AO' ROTARYMICROTOME

Model 820
R E F E RENCE M ANUAL

Ke c 1 ' -tl

@ Ameri can Opti cal C orporati on 1979

AmericonOpticol
IN S TR U ME ND
S C IE N TIFIC T IV IS ION
B U FFA LO, N Y 14215

Price$1.00
 WARRANTY
optical will repairor replace,at its option, this product
For 1 year from the date of purchaseby the end-user,American
or material. contact your ordering dealerfor instructionsand
for shipping chargesonly, if defectivein workmanship
furnish originalinvoiceinformation'
in any way, or has been alteredor repairedby other
This warranty does not apply if the product has been misused
than an authorizedAmericanOptical Representative'
IMPLIED OR EXPRESSED' ALL IMPLIED
THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE HEREBY
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
DISCLAIMED.
not in accordancewith the above' American
No one is authorized to make any obligationsfor American optical
incidentalor consequentialdamagesfrom any negligence,
optical shall under no circumstanc.su. huute for special,
theory arisingout of or relatingto the design,manufacture' use or
breach of warranty, strict liability or any other
handlingof the product.

CLAIMSAND RETURNS
to the customer'sordering point referring to
If discrepanciesare discovered,an immediate report should be made
insurethat no smallitems are overlooked. claims
the packinglist number- ail pacting shouldbe caiefully examinedto
company.
for iosso, du..g. in transit shouldbe made directly to the transportation
handlingor damage,the transportation
If, upon delivery, the outside of the packing caseshowsevidence^of rough
Bad Order" notation on the delivery receipt' If there
company,sagent should be requestedio *uti. a "Receivedin
concealed damage is evidentupon unpackingthe shipment
is no exterior evidenceof rough handlingupon delivery,but
.o-p.ny should be requested to make out a "Bad Order" report' This
within 4g hours of delivery, tire transpoit.tion
procedureis necessary the carrier'
in oider to maintain the right of recoverl.'fron'r

permissionto return any goodsfor any reason' The

Customersare requestedto contact their orderingdealerfor
and number of th1 or
invoice, aremadefor a return,the
packinglist.If arrangements
requestshouldindicatethe date
carefully
nameand address, packedand shippedPREPAID'
materialshouldbe plainly taggedwith the customer's

PRODUCTCHANGES

the right to change.designs in its

or to make additionsto or improvements
Americanoptical corporation reserves
to add suchto productspreviouslymanufactured'
productswit^houtimposingany obligationon itielf
or illustrationsbecauseinstruments are
The equipment supplied may not agreein all details with our description
subjectto modification and improvement.

SERVICE
repair facil_itiesare availableat many
Repairs should be performed only by qualified servicepersonnel- Complete
Centersin Buffalo, N'Y., Rosemont,, Ill., No' Hollywood, Calif',
AO authorized Oeaters,unJ eO iechnlial Service
Edison,N.J., and Dallas,Texas'
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CLAIMS & RETIIRNS . 2

PRODUCT CHANGES 2
PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE 4
THE KNIFE CLAMP 4
A CCE S SOR IES 5
IT q F
7
n/IA TT\TTI.FT\TANTN F
8

R o T A R M|C
Y R 0 T 0 ME
M0, 0 E L820
Basic Package Includes
- AO Pre c i s i o n R o ta rY M i crotome 955 H andl e

- 822 Knife Holder 969 P i ke Oi l

- 942 Knife Reference Manual

- 9 6 1 Ba c k

LOCKINGLEVER

Figurel. The A0 820 l[icrotome

I
I
PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE

To unpack, use cloth tape to lift microtome

3 or 4 inches to remove from die cut' Front
flap of die cut will then snap back under the
instrument. Grasp microtome firmly under
front and back of base and lift from box'
Do not attempt to remove instrument from
Uox bv using the cloth taPe.

Place the microtome on a table with the

crank or drive wheel on the right-hand side,
Fig. l. Remove instruction tag and protec-
tive dust cover from instrument. Remove
rolled tissue from around feed barrel and
discard.

Figure3. FronfView of 820 Microlone

T HEK I { I F ECL A MP

Moving wrench M, Fig. 3, counterclockwise

frees ihe clamp for movement toward or from
the specimen, remova-l from the microtome,
and also frees the knife holder so that it can
be moved sideways on its base plate. This
adjustment permits shifting the knife to use
another part of the knife edge without aJter'
ing the tilt angle of the knife or removing
the knife from the clamP jaws.

