Claims
- 1. A fixture for assembling and calibrating a compliant guide assembly for a tape transport, the compliant guide assembly including a plurality of guide buttons and a spring assembly having a plurality of spring elements, the fixture comprising:
- base means for receiving said spring assembly and the guide buttons and for aligning each guide button with one of the spring elements of the spring assembly; and
- bias means for biasing each spring element with a predetermined force to vary a distance between each spring element and its corresponding guide button and for maintaining said distances while each guide button is attached to its corresponding spring element.
- 2. The fixture of claim 1, wherein said bias means includes a plurality of pneumatic cylinders and pistons.
- 3. The fixture of claim 2, wherein said base means comprises:
- a pressure plate having a plurality of pressure ports;
- a vacuum block coupled to said pressure plate, said vacuum block housing said pneumatic cylinders of said bias means and coupling each pneumatic cylinder to a corresponding pressure port of said pressure plate; and
- a button template coupled to said vacuum block, said template including a plurality of button cavities, each cavity configured to hold and align a guide button adjacent a corresponding pneumatic cylinder and piston.
- 4. The fixture of claim 3, wherein said base means further comprises:
- vacuum means for securing a guide button in each button cavity, said vacuum means including a plurality of vacuum ports in said vacuum block, each vacuum port being configured to align with one of said button cavities.
- 5. A fixture for assembling and calibrating a compliant guide assembly for a tape transport, the compliant guide assembly including a plurality of guide buttons and a spring assembly having a plurality of spring elements, the compliant guide assembly being configured to provide an edge biasing force to a tape to precisely position the tape as it passes a read/write head in the tape transport, the fixture comprising:
- (a) a base assembly including
- i) a pressure plate defining a substantially flat first surface, said pressure plate having a plurality of pressure ports disposed in said first surface,
- ii) a vacuum block defining second and third substantially flat, opposed surfaces, said second surface configured to couple with said first surface of said pressure plate, said vacuum plate having a plurality of pneumatic cylinders passing from said second surface through said vacuum block to said third surface and a plurality of vacuum ports disposed in said third surface, each pneumatic cylinder being configured to align with a corresponding one of said pressure ports of said pressure plate, each said vacuum port being positioned adjacent a corresponding pneumatic cylinder,
- iii) a plurality of pneumatic pistons, each piston being mounted in a corresponding pneumatic cylinder of said vacuum block, and
- iv) a button template mounted to said third surface of said vacuum block, said template including a plurality of button cavities, each button cavity configured to align one of the plurality of guide buttons with a corresponding vacuum port adjacent a corresponding pneumatic cylinder and piston;
- (b) means for securing the spring assembly to the base assembly so that each cantilever spring element aligns with a corresponding button cavity and a corresponding pneumatic piston;
- (c) means for coupling said vacuum block with a vacuum source and for creating a vacuum in each of said vacuum ports to secure a button in each button cavity; and
- (d) means for receiving a pressurized fluid from a pressure source and for providing said pressurized fluid to each of said plurality of pressure ports to provide a biasing force via each piston to each spring element.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/122,307, filed Sep. 17, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,922.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Research Disclosure, "Crossbar Complaint Guide", Kenneth Mason Publications, No. 339, Jul. 1992. |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
122307 |
Sep 1993 |
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