Abstract: A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and an elevator with a chuck guide that contact the container holder as the chuck is lowered by the elevator to position the chuck with respect to the cap of the container held in the holder and to hold jaws of the container holder in a closed position. In embodiment, the chuck guide includes a yoke with opposed arms and spindles located near distal ends of the arms that engage beveled shoulders of the container holder.

Abstract: A container assembly that includes a container having a container top and a container floor, a lid affixed to said container top by a hinge, the lid being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, an internal fastener being (1) attached to the inside of the container, (2) not accessible from the outside of the container when the lid is in its closed position, and (3) adapted to maintain the lid in its closed or locked position, an access hole in the container floor, a lever positioned within the container and above the access hole, and a tool adapted to be inserted into the access hole to activate the lever to release the internal fastening mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing a cap onto a cylindrical container includes a main stage and three clamps. Each of the clamps is pivotally attached to the main stage and rotatable about a respective axis of rotation. The axes of rotation of the clamps define an outer circle having a center. Each of the clamps comprises a generally planar body and an arcuate edge and can be used to both center a cap and grip and rotate a vial for attachment of the cap.

Abstract: A gripping band includes an elastic body that is resiliently adapted to engage an outer surface of an existing lid. The body includes a mechanism for maintaining a non-skid resistive engagement with the lid outer surface for enabling a user to exert sufficient torque along the body to overcome the initial frictional force and thereby remove the lid from the existing jar. The mechanism includes protrusions coupled to the body and juxtaposed about a circumference thereof such that troughs are formed between the protrusions. The protrusions and troughs cooperate to define shoulders against which a user maintains a grip for preventing slippage. An elastic auxiliary body is resiliently adapted to engage an existing jar outer surface, and is positioned at a jar lower portion for providing a gripping surface for assisting the user to stabilize the jar while exerting torque along the body.

Abstract: A bottle opener including a housing with a inner cavity; a pair of clamping handles having upper portions coupled to the lower portions of the housing, and the lower portions including clamping portions configured to mate with the neck of the bottle. Also included are an actuator; a first sliding block making reciprocating movement in a longitudinal axis direction with respect to the inner cavity of the housing by the actuator; a helical screw assembly having an upper portion mounted in the first sliding block by a bearing and a lower portion that is free with rotation related to the first sliding block; and a second sliding block contained only slidably in the inner cavity of housing and positioned between the bottom plane of the inner cavity and the lower surface of the first sliding block.

Abstract: A device for opening a container having a screw-on lid includes a rotating turntable for holding the container and a non-rotating lid engaging member that, after being driven in a first direction into the lid by an axial drive, is disengaged from the axial drive by deflection occurring within a coupling between the axial drive and the lid engaging member.

Abstract: A jar opening apparatus for opening a jar having a screw-on lid which comprises a base having a jar supporting surface, a generally vertically extending guide column connected to the base and a carriage assembly connected to the guide for movement relative to the guide between a first raised position and a second lowered position. The carriage assembly comprises a carriage; a lid engaging member connected to the carriage for engaging the screw-on lid when the carriage is in the second position, and rotating means for imparting rotation to the lid engaging member. The rotating means uniquely comprises a drive screw connected to the carriage and a cooperating driven tube connected to the lid engaging member. A novel operating mechanism is operably associated with the carriage for moving the carriage between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A tube-plug extracting apparatus has a clamping mechanism, movable frame, chucking mechanism, rotation mechanism, and vertical motion mechanism. The clamping mechanism holds a test tube upright. The movable frame is located over a plug extracting position and slides in a vertical direction. The chucking mechanism chucks a plug attached to the test tube. The rotation mechanism rotates the chucking mechanism. The vertical motion mechanism moves the movable frame in a direction to extract the plug. The vertical motion mechanism has ball screws and a drive motor. The ball screws have a stroke long enough to move the movable frame in order to shift a lower-limit stop position for chucking the plug corresponding to the size of test tube.

Abstract: An ink container opener has a first portion and a second portion which are approximately perpendicular to each other. Each portion has an opening for receiving an ink container cap. The opening of the first portion comprises a plurality of ridges extending along at least one side of the opening. The first and second portions are formed of a unitary construction and form an L-shaped configuration. Force is applied to the container body to separate the cap from the body as the cap is supported by the opener.

Abstract: The present invention is a portable securing apparatus for fastening and unfastening a lid to a container. The apparatus minimizes or prevents health risks of medical conditions associated with repetitive and cumulative motions by minimizing or preventing repetitive motions performed by an individual. The apparatus includes a base and a balancer configured to hold a rotational drive mechanism. The base provides support for the container by allowing the container to rest thereon in an upright position. The balancer is connected to the base and is configured to hold the rotational drive mechanism. The balancer provides for movement of the rotational drive mechanism to engage the container lid.

Abstract: A corkscrew comprising a body and a handle, the body including a socket adapted to receive the neck of a bottle sealed by a cork, an actuation lever, an axially rotatable worm spiral mounted on a carriage within the body and arranged to rotate and penetrate the cork as the lever is lowered, the spiral being further arranged to cease rotation as the lever is raised to withdraw the cork from the bottle, the corkscrew being further arranged to discharge the cork from the screw by lowering and raising the lever after the neck of the bottle has been removed from the socket.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a jar opener assembly including a torquing tool and a pad which are used in conjunction with each other in order to easily remove a lid from a jar by placing the pad under the jar and attaching the torquing tool so that a cavity having serrated edges abuts against the jar lid in order to apply torque thereto. The torquing tool includes a pad receiving area to which the pad is mounted when not in use.

