Patent ID: 7872797

Claim:
A device for placing microscope slides on slide trays, the slide trays having multiple cells to accept and arrange the microscope slides in one or more rows, the device comprising: at least one container having horizontal shelves for the slide trays; a flexible drive cooperating with said container, said flexible drive having a circular drive cable rope, a motor, and at least one pulley, said flexible drive structured to effect reciprocating guided motion of said container along a vertical direction; a horizontal pusher having a tool at a working end thereof, said tool structured to grip a slide tray, to displace the slide tray into a working zone outside said container, and to return the slide tray back into said container; and a slide gripper structured for horizontal movement over the working zone in a direction perpendicular to a direction of motion of said horizontal pusher, wherein said drive, said horizontal pusher and said slide gripper are disposed, structured and dimensioned such that said pusher displaces said slide tray into the working zone through one slide-cell width, said gripper moves over the working zone and places a slide into a cell of a corresponding row and said pusher returns said slide tray into said container after filling thereof.