Multiple sample absorption recording apparatus having a selectively variable cuvetteposition cycle and means to deenergize the recorder between measurement periods

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING CONTINUOUSLY THE LIGHT ABSORBANCE OF A PLURALITY OF SAMPLES DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY IN SEPARATE CUVETTES, SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SELECTED, WHICH COMPRISES: A SOURCE OF LIGHT AND MEANS FORMING A BEAM OF SAID LIGHT, A CUVETTE POSITIONING DEVICE HAVING CUVETTES ARRANGED FOR SEQUENTIAL DISPOSITION THEREOF INTERCEPTING THE BEAM, ELECTRIC CIRCUIT PRE-SETTABLE CONTROL MEANS PROGRAMMING THE OPERATION OF THE POSITIONING DEVICE FOR REPETITIVE CYCLES OF SELECTED CUVETTES IN SAID DISPOSITION FOR A PREDETERMINED MEASURING PERIOD, MEANS FOR CONVERTING THE LIGHT PASSING THROUGH A CUVETTE INTO AN OUTPUT SIGNAL THE CHARACTER OF WHICH IS RELATED TO THE ABSORBANCE IN THE CUVETTE AND INCLUDING PHOTO-SENSITIVE MEANS ARRANGED IN THE BEAM AT A POSITION TO RECEIVE LIGHT THAT HAS PASSED THROUGH SAID CUVETTE, AND RECORDING MEANS ADAPTED TO RECORD THE RELATIVE AMPLITUDES OF THE ABSORBANCE OUTPUT SIGNALS DURING THE MEASURING PERIODS OF THE SELECTED CUVETTES SOLELY AS A FUNCTION OF TIME UPON A SINGLE RECORDING SURFACE, SAID RECORDING MEANS COMPRISING MARKING MEANS MOVABLE IN A FIRST DIRECTION IN RESPONSE TO OUTPUT SIGNALS AND A RECORDING SURFACE FOR RECEIVING MARKS