Digital compact disc sleeving and disc and sleeve serializing method and apparatus

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed endless belts extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station including:
• a sleeve support generally underlying and parallel to the belts of the conveyor,
• a pair of sets of belt guides supported on opposite sides of the sleeve support, one connected to each of the belts of the pair, and moveable toward and away from each other and the sleeve support,
• a pair of chucks positioned on opposite sides of the sleeve support and linked to the belt guides to move therewith, as the guides move apart, first toward and into engagement with a sleeve on the sleeve support and then apart to open the sleeve;
• and
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a polycarbonate plastic digital compact disc marking device comprising a neodymium YAG laser operable to generate a steerable beam of light to permanently produce a virtually continuous opaque marking in three dimensions in the polycarbonate material;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the laser disc marking device, the sleeve labeling device;
• the sleeve conveyor;
• the sleeve feeder;
• the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed endless belts extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• and
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station comprising a vertically moveable platform member and a transfer arm pivotally mounted to the platform member and having a disc holder rotatably mounted thereon, the platform member including a first actuator operable to lower the platform member and thereby the disc holder to pick up a disc from a disc holder of the disc transport, and the transfer arm having a second actuator to rotate the arm through an angle of more than 90.degree., the disc holder being linked to the transfer arm to rotate oppositely of the arm from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation in a vertical plane above the open edge of the sleeve.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed generally non-stretchable fixed length endless belts extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a conveyor drive operative to respond to digital signals from a controller to simultaneously move the belts in incremental steps to shift sleeves through a series of fixed sleeve positions along the path at the sleeve labeling device and at the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station;
• and
• a controller connected to deliver digital control signals to the laser disc marking device, the sleeve labeling device;
• the sleeve conveyor drive, the sleeve feeder, the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed generally non-stretchable fixed length endless belts extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• the sleeve conveyor includes a pair of opposed belt guides at an end of the belts adjacent the sleeve feeder, the guides being moveable toward and away from each other, the sleeve conveyor further including a stop moveable in synchronism with the guides to block the path when the guides are apart and out of the path when the guides are together;
• and
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor to feed sleeves onto the conveyor against the stop when the guides are apart;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• and
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station;
• and
• a controller connected to deliver digital control signals to the laser disc marking device, the sleeve labeling device, the sleeve conveyor, the sleeve feeder, the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station, the disc transport including:
• a transfer arm mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, the arm having a disc pickup head thereon spaced from the axis and moveable between two disc positions when the arm is rotated;
• a pneumatic vertical actuator linked to the arm and responsive to a control signal to translate the arm between an upper position and a lower position on the axis to pickup and deposit a disc at one of the disc positions;
• and
• an electric stepper motor linked to the arm and responsive to a control signal to accelerate, rotate, and decelerate the arm in a programmed rotational motion about the axis to move the disc between the two disc positions;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the laser disc marking device, the sleeve labeling device, the sleeve conveyor, the sleeve feeder, the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

An apparatus for serializing compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, for correspondingly serializing sleeves therefor, and for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a laser disc marking device;
• a sleeve labeling device;
• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a sleeve feeder proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor;
• a disc transport having a plurality of disc holders thereon moveable to and from the laser disc marking device and the loading station, the disc transport including:
• a spindle transport and an individual disc transport,
• a spindle support surface,
• an elevator fixed adjacent the spindle transport and operable to lift a stack of discs, on a spindle having a circular base standing upon the spindle support surface, to a fixed vertical position for transfer to the individual disc transport, and
• a recessed area on the spindle support surface conforming generally to the shape and dimensions of the base of the spindle to thereby prevent irregularities in the periphery of the base of the spindle from affecting a deviation of the spindle from a vertical orientation;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the laser disc marking device, the sleeve labeling device, the sleeve conveyor, the sleeve feeder, the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

A method of serially marking compact discs having optically readable digital information recorded thereon, of correspondingly marking sleeves for such discs and of inserting the serially marked discs into respective and corresponding ones of the correspondingly marked sleeves, comprising the steps of:

• sequentially transporting a plurality of sleeves each through a plurality of sleeve positions from a supply thereof to a labeling station, then to a loading station;
• sequentially transporting a plurality of compact discs which each have recorded thereon a copy of a digital information product, each through a plurality of disc positions from a supply thereof to a marking station, then to the loading station;
• sequentially directing a laser beam onto each of the plurality of discs at the marking station and with the laser beam marking each with a unique serial marking;
• sequentially marking each of a plurality of compact disc sleeves at the labeling station, with a unique serial marking corresponding to a unique serial marking with which a disc is marked;
• asynchronously controlling the transporting and marking of the sleeves and discs so as to allow either to arrive at the loading station as fast as it can be marked and transported;
• simultaneously opening a plurality of marked sleeves at the loading station;
• simultaneously inserting a plurality of marked discs into a corresponding plurality of open sleeves at the loading station;
• tracking in a digital memory each of the unique serial markings on sleeves and on discs through each of the respective sleeve and disc positions;
• and
• correlating with a programmed digital controller the operation of the loading station with the tracked markings such that each uniquely marked disc is inserted into a correspondingly uniquely marked sleeve.

