A linear-type tape transport includes a pair of air bearings on each side of a transducer when viewed in reference to the tape transport direction. Each air bearing includes a housing and a bear member formed of a porous material. The housing and the bearing member form a plenum connectable to a pressurized air source such that air flow through the porous material creates an air cushion to support a tape medium during transport. The porous material is preferably a ceramic that is between two and fifty percent open. The bearing member has a datum face with the bearing surface thereof being planar and at a small obtuse angle to the datum face thereby to automatically urge an edge of the tape against the datum face. The housing is preferably U-shaped in cross-section with an arcuate bottom and parallel sidewalls.

Magnetic tape apparatus is disclosed herein and comprises a drum, structure for supporting and rotating the drum, at least one transducer extending past the surface of the drum adapted to rotate with the drum and move parallel to the axis of the drum and a leader for presenting the tape to the drum. The apparatus includes a take-up reel and structure for receiving and driving a supply reel. A leader is provided which extends from the take-up reel to the inserted supply reel to engage and thread the tape over the drum to the take-up reel.

A magnetic tape apparatus is disclosed herein and comprises a drum, means for supporting and rotating the drum, at least one transducer extending past the surface of said drum adapted to rotate therewith in a given plane, and means for presenting tape to said drum with its longitudinal axis parallel to said plane. Means are also provided adjacent the transducer for venting air from the air cushion between the rotating drum and the tape at the region of the transducer to bring the tape closer to the face of the transducer and at least one groove formed on the face of the transducer is used for venting air from the cushion between the transducer and tape.

A tape apparatus for recording and reproducing on a magnetic tape longitudinally disposed blocks of parallel multiple tracks of predetermined length. The apparatus includes a rotating drum and means for presenting predetermined lengths of tape to said drum. The rotating drum supports the tape upon a self-generating air bearing. Magnetic heads extend through the drum to rotate with the drum and cooperate with the tape to record and reproduce longitudinal tracks on the tape. The heads are movable longitudinally along the drum to record a plurality of adjacent longitudinal tracks. The tape is maintained under predetermined tension to maintain a constant air cushion between the tape and drum.

A magnetic tape apparatus is disclosed in which the tape is held stationary on the surface of a drum while the drum is rotated at a high velocity, thereby providing an air bearing for supporting the tape adjacent a rotating recording head. The tape is spaced from the drum because of an air bearing. To minimize the gap between drum and tape, grooves or notches are formed in the transducer head to cause the tape to cup or deflect down toward the head in the area of the transducer. The transducer heads in a multiple transducer arrangement are especially mounted on a parallelogram-shaped brace arrangement to eliminate undesirable lateral deflection of the heads during recording.