Data storage access mechanism

Claim 1

A TAPE STORAGE ARRANGEMENT INCLUDING: A PLURALITY OF SHORT LENGTHS OF TAPE STORED IN A GROUP IN FACE-TO-FACE RELATION WHEREIN THE TAPES ARE EACH PROVIDED WITH A TAB PORTION EXTENDING THEREFROM AND SEQUENTIALLY OFFSET FROM THE TAB PORTIONS OF THE OTHER TAPES FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST TAPE OF SAID GROUP; AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING TAPES ON BOTH SIDES OF A SELECTED TAPE AWAY FROM SAID SELECTED TAPE TO EXPOSE A SUBSTANTIAL SURFACE AREA OF THE SELECTED TAPE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING: A PAIR OF MEMBERS ARRANGED TO MOVE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANES OF SAID TAPES, SAID MEMBERS BEING SPACED APART IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THEIR DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT TO PROVIDE A GAP THEREBETWEEN, THE WIDTH OF SAID GAP BEING GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE TAB PORTION OF ANY ONE TAPE AND LESS THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN THE TAB PORTIONS OF THE TAPES ON EACH SIDE OF SAID ONE TAPE, THEREBY PROVIDING CLEARANCE FOR THE TAB PORTION OF ANY SELECTED TAPE; MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID MEMBERS TO ALIGN SAID GAP WITH THE ONE OF SAID TAB PORTIONS BELONGING TO SAID SELECTED TAPE; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MEMBERS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAB PORTIONS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SELECTED TAB PORTION TO DISPLACE THE TAPES ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID SELECTED TAPE AWAY FROM SAID SELECTED TAPE.