HK1024675B - Labelling device for compact discs - Google Patents

Description

Labeling device for optical disk

Technical Field

The invention relates to a labeling device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a labeling apparatus for concentrically aligning a label with a disc, and more particularly, to an apparatus for aligning and attaching a label to an optical disc.

Background

Electro-optical storage devices currently include compact disc read-only memory devices (CD-ROMS) that store digital information, which may be audio or visual in nature, or both. CD-ROMS comprise a plastic or "glass" disk that is etched or cut so that when placed in a CD-ROM reader and rotated at high speed, the etched pattern can be identified by a laser or other scanning method.

Without some form of external marking, it is almost impossible to identify the nature or content of the information on a given CD-ROM.

Since the ability of a CD-ROM to faithfully reproduce the information contained thereon depends largely on the ability to put in a permanently robust high-speed rotating disk about its center, it must be carefully marked to minimize rotational disturbances.

The traditional ink-based marking method, in which ink is applied directly to a disc, necessitates the use of ink that can be held in place during prolonged high speed rotation. In addition, the ink must be non-damaging to the material of the disc. The use of conventional writing devices such as felt-tipped pens is often unsatisfactory because the ink can be fine and can separate from the disk and potentially become jammed in the mechanism of the disk reader. In addition, if these CD-ROMs are to be sold or used for commercial purposes, then marking in this manner will not have a specialized appearance.

Today there are printers that are particularly suitable for printing on optical discs. However, the cost of such presses is currently between 3000 pounds and 10,000 pounds, which is unacceptable to those who produce CD-ROMS in small quantities.

An alternative method of marking the disc directly with ink is to use a label, typically a self-adhesive label, which is then applied to the disc. In theory this seems to be a simple task, as the disc must be rotated at high speed, the labels have to be applied in a way that does not affect the overall balance of the disc. In particular, the center of balance of the disc must be maintained at its geometric center. Labels that are not concentrically affixed to the disc, such as "half moon" or half-ring labels, have failed and are nearly useless.

A known device for applying self-adhesive labels to optical discs comprises a first part having a cylindrical body with a slightly convex outer surface near one end, a central aperture of which corresponds approximately to the size of the central aperture of the label, and a second part having a plunger comprising a first portion of diameter approximately that of the aperture of the first part and a second portion of diameter approximately equal to that of the central aperture of the optical disc. The first and second portions together form a shoulder on which the optical disc sits.

In use, the operator must first place an adhesive label on the first component with the adhesive surface facing most upwardly. The tag hole is then aligned with the central hole in the end face of the post. This step alone is difficult because the label tends to stick to the operator's hand and the optical disc is pressed onto the label off-center when the operator is not removing the hand. And the label is easy to roll up when the operator does not hold the label down.

The optical disc held on the plunger shoulder may be depressed onto the label once the label is in its desired position on the first member. To achieve the desired concentric alignment between the label and the disc, the disc must be pressed tightly against the shoulder while the first portion of the plunger is pushed through the hole in the alignment of the first member and the label. Since the surface of the label and the first part on which the optical disc is pressed is not planar, care must be taken to ensure that no air bubbles are present between the label and the disc, as such air bubbles are not only invisible but also create balancing problems in the CD-ROM reader.

It is therefore clear that such known devices depend on the skill and manual dexterity of the operator to obtain the correct centring of the label and the optical disc. Moreover, this device is ready to be applied, depending on the operator being sufficiently well organized to bring the two parts in close proximity.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the above problems, allows reliable alignment of the label and disk and substantially eliminates the chance of operator error.

The present invention therefore provides an apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc;

(iii) support means adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning member towards the upper surface of the support member to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support means is adapted to move from a first position in which the disc is supported in spaced relation to the upper surface to a second position in which the disc is brought into contact with the label supported on the upper surface; and

(iv) one or more leaf spring members for urging the support means from the second position to the first position.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having an upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc; and

(iii) a support adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning element towards the upper surface of the support to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support comprises a cylindrical body having a central aperture through which the disc positioning element extends, and an upper end having a support surface for the disc, wherein an outer circumference of the cylindrical body is provided with one or more outwardly biased projections.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc; and

(iii) a support adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning member towards the upper surface of the support member to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support member is provided with at least one aperture in the upper surface through which the disc positioning member extends and into which the support member is retracted, and wherein the support member comprises a plurality of bearings, wherein the bearings in a first position protrude through the one or more openings provided in the upper surface of the member to support the disc in spaced relation to the label on the upper surface, and in a second position are flush with or below the upper surface to affix the disc to the label.

