Abstract: The present invention refers to an apparatus for the transfer of foil bags, the apparatus comprising a magazine system, a plurality of adjacently arranged bag receptacles for the simultaneous transportation of adjacently arranged foil bags, and comprising a plurality of clamps which are each configured for gripping a foil bag in a bag receptacle and for the suspended transportation of the foil bag, wherein the apparatus is configured such that during operation foil bags are transferred from the foil bag magazines to the bag receptacles and are gripped in the bag receptacles by the clamps and are transported in suspended fashion, and wherein the apparatus comprises height-adjustable bottom support elements which are configured and arranged such that they respectively support from below the bottom of a foil bag in a bag receptacle up to the position where the clamps grip the foil bag.

Abstract: An automated syringe filler is disclosed comprising a housing and motor with a rotatable syringe holder plate that can be raised and lowered onto exposed syringe needles. The housing also has components for one or more syringes to be attached with the needles pointing upward and the syringe plungers moveably positioned at the bottom. The syringe plunger tool controls the movement of the syringe plunger and can be horizontally and vertically positionable. The syringe plunger tool is motorized and can be controlled by a CPU or similar device containing programmable media.

Abstract: A device for preparing drinks, in particular, cooled drinks. Also disclosed is a multi-way coupling for use in a device for cooling drinks and a method for cleaning a device for preparing drinks.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to an automated apparatus for filling capped needle syringes. The syringes are held in a rotatable motor controlled carousel. The carousel turns to place a syringe proximate to a dispenser mechanism. A rotatable plate on top of the dispenser mechanism holds an automated cap extractor/installer and at least one inverted vial having a needle perforatable surface. The rotatable plate can also move up and down relative to the top of the dispenser mechanism. The cap can be removed by the automated cap extractor/installer and the rotatable plate rotated to place the inverted vial over the exposed syringe needle. The rotatable plate can descend so that the needle perforates the surface of the vial. A syringe plunger tool of the dispenser mechanism engages the syringe plunger and pulls it downward. The syringe plunger tool can disengage and return to its original position. The rotatable plate can raise to remove the needle from the vial.

Abstract: A tablet filling instrument 1 for dispensing tablets into a vial 9 in accordance with prescription data and discharging the vial 9 filled with the tablets in an outlet 113 includes a pair of holding members 111 each provided with at least one slope extending from an upper end located within the instrument 1 to a lower end located in the outlet 113, the holding members 111 being designed to receive at the upper ends the vial 9 filled with the tablets and to allow the vial 9 to slide down under its own weight to the lower ends with supporting a flange 9a around an outer periphery of the vial 9.

Abstract: A tablet filling instrument 1 for dispensing tablets into a vial 9 in accordance with prescription data and discharging the vial 9 filled with the tablets in an outlet 113 includes a pair of holding members 111 each provided with at least one slope extending from an upper end located within the instrument 1 to a lower end located in the outlet 113, the holding members 111 being designed to receive at the upper ends the vial 9 filled with the tablets and to allow the vial 9 to slide down under its own weight to the lower ends with supporting a flange 9a around an outer periphery of the vial 9.

Abstract: An improved multi fluid dispenser for simultaneous dispensing of a plurality of fluids shown and described. The dispenser includes a controller that is linked to a coordinator board. The controller has a memory with a plurality of recipes stored in the memory. A coordinator board is linked to a first module. The first module may include one or two pumps, each connected to a fluid reservoir. The module is then linked in series to a plurality of other modules as well as a manifold module. Each module includes a module board for controlling the pump or pumps of that module. The controller, coordinator board and module boards are all programmed for the simultaneous or sequential pumping of multiple fluids from the reservoirs through outlet nozzles of the manifold in accordance with a recipe selected by the user and retrieved from the memory of the controller.

Abstract: An improved fluid dispenser specially adapted to provide sample-size amounts of a fluid mixture is shown and described. An automated closure and seal system is provided for the manifold that moves, on command from a controller, from a closed or sealed position thereby limiting exposure of the manifold and fluid outlet nozzles from the ambient atmosphere, to a dispense system where a sample-size container is held up against and engaging a lower end of the manifold for a sealing element disposed on a lower portion of the manifold. When the dispense is complete, the system automatically moves back toward a closed position where the filled container is held open and ready to be removed by a technician before it is capped and labeled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a drug delivery device for mixing and delivering a drug by injection. The device includes a housing having a first port or opening therein that receives a first container that contains a fluid or powdered drug, for example a lyophilized drug. The housing can also include a second port or opening that receives a second container that contains a fluid to be mixed with the drug to form an injectable fluid. The device includes a manifold having a channel that fluidly connects the first and second containers. A penetrating membrane such as a needle is used to inject the drug into a patient which is in fluid communication with the first container. The needle is movable from a storage position in the housing to an injection position extending through the housing.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for filling containers with liquid including a vertically disposed filling lance operatively connected to a source of liquid and to a power device by which the lance may be vertically moved between raised and lowered positions. A tubular rod extends upwardly through the lance for operative connection to an actuator by which the tubular rod and a foot valve of the lower end of the lance may be vertically moved between closed and open positions. A pressure transducer detects fluid pressure in the tubular rod and converts the pressure to a proportional signal which is transmitted to the power device for raising the lance a predetermined amount while keeping the foot valve and lower end of the lance submerged beneath the surface of container liquids.

