Appeal No. 1997-1669
Application No. 08/185,649
pulsing said second displaceable rod after contacting the vial
to move the vial and mix the contents;
a needle for extracting material from said headspace
through said septum; and
mating means for causing said needle to puncture said
septum of said vial.
42. A transport device for conveying sample vials having
caps with a septum therein to a sampling site for withdrawing
material from the headspace of the vials for analysis by gas
chromatography, comprising:
a platen rotatable about an axis and having a plurality
of chambers, each chamber having a shoulder at the bottom
thereof for retaining one of the sample vials, each chamber
further having an opening for providing access to the sample
vial from below;
heating means for heating the platen;
drive means for rotating the platen about the axis;
a first displaceable rod and a rod drive to drive and
displace the first displaceable rod axially to enter each of
the chambers from below to engage and lower the vial into a
chamber at a first location;
a needle positioned above the platen at a second
location; and
a second displaceable rod, a drive for the second
displaceable rod to drive the rod to engage a vial and to urge
the engaged vial upward along a chamber at the second location
to bring the septum of the vial in puncturing contact with the
needle while maintaining the vial in heat-conductive relation
with the platen.
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