Abstract: The disclosure is of apparatus including two pairs of metal gripping blocks held together by a spring and mounted adjacent to wedge blocks carrying wedges for opening each pair. An operating plate is provided which drives the apparatus to cause the wedge blocks to open the gripping blocks to permit a length of capillary tubing filled with mercury to be inserted between the pairs of gripping blocks. The apparatus is then driven to cause the tubing to pass through a flame positioned to melt the tubing at a desired location and to form two separate seal portions at this location which are gripped by the two gripping blocks; and, on the next cycle, when the gripping blocks are opened, the portion of the tubing which is the desired capsule is released from its pair of gripping blocks and fed to a suitable receiver.

Abstract: The cart comprises a housing containing a plurality of supports for slidable shelves and a plurality of horizontal louvers hinged to completely cover the spaces between adjacent shelves. Dust-proof seals are provided between adjacent louvers. A pair of vertical L-shaped brackets are hinged to the housing adjacent to the louvers, and the arrangement is such that the L-shaped brackets can be pivoted away from the louvers, and the louvers, when raised, can engage slots in at least one of the brackets which thus hold the louvers in the open position.