Abstract: A frozen product, upright-style vending machine having a pick and place mechanism moveable in three dimensions (X, Y, Z) with a fourth, rotational, degree of freedom (W) effected using the Z axis drive. The mechanism moves along tracks in the X-Y directions and is permitted full range of motion by an extension hose. Frozen products are arranged in a container within the vending machine freezer, the container acting as a virtual cold-wall freezer trapping cold air. The pick and place mechanism positions a vacuum pick-up head over the appropriate product along the X-Y tracks in response to a customer selection. The vacuum pick-up head is attached to a vacuum hose which is wound on a hose reel. The vacuum hose is unwound to lower the vacuum pick-up head along the Z axis to the selected product and, when suction has been established against a selected product in the virtual cold-wall freezer, the vacuum hose is rewound.

Abstract: A frozen product, upright-style vending machine having a pick and place mechanism moveable in three dimensions (X, Y, Z) with a fourth, rotational, degree of freedom (W) effected using the Z axis drive. The mechanism moves along tracks in the X-Y directions and is permitted full range of motion by an extension hose. Frozen products are arranged in a container within the vending machine freezer, the container acting as a virtual cold-wall freezer trapping cold air. The pick and place mechanism positions a vacuum pick-up head over the appropriate product along the X-Y tracks in response to a customer selection. The vacuum pick-up head is attached to a vacuum hose which is wound on a hose reel. The vacuum hose is unwound to lower the vacuum pick-up head along the Z axis to the selected product and, when suction has been established against a selected product in the virtual cold-wall freezer, the vacuum hose is rewound.

Abstract: An incubator for laboratory use which includes a housing defining a thermally insulated inner chamber having a controlled gas atmosphere. Devices for sensing characteristics of the incubator chamber atmosphere, and for conditioning the atmosphere, are positioned in a gas recirculation path outside the incubator chamber. The gas atmosphere of the incubator chamber circulates from a chamber outlet in an upper portion of the chamber, through the recirculation path, returning to the incubator chamber through a chamber inlet in a lower portion of the chamber. Included in the recirculation path are a blower for recirculating the chamber atmosphere, a filter, a CO.sub.2 sensor, and a humidifier. A microprocessor-based controller is responsive to the output of the CO.sub.2 sensor to effect the addition of CO.sub.2 to the recirculating gas to maintain a selected CO.sub.2 level in the chamber atmosphere. Upper and lower diffuser plates in the incubator chamber define upper and lower plenums, respectively.

Abstract: An incubator for laboratory use which includes a housing defining a thermally insulated inner chamber having a controlled gas atmosphere. Devices for sensing characteristics of the incubator chamber atmosphere, and for conditioning the atmosphere, are positioned in a gas recirculation path outside the incubator chamber. The gas atmosphere of the incubator chamber circulates from a chamber outlet in an upper portion of the chamber, through the recirculation path, returning to the incubator chamber through a chamber inlet in a lower portion of the chamber. Included in the recirculation path are a blower for recirculating the chamber atmosphere, a filter, a CO.sub.2 sensor, and a humidifier. A microprocessor-based controller is responsive to the output of the CO.sub.2 sensor to effect the addition of CO.sub.2 to the recirculating gas to maintain a selected CO.sub.2 level in the chamber atmosphere. Upper and lower diffuser plates in the incubator chamber define upper and lower plenums, respectively.