According to the present invention, the disc positioning member and the supporting means keep the label and the disc concentrically aligned with each other, so that there is no need to rely on the skill of the operator. Furthermore, the invention can be implemented in a simple manner by producing a hand-held or table-top labelling device.

In a preferred embodiment, the support is provided with at least one opening in its surface through which the disc positioning element extends. Furthermore, the support means may be movable from a first position for supporting the disc in spaced relation relative to the label to a second position for its being flush with or below the upper surface, preferably through an opening provided in the upper surface.

For convenience, and in particular to ensure that the device is always ready for the next operation, the support means is preferably adapted to automatically return to the first position after use. This can be achieved by resiliently mounting the support means to the device.

Typically, the upper surface of the label is provided with an adhesive so that when the lower surface of the disc is brought into contact with the label, the label adheres to the disc. The resilient bias then returns the support means to its first position when the pressure acting downwardly on the disc is removed after the disc has been brought into contact with the label. In this way, the labelled disc is lifted and can be removed from the device.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the support means comprises a substantially cylindrical column having a central aperture through which the disc positioning element extends. In use the upper end surface of the cylindrical body provides a bearing surface for the disc and the cylindrical body is adapted to reciprocate along the disc positioning member to move between the first and second positions.

More specifically, the cylindrical body has an outer peripheral surface that is adjacent to the peripheral surface of the central aperture of the label, such that the cylindrical body maintains the label concentrically aligned with the disk, while the disk itself is maintained by the disk positioning member through its central aperture.

The cylindrical body may comprise a solid body about a central aperture or preferably comprises a substantially hollow body, preferably with an inner wall to provide the central aperture.

The cylinder is preferably mounted to remain on the device in its uppermost position in use. This is most conveniently achieved by providing a flange which in use points outwardly from its lower end and which has a diameter greater than that of the opening through which it projects in its first position.

In order to return the cylinder to its first position for convenient use, the cylinder may be mounted on a spring, preferably a compression spring, which urges the cylinder from its second position back to its first position. Such a spring may conveniently be at least partially housed in a recess formed by the hollow body when the cylindrical body is substantially hollow.

It will be appreciated that the circumference of the cylindrical body must be at least partially smaller than the opening in the upper surface and above which the cylindrical body projects in its first position so that the cylindrical body can move smoothly above it between its first and second positions. However, to eliminate any "play" in the device which would otherwise misalign the label portion with the disc, the cylinder is preferably provided with one or more outwardly projecting tabs on its outer periphery which hold the label in place as the cylinder lowers the or each tab as the support moves from its first position to its second position.

The free end of the one or more projections is preferably flush with the upper end face of the cylinder when the cylinder reaches the second position. In this manner, the label is held in place by the projection or projections until the disc contacts the label.

Moreover, as the one or more projections spring outwardly, the one or more projections act as a resilient biasing member to lift the support means supporting the labelled disc from the upper surface of the support so that it can be easily removed and the apparatus conveniently used for the next operation.

The one or more projections may be provided with an outward projection at the free end thereof. This projection presses on the upper surface of the label but does not come into contact with it when the label is in place on the support. It will be appreciated that the labels most commonly used are self-adhesive and that the projections may assist in preventing the labels from being inadvertently lifted from the device and removed when the backing or release layer is removed.

Although the one or more projections described above may each comprise a separate member attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical body, it is preferred that they be formed integrally with the cylindrical body, for example by cutting away the outer wall of the cylindrical body to form the projection profiles and then flaring them outwardly. It will be appreciated that in the latter case the cylinder may be made of a material which is inherently resilient and which can be deformed after cutting so that the projections spring outwardly.