An apparatus for inserting discs each into a sleeve, comprising:

• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed endless belts extending along a path to the loading station;
• a disc transport having a disc holder thereon moveable to and from loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station including:
• a sleeve support generally underlying and parallel to the belts of the conveyor,
• a pair of sets of belt guides supported on opposite sides of the sleeve support, one connected to each of the belts of the pair, and moveable toward and away from each other and the sleeve support,
• a pair of chucks positioned on opposite sides of the sleeve support and linked to the belt guides to move therewith, as the guides move apart, first toward and into engagement with a sleeve on the sleeve support and then apart to open the sleeve;
• and
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station.

A method of permanently marking compact discs that are formed of a polycarbonate plastic material, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a neodymium YAG laser device operable to generate a steerable beam of light that is effective to permanently produce a virtually continuous opaque marking in three dimensions through a thickness of polycarbonate material;
• providing a disc transport having a disc holder thereon moveable to and from the laser device and operable to transport a disc to and from the device;
• transporting, with the disc transport, a polycarbonate compact disc having digital information recorded thereon to the laser device by holding the disc in the disc holder and moving the disc holder to the device;
• and
• operating the laser device, by directing, focusing and steering the beam of light along the pollycarbonate compact disc in the holder at the device, to produce a permanent three dimensional marking through the thickness of the disc.

An apparatus for inserting the serialized discs each into a correspondingly serialized sleeve, comprising:

• a loading station;
• a sleeve conveyor extending along a path to the loading station;
• a disc transport having a disc holder thereon moveable to and from the loading station;
• a sleeve opening device at the loading station;
• and
• a disc-to-sleeve inserting unit at the loading station comprising a vertically moveable platform member and a transfer arm pivotally mounted to the platform member and having a disc holder rotatably mounted thereon, the platform member including a first actuator operable to lower the platform member and thereby the disc holder to pick up a disc from a disc holder of the disc transport, and the transfer arm having a second actuator to rotate the arm through an angle of more than 90.degree., the disc holder being linked to the transfer arm to rotate oppositely of the arm from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation in a vertical plane above the open edge of the sleeve.

An apparatus for transporting differently marked sleeves for the inserting, at a loading station, of uniquely corresponding discs from a disc transport having a disc holder thereon moveable to and from the loading station having a sleeve opening device and a disc inserting device thereat comprising:

• a sleeve conveyor formed of a pair of opposed generally non-stretchable fixed length endless belts extending along a path through the sleeve labeling device and to the loading station;
• a conveyor drive operative to respond to digital signals from a controller to simultaneously move the belts in incremental steps to shift sleeves through a series of fixed sleeve positions along the path at the loading station;
• a memory for storing information identifying each of the sleeves on the conveyor and each of the discs on the transport;
• a controller connected to deliver digital control signals to and from the memory, the sleeve conveyor drive, the sleeve feeder, the disc transport, the sleeve opening device and the disc-to-sleeve inserting device and programmed to coordinate the insertion of serialized discs into correspondingly serialized sleeves.

An apparatus for placing sleeves at precise relative positions on a conveyor formed of a pair of opposed belts extending along a path comprising:

• a sleeve feeder;
• a pair of opposed belt guides located at an end of the belts adjacent the sleeve feeder, the guides being moveable toward and away from each other to move the belts at the end therewith, the sleeve conveyor further including a stop moveable in synchronism with the guides to block the path when the guides are apart and out of the path when the guides are together;
• and
• the sleeve feeder being proximate the conveyor and directed onto the conveyor to feed sleeves onto the conveyor against the stop when the guides are apart;
• and
• a controller connected to deliver digital control signals to the sleeve conveyor, the belt guides and the sleeve feeder and programmed to coordinate the feeding of sleeves onto the conveyor, the gripping of sleeves at the end between the belts of the conveyor, and the advancing of the conveyor so as to control the spacing of sleeves along the conveyor.

An apparatus for transporting compact discs comprising:

• a disc transport having a disc holder thereon:
• a transfer arm mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, the arm having a disc pickup head thereon spaced from the axis and moveable between two disc positions when the arm is rotated;
• a pneumatic vertical actuator linked to the arm and responsive to a control signal to translate the arm between an upper position and a lower position on the axis to pickup and deposit a disc at one of the disc positions;
• and
• an electric stepper motor linked to the arm and responsive to a control signal to accelerate, rotate, and decelerate the arm in a programmed rotational motion about the axis to move the disc pickup between the two disc positions.

An apparatus for transporting spindles of compact discs and transferring discs between the spindles and a disc transport having a disc holder thereon comprising:

• a spindle transport and an individual disc transport,
• a spindle support surface,
• an elevator fixed adjacent the spindle transport and operable to lift a stack of discs, on a spindle having a circular base standing upon the spindle support surface, to a fixed vertical position for transfer to the individual disc transport, and
• a recessed area on the spindle support surface conforming generally to the shape and dimensions of the base of the spindle to thereby prevent irregularities in the periphery of the base of the spindle from affecting a deviation of the spindle from a vertical orientation.