Apparatus and method for attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand
View Patent ↗Apparatus for attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand includes a spindle having a fluid pressure port therethrough for delivery of fluid pressure. A spindle adapter is adapted to be attached to the spindle and for holding a disk. The spindle adapter has a piston movable therein to clamp a disk between the piston and an opposing surface in response to fluid pressure applied through the spindle fluid pressure port. A disk can be attached to the spindle by offering the disk up to the spindle adapter, and applying fluid pressure to the spindle fluid pressure port to cause the piston to clamp the disk against the opposing surface. The disk can then be spun up on the spindle.
1. Apparatus for attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand, the apparatus comprising:
a spindle having a fluid pressure port therethrough for delivery of fluid pressure;
a spindle adapter adapted to be attached to the spindle and for holding said disk, the spindle adapter having a piston movable therein to clamp said disk between the piston and an opposing surface in response to positive fluid pressure applied through the spindle positive fluid pressure port; and,
a fluid pressure controller configured to control the delivery of positive fluid pressure to the fluid pressure port in response to control signals, the fluid pressure controller being arranged to provide at least two different positive fluid pressures to achieve respective different clamping forces for clamping said disk.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opposing surface is a datum surface and wherein the surface of said disk that registers with the datum surface is the surface of said disk that is to be tested.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a cap, the cap being fittable to and removable from the spindle adapter to allow said disk to be positioned on or removed from the spindle adapter, the cap having a first surface portion for registering with a surface portion of the spindle adapter and a second surface portion providing the datum surface.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cap, the cap being fittable to and removable from the spindle adapter to allow said disk to be positioned on or removed from the spindle adapter, the cap providing the opposing surface.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the piston is annular.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the spindle is an inverted spindle.
7. A method of attaching a disk to a spindle of a spinstand, the spindle having a fluid pressure port therethrough for delivery of positive fluid pressure and having a spindle adapter attached thereto adapted for holding the disk, the spindle adapter having a piston movable therein to clamp the disk between the piston and an opposing surface in response to fluid pressure applied through the spindle fluid pressure port, the method comprising:
offering the disk up to the spindle adapter;
applying a positive fluid pressure to the spindle fluid pressure port to cause the piston to clamp the disk against the opposing surface;
spinning up said disk with the spindle; and,
applying a different positive fluid pressure to the specific fluid pressure port to cause the piston to clamp the disk against the opposing surface with a different clamping force.
8. A method according to claim 7 , comprising:
reducing the fluid pressure to a test fluid pressure when the disk has been spun up to a predetermined test speed; and,
reading from or writing to the disk with a read/write head when the disk is at the predetermined test speed.
9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the opposing surface is a datum surface, the method comprising:
reading from or writing to the surface of the disk that registers with the datum surface with a read/write head.
10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising providing a cap having a first surface portion for registering with a surface portion of the spindle adapter and a second surface portion providing the datum surface, wherein offering the disk up to the spindle adapter comprises:
positioning the disk on the cap;
moving the cap and disk to be in position opposing the spindle adapter;
offering the disk on the cap up to the spindle adapter; and,
fitting the cap to the spindle adapter so that the first surface portion registers with the surface portion of the spindle adapter and the second surface portion registers with the surface of the disk that is read from or written to.
11. A method according to claim 7 , comprising:
reducing the fluid pressure so as to allow the disk to move transversely relative to the opposing surface in response to an impulse force; and,
applying an impulse force to the disk to centre the disk relative to the spindle.
12. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the piston is annular.
13. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the spindle is an inverted spindle.