Microtome specimen-freezing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FREEZING A SPECIMEN IN PREPARATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF SECTIONS THEREFROM BY MEANS OF A MICROTOME, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BAR HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TOP WALL AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED SIDE WALLS, SAID BAR BEING SUPPORTED SO AS TO AFFORD ACCESS TO ITS TOP AND SIDE WALLS, MEANS FOR PASSING A REFRIGERANT THROUGH SAID BAR SO AS TO CHILL THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH THE SPECIMEN FREEZES, A SPECIMEN CARRIER ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE SPECIMEN AND TO BE SLIDABLY CARRIED ON SAID BAR, SAID SPECIMEN CARRIER INCLUDING A FLAT SPECIMEN-RECEIVING PLATE ADAPTED TO REST UPON THE FLAT UPPER SURFACE OF SAID TO WALL OF SAID BAR AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED GENERALLY PARALLEL WALL MEMBERS DEPENDING FROM THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID BAR, THE OPPOSING INNER WALL SURFACES OF SAID DEPENDING WALL MEMBERS OF SAID SPECIMEN CARRIER BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID BAR SO AS TO AFFORD ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID OPPOSING SURFACES OF SAID WALL MEMBERS OF SAID CARRIER AND SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID BAR, SAID ENGAGEMENT BEING EFFECTIVE TO WITHDRAW HEAT FROM SAID CARRIER AND SPECIMEN SO AS TO FREEZE SAID SPECIMEN TO SAID CARRIER, SAID WALL MEMBERS OF SAID CARRIER BEING SECURED TO SAID PLATE IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO ENABLE THEM TO WITHSTAND CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE CHUCK OF A MICROTOME.