U.S. patent number 3,644,095 [Application Number 04/737,981] was granted by the patent office on 1972-02-22 for apparatus for performing chemical analyses.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Eppendorf Geraetebau Netheler & Hinz GmbH. Invention is credited to Gunter Bechtler, Wilhelm Bergmann, Heinrich Netheler.
United States Patent |
3,644,095 |
Netheler , et al. |
February 22, 1972 |
APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING CHEMICAL ANALYSES
Abstract
Apparatus for handling samples of material wherein a first
transport system intermittently moves units of the material in
small steps and a second transport system receives sample portions
of said units and intermittently moves these portions in larger
steps; both systems operating with the same cadence.
Inventors: |
Netheler; Heinrich (Hamburg,
DT), Bechtler; Gunter (Hamburg, DT),
Bergmann; Wilhelm (Hamburg, DT) |
Assignee: |
Eppendorf Geraetebau Netheler &
Hinz GmbH (Hamburg, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5684757 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/737,981 |
Filed: |
June 18, 1968 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 20, 1967 [DT] |
|
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P 16 48 900.2 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
422/65; 141/130;
141/168; 422/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N
35/0092 (20130101); G01N 35/02 (20130101); G01N
35/1079 (20130101); G01N 2035/00495 (20130101); G01N
2035/00346 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01N
35/02 (20060101); G01N 35/00 (20060101); G01N
35/10 (20060101); G01n 001/10 (); G01n
001/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;23/253,259,230
;141/130,168 ;73/425.4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wolk; Morris O.
Assistant Examiner: Serwin; R. E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for carrying out chemical analyses of material wherein
units of the material are moved intermittently, comprising first
conveyor means driven in steps and moving a plurality of material
units in a row; second conveyor means arranged as an endless chain
conveyor driven in steps and having spaced holding elements for
vessels; first transfer means for transferring a sample from a
material unit on said first conveyor means into a vessel on the
second conveyor means; a dispenser disposed upstream of said
transfer means and being adapted to feed vessels to the second
conveyor means; an ejector disposed upstream of said dispenser
which removes the vessels from said second conveyor means,
treatment devices cooperating with the second conveyor means
between said transfer means and said ejector; and a measuring
device for the samples on said second conveyor means disposed at a
position between said treatment devices and said ejector.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the material units on
said first conveyor means are arranged with a first interval from
each other, the vessels and vessel holders respectively on the
second conveyor means being arranged with a second interval from
each other, the first and second conveyor means being moved in the
same cycle with different velocities such that one material unit of
the first conveyor mans and one vessel of the second conveyor means
arrive simultaneously at said first transfer means.
3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said treatment devices
are designed as third conveyor means which form a closed path for
vessels, comprising means for transferring vessels from said second
conveyor means into said third conveyor means and retransferring
said vessels into said second conveyor means, the vessels being
held in said third conveyor means for the duration of a certain
number of steps of said second conveyor means.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said third conveyor
means are driven with a working stroke staggered in time relative
to the working stroke of said second conveyor means, the transfer
and retransfer of vessels from and into said second conveyor means
taking place at the same point of these conveyor means.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a central control
device, a reading station associated with said first conveyor
means, a computer, and a printer, are arranged and interconnected
with said measuring device and said conveyor means, the
identification of said vessels being fed from the the reading
station via the computer into the printer at a time when the
measuring results from the measuring device are fed into the
printer.
6. Apparatus for carrying out chemical analyses of material where
units of the material are moved intermittently, comprising first
conveyor means driven in steps and moving a plurality of material
units in a row; first transfer means which cooperate with the
material units of said first conveyor means; a measuring device for
checking treated amounts of samples; second transfer means which
cooperate with the measuring device; a plurality of treatment zones
between said first and second transfer means each having a second
conveyor means designed as an endless chain conveyor driven in
steps and having spaced holding elements for vessels, a dispenser
adapted to transfer vessels into said holding elements and an
ejector disposed downstream of said second transfer means; said
first transfer means being arranged at one end of the treatment
zones for transferring samples from a material unit in said first
conveyor means successively into each of said treatment zones;
different treatment devices being arranged in individual treatment
zones; and said second transfer means being arranged at the other
end of the treatment zones for transferring the sample parts from
the treatment zones into said measuring device.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the treatment zones have
different lengths and the respective associated treatment devices
are provided for different analyses, treatment devices being
provided in at least some treatment zones which are designed as
third conveyor means and which form a closed circle for vessels, a
transfer of vessels taking place from the second conveyor means
into the third conveyor means and a retransfer of the vessels into
the second conveyor means, the vessels being held in the third
conveyor means for the duration of a certain number of steps of the
second conveyor means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For the diagnosis of the various diseases of the organs, the
concentration of certain substances in the body fluids (blood,
serum, urine, etc.) plays an important part. There are methods for
determining the concentration of a large number of substances,
which are carried out more or less frequently according to the
frequency of the various diseases. The present invention relates in
particular to determination methods which must be carried out very
frequently in the clinical-chemical laboratory and where it is
important to perform the many analyses with a limited staff.
