Means for registering a compact disc for the silk-screen printing thereof

Registration apparatus for the centering of a disc-like member of predetermined diameter in a fixture therefor, said fixture being defined by a top horizontally disposed planar surface and an annular-shaped well of predetermined inner and outer diameters extending inwardly from said top surface and terminating in an annular-shaped horizontally disposed bottom surface defined by a plane parallel to said top surface of the fixture, said well being further defined by a centrally disposed annular-shaped body member concentric to said annular-shaped well and defined by a top planar surface in which is provided a centrally disposed vertically upright circular-shaped elongated opening, said registration apparatus comprising:

• (a). an elongated circular-shaped registration pin of predetermined diameter concentric to said well and defined by a top end and a bottom end, said bottom end being defined by a horizontally disposed planar surface, and said top end of the registration pin being defined by a planar, circular-shaped surface parallel to the bottom end planar surface and defining a circular-shaped periphery concentric to the circular-shaped registration pin;
• (b). a circular-shaped pin base member of predetermined diameter concentric to said well and defined by horizontally disposed, parallel top and bottom planar surfaces supporting the elongated registration pin in vertically upright manner, said registration pin being fixedly secured at its planar bottom end to the top surface of the pin base member and being located centrally thereon;
• (c). a circular-shaped docking base defined by a top planar surface supporting the bottom surface of the pin base member, said pin base member being centrally disposed on the docking base, the registration pin, pin base member and docking base being located on and defining a vertically upwardly extending centerline;
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• (d). magnet means being provided in said docking base and extending inwardly from the top surface thereof for releasably holding the pin base member in supporting contact with the docking base.

In apparatus for the silk-screen printing of a plurality of compact discs one-at-a-time in predetermined timed sequence comprising in combination a horizontally disposed annular-shaped member rotatable about a center point defined by predetermined inner and outer diameters and having top and bottom planar parallel surfaces for transport of a plurality of compact discs in predetermined spaced-apart locations on the top surface of the rotatable member in a circular-defined path to and through at least one predetermined work station at least one of which stations is a silk-screen printer, a compact disc fixture being provided on the top planar surface of said annular-shaped rotatable member at each of the predetermined spaced-apart locations for such compact discs, each disc fixture being defined by top and bottom planar parallel spaced-apart surfaces, a horizontally disposed circular-shaped well defined by a vertically disposed circular-shaped peripheral surface having its top edge terminating in the top planar surface of the disc fixture and its bottom edge in a horizontally disposed bottom planar surface for receiving and supporting a compact disc in horizontal disposition the diameter of said well being only slightly larger than that of a compact disc, means for providing vacuum being operatively associated with said transport member for providing vacuum independently to each said compact disc fixture for holding of each said compact disc on said rotatable annular-shaped member while the disc is being transported from a loading position to an off-loading position in the circular-defined path, an annular-shaped horizontally disposed support member being defined by predetermined inner and outer diameters and having a center concentric with that of the said annular-shaped rotatable member and defining a planar top surface, said support member being fixed relative to said rotatable member and having an outer diameter such that the support member overlaps a portion of the said rotatable annular-shaped member inwardly from the inner diameter of the rotatable member, said support member being in and defining a horizontally disposed plane above and parallel to that defined by the said rotatable member, at least one silk-screen printer unit being located on and supported by said support member comprising a horizontally disposed screen frame extending outwardly from said printer unit and overlying said annular-shaped rotatable member at its outer peripheral edge, said screen frame being defined by a middle line dividing said screen frame in half, said middle line lying on a radius defined by said support member and being in the same vertical plane and coincident with the middle line defined by a compact disc location when such a location is located directly below a screen of the screen frame, and a squeegee being provided in operative association with said silk-screen frame which operates by stroking radially inwardly toward the center of the support member and outwardly away from the center, the improvement comprising in combination a single registration means for registering each compact disc as it is being loaded into the fixture therefor, said registration means being located below the bottom surface of the annular-shaped rotatable member and comprising a vertically upright elongated registration pin defined by a top rounded end and a bottom end, a pin base member being defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, said pin bottom end being fixedly connected to the pin base member at said top surface for holding said pin in vertically upright manner, a docking base defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, said pin base member being supported by and releasably held on the top surface of the docking base and means operatively associated with the bottom surface of the docking base capable of being raised vertically upwardly and downwardly a predetermined distance and for raising the registration pin vertically upwardly and then downwardly a predetermined distance.