According to an alternative embodiment, the bearing means may comprise a plurality of bearings which in a first position project through openings in the upper surface of the support to support the disc in spaced relation to the label on the upper surface and in a second position they are flush with or below the upper surface to apply the disc to the label. Preferably, the one or more supports are each adapted to hold the label on the upper surface concentrically aligned with the disc on the disc positioning member.

Expressed in another way, a labeling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes:

(i) a member having an upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disk positioning member extending above the upper surface to hold the disk through a central aperture thereof;

(iii) a plurality of bearings adapted to extend from the bearings through one or more openings provided in the upper surface to support the disc in spaced relation relative to the disc and to move the disc to a second position on the label by maintaining the label in concentric alignment with the disc in a first position below the upper surface of the support retraction support.

To keep the device ready for use, the bearing is preferably mounted on resilient support means which in its normal or "rest" condition urges the bearing out of one or more openings in the upper surface of the support.

The retraction of the support can thus be obtained by applying pressure from above against the elastic force, so that the disk can be lowered towards the disk held in the upper surface by the support. In this way, it will be understood that the support acts to hold the label in the correct position on the upper surface until the support is fully retracted to the point where the disc supported on the support comes into contact with the label and is therefore applied to the label.

In its first position, the support preferably extends through the central aperture of the label when the label is placed on the upper surface and maintains the label in concentric alignment with the disc held by the disc positioning element. In particular, the support is preferably positioned to extend radially from the disc positioning member to extend beyond the aperture of the label and contact the label around the aperture.

For most purposes the central holes of the label and disc are circular, in which case the supports are preferably provided in a circumferential shape so that they contact or secure the label around its inner periphery.

The number of supports included in the device is not critical. A minimum of two is sufficient to clamp the label in place and depending on the contact area with the disc may be sufficient to hold the disc firmly above the label before lowering the disc on the label.

It is preferred that more than two bearings be provided to provide greater certainty that the label will be accurately located on the upper surface and at the same time provide better support for the disc. Thus three bearings are better than two and four is the optimum number. More than four supports would be less profitable as the advantages would be offset by increased tooling costs.

The resilient support means may be formed separately from the bearing or may be formed integrally therewith. For example, the resilient support means may comprise one or more spring members extending in a vertical direction from below the upper surface of the support member, in which case the bearing at the uppermost end of the one or more springs simply moves up and down between its first and second positions. In order to ensure that the supports return to their first position after each operation, they are preferably supported on compression springs.

More specifically, however, these bearings are supported on resilient support arms that extend in substantially horizontal relation to a support member, which in its preferred form comprises a plate member. According to this arrangement, the supports are typically supported at an angle, preferably perpendicular to the arms so that they project upwardly through one or more openings in the upper surface of the plate member.

Furthermore, to further ensure that the label is held in place when the support is lowered, it is preferred that the resilient arm extends radially towards the disc positioning member so that its free end is closest to the disc positioning member. Here, when the support is lowered, there is not only a vertical component of this movement, but also an inward horizontal component. This inward movement keeps the support in contact with the label around its inner periphery until the support is fully retracted, at which stage the support is arranged to release the label and can be freely disengaged from the tray.

The one or more resilient arms may each preferably comprise a leaf spring or cantilever spring secured at one end by one or more bearings, each bearing being located at or towards the free or distal end. Preferably, the one or more resilient arms are integrally formed with the support member.

To provide an improved support surface for the disc, the uppermost surface of each bearing may be provided with a flange or shoulder, e.g. in the form of a projection, rim or boss. Preferably, the flange extends substantially horizontally so that when the label is positioned above the support the flange is above but not in contact with the uppermost surface of the label. In this way, the label is effectively prevented from being unintentionally removed from the device while waiting for the disc to be placed on the positioning member. This is particularly useful when, for example, the label is a self-adhesive label and has its release layer mounted on the support while still in place. When the release layer is peeled off, the label will tend to lift upwards, but the flange will assist in retaining the label on the device.

Since some labels curl when their release layer is removed, the provision of a flange on each support also serves to hold the label substantially flat on the support.