Abstract: A bottle and jar lid opener suitable for single hand operation. The opener includes a jar gripping assembly to restrain the jar which has a band tightened by lengthening or shortening the band to engage the band about the body to secure the jar to said band support and base. A wrench also includes a band of material forming a loop tightened about the lid. Rotation of the wrench tightens the band. Any movement of the jar in response to torque applied to the lid for opening thereof causes the jar to roll along a support leading surface to further tighten the band.

Abstract: A cork remover for removing corks from bottles, particularly bottles having substantial internal gas pressure, such as champagne bottles, includes a tapered, generally tubular part, which is placed over the shoulder of the bottle. A hollow, threaded, tubular member is secured to the tapered part and is threaded to a tubular sleeve which has ports on opposite sides of its sidewall. Sharpened pins are movable through the ports to puncture and hold the cork. In one embodiment, the pins are threaded to the sleeve and are turned into the cork by means of handles secured to the pins. In another embodiment, the pins are replaced with C-shaped members having abrasive surfaces which are pressed into the sides of the cork, enabling it to be turned by use of the handles. Further embodiments utilize an L-shaped handle pivotally secured to the sleeve to force one or both pins into the corks. The handle can then be turned to break the cork loose and enable it to be removed.

Abstract: A container-restraining and closure-rotating assembly includes a base plate with a container-gripping strap that tightens about a sidewall of a container located on a counter beside the base plate when a counterclockwise rotational force is applied to the container and a closure-rotating implement for rotating and unscrewing a closure on a container restrained by the container-gripping strap. The closure-rotating implement includes a closure-gripping strap that tightens about a sidewall of a closure when a counterclockwise rotational force is applied to the closure through the closure-gripping strap by a counterclockwise movement of the implement handle.

Abstract: This container holder is a vertical structure with its lower extremity fixedly attachable to a sink drain opening, and its upper extremity capable of receiving and clamping the container whose lid is to be manipulated. At the holder bottom, parallel connected fixed and pivoting partial cylindrical sections are placed in the sink drain opening. The user rotates a cam lever to swing out the pivoting section until the holder is firmly fixed in the sink drain. The top of the holder has a platform on which the container is placed. A screw mechanism actuated by a crank handle converges two clamping jaws around the container to fix it in place. Advantages include use of minimum force for both sink attachment and container clamping, and normal sink function with the holder in place. The holder can be made of lightweight materials, is easily cleaned and rapidly deployed.

Abstract: The instant invention includes a pair of strap devices which are utilized in combination to enable a person (especially the elderly and/or physically challenged) to open jars or similar containers with ease and simplicity. One of the strap devices is employed as a jar or container holder. The other device is used as a strap-type wrench. The holder is designed to be permanently mounted on a vertical surface. The wrench device can be utilized to remove vacuumed sealed, screw-on, crimped or pull-tab lids with relative ease.

Abstract: Closed containers with safety caps having a push and twist opening system are loosened by compressing the container between the cap gripping means and the base of the apparatus described more fully herein, and rotating the base in a clockwise direction.

Abstract: An automatic decapper removes caps from capped test tubes by gripping the cap on a test tube with the upper grippers and holding the cap stationary while the test tube is rotated and translated downward with lower grippers. In a preferred embodiment, the upper grippers comprise three jaws coupled to a cam to be moved, as appropriate, from a first position in which a test tube cap may be inserted between the jaws to a second position in which the jaws grip the inserted cap. The upper grippers are mounted to a decapping arm that is pivotable between a first position above the lower grippers, in which the decapping takes place, to a second position above the exterior of the decapper, where it remains while the test tube is inserted into or removed from the lower grippers and where a removed cap may be released into a container for disposal or reuse. The lower grippers comprise a pair of lever arms for holding the test tube.

Abstract: A fully automatic jar opener for loosening a threaded cap includes a bottom jar retainer including substantially horizontal clamps automatically movable along a horizontal plane between an open position and a jar clamping position. The clamps, while in the jar clamping position, hold a jar substantially without slippage and a top jar retainer holds the cap substantially without slippage when the cap is subjected to a twisting force. A vertical drive automatically adjusts the relative vertical positions between the bottom and top retainers to apply a holding force on the cap. The automatic jar opener includes at least one electrically-controllable pneumatic actuator for moving for moving the clamps along the horizontal plane, and at least one motor for applying the twisting force to the top retainer and for adjusting the relative vertical position between the retainers.

Abstract: A micro tube cap opening device includes a tubular holder, a lifting bar and a mounting sleeve. The holder has a well supported by a sidewall of the holder and open at a first end thereof for receiving therein a tube body of a micro tube. The mounting sleeve is attached on and along the sidewall of the holder. The lifting bar is slidably mounted by and through the mounting sleeve to undergo movement between a retracted position and an extended position. A first end of the lifting bar in the retracted position is disposed adjacent to the first end of the holder and adjacent to a cap of the micro tube in a closed position interference fitted into the tube body of the micro tube when the tube body of the micro tube is disposed within the well of the holder.