Apparatus for storing and dispensing analysis slides

Claim 1

In a chemical analyzer for measuring a characteristic of a sample fluid wherein the fluid is deposited on an analysis slide which is analyzed after an appropriate period of time, the analyzer including means for supporting a plurality of stacks of slides adjacent each other, each of said stacks having a longitudinal axis; means for removing a slide from a selected stack, said removing means being movable along a path generally transverse to said axes; and means for positioning said selected stack and said removing means relative to each other and to said supporting means such that a slide from the selected stack is in a position to cooperate with said removing means; the improvement wherein (a) said supporting means mounts said stacks in concentric rings with said slides of each stack being movable into and out of the plane of said removing means path, at least some of the stacks of one of said rings being positioned so that, when such one ring stacks are moved into the plane of said removing means path, they block the slides of a stack of the other ring from being removed by said removing means, (b) said positioning means comprise means for selectively moving said selected stacks into the plane of said path, (c) and movably mounted track means are cooperatively positioned with respect to the stacks of said one ring to provide a pathway for removal of slides from the stacks of said other ring when said one ring stacks are moved out of the plane of said removing means path, said track means being mounted to move along the same axis as, and in response to the movement of, said stacks of said one ring.