A further advantage of providing horizontally extending resilient support arms is that they can be cut or formed from a unitary piece of resilient material. In a particular embodiment, the one or more resilient arms may each be integrally formed with the plate member constituting the support member. For example, the plate member itself may be formed of a resilient material, with the resilient arm or arms being formed by cutting a substantially U-shaped member into the plate member to form a free end on which a support may be formed and a fixed end adjacent the remainder of the plate member. Alternatively, the horizontally extending resilient arm may be formed from a single piece of material located beneath the plate member.

If the bearing comprising the flange member, when provided, is formed integrally with the resilient support member, they may conveniently be formed, for example by injection moulding, or by bending or turning the free end of the arm lever through a suitable angle, preferably about 90. In fact, in the latter case, the flange member may be formed by further rotating or bending the free end of the arm.

Although the support member is of sufficient thickness to accommodate the bearing in, for example, its second position, the one or more openings in the upper surface may comprise one or more recesses of sufficient depth to accommodate the bearing below the upper surface, preferably the one or more openings each comprise a hole extending through the thickness of the support member. In a preferred form the support member is in the form of a plate supported therebelow to provide a hollow region therebelow so that the support can be lowered unimpeded to its second position. With this arrangement, the plate acts as a label positioning platform.

When the support means comprise a support supported on a resilient arm formed from a piece of resilient material which does not form a plate, the piece can be conveniently secured between the plate and the support column, for example by adhesive means or by screws or the like. The position of the support itself is fixed in relation to the plate.

Ideally, the support is in the form of a plate supported on a column. The column may be open or closed at its bottom surface. Furthermore, although the column should be thick enough to accommodate a retracted support or cylinder or any other form of support means employed, it is preferred that the column be relatively "shallow", for example in the form of a collar, as this saves material and makes the device cheaper to manufacture.

As for the disk positioning member, it is preferable to use a rod or a column having a diameter substantially equal to that of the central hole of the disk. By this means, the disc can be accurately fixed in position concentrically with the label. The disc positioning element is preferably cylindrical. Moreover, the tray positioning member is typically fixed relative to the support so that the tray slides down the support when the tray is pressed down against a label on the upper surface of the support.

In order to easily pass the stem through the central hole of the disc by placing the disc on the stem, it is preferable to provide the stem with a tapered upper end.

In use, the label is located on the upper surface of the support before the disc is placed on the device. The positioning of the disk can be easily achieved by extending the disk positioning element over the support in the first, raised position. In this way the disc's hole can be centered with the disc positioning element and the disc can fall downwards until it reaches and rests on a bearing means, such as the upper end surface or bearing of the cylinder.

The disk positioning member may extend from the upper surface of the support member and may be integrally formed therewith. For example in this case. The support may extend over one or more openings in the upper surface to be equidistant from the disc positioning member to maintain the label in concentric alignment with the disc on the disc positioning member. Thus, the disc positioning element, the resilient arm, the support and the flange may be one part when provided.

Alternatively, the tray positioning member may extend upwardly through an opening therein, for example, from a position in or below the support member. In such an embodiment, the disk positioning member preferably extends through an opening in the plate member from a base plate attached to or integral with a post supporting the plate member. Furthermore, the opening in the plate member through which the disc positioning element extends preferably comprises a cylindrical body or the same opening through which the support protrudes.

Due to the latter arrangement, only one opening needs to be provided in the upper surface of the support. Typically, the disk positioner may extend through the center of the opening and the cylinder or bearing may extend through the opening concentrically around the disk positioner and adjacent the perimeter of the opening.

It will be appreciated that the horizontal distance between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the disc positioning element or support and disc positioning element may be determined according to the size of the label to be applied, and more specifically according to the diameter of the central hole of the label.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of applying labels to a disc using the apparatus described above.

Drawings

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a labeling apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are further cross-sectional views illustrating the device of FIG. 1 in first, intermediate and second positions, respectively, with the label and disc mounted thereon;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative device of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the device of FIG. 6 at an intermediate position, taken along line B-B;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a further alternative apparatus of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a perspective view through line C-C of the device of fig. 8 in an intermediate position.

