Test tube cleaning device and method

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED, A TANK CAPABLE OF BEING FILLED AND DRAINED, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR HOLDER IN SAID TANK, SAID HOLDER BEING TITABLY SUPPORTED ON A PIVOTING MEANS POSITIONED TO NORMALLY INCLINE SAID HOLDER FROM THE HORIZONTAL IN THE DIRECTION OF ONE CORNER EDGE THEREOF, SAID HOLDER BEING TILTABLE ON SAID PIVOTING MEANS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OPPOSITE CORNER EDGE THEREOF, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HOLDER FOR MOVING IT FROM ONE POSITION TO THE OTHER AS SAID TANK IS FILLED AND DRAINED.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF CLEANING TEST TUBES IN A TANK WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE REPEATEDLY FILLED AND DRAINED, WHICH CONSISTS IN PLACING SAID TEST TUBES IN HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CONDITION IN A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FORAMINOUS BASKET WITH THEIR OPEN ENDS EXTENDING EITHER LONGITUDINALLY OR TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BASKET, SUPPORTING SAID BASKET IN SAID TANK ON A TILTABLE PLATFORM BALANCED TO NORMALLY TILT TOWARD ONE CORNER EDGE THEREOF AND CAPABLE OF BEING TILTED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID BASKET BEING PLACED ON SAID PLATFORM WITH THE OPEN ENDS OF THE TEST TUBES FACING TOWARD A SIDE EDGE OF SAID BASKET ADJACENT THE FIRST NAMED CORNER EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, AND PROVIDING BUOYANCY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST NAMED SIDE EDGE OF SAID BASKET, WHEREBY UPON FILLING OF SAID TANK, SAID FIRST NAMED CORNER EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM WILL BE LIFTED SO AS TO TILT SAID PLATFORM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND UPON DRAINING OF SAID TANK, SAID BASKET WILL BE RETURNED TO ITS INITIAL POSITION.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF CLEANING TEST TUBES IN A TANK WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE REPEATEDLY FILLED AND DRAINED, WHICH CONSISTS IN PLACING SAID TEST TUBES IN HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CONDITION IN A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FORAMINOUS BASKET WITH THEIR OPEN ENDS EXTENDING EITHER LONGITUDINALLY OR TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BASKET, SUPPORTING SAID BASKET IN SAID TANK ON A TILTABLE PLATFORM BALANCED TO NORMALLY TILT TOWARD ONE CORNER EDGE THEREOF AND CAPABLE OF BEING TILTED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID BASKET BEING PLACED ON SAID PLATFORM WITH THE OPEN ENDS OF THE TEST TUBES FACING TOWARD A SIDE EDGE OF SAID BASKET ADJACENT THE FIRST NAMED CORNER EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, AND PROVIDING BUOYANCY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST NAMED SIDE EDGE OF SAID BASKET, WHEREBY UPON FILLING OF SAID TANK, SAID FIRST NAMED CORNER EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM WILL BE LIFTED SO AS TO TILT SAID PLATFORM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND UPON DRAINING OF SAID TANK, SAID BASKET WILL BE RETURNED TO ITS INITIAL POSITION.