Patent ID: 8470244

Claim:
A receiving and transferring station ( 1 ) for coverslipped specimen slides ( 2 , 2 ′, 2 ″), the receiving and transferring station comprising: a specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) having a pair of vertically upright side walls, a plurality of horizontally oriented compartments ( 6 ) between the pair of side walls, and a lateral ridge ( 16 ), wherein each compartment ( 6 ) is sized to receive a single coverslipped specimen slide; a turntable ( 7 ) having a vertically upright rotation axis about which the turntable rotates, a magazine frame ( 5 ) in which the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) is received and guided for vertical displacement relative to the magazine frame ( 5 ), the magazine frame ( 5 ) being carried by the turntable ( 7 ) and arranged at a periphery of the turntable ( 7 ), wherein the magazine frame ( 5 ) includes a pair of vertically upright side walls facing the pair of side walls of the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) and defining an open side through which coverslipped specimen slides are inserted into the compartments ( 6 ) of the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ), and wherein the magazine frame ( 5 ) further includes a vertically extending guide groove ( 15 ) for slidably receiving the lateral ridge ( 16 ) of the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) and a transport device for vertically displacing the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) relative to the magazine frame ( 5 ); the turntable ( 7 ) conveying the magazine frame ( 5 ) and the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) between a receiving position ( 3 ) in which coverslipped specimen slides are inserted into compartments ( 6 ) and a transferring position ( 8 ) in which coverslipped specimen slides are ejected from compartments ( 6 ); and a stationary ejection apparatus ( 10 ) located above the turntable ( 7 ) for ejecting a coverslipped specimen slide from the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) when the specimen slide magazine is located at the transferring position ( 8 ), the ejection apparatus having an ejection arm ( 11 ) shiftable to extend horizontally between the pair of side walls of the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) and into one of the compartments ( 6 ) of the specimen slide magazine ( 4 ) to push a specimen slide therefrom.