Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a specimen container from a departure support to a container which includes a gripper supporting frame and a container gripper selectively movable with respect to the frame between an upper position and lower position in which gripper fingers of the container gripper are able to catch a container in a departure support or to leave the container in a container carrier. The apparatus further includes a gripper blocking element movable between a work position, in which said gripper blocking element stops the movement of the container gripper towards the lower position in an intermediate position between the upper and lower positions, and a rest position in which the gripper blocking element allows the container gripper to reach the lower position sliding along the lateral surface of the container.

Abstract: A device of a descaler head is described with circumferentially following and longitudinally following rows of descaler parts (22, 24, 26) where the descaler head comprises: a shaft (12) onto which are fed a number of holding elements for the descaler parts (22, 24, 26), said holding bodies are held together in axial direction with the help of adjustable gripping appliances on the carrier shaft, and each descaler part is connected to associated holding bodies via connecting means that are each in the form of a relatively short length of chain, piece of wire or similar flexible connecting means, at a distance from the rotational axis of the descaler head.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improved apparatus' for dislodging and abrading cryolite encrustations from carbon anodes spent during aluminum smelting. Both the plow blade and flailing elements of the present invention are constructed and arranged to substantially conform to the shape of the spent carbon butts to facilitate rapid and efficient cleaning of the spent carbon anodes' surfaces. Systems and methods employing the substantially V-shaped plow blade extension and dual directional rotating flailing assemblies are also disclosed.