Detailed Description

With reference to fig. 1, a labelling device 1 comprises a support 3 in the form of a plate having an upper surface 5. A rod-shaped disc positioning member 7 having a conical upper end 9 projects through a circular hole 11 in the upper surface 5 at a position concentrically aligned with the hole 11. Four supports 13 (one of which is stopped by the rod 7) project upwards through the holes 11 around its periphery. Each support 13 has a shoulder 15 at its respective upper end above the upper surface 5.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the device 1 along the line a-a showing the bearing 13 supported on the resilient support arm 17. The rod 7 extends from the base 19 of the device 1, the base 19 forming with the wall 21 and the plate 3 a cylinder with a hollow 23. The resilient support arm 17 adopts a substantially horizontal position in the "start" or "stop" mode of the device, with the bearing 13 projecting from the upper surface 5 for ready use. The resilient support arm 17 and the support 13 together act substantially as an L-shaped leaf spring.

In use, it can be seen from figure 3 that an adhesive label 25 having a central aperture is located on the upper surface 5 so as to be gripped by the support 13 about its central aperture. When placing label 25 on upper surface 5, support 13 must be depressed so that label 25 can pass over shoulder 15. Once in place, label 25 is effectively prevented from being inadvertently removed by shoulder 15 overlying label 25 adjacent its aperture. Shoulder 15 also prevents any tendency to bend label 25. The label 25 is positioned with its adhesive surface facing upwards on the plate 3. If label 25 is provided with a release layer on its adhesive surface, the release layer may be removed after label 25 is positioned on sheet 3.

When the label 25 is on the upper surface 5, a disc 29 with a central hole of smaller diameter than the label has its hole on the cone 9 and on the stem 7. The rod 7 is of substantially the same diameter as the disc 29 so that it is held in position concentrically with the hole in the label 25. At this stage, bearing 13 effectively prevents disk 29 from contacting label 25 and shoulder 15 provides firm support for disk 29.

As can be seen in fig. 4, when the label and the disc 29 are concentrically positioned on the device 1, a downward pressure can be exerted from above on the disc 29 so as to lower the support 13 due to the deformation of the elastic arm 17 around the point X. The tray 29 is lowered under pressure until it comes into contact with the label 25, as shown in figure 5, at which stage the adhesive upper surface of the label 25 allows the label 25 to adhere to the tray 29.

Furthermore, in this fully deformed position, the shoulder 15 of the support 13 does not overlap the upper surface of the label 25, so that the label 25 can be effectively released.

When the downward pressure on the disc 29 is removed, the now stuck together label 25 and disc 29 are sprung up by the resilient arm 17. The labelled disc can then be disengaged from the rod 7 and the device 1 is ready for its next operation.

An alternative arrangement 111 is shown in figures 6 and 7. The resilient arm 117 of the device 111 is formed by a U-shaped member cut from the resilient plate member 33. The free end of the U-shaped member is bent through 90 deg. to form a support 113. Fig. 7 shows the device 111 in the same state as in fig. 4, i.e. with the arm 117 in an intermediate, partially deformed state.

Another type of device 211 is shown in fig. 8 and 9. Instead of using a support device comprising supports 13, 113 mounted on resilient arms 17, 117 as shown in fig. 1 to 7, the support device comprises a cylindrical body 235 having a central aperture 237 through which the rod 7 extends. The post 235 has an upper end surface 239 which supports the disc 29 in use. The base of the cylinder 235 has a flange to prevent the cylinder 235 from being separated from the support member through the annular opening 11 in the upper surface 5. The cylinder 235 is provided with a pair of resilient tabs 243, 243' which are biased outwardly and cut away from the cylinder and diametrically opposed on the outer surface of the cylinder. At the free end of each projection 243, 243 'is an outward projection or shoulder 245, 245' to prevent inadvertent lifting of the label 25 off the device 211.

