Apparatus for analysing liquid substances likely to form agglutinates

Claim 2

AS A MECHANICAL SUBASSEMBLY OF A LIQUID CHEMICAL OR BIOCHEMICAL ANALYZING MACHINE, A SUPPORT FOR A MULTIPLICITY OF VESSELS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LIQUID SAMPLES COMPRISING: AN ANNULAR SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SHAPE MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN, SAID MEMBER DEFINING A MULTIPLICITY OF APERTURES EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND POSITIVELY TO MAINTAIN A VESSEL, SAID APERTURES BEING DISPOSED ANGULARLY AND RADIALLY ON SAID MEMBER THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA THEREOF, SAID MULTIPLICITY OF APERTURES BEING FORMED IN GROUPS OF APERTURES, THE APERATURES OF EACH GROUP BEING SPACED ALONG A RESPECTIVE LINE OF A PLURLITY OF LINES EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE CENTER OF SAID MEMBER TO THE PERIPHERY THEREOF. VESSELS IN SAID APERTURES, EACH VESSEL HAVING AN AXIS OF SYMMETRY OF REVOLUTION AND A TRANSPARENT CONCAVE BOTTOM, EACH VESSELS'' SHAPE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THAT OF A CUPOLA CONNECTED TO OPAQUE SIDE WALLS INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE AXIS OF SYMMETRY OF SAID VESSEL WITH EACH VESSEL HAVING A BULBOUS PORTION ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AND MEANS ON SAID MEMBER FOR ANGULARLY POSITIONING SAID MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO A SHAFT OF SAID MACHINE ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID CENTRAL OPENING.

Claim 3

As a mechanical subassembly of a liquid chemical or biochemical analyzing machine, a support for a multiplicity of vessels adapted to contain liquid samples comprising: an annular substantially planar shaped member having a central opening therein, such member defining a multiplicity of apertures each adapted to receive and positively to maintain a vessel, said spertures being disposed angularly and radially on said member throughout substantially the entire area thereof, said multiplicity of apertures being formed in groups of apertures, the apertures of each group being spaced along a pair of next adjacent lines of a plurality of lines extending radially from the center of said member to the periphery thereof, vessels in said apertures, each vessel having an axis of symmetry of revolution and a transparent concave bottom, each vessels'' shape being substantially that of a cupola connected to opaque side walls inclined relative of the axis of symmetry of said vessel with each vessel having a bulbous portion adjacent the bottom thereof, and means on said member for angularly positioning said member with respect to a shaft of said machine adapted to pass through said central opening.

Claim 4

As a mechanical subassembly of a liquid chemical or biochemical analyzing machine, a support for a multiplicity of vessels adapted to contain liquid samples comprising: an annular substantially planar shaped member having a central opening therein, such member defining a multiplicity of apertures each adapted to receive and positively to maintain a vessel, said spertures being disposed angularly and radially on said member throughout substantially the entire area thereof, said multiplicity of apertures being formed in groups of apertures, the apertures of each group being spaced along a pair of next adjacent lines of a plurality of lines extending radially from the center of said member to the periphery thereof, vessels in said apertures, each vessel having an axis of symmetry of revolution and a transparent concave bottom, each vessels'' shape being substantially that of a cupola connected to opaque side walls inclined relative of the axis of symmetry of said vessel with each vessel having a bulbous portion adjacent the bottom thereof, and means on said member for angularly positioning said member with respect to a shaft of said machine adapted to pass through said central opening.