Dade International Inc.

Baxter Diagnostics Inc.

Media Systems Technology, Inc.

Richard A Scribner

William A Stark

John C Mazza

Kempton H Hardiman

James A Norton

Stephen L Frye

A self-adjusting linkable carrier for sample tubes, cuvettes, cells and the like comprising a longitudinally symmetrical vertically oriented polygonal body having two pairs of orthogonally disposed opposed vertical faces and a horizontal bottom sliding surface is disclosed. The top surface of the body is provided with a central bore opening into a vertical cavity adapted to releasably receive and retain a wide variety of sample tube configurations in a stable vertical orientation. Machine readable indicia may be provided on the external surface and vertical slots are provided in each external face to provide access to the central vertical cavity. A releasably locking horizontally aligned dovetail feature is provided to link adjacent carriers into conveniently handled racks or magazines which may be assembled and disassembled by machine. Additional horizontally sliding indexing elements are provided to facilitate the stable storage and transport of the carrier.

Sample tube carrier

An automated chemical analyzer includes an automated conveyor apparatus for receiving a variety of sizes of test tubes, cuvettes, and sample tubes in a standard carrier member receivable into the analyzer. The standard carrier members may be interlocked in ranks and placed side by side in file to replicate the size and handling convenience of conventional test tube racks. However, the conveyor apparatus also provides for receipt of the carriers either as individuals for stat handling, or in interlocked ranks, or as rank and file groups for routine handling. The interlocked ranks of carriers are automatically unlocked from one another and fed along with the carriers having stat samples therein to a recirculating endless loop conveyor device which conveys the samples to at least one chemical analysis module, as well as providing a storage capacity both for samples in testing, and those samples awaiting verification of test results. Carriers with samples on which testing is completed and verified are discharged from the endless loop conveyor device into an off-loading facility which again interlocks the carriers and presents them in rank and file groups for subsequent handling like conventional test tube racks.

Automated chemical analyzer with apparatus and method for conveying and

A mechanism is provided for automatically removing a floppy disk from a stack of floppy disks and removably inserting that floppy disk into a variety of disk drives. A reciprocating picker mechanism engages a floppy disk and pushes it into a first set of rollers which grippingly engage the floppy disk and push it towards a second set of rollers. The second set of rollers feeds the floppy disk into the disk drive and stops the floppy disk in the correct position within the disk drive. The rollers are disengaged from the floppy disk during operation of the disk drive, but re-engage to retract the floppy disk from the disk drive. An ejection guide plate directs the floppy disk into one of two bins after being removed from the disk drive. Detectors sense the edges of the floppy disk to control the speed at which the disk is placed into the disk drive, and to insure proper positioning of the disk within the disk drive. Positioning pins are attached to the sides of the various disk drives and cooperate with positioning recesses on the frame holding the rollers, so as to position the various disk drives with respect to the rollers.

Automated floppy disk drive loader

Growing community of inventors

Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Richard A Scribner