The actual structure for labelling a disc using the apparatus of figures 8 and 9 is similar to that described with reference to figures 1 to 7, except that the disc 29 is supported on the upper end face 239. When the label 25 and the disc 29 have been positioned on the upper surface 5 and the upper end face 239, respectively, the pressure acting on the disc 29 from above downwards against the pressure of the elastic force of the projections 243, 243' causes the cylinder 235 to slide down the rod 7 so as to lower the disc 29 on the label 25. The tabs 243, 243 ' are vented back into alignment with the cylinder 235 as the cylinder is lowered so that in their lowest position the tabs 245, 245 ' do not overlap the label 25 so that the labelled disc can be lifted upwardly by the sprung tabs 243, 243 ' when the downward pressure is released. In this way, the device 211 is restored to its starting position ready for the next labelling operation.

Although the present invention is described with particular reference to an apparatus and method for labeling optical discs, it should be understood that the apparatus and method may be used in any application where two or more substantially flat component pairs each having a central aperture are desired.

Claims (30)

1. An apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc;

(iii) support means adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning member towards the upper surface of the support member to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support means is adapted to move from a first position in which the disc is supported in spaced relation to the upper surface to a second position in which the disc is brought into contact with the label supported on the upper surface; and

(iv) one or more leaf spring members for urging the support means from the second position to the first position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support means is retracted to be at or below the level of the upper surface.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support member is provided with at least one aperture in an upper surface through which the disc locating member extends and into which the support means retracts.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support means comprises a cylindrical body having a central bore through which the disc locating member extends, and an upper end face which, in use, comprises a support surface for the disc.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cylindrical body has an outer circumferential surface proximate to a circumferential surface of the central bore of the label.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the cylindrical body is provided with an outwardly directed flange to prevent withdrawal of the body through the bore of the support member.

7. A device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the outer surface of the post is provided with one or more outwardly sprung projections.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more protrusions are all integrally formed with the post.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the free end of the one or more projections is provided with an outward projection.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more projections have a substantially L-shape.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein each of the one or more protrusions includes a resilient biasing means urging the cylinder in an upward direction.

12. A device according to claim 3, wherein the support means comprises a plurality of supports which in a first position project through the one or more openings provided in the upper surface of the member to support the disc in spaced relation to a label located on the upper surface and in a second position are level with or below the upper surface to affix the disc to the label.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more supports are mounted on a resilient support means.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the resiliently mounted support automatically returns to the first position after use.

15. A device as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the plurality of bearings pass through a central aperture of the tag and contact the tag around the aperture when the tag is supported on the upper surface of the member.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the supports are arranged circumferentially.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the device comprises four circumferentially arranged supports for contacting the label at points around the central aperture of the label.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the resilient support means comprises a resilient support arm extending substantially horizontally relative to the support member.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said resilient support arm extends radially towards the disc positioning member with its free end nearest the disc positioning member and said bearing is mounted on or to said free end of the arm.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the resilient support means comprises a leaf spring or a cantilever spring.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the leaf or cantilever spring is integrally formed with the support member.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the upper surface of the one or more supports is provided with a flange.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more flanges extend substantially horizontally such that the flanges are positioned above but not in contact with the label when the label is positioned on the upper surface of the support.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a plate supported on a post.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disk positioning member and the support member protrude through the same opening in the upper surface of the support member.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disk positioning member comprises a rod having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the central aperture of the disk.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support member, disc positioning means and support means form an integral structure.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support member, the disc positioning member and the support member form a unitary structure.

29. An apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having an upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc; and

(iii) a support adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning element towards the upper surface of the support to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support comprises a cylindrical body having a central aperture through which the disc positioning element extends, and an upper end having a support surface for the disc, wherein an outer circumference of the cylindrical body is provided with one or more outwardly biased projections.

30. An apparatus for labeling a disc having a central aperture therethrough, comprising:

(i) a support having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a label;

(ii) a disc positioning member protruding from the upper surface of the support member and passing through the central hole of the disc; and

(iii) a support adapted to lower the disc concentrically with the label along the disc positioning member towards the upper surface of the support member to bring the disc and label into contact with each other, wherein the support member is provided with at least one aperture in the upper surface through which the disc positioning member extends and into which the support member is retracted, and wherein the support member comprises a plurality of bearings, wherein the bearings in a first position protrude through the one or more openings provided in the upper surface of the member to support the disc in spaced relation to the label on the upper surface, and in a second position are flush with or below the upper surface to affix the disc to the label.