The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 08, 1986
Filed:
Feb. 29, 1984
Roy D Van Vliet, San Jose, CA (US);
James F Gordon, Saratoga, CA (US);
General Electric Company, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
A sample selecting, positioning and retrieving mechanism embodies a carousel having preferably inner and outer concentric rows of cylindrical tubes placed vertically between parallel upper and lower carousel plates. Each vertical tube is equipped with a retaining catch to maintain a sample in its resting position until it is released into a probe situated in a polarizing magnetic field and, conversely, to hold it in the rest position after it has been returned from the probe. A detent mechanism sequentially advances the carousel, one tube at a time, until all of the samples in one of the rows have been processed. A movable shifter plate, on which the carousel is journalled, repositions the carousel such that the other sample row is in alignment with the magnet air column. The mechanism is preferably enabled for movement by pneumatic cylinders and is capable of manual or unattended, programmed operation under computer control.