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. 06, 1993
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1991
Kevin D Lilly, Framingham, MA (US);
David G Cory, Boston, MA (US);
Bruker Instruments, Inc., Billerica, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method for sequential provision of a series of similarly configured objects to and from a proximal location such as a device for testing those objects. The objects are provided in a gravity-fed stack to a changer that includes a container, a holder slidably disposed in that container and configured to hold a limited number (such as one) of the objects, and a mover or driver for transporting the holder repeatedly between first and second positions within the container. In the first position, the holder is disposed under the stack of objects being fed to receive one of those objects. In the other position, the holder is positioned to gravity feed the object to the proximal location where the object is to be utilized. The holder can be configured with a single space, or with double parallel spaces, each of which can receive one object. For a holder having only one such space, the second position is also utilized to permit ejection of the used object, by an appropriate force, from the proximal location. For a holder having two such spaces, the first position is utilized for such ejection, so that receipt of another one of the objects can take place while or even before the fed object is so ejected.