Patent ID: 7157055

Claim:
An apparatus for handling samples for an injection system of a chromatograph, said samples being provided in sample tubes, comprising: a magazine containing a plurality of the sample tubes in a juxtaposed manner, the magazine being moveable in steps in a transporting direction; a lifting device having two end positions and movable therebetween in a direction perpendicular to the transporting direction of the magazine, the lifting device being movable via a motor and bearing a gripper for one of the plurality of sample tubes; a transfer device, proximate the lifting device, for transferring one of the plurality of sample tubes from the gripper to the injection system in the transporting direction; wherein the lifting device comprises at least one telescopic threaded cylinder supporting the gripper, the at least one telescopic threaded cylinder comprising a plurality of nested threaded cylinders, the nested threaded cylinders comprising at least an outer and an inner threaded cylinder, one of the outer and inner threaded cylinders is arranged non-rotatably relative to the magazine, while the other of the outer and inner threaded cylinders is rotatable by the motor.