Patent ID: 6135314
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A microscope slide dispenser comprising:a hollow slide case dispensing attachment including a flat slide case contact plate that defines an elongated carrier finger opening therein, a slide case seat, and at least one dispenser actuator slot extending parallel to said elongated carrier finger opening;a slide carrier mounted within said slide case dispensing attachment having a slide-engaging finger projecting through said carrier finger opening in said attachment and having at least one actuator handle projecting through said at least one dispenser actuator slot, whereby said slide carrier is mounted for reciprocal movement relative to said slide case dispensing attachment so that said slide-engaging finger travels in a prescribed path between a slide-engaging position and a slide ejection position within the limits of said elongated carrier finger opening in said attachment and said carrier is advanced by manually forcing said at least one actuator handle relative to said at least one dispenser actuator slot;a disposable slide case having first and second pairs of mutually perpendicular side walls, and a pair of end walls oriented perpendicular to both of said pairs of side walls, all of said walls being permanently fastened to each other to form a hollow slide cavity therewithin shaped as a rectangular prism, and wherein an actuator access opening is defined in a first one of said slide case end walls, and wherein a slide ejection slot is defined in one of said side walls in said first pair of side walls immediately adjacent to said first one of said slide case end walls, and wherein said slide case is removably positionable on said slide case seat such that said actuator access opening in said first one of said slide case end walls overlies said carrier finger opening in said slide case dispensing attachment and such that said carrier finger projects through said first one of said slide case end walls and into said slide cavity; anda plurality of flat, microscope slides of uniform dimensions stacked within said slide storage cavity and removable therefrom only through said slide ejection slot by advancement of said carrier.