Robotic disk handler system

A plug insertion and plug removal system for a disk having a central aperture in which a two-section plug extends through said aperture, said system further comprising:

• first means at a plugging station for insertion of said plug into a central aperture of a blank disk;
• second means for transporting said blank disk and inserted plug to and from a disk mounting station;
• third means at an unplugging station for receiving a disk and inserted plug from said disk mounting station and for removing said plug from a processed disk;
• and
• fourth means for returning a removed plug to said plugging station for insertion of said plug into another blank disk.

The method of loading a series of disks into a disk carrier panel comprising:

• providing a panel having a series of disk-holding apertures;
• providing a first cassette of blank disks, each disk having a central aperture;
• ejecting a blank disk from said first cassette;
• manipulating at least one robotic arm to grasp, mount and insert a central plug into said blank disk's central aperture;
• transporting said blank disk and plug by said at least one robotic arm to said panel and mounting said blank disk and plug in one of said disk-holding apertures;
• moving said at least one robotic arm to another of said disk-holding apertures in said panel to grasp a processed disk and plug mounted in said panel;
• transporting said grasped processed disk and plug by said at least one robotic arm to a position
• adjacent a second cassette;
• removing said plug from said processed disk;
• and
• returning said removed plug to a position adjacent said first cassette for reinserting said plug into another blank disk ejected from said first cassette.

A robotic disk handler system comprising:

• a flat carrier panel;
• a series of circular apertures extending through said carrier panel for mounting a series of circular blank computer memory disks in said carrier panel for processing, each of said disks having a central aperture;
• disk cassette means for holding unprocessed blank disks and for receiving processed disks;
• first robotic arm means grippably holding said disk at said disk central aperture for transporting and inserting successive ones of said blank disks from said disk cassette means into said carrier panel;
• and
• means, including said first robotic arm means, for removing a processed disk from said carrier panel and transporting said processed disk to said disk cassette means.