Method for singulating a disk

A method for discharging a disk from the bottom of a stack of aligned disks which is supported in a disk receiving opening, each disk having an outer peripheral edge, the method comprising:

• engaging the outer peripheral edge on one side of the disk positioned at the bottom of the stack of disks so as to move the bottom disk laterally relative to the remainder of the disks in the stack in a first direction so that the engaged side of the disk is moved to a non-supported position while the opposite side of the bottom disk remains supported in the disk receiving opening;
• simultaneously sliding a support surface beneath at least a portion of the adjacently disposed disk to support the remainder of the stack of disks;
• engaging the outer peripheral edge on an opposite side of the disk positioned at the bottom of the stack of disks so as to move the bottom disk laterally relative to the remainder of the disks in the stack in a second direction, opposite the first direction, so that the engaged opposite side of the disk is moved to a non-supported position thereby permitting the bottom disk to gravitate away from its position at the bottom of the stack of disks;
• and
• simultaneously sliding another support surface beneath at least a portion of the adjacently disposed disk to support the remainder of the stack of disks.