Rigid magnetic disc stacker

A stacking device for rigid discs having a circular interior aperture, said device comprising:

• a hollow elongate registry member having a cylindrical exterior surface with a diameter no greater than the interior diameter of the aperture of the discs and at least six circumferentially spaced axially elongate slots in the outer surface thereof;
• a pair of sets of three elongate rack members located in alternating slots in the registry member, each said rack member having a plurality of outwardly directed teeth, the rack members of one set, designated set A, being movable radially with respect to the registry member, and the rack members of the other set, designated set B, being movable both radially and axially with respect to the registry member;
• a rotatable and axially translatable central shaft within the registry member, said shaft having a cam surface bearing against the inside surfaces of the elongate rack members to control the radial positions of said rack members so that the rack members of set A are radially extended at one position of the central shaft with the rack members of set B recessed and vice versa, said shaft engaging the rack members of set A so that axial movement of the shaft causes corresponding axial movement of the rack members of set A;
• and
• means for rotating and translating the shaft to load discs by rotating the shaft to move the rack members of set A outwardly to receive a disc with set B recessed, translating the shaft to move set A downwardly carrying the received disc, rotating the shaft to move set B outwardly to receive the disc from set A as it moves inwardly, translating the shaft to move set A upwardly, and rotating the shaft to move set A outwardly to be in a position to receive the next disc and to take the disc previously received from set B as set B moves inwardly, and the process is repeated to load a plurality of discs and reversed to unload the discs.