns and second and third adjacent columns, the first, second and third columns being consecutive in a side by side adjacent relationship so as to provide vertically stacked rows of cartridge receptacles;
- first and second cartridge pickers, each cartridge picker being capable of removing and inserting a cartridge with respect to a cartridge receptacle when aligned therewith;
- first means for selectively swinging the first cartridge picker back and forth between only one pair of adjacent columns of said first, second and third columns for aligning the cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in one or the other of said pair of adjacent columns and for transporting cartridges therebetween;
- second means for selectively swinging the second cartridge picker back and forth between only one pair of adjacent columns of said first, second and third columns for aligning the cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in one or the other of said pair of adjacent columns and for transporting cartridges therebetween; and
- means fixedly interconnecting the first and second means with respect to the columns along the length of the library for restricting alignment of the first cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in only said first and second adjacent columns and for restricting alignment of the second cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in only said second and third adjacent columns.
- 2. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library as claimed in claim 1 including:
- a plurality of side by side separable modules, each module having a framework; and
- at least one of the modules having only one of said first, second and third columns and only one of said first and second cartridge pickers mounted to its framework.
- 3. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library as claimed in claim 2 wherein each column of cartridge receptacles has a respective vertical x axis and a respective horizontal y axis which intersect perpendicularly substantially at the center thereof and are parallel with the x and y axes respectively of each other column of cartridge receptacles, the x and y axes of all of the columns lying substantially in a common vertical plane, each first and second means including;
- vertical movement means movable along a respective x' axis which is parallel to the x axes of the columns of cartridge receptacles for vertically moving a respective cartridge picker, the vertical movement means being fixed along the length of the library means; and
- rotating means mounted to the vertical movement means for swinging the respective cartridge picker about a z axis, which is perpendicular to said common vertical plane, between a first position, which aligns the respective cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in one of said columns when the cartridge picker is swung 90.degree. in one direction by said rotating means, and a second position, which aligns the respective cartridge picker with cartridge receptacles in an adjacent column when the cartridge picker is swung 90.degree. in an opposite direction by said rotating means.
- 4. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means for fixedly interconnecting the first and second means is also for fixedly positioning the z axis of each rotating means so that each z axis lies fixed for movement in only one respective vertical plane which is equally spaced between the x axes of adjacent columns and which is perpendicular to said common vertical plane.
- 5. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library, as claimed in claim 4, including:
- the vertical movement means for each cartridge picker including:
- a track which extends along a respective x' axis and which is fixed along the length of the library and
- a carriage slideably mounted on each respective track; and each rotating means including:
- an arm having first and second ends;
- the first end of the arm being pivotally connected to the carriage so that the second end of the arm can be swung about a respective z axis; and
- the second end of the arm being connected to a respective cartridge picker.
- 6. A recordable media cartridge picker assembly and library, as claimed in claim 5, including:
- a plurality of cartridge drives, each drive having a cartridge receptacle;
- each of the columns including a cartridge drive.
- 7. A module for a recordable media cartridge library wherein the library includes a plurality of modules mounted in a side by side adjacent relationship, the module comprising:
- a framework;
- only one column of receptacles mounted to the framework for receiving recordable media cartridges;
- the column of receptacles having a vertically extending x axis and a horizontally extending y axis, the x and y axes intersecting one another substantially at the center of the column and forming a vertical plane;
- only one cartridge picker assembly mounted to the framework;
- the cartridge picker assembly including:
- a track fixedly mounted to the framework along a vertically extending x' axis which is parallel to said vertical plane;
- a carriage mounted on the track for vertical movement therealong;
- an arm having first and second ends;
- the first end of the arm being pivotally connected to the carriage so that the second end of the arm can swing about a z axis which is perpendicular to said vertical plane and which is substantially coextensive with a side of the framework;
- an entire cartridge picker connected to a second end of the arm; and
- the second end of the arm being rotatable about said z axis for swinging the entire cartridge picker 180 degrees between first and second positions which are located in a horizontal plane, the first position positioning the entire cartridge picker inside the framework in alignment with receptacles of the column of receptacles and the second position positioning the entire cartridge picker outside the framework for alignment with receptacles of an adjacent column of receptacles of another module in the library.
- 8. A module for a recordable media cartridge library wherein the library includes a plurality of modules mounted in a side by side relationship, the module comprising:
- a framework;
- only one column of receptacles mounted to the framework for receiving recordable media cartridges;
- the column of receptacles having a vertically extending x axis and a horizontally extending y axis, the x and y axes intersecting one another substantially at the center of the column and forming a vertical plane;
- only one cartridge picker assembly mounted to the framework;
- the cartridge picker assembly including:
- a track mounted to the framework along a vertically extending x' axis which is parallel to said vertical plane;
- a carriage mounted on the track for vertical movement therealong;
- an arm having a first end pivotally connected to the carriage for rotation about a z axis which is perpendicular to said vertical plane and which is coextensive with a side of the framework;
- a cartridge picker connected to a second end of the arm; and
- the second end of the arm being rotatable about said z axis for swinging the cartridge picker 180 degrees between first and second positions which are located in a horizontal plane, the first position positioning the cartridge picker inside the framework in alignment with receptacles of the column of receptacles and the second position positioning the cartridge picker outside the framework for alignment with receptacles of an adjacent column of receptacles of another module in the library; and
- the cartridge picker being pivotally connected to the second end of the arm for rotation 180 degrees about a z' axis which is parallel to the z axis.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/048,436filed Apr. 16,1993now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
48436 |
Apr 1993 |
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