Figure2. The LockingLever
( A in Lockedand B in UnlockedPosilion)
The locking lever at the top of the wheel
prevents forward rotation of the drive wheel
ih"tt moved beyond the handle (position A,
Fig. 2). To urilock' move the lever toward
thJ front of the instrument to position
Fig. 2. .Do not do so, however, until all set
completed. Raisecover A,
-3, 6ave been
up-steps
fig. and note the inclined surface of the
feJd, A, Fig. 4, and feed screw tip B' Re-
move the piece of cardboard placed between
them to pievent damage during shipment'
Wipe excess grease off surface leaving
thin coat. (Refer to Maintenance. )
To insert the knife loosen the two clamp
screws I, Fig. 3, until the knife E can slide
( from either side ) into the jaws of the clamp.
The edge of the kni-fe should be exactly level
with the top of the back jaw. If not level,
raise or lower each side by turning the two
set screws H until level. This will place
knife edge at the center of rotation of knife
B, holder. T i gh t e n the two clamp screws I
alternately until the knife is held f irmly.
Hand tightening is sufficient.
To adjust the knife angle move levers N and
O, Fig. 3, toward the microtome and rotate
the upper part of the holder until the desired
a clearance angle is obtained. Scale ( Fig. 2),
graduated in 2o increments may be used as

NOTE - LOCKING LEVER IS NOT A BRAKE. STOP

HANDWHEEL BEFORE ENGAGING TO PRE-
VENT DAMAGE.

NOTE - LUBRICATE THOROUGHLYBEFOREUSE.SEE

MAINTENANCE, PAGE 8.
a reference. The proper clearance angle The knife leveling screws and wedges can be
depends on the angle of the lcrife edge and removed after remova-l of set screw I, Fig. 3,
the material to be sectioned. The angle may tilting the jaw back and lifting out through the
be changed by loosening the clamping mecha- slot in the jaw of the clamp. Replace the left
nism, N, O, Fig. 3, and tilting the knife to wedge in the left bracket and the right in the
the new position, without loss of material right bracket.
when the lmife is level with the rear jaws of
the clamp, as the knife edge is then at the
ACCESS0RIES
center of rotation. Be sure that all clamps
and set screws are firmly hand tightened be- 8250biecrGlamp
fore cutting, to prevent vibration or creeping.
ine is adequate.. . the use of other
tools is not onl.y unnecessary, but can

A ball and flange type object clamp #825 is

supplied as standard with the tt820rr. Speci-
mens up to 32mm by 27mm can be accommo-
dated. Three lcrurled screws (J, K, and L,
Fig. 3 ) orient and rigidly lock the clamp into
position.

If an object disc is used to mount the speci-

820 Mlcrolome
Figure[. Top Yiew of Uncovered
men, it is held firmly in the V groove be-
tween the upper and lower jaws of the clamp.
For use with a mold rather than an object
To remove the knife holder loosen base clamp
disc, the lower (V grooved) jaw is removed
nut by moving wrench M, Fig. 3, counter- simply by lifting it out from the clamp.
clockwise and slide the holder from the mi-
crotome. Replace by sliding back on the
base of the microtome. Lock by moving 8 2 8J o h n sHo p k in Cla
s mp
wrench M clockwise. The clamping position
of the locking levers for knife angle N, O,
Fig. 3 , can be changed. Remove the knife from
holder. Loosen levers and rotate holder up
until it may be removed from its base. Un-
screw lever until the hexagonal nut, D, Fig.
5, opposite the lever can be pushed out of
its serrated socket. Rotate the hex nut in
the direction the lever is to be repositioned,
reinsert into the serrated socket and tighten
lever. The clamping direction may be re-
versed by removing the lever and hex screw
from each side and replacing them in the
opposite sides, since one set has right-hand
and the other left-hand threads.
 _ _*ll

The No. 828 Johns Hopkins Clamp can be Object discs of 7/8't, 1-1l 3' t , and 1-l /2'r dia-
supplied as an accessory with the "820". meters respectively, are avai l abl e as an
The clamp is 1-3/4'r wide...jaws have a accessory if desired.
depth of. 5/8" and open to a maximum of
I-7/8" to accommodate various sizes of
blocks. 8 2 3G la s sK n if eHo ld e r

829 Thin SectionAdapter

The 829 A dapte r A, F i g . 5 , c a n b e c l amped

o n t o t he diago n a l fe e d s u rfa c e o f the 820
Microtome and reduces the rate of feed by a The 823 Glass Knife Holder, a new knife
factor of 20. For example, with this attach- holder designed to accommodate glass knives,
ment the actual specimen advance when the is now available for use with the r?820r'Micro-
i n dic at or G , F i g . 3 , i s s e t a t 2 0 m i crons tome equipped with thin sectioning adapter No.
will be I micron. The adapter is held in 829.
place by a clamp screw at the end of the
E{
bracket passing back of the diagonal feed and
l e v eled wit h th e s c re w s E a n d F , Fi g. 5.
r la d eHo ld e r
9 6 6Ra z oB
Use a light neutral grease on the new feed
su r f ac e, ( Refe r to M a i n te n a n c e . ) T h e use
of a glass knife holder is recommended with
this adapter.

