Abstract: An apparatus for handling substances which are rendered fluid by heating, such as wax, the apparatus including a body defining a chamber having opposite walls and a filter therebetween separating the chamber into a liquid chamber and an air chamber, openings for introducing air into and withdrawing air from the air chamber, openings for drawing liquid into and ejecting liquid from the liquid chamber in response to the respective withdrawal and introduction of air into the air chamber, a resistor in the liquid chamber for maintaining substances therein liquid, the resistor being housed in a tube extending between the walls and through the filter having at least one bore for placing the tube in fluid communication with the liquid chamber, a hand piece, a duct in the hand piece, and a part of the resistor and a short tubular element maintaining the body and hand piece in coupled but readily decoupled relationship.

Abstract: Sample handling apparatus includes a disposable, single use sample vessel that includes reclosable port structure, and coupling structure adjacent said port structure. Cooperating sample transfer structure for detachable connection to the coupling structure of the vessel includes a transfer passage and a port opening probe portion and is movable to a position in which the probe portion opens the reclosable port structure to provide a flow path between the transfer passage and the sample storage vessel. In that position, the vessel and sample transfer structure cooperate to define a sealed chamber that has a flexible, resilient wall.

Abstract: A food product fill pump apparatus and method are disclosed which greatly facilitate accurate and efficient sequential filling of containers with food product which is flowable in nature. The fill pump is adapted for use with associated packaging machinery for placing predetermined quantities of food product in a plurality of containers which are sequentially presented for filling. The fill pump includes a reciprocating positive displacement piston pump and a rotary valve which are cyclically operable for intermittent filling of the containers with a metered quantity of food product. The fill pump further includes a novel product accumulator arrangement which is adapted to compensate for surges or other fluctuations in the supply of food product to the fill pump so that the pressure of food product received by the piston pump is generally constant.

Abstract: A pipetting device comprising a housing and a plurality of tubes mounted on the housing. The housing has a manifold chamber and a plurality of passages leading from the tubes, respectively, to the manifold chamber. A flexible impervious membrane extends across the passages to divide each of the passages into a first passage section and a second passage section. The first passage sections provide communication between the tubes and one side of the membrane, and the second passage sections provide communication from the other side of the membrane to the manifold chamber. A substantially incompressible flowable material, such as a liquid, fills the second passage sections and the manifold chamber. A mechanism is provided for moving the flowable material to deflect the membrane in opposite directions whereby liquid can be drawn into, and expelled from, the tubes.

Abstract: A water squirt toy apparatus including a combination of a water squirt toy and a special filling valve which function together cooperatively.The water squirt toy includes a resiliently expansible tubular member serving as a water reservoir and encased within a rigid tubular support member, and a manually operated, lever-type normally closed valve mechanism operatively associated with the expansible member for permitting or preventing fluid discharge therefrom by compressing or pinching the same. The forward end of the expansible member is fixedly, but removably, secured to a discharge opening. The filling valve is particularly structured for fluidically mating with a conventional hose bib or hose as well as with the discharge opening in order to permit easy and rapid filling and refilling of the expansible member with water. The discharge opening may also mate directly with the hose bib or hose without the special valve.

Abstract: In one embodiment, this invention comprises a normally open, resilient bulb which has a long tube at one end and an opening at the other end adapted for pressure tight removeable inter-connection with the access opening of an associated container, whereby a pre-determined volume of material may be transferred from a source directly to the container, or vice versa.

Abstract: In carrying out the method of sampling gas with our novel apparatus, a user will blow air into an elastic fluid impervious diaphragm which extends into the mouth of a rigid container. As the elastic diaphragm expands inwardly it forces air or gas outwardly of the container through a valve-controlled port, the diaphragm will eventually engage and adhere to substantially the entire inner surface of the container and the valve-controlled port will then be closed. The container will then be placed in a sampling zone and the valve-controlled port will again be opened to communicate with the sampling zone to thereby permit gas to enter and fill the container. The valve-controlled port will then be closed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for the simultaneous performance of a series of analyses upon a multiplicity of samples disposed in an upright array of cuvette receptacles therefor, said array being in mating facial juxtaposition with similarly disposed arrays of reagent dispensing means, sample dispensing means, treatment means, analytic means and receptacle cleaning means such that individual operative means are coordinately positioned for simultaneous engagement with a plurality of receptacles; and executing steps in the analytic sequence by moving the receptacle array to a series of spaced positions sequentially whereby individual receptacles are simultaneously progressed in a series of steps through a cycle of sample treatment and analysis to cleaning.