Patent ID: 8731712

Claim:
An apparatus for transferring one or more receptacles between a plurality of receptacle-receiving structures comprising: a transport track having opposed ends, wherein the receptacle-receiving structures are disposed at different locations adjacent to said transport track; a receptacle carrier operatively engaged with said transport track and adapted to carry a receptacle and translate along said transport track in a first or second direction between said opposed ends, wherein said receptacle carrier is further adapted to selectively stop at a transfer position with respect to any of the receptacle-receiving structures disposed adjacent said transport track, and wherein said receptacle carrier includes a receptacle moving mechanism adapted to move a receptacle with respect to said receptacle carrier to move a receptacle into said receptacle carrier, move a receptacle out of said receptacle carrier, or alternately move a receptacle into and out of said receptacle carrier; a transfer position locating system adapted to automatically determine, for each receptacle-receiving structure, a location of a transfer position of the receptacle carrier with respect to the receptacle-receiving structure to enable the receptacle carrier to transfer a receptacle between the receptacle carrier and the receptacle-receiving structure; and a carrier elevation system adapted to move at least a portion of said receptacle carrier in a transverse direction with respect to said transport track.