Registration apparatus for providing a small disc-like member defined by a centrally disposed opening therein in registration on a horizontally disposed transport member prior to the performing of work on the disc-like member, said apparatus comprising an elongated registration pin defined by a rounded top end and a bottom end, a pin base member defined by a top surface supporting the registration pin at its bottom end whereby the registration pin is disposed in vertical, upright disposition, the bottom end of the registration pin being fixedly connected to the pin base member, said pin base member being further defined by a planar horizontally disposed bottom surface, and a docking base supporting the pin base member being defined by top and bottom surfaces parallel to one another and to the bottom surface of the pin base member, at least one of the pin base member and the docking base comprising a magnet and the other magnetic material, said docking base being detachably connected to the pin base member and being capable of being raised vertically upwardly and downwardly in a predetermined manner for raising and lowering of the registration pin, and means for raising the docking base vertically upwardly a predetermined distance whereby said top end of the registration pin intrudes into the centrally disposed opening when the disc-like member is being loaded onto the transport member to cause said disc-like member to be registered and then to retract the registration pin vertically downwardly so as to clear the centrally disposed opening.

Registration apparatus for registering a disc-like member of predetermined diameter in anticipation of performing work thereon, said disc-like member being defined by top and bottom planar surfaces and a centerhole of predetermined diameter, said registration apparatus comprising:

• (a). an elongated, circular-shaped registration pin of predetermined diameter less than that of the centerhole and defined by a top end and a bottom end;
• (b). a pin base member supporting the registration pin in vertically upright manner, said pin base member being defined by top and bottom surfaces, the bottom end of the registration pin being fixedly secured to the top surface of the pin base member;
• (c). a docking base defined by top and bottom planar parallel surfaces supporting the pin base member on the top surface of the docking base, and being capable of vertical up and down movement;
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• (d). means for raising the docking base vertically upwardly a predetermined distance whereby to cause the top end of the registration pin to intrude into the centerhole of the disc-like member whereby said disc-like member will be registered for subsequent work thereon, and then retracting the registration pin vertically downwardly a predetermined distance,
• said pin base member and said docking base each comprising magnet means whereby the pin base member is attracted to and releasably held in contact with the docking base.

Apparatus for centering a disc-like member defined by a centerhole and having a predetermined diameter in a fixture which is defined by a top planar surface and which comprises an annular-shaped well in its top surface, said fixture holding and supporting the disc-like member in a horizontal disposition comprising:

• (a). an elongated circular-shaped registration pin defined by a top end and a bottom end, said registration pin being of a somewhat lesser predetermined diameter than the diameter of the centerhole of the disc-like member;
• (b). a pin base member defined by a top surface and a bottom surface for supporting the elongated registration pin in a vertically upright disposition, the bottom end of the registration pin being secured to the top surface of the pin base member, said pin base member comprising a first portion located to one side of the bottom end of the registration pin where such is secured to the pin base member, said first portion being of magnetic material, and a second portion located to that side of the registration pin where such is not secured to the pin base member, said second portion of the pin base member being of magnetized material of a predetermined holding force whereby the first portion of the pin base member to which the bottom end of the registration pin is secured is releasably held to the second portion of the pin base member;
• (c). a docking base for the pin base member defined by top and bottom horizontally disposed, planar surfaces, the top surface supporting the bottom surface of the pin base member;
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• (d). means for causing the docking base to be raised vertically upwardly a predetermined distance whereby the top end of the elongated registration pin intrudes into the centerhole of the disc-like member and to be retracted vertically downwardly a predetermined distance whereby to be clear of the centerhole.

In apparatus for the printing of a plurality of compact discs one-at-a-time in predetermined timed sequence comprising in combination a horizontally disposed transport member defined by top and bottom planar parallel surfaces for transport of a plurality of compact discs in predetermined spaced-apart locations on said top surface to and through at least one predetermined work stations at least one of which stations comprises a printing head, a horizontally disposed support member in fixed location relative to the transport member for the compact discs being defined by a planar top surface, a portion of the said support member being in and defining a horizontally disposed plane above and parallel to that defined by the transport member for the compact discs;

• the said at least one printing head being located on and supported by said support member, the improvement comprising in combination a single registration means for registering each compact disc as it is being loaded onto the transport member, said registration means being located below the bottom surface of the transport member and comprising a vertically upright elongated registration pin defined by a top rounded end and a bottom end, a pin base member being defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, said pin bottom end being fixedly connected to the pin base member at said top surface and holding said pin in vertically upright manner, a docking base defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, said pin base member being supported by the top surface of the docking base, and means operatively associated with the bottom surface of the docking base capable of raising the docking base vertically upwardly and then retracting such vertically downwardly a predetermined distance whereby the registration pin is raised vertically upwardly and then retracted downwardly a predetermined distance.