An ink jet recording apparatus includes a carriage on which is mountable a recording head provided with discharge ports to discharge ink and which is movable to move the head, a movable cap to cover the discharge ports, and a pump to suck ink from the discharge ports through the cap when the cap covers the discharge ports. A controller controls the recording head to wait for a given period of time in a position facing the cap before the carriage is moved to carry the recording head, subsequent t...

A machine for removing and subsequently reapplying bottle caps to bottles having a threaded neck is actuated by the presentation of a bottle neck to a rotatable chuck to either apply or remove a bottle cap.

Apparatus and method for handling a container having a removable cover, e.g., a vial for holding a biological fluid specimen. The container may have therein an internal element that is releasably coupled to the cover, such as an assembly for processing the specimen in the container. The method involves applying an external force to the covered container sufficient to release the internal element from the cover, and then dislodging the cover from the container. The external force may be an accele...

An apparatus for capping and uncapping containers includes a framework for storing screw-on caps in a number of stacked columns. A guide for aligning containers, such as bottles or vials held in a standard holder, consists of two members movable with respect to one another and defining a number of openings of adjustable size into which the containers are to project so as to become aligned with the stacked caps. An endless, cogged belt is operatively positioned within grooves formed on longitudin...

A hypodermic syringe uncapping device includes a housing enclosing two opposed, pivotal arms adapted to grip a cap protecting a hypodermic syringe needle. Upon insertion through a hole in the housing, the capped needle is forced against a movable plunger whose lower end engages one of a number of pins extending from the surface of a rotatable cam located between the arms. Rotation of the cam thus induced allows the arms to pivot toward each other under the urging of an arm-connecting spring, cau...

A machine for uncapping honeycombs including a feeding mechanism for depositing honeycombs on a conveyor chain in sequential relation with the conveyor chain conveying the honeycomb through a buffing or cleaning station in which the honeycombs are cleaned, through a cutting station where the honeycombs are uncapped and then supporting the honeycombs in overlying relation to a drain tank.

A honeycomb uncapping device having a pair of unique arbors arranged to uncap both sides of the comb and a conveyor to carry the comb between the arbors. Each arbor carries a plurality of canted discs arranged with random circumferential location of maximum cant.

A device for capping and uncapping a hypodermic needle includes a body portion having an opening therein through which the cap of a hypodermic needle may be inserted and removed. The body portion has a base that can be attached to a surface by an adhesive layer or by hook and loop fasteners. The body portion includes a conical helix having screw threads that engage the end of the cap upon rotation of the cap therein. Because the cap is mechanically secured by the helix, the needle can be removed...

A hypodermic appliance for facilitating a one-handed uncapping and recapping of hypodermic apparatus and the like. An appliance separate from the hypodermic apparatus includes an elongated tapered opening in a plate through which a needle-covering sheath of a hypodermic apparatus is placed. The tip of the sheath abuts a tip holder which provides a fulcrum point for rocking the hypodermic apparatus from the wider portion of the opening to the narrower portion of the opening and vice-versa. The si...

An air chuck for use in a capping or uncapping machine, in which air chuck a plurality of hard members are circularly disposed and a cap receiving recess is formed in the central portion of the hard members. The hard members are so arranged as to be slid in the directions of the radii of the cap receiving recess and the sliding movement of the hard members enlarges or reduces the inner diameter of the cap receiving recess, the air chuck thereby grasping or releasing a bottle cap which is introdu...