Tower for analyzing system

Claim 1

A tower assembly for supporting a plurality of specimen trays for use in an automatic system for analyzing said specimens, with each specimen tray comprising a container tray for said specimens and a cover member having tab portions, said tower assembly comprising: a generally rectangular frame defining opposed first and second major sidewalls and first and second opposed open faces between said sidewalls; a plurality of first slots in each of said first and second sidewalls, said slots extending in a spaced or generally parallel manner from said first open space to said second open face, said slots being closed at an end adjacent said first open face; a corresponding plurality of shelf members, each of said shelf members being removably supported in one of said first slots in each of said first and second walls to provide a spaced apart, parallel and overlapping array of shelf members with the spaces between the shelf members being adapted to receive a specimen tray; and a corresponding plurality of second slots in each of said first and second sidewalls for receiving tray cover member tab portions, said second slots extending in a spaced general parallel manner from said first open face to said second open face, said second slots being closed at an end adjacent said first open face, said second slots having a desired width to permit specimen tray tab portions to move width-wide of said second slots, each said second slot being interposed between adjacent first slots.