Microscope attachment

Claim 1

A microscope attachment comprising: a frame secured to the stage of a microscope, said frame having an opening therein aligned with the microscope optics, the lateral dimensions of said opening being only slightly greater than the width of the microscope slide to be viewed therein; a slide magazine attached to the upper side of said frame in spaced relationship to said opening; a vertical stack of microscope slides disposed in said magazine, each microscope slide comprising a centrally apertured frame containing a thin transparent slip substantially flush with the underside of the apertured frame, said slip supporting a specimen on its underside; an open track in said frame for guiding the advance of said microscope slides into said opening from the bottom of said magazine; a slidable feed member in said track to push microscope slides from said magazine into said opening and also out of said opening when more than one slide is in said track, said feed member having a front edge to push the lowermost microscope slide from said magazine and a ramp to raise the remaining stack of microscope slides in said magazine to prevent contact of the specimen area with the slide being pushed; said feed member engaging stop means at the end of its feed stroke to align the specimen area of the microscope slide being viewed with the microscope; support means extending inwardly into said opening in said frame to directly engage the specimen side of said microscope slides; and spring means engaging the opposite side of said microscope slide to bias the slide against said support means for accurate focus positioning of said specimen with respect to the optics of said microscope.