Corner track for a conveyor system

Claim 1

An automated lab conveyor system, including a conveyor track for transporting a specimen carrier, said track comprising: a first length of track having upstream and downstream ends; a second length of track having upstream and downstream ends, connected at its upstream end to the downstream end of said first track length; said first and second track lengths oriented at an angle with respect to one another to form a corner at the connection thereof; said conveyor track including inner and outer spaced-apart guide rails therealong for directing a specimen carrier therebetween, and an operable transport surface for moving a specimen carrier; a first auxiliary transport surface aligned with said first track length and connected to the downstream end thereof, said first auxiliary transport surface operating at a speed less than that of first track length transport surface, to slow the movement of a specimen carrier carried thereon; a second auxiliary transport surface aligned with said second track length and connected to the upstream end thereof; a downstream end of said first auxiliary transport surface located adjacent to and slightly above an upstream end of the second auxiliary transport surface, to convey a specimen carrier from the first auxiliary transport surface to the second auxiliary transport surface.