Abstract: Filling apparatus and method of operation are provided for rapid, selectively controlled filling of flexible, plastic, webbed containers with a liquid. The apparatus includes a cutter which separates the lead container from the web whereupon a shuttle delivers the separated container to a filling head. The filling head rapidly loads the container with the desired liquid whereupon the container is thereafter directed from the filling head along a specially constructed air table. Programmable controlls allow precise movement of the container handling and filling operation to ensure rapid and efficient container loading.

Abstract: A balloon vending machine having a number of uninflated balloons positioned in a balloon support structure housed within the balloon vending machine. Attached to each balloon is a valve that not only maintains the balloon in the support structure but facilitates the inflation of the balloon. An operator selects one of a variety of balloons available for inflation. By rotating the balloon support housing the various balloons. Once the operator selects a balloon for inflation, the chosen balloon is indexed within the balloon support structure. The balloon is then inflated by dispensing a pressured gas through a series of regulators while still positioned in the balloon support structure. After the balloon is completely inflated, the inflator transports the balloon to a balloon hatch for delivery to the operator. The balloon hatch prohibits the operator from having access to the internal working of the balloon vending machine while retrieving the inflated balloon.

Abstract: A pocket instrument for sampling breath air in situ, includes a microprocessor-controlled directional control valve with needles at an outlet to which needle the sample vessels are attached. The directional control valve is arranged to be connected through another outlet to the atmosphere and to a collecting chamber respectively, which collecting chamber is provided with a feeding device for accommodating and delivering the breath air.

Abstract: The two end members (1, 4) are locked by a self-retractable hook (15) which engages in a groove (23) in the female end member (1). The hook (15) is connected to an actuating lever (11) biased by a spring (14) and provided with a push-button (20). Pivotally mounted on the other arm of the lever (11) is a yoke (6) mounted on the male end member (4). When the transfer has finished, the hook (15) is retracted by depressing the button (20) so as to unlock the coupling. In the event of frosting, by depressing the button (20) still further, the yoke (6) upwardly urges the female member (1) and separates the two end members. Application in the transfer of liquid oxygen from a storage container to a portable container for domestic oxygen treatment.

Abstract: A filling valve mechanism for cans is presented. The valve includes a sleeve slidably mounted on a pair of pins and limited in downward motion by means of a stop. The sleeve carries an O-ring circumferentially thereabout for engaging within the throat of a container or can to be filled. The O-ring is of slightly greater diameter than the throat of the can such that sealing engagement is achieved. Also carried on the sleeve is a resilient compressible stripping member adapted for engaging the mouth of the can. The stripping member compresses against the mouth of the can, short of full compression by virtue of the limited downward movement of the sleeve against the stop. After the can is filled, the stripping member urges the O-ring from the throat of the can while holding the can in place.

Abstract: Pusher arrangement simultaneously push the open end of an empty container against the inclined side of a downwardly opening delivery cone and simultaneously push a preceeding filled container from below the cone. A spring supported platform below the cone supports the container being filled and lowers it as it is filled. A continuously operating source of material delivers continually to the cone. A first control actuated by the filled container reverses the pusher arrangement. The spring device supporting the container being filled are adjusted to trip the control before the container is fully filled. A second control actuated at the fully advanced position of the pusher arrangement again reverses the pushed arrangement. A first spring connected to the platform has its opposite end connected to a selectively adjustable fixed anchor.

Abstract: An apparatus for liquid disposal and distribution in automatic culture system comprises a first turntable carrying a plurality of culture vessels disposed in an array on a common circle thereon, and a second turntable carrying a plurality of centrifuge tubes disposed in an array on a common circle thereof. The apparatus comprises a pipette holding arm which is disposed so that its free end is angularly movable between one of the culture vessels and one of the centrifuge tubes. The free end of the arm has attached thereto a tapered cylinder which detachably receives a pipette. A fixed displacement pump is connected with the cylinder, which is movable along the path of rotation, along which are disposed a pipette holder, a pipette remover and a liquid disposal pot. The apparatus also comprises a rotary and elevating mechanism associated with the arm.

Abstract: A machine is provided for filling containers with a liquid, which comprises a container infeed section, a container filling section and a container discharge section, the infeed section being equipped with empty container transfer means capable of receiving and releasing containers by twos in a substantially radial alignment with respect to the axis of the transfer means; the filling section comprising an annular tank for liquids, rotatable around its own symmetry axis, having a number of pairs of filling valves, the valves of each pair being arranged substantially over a radius of the said symmetry axis and having underneath each pair of valves support mechanism for containers, rotatable in conjunction with the valves, which receives containers from the transfer means in a first transfer section between the infeed and the filling sections, the support mechanisms comprising moreover apparatus capable of changing vertical position to connect and disconnect the mouth of the containers with the valves before the