Vial loading apparatus

Claim 1

TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR LOADING UPSTANDING VIALS ONTO HORIZONTALLY-DISPOSED RECEIVING MEMBERS OF A WASHING MACHAINE COMPRISING, (A) A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AHORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, (B) AN ELONGATED VIAL-CARRIER CARRIED BY SAID STRUCTURE, SAID CARRIER BEING PROVIDED WITH SPACED POCKETS FOR RECEIVING A ROW OF UPSTANDING VIALS WHEN THE SAID STRUCTURE IS IN THE FIRST POSITION, (C) MEANS FOR ROTATING THE STRUCTURE TO THE SECOND POSITION WHEEIN RECEIVED VIALS ARE DISPOSED IN HORIZONTAL POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SAID RECEIVING MEMBERS, SAID MEANS RETAINING THE STRUCTURE IN THE SECOND POSITION FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD, (D) MEANS EFFECTIVE DURING THE SAID PREDETERMINED TIME PERIOD TO BODILY RECIPROCATE THE VIAL CARRIER ALTERNATELY FROM AN INITIAL POSITION ON THE CARRIER, TOWARD THE RECEIVING MEMBERS TO PLACE SAID RECEIVED VIALS THEREON, AND THEREAFTER RETURN THE VIAL-CARRIER TO SAID INITIAL POSITION, (E) MEANS EFFECTIVE UPON SAID RETURN OF THE VIAL-CARRIER TO THE SAID INITIAL POSITION TO ROTATE THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO ITS FIRST POSITION, SO THAT THE VIAL-CARRIER MAY RECEIVE ANOTHER ROW OF UPSTANDING VIALS.