Patent ID: 8800747

Claim:
An apparatus for loading test tubes in conveying devices included in an automatic conveyor for test tubes, comprising: a hopper; a positioning device for test tubes having a first lane and a second lane, each lane comprising two spaced, parallel walls forming an opening between the walls, and motorized belts sliding on edges of the walls, the belts located above a top edge of the walls; and a recruiting device having an elevated end, the recruiting device providing test tubes to the positioning device in a horizontal orientation, each test tube having a cap extending laterally from a sidewall of the test tube; wherein a distance between said walls forming the first lane is such that a test tube having a first diameter rotates from the horizontal orientation from the recruiting device to a vertical orientation, wherein the cap engages the belts at the edges of the walls, the belts conveying the test tube to a loading area where the test tubes are handled by a test tube handling device to a working point included in the conveyor, the conveyor adapted to automatically convey the test tubes from and to modules for preparing and analyzing biological material, and wherein the positioning device further comprises: sensors on the first lane, which are adapted to discriminate between horizontally oriented test tubes and vertically oriented test tubes; and diverters adapted to move the horizontally oriented test tubes to the second lane, the second land having a larger width than the first lane, the test tubes moved to the second lane adopting a vertical orientation in the second lane.