Automatic cover slipper for microscope slides

Claim 2

In an automatic cover slipper for microscope slides; a base with spaced upright end walls; guide means above said base interconnecting said walls; a manually reciprocating slide on said guide means having an advanced and a retracted position; there being a pair of parallel spaced transverse slots in said base adapted to receive a microscope slide, and a stack of slide covers respectively; a slide cover lifter assembly on said reciprocating slide including a depending suction cup overlying and in the advanced position of said reciprocating slide adapted for engaging registry with a slide cover for lifting it off the stack; a cement dispenser assembly on said reciprocating slide spaced longitudinally of said lifter assembly, mounting a cement reservoir and including a control valve adapted to deliver a drop of cement upon said microscope slide; said lifting assembly on movement of the reciprocating slide to retracted position adapted to transfer the slide cover into registry with the microscope slide and for dropping the slide cover into juxtaposition thereon; said slide cover lifter assembly including a lifter guide sleeve secured upon said reciprocating slide; there being a bore and a counter-bore in the reciprocating slide in axial registry with said sleeve; a spring in said counter bore; a lifter tube guidably projected through said sleeve and yieldably mounted on said spring, supporting said suction cup at its lower end; and an apertured handle upon the upper end of said tube, said handle aperture communicating with the lifter tube and suction cup.

Claim 3

In the cover slipper of claim 1, a slide stop on said guide means limiting forward movement of the reciprocating slide to advanced position; one end wall limiting return movement of the reciprocating slide to retracted position.

Claim 4

In the cover slipper of claim 1, said guide means including a pair of parallel spaced rods between said walls; said reciprocating slide having a corresponding pair of longitudinal bores receiving said rods.

Claim 5

In the cover slipper of claim 1, the slot in said base for said slide covers being closed at its ends holding said covers against longitudinal and transverse movements; the base slot for said microscope slide being open at its outer end to facilitate loading and unloading.

Claim 6

In the cover slipper of claim 1, said suction cup having an apertured shank connected to said tube in communication with the bore of said tube; manual lowering of said tube flexing said suction cup against a slide cover, said spring adapted to retract said tube and suction cup with the bore of said tube closed manually, whereby on movement of the reciprocating slide to retracted position, and manual lowering of said tube and suction cup, the bore of said tube when opened permitting the transported slide cover to drop upon said microscope slide.

Claim 7

In the cover slipper of claim 5, the rim of said suction cup lying in a plane inclined at an acute angle to the tube axis, so that the cover when lifted lies in a corresponding plane whereby the cover when deposited upon the microscope slide folds over into registry therewith preventing air entrapment between the cover and microscope slide.

Claim 8

In an automatic cover slipper for microscope slides; a base with spaced upright end walls; guide means above said base interconnecting said walls; a manually reciprocating slide on said guide means having an advanced and a retracted position; there being a pair of parallel spaced transverse slots in said base adapted to receive a microscope slide, and a stack of slide covers respectively; a slide cover lifter assembly on said reciprocating slide including a depending suction cup overlying and in the advanced position of said reciprocating slide adapted for engaging registry with a slide cover for lifting it off the stack; a cement dispenser assembly on said reciprocating slide spaced longitudinally of said lifter assembly, mounting a cement reservoir and including a control valve adapted to deliver a drop of cement upon said microscope slide; said lifting assembly on movement of the reciprocating slide to retracted position adapted to transfer the slide cover into registry with the microscope slide and for dropping the slide cover into juxtaposition thereon; said cement dispenser assembly including an upright cylindrical body mounted on and projected through said reciprocating slide; said reservoir including a bottle of cement inverted with its neck supported within the upper end of said body; said control valve being a ball check valve within said body; a bellows suspended within said body having a chamber adapted to receive cement from said bottle; a vertically adjustable end plate on said bellows mounted on and depending from said body, having an outlet; an apertured adapter mounted over said outlet and including a depending apertured dispenser needle; a bellows actuator on said reciprocal slide operably engageable with said adjustable bellows end plate for momentarily compressing the bellows and expelling a measured quantity of cement through said needle; said bellows actuator including a transverse rock shaft journalled upon said reciprocating slide; a cantilever secured to said rock shaft and having a bifurcated end operatable registerable with said bellows end plate; a control arm secured to and depending from said rock shaft; and a stop on said base in the path of forward movement of said control arm, whereby when the reciprocating slide is moved to advance position, the arm is tilted by said stop actuating said cantilever and expelling a drop of cement down onto the microscope slide.

Claim 9

In an automatic cover slipper for microscope slides; a base with spaced upright end walls; guide means above said base interconnecting said walls; a manually reciprocating slide on said guide means having an advanced and a retracted position; there being a pair of parallel spaced transverse slots in said base adapted to receive a microscope slide, and a stack of slide covers respectively; a slide cover lifter assembly on said reciprocating slide including a depending suction cup overlying and in the advanced position of said reciprocating slide adapted for engaging registry with a slide cover for lifting it off the stack; a cement dispenser assembly on said reciprocating slide spaced longitudinally of said lifter assembly, mounting a cement reservoir and including a control valve adapted to deliver a drop of cement upon said microscope slide; said lifting assembly on movement of the reciprocating slide to retracted position adapted to transfer the slide cover into registry with the microscope slide and for dropping the slide cover into juxtaposition thereon; said cement dispenser assembly including an upright cylindrical body mounted on and projected through said reciprocating slide; said reservoir including a bottle of cement inverted with its neck supported within the upper end of said body; said control valve being a ball check valve within said body; a bellows suspended within said body having a chamber adapted to receive cement from said bottle; a vertically adjustable end plate on said bellows mounted on and depending from said body, having an outlet; an apertured adapter mounted over said outlet and including a depending apertured dispenser needle; a bellows actuator on said reciprocal slide operably engageable with said adjustable bellows end plate for momentarily compressing the bellows and expelling a measured quantity of cement through said needle; said bellows actuator including a transverse rock shaft journalled upon said reciprocating slide; a cantilever secured to said rock shaft and having a bifurcated end operatable registerable with said bellows end plate; a control arm secured to and depending from said rock shaft; and a stop on said base in the path of forward movement of said control arm, whereby when the reciprocating slide is moved to advance position, the arm is tilted by said stop actuating said cantilever and expelling a drop of cement down onto the microscope slide.