Automatic sample changer

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC SAMPLE CHANGER, CONVEYOR MEANS COMPRISING A MOVING CONVEYOR ELEMENT, A FIRST SET OF SPACED SUPPORTS ON WHICH SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT IS CARRIED TO DEFINE A FIRST RUN PORTION FOR SAID ELEMENT, AND A SECOND SET OF SPACED SUPPORTS OVER WHICH SAID ELEMENT IS ALSO TRAINED AND DEFINING A SECOND RUN PORTION FOR SAID ELEMENT, SAID SECOND SET OF SUPPORTS BEING POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE FIRST RUN PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR AND DISPOSED TO DIRECT SAID SECOND RUN PORTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE FIRST, MEANS INCLUDING SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT FOR ADVANCING A SAMPLE FROM A STARTING POSITION ALONG SAID FIRST RUN PORTION AND MEANS ADJACENT SAID FIRST RUN PORTION WHICH IS ENGAGED ON ARRIVAL OF A SAMPLE AT A FIRST PREDETERMINED POSITION TO INTERRUPT FURTHER ADVANCE OF SAID SAMPLE NOTWITHSTANDING CONTINUED ADVANCE OF SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT, MEANS DISPOSED AT SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION FOR MOVING A SAMPLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST RUN PORTION AND GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SECOND RUN PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOY, SAID LAST MEANS COMPRISING A RECIPROCABLE MEMBER NORMALLY POSITIONED OUT OF THE PATH OF SAID FIRST RUN PORTION OF SAID CONVEYOR BY MOVABLE TO INTERSECT SAID PATH WHEREBY TO ENGAGE AND CARRY A SAMPLE AT SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED POSITION TO A SECOND PREDETERMINED POSITION DISPLACED FROM SAID FIRST RUN PORTION, SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER BEING ENGAGED BY SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT TO MOVE IT TO SAID SECOND PREDETERMINED POSITION IN TIMED SEQUENCE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE SAMPLE AT SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED POSITION, AND MEANS FOR REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT UPON ARRIVAL OF SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER AND SAMPLE OF SAID SECOND PREDETERMINED POSITION WHEREBY TO RETURN SAID PLUNGER TO SAID NORMAL POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID CONVEYOR ELEMENT, REDEPOSIT THE SAMPLE ON SAID CONVEYOR AND RETURN SAID SAMPLE TO THE STARTING POSITION.