A transducer head assembly used in a read/write recording apparatus employs an
air bearing that supports a carriage on an air cushion for reciprocal motion. The
carriage supports a transducer and is moved by a drive in order to read or write
on a track located on a storage tape. The bearing and the carriage may be mutually
keyed to prevent relative rotation. The air bearing is shown to be a porous ceramic
material such as alumina. The bearing may be triangular in cross-section, and the
carriage may be a triangular frame telescopically received on the bearing. The
drive may be a conductive coil that interacts with a magnet on the carriage. A
dual air bearing and dual carriages is disclosed to support a pair of transducers.
A method of supporting and moving a transducer implements the steps of this structure.
