Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (?80° C.). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about ?20° C. when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack.

Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (?80° C.). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about ?20° C. when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack.

Abstract: In a treadmill having a controllably pivotable frame supporting a platform on which a user stands, walks or runs, wherein the frame is seated on a stationary surface and has a selected longitudinal front to rear pivot length and a selected pivot axis disposed at a first position along the longitudinal pivot length of the treadmill, an apparatus for stabilizing the seating of the treadmill on the stationary surface, the apparatus comprising: a rigid support member having a tilt guide section interconnected to the frame at a second position along the longitudinal length of the treadmill, the second position being spaced a predetermined distance from the first position along the longitudinal length of the treadmill, the support member being mounted in a generally upright disposition and having a bottom end for engaging the stationary surface; the bottom end of the rigid support member comprising a motion resistant surface for immovably seating the support member on the stationary surface; the rigid support membe

Abstract: In a treadmill having a controllably pivotable frame supporting a platform on which a user stands, walks or runs, wherein the frame is seated on a stationary surface and has a selected longitudinal front to rear pivot length and a selected pivot axis disposed at a first position along the longitudinal pivot length of the treadmill, an apparatus for stabilizing the seating of the treadmill on the stationary surface, the apparatus comprising: a rigid support member having a tilt guide section interconnected to the frame at a second position along the longitudinal length of the treadmill, the second position being spaced a predetermined distance from the first position along the longitudinal length of the treadmill, the support member being mounted in a generally upright disposition and having a bottom end for engaging the stationary surface; the bottom end of the rigid support member comprising a motion resistant surface for immovably seating the support member on the stationary surface; the rigid support membe