81 3 8, 1 2 ,8 I l 0 b i e clD i scs

ji

The Model 966 razor blade holder is placed

in the jaws of the knife holder with the set
screw of the razor blade holder resting on
the base R, Fig. 3, and the set screws I
tightened alternately until the 966 is firmly
clamped in a level position.
usE surface is nearly parallel with the knife edge.
Adjust the knife for the proper clearance
Place the specimen C, Fig. 3 in the clamp angle.
D; the lsrife E in the knife holder F; and
adjust the proper angle for the material to Bring the knife close to the specimen and
be sectioned. Set the index G to the de- tighten the knife clamp. Before cutting make
sired thiclmess by turning the lmob D, Fig. sure that the set screws and levers on the
4, at the back of the microtome. Adiust clamp D, Fig. 3, and the Knife Holder F
alternately the three knurled clamp are firmiy tightened to avoid vibration.
"".-u*"
J, K, and L, Fig. S, until the ipecimen
The first few cuts wili be incomplete until
the surface of the block is squared off. If
more feed is desired between cuts, the crank
C, Fig. 5, on the left side of the microtome
can be advanced by hand at the end of the
stroke. Be careful not to advance too rapidly
as the specimen or the knife may be damaged.

When the feed screw reaches the end of its

Figure5. A0 Microtome
WirhThin CuftingAilachment( A )
travel , block E wili push against F, Fig. 4,
to disconnect the feed mechanism and pre_
vent jamming. Turn the crank on the left
side of the microtome, C, Fig. 5, to re_
turn the feeding mechanism to the other end
of the feed screw and lift up lever C, Fig.
4, to re-engage the feed mechanism.
If difficulties arise in cutting, refer to "Effec-
tive Use & Proper Care of the Microtomeil.

IIOTE . LOCKING LEVER IS NOT A BRAKE. STOP

HANDWHEEL RFIFCF.EENGAGING TO PRE-
VENT DAMAGE.

817 DisposableBlades,with Dispenser

Disposable Blades offer quick accessibilityto a fresh, sharp cutting edge at all times. The
75mm Blades (100 per pkg.) are made of heat treated, hardenedtoot steel. Light coating
of
protective lubricant assureslong shelf life.

Blade Holders are availableto fit all 820 Rotary Microtomes.

Write for SB817.
 ANCE
MAIN TEN

The microtome is well made and a long use-

ful life of precision cutting may be expected
when the microtome is given proper care'
After use, clean the instrument by brushing
or wiping off any ribbon fragments. Para-ffin
residue may be removed from the knife holder
w it h a c lot h m o i s ' te n e d w i th x y l e n e' The
slides of the knife holder should be kept oiled
with Pike Oil. Relubrication should be done
when the cleaning removes the oil or grease
and is necessary for free moving use of the
knife clamP Parts.

The microtome lubrication points are indica-

ted in Fig. 6 and inside cover. The surfaces
marked'-G" should begreased every 2 months
when the microtome is used most of the work-
ing day and at least every 4 months-with aver-
ug"" o"". Use a small amount of good light
n6utral grease. A few drops of Pike OiI
s hould be p u t i n th e o i l h o l e s a n d sl i des
m ar k ed 01 a n d 0 2 i n F i g . 6 , e v e ry 2 w eeks
for average usage, and with heavy usage the
slide m ar k ed 0 L s h o u l d b e o )l e d e v e r y w eek'
Fi g e . Lubri cati on 0i agram for 820 Micr olom e

A iighter oil likl r\O #9?0 Cryo-Cut Oil may

be requir-ed when the rnicrotome rs used rn
cold chambers or cold rooms. orag, tighten the screw at FN, Fig. 5, one
turn and the screw seen from the outside
on the opposi te thi s one turn, al ternate ly unt il a
A f t er c ons iC g ra b L e i .ts e i :h e f ri c ti o n
feed screw deereases ar-r.d Lrllst be tightened slight frictiona^l drag is felt on the hand crank
When the hand after the cover is replaced. This adjustment
for conti nued regular cutliirg.
q3y'..ti"e i..-ft-hand Si de of the micro- is also necessary shou-ld the pawl not iift up
feed c-ran4
tome rioes nol offer a slighf resistance or properly for moving the ratchet wheel"

SERVICE

Repairs should be performed only kr;r qualified service personnel. Complete repair
facilities are available at many AO authorized dealers,and AO Technical Service Centers in
Buffalo, N.Y., Rosemont, Ill., No. Hollywood, Calif., Edison,N.J., and Dallas, Texas.

PARTS MANUAL

A LISTING OF PARTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE ROTARY MICROTOME

IS CONTAINED IN SEPARATE PARTS MANUAL 820 PI\{.
Availableon Request.

820-301 5/79 Printedin U.S.A.