Most determinations are carried out photometrically. When a
substance having a color of its own is concerned, it may be
measured with a photometer. The intensity of the coloration, on a
suitable scale, is directly proportional to the concentration of
the substance. Thus, the concentration can be determined by
multiplication by a known factor. For optically nonabsorbing
substances, a coloration specific to the substance to be analyzed
is produced by addition of a reagent, and then the concentration is
determined by photometry.
Devices are known which render possible a mechanization of the
individual steps of chemical analysis in the following manner.
Several samples are, for example, made ready on a sample plate and
the samples are successively mixed with reagents in a hose system
in certain proportions and, if necessary, heated and cooled off
again. The photometric measurement is carried out with a
photometer.
The multiple utilization of the apparatus with this working method
is also known, in the sense that several portions of a sample are
taken and analyzed in separate apparatus units by different
methods.
In addition, another analysis technique is known in which the
manual steps are mechanized. With a mechanized pipette, for
example, a certain quantity from the sample is taken for the
analysis and transferred to another vessel. A certain quantity of
reagent is added from a supply vessel, the mixture is heated to a
fixed temperature for a defined period of time for the reaction to
take place, and after cooling, a sample is siphoned off, measured,
and evaluated in the manner described above. This apparatus
operates with substance quantities of a few milliliters and uses
reaction vessels of glass, which are cleaned and reused after the
reaction has taken place. Piston pumps with valves are used as
proportioning pumps for the reagents, and siphon the reagent from
supply bottles.
For a mechanization of the manual technique, it is also known to
insert sample vessels in so-called identification units, wherein
the samples are identified by reading devices, possibly taking them
from the units to several treatment zones and treating them by
different methods. The matching of the mechanically read sample
identification with the analysis results, which are available after
the delay required for the analysis, makes it necessary in the
known systems to store the sample marking. In addition, the
analysis results must be stored until the analysis which takes the
longest is completed. Only then, on the basis of the initially
established identical order of the samples in the individual
analysis zones, can the measured values be matched with the
sample.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for performing chemical
analyses, in particular in the field of clinical chemistry, with
the use of vessels which are moved intermittently one after the
other in a transport arrangement.
The problem underlying the invention is to provide an arrangement
in which different analyses can be automatically carried out.
Sample vessels can be arranged in any desired sequence, and fully
automatic treatment of the sample takes place in so-called
treatment zones. Furthermore, there can be a multiplication of the
arrangement without requiring in principle, differently constructed
components.
This problem is solved by the invention, wherein at least two
intermittently working transport systems are provided, in which
vessels are successively transported and/or analysis samples are
subjected to a treatment; at least one transport arrangement having
a step length differing from the other, or others.
In particular, the invention provides a first transport system
containing the analysis samples in a vessel for supplying a
receiving or dispensing station, and a second transport system
(hereinafter also called treatment zone) for supplying a portion of
the sample in another vessel to stations for analytical treatment.
The first transport system works in small steps and the second
transport system works in larger steps. There is illustrated a
rational design of the apparatus whereby advantageous spatial
dimensions are achieved. When the first transport system works with
a step length corresponding to the vessel division in a transport
chain, a large number of vessels can be accommodated within a small
space; on the other hand, the actual treatment zone advantageously
has a step length which is determined as a function of a standard
distance between various devices which are arranged in the
treatment zone.
An object of the invention is to provide a combination of different
transport systems for vessels wherein at least one transport system
zone starts from a receiving or dispensing station. At the
receiving or dispensing station, a portion of the sample is
transferred from the first transport system into a new vessel in
the second transport system, where the steps are much larger.
According to another object of the invention, there is provided a
transport system which functions simultaneously as a feed and
discharge system for an additional transport system.
In accordance with the last-mentioned object, there is included an
additional branch in the transport path for a vessel, and
conduction in and out of another transport system takes place
preferably at the same location, the movement phases of the two
transport systems being displaced in time in relation to each
other. The length of the treatment zone results from the spatial
extent of the treatment stations, and from the number of
stations.
The time requirement for the various analysis processes differs
primarily due to the fact that the chemical reactions which must
take place require differing amounts of time. The invention
therefore provides that reactions whose time requirement is much
longer than the plurality of the following operations: "receiving
the sample, adding reagent, centrifuging, mixing, and measuring,"
are carried out in storage areas coupled to the treatment zone.
Another object of the invention is to provide at a treatment zone,
a storage device for the storing of vessels, advantageously
arranged as an additional transport system, into and from which
vessels from the treatment zone are transferred for the duration of
a certain number of steps of the treatment zone, after which they
are reintroduced into the treatment zone.
Another object of the invention is to provide a third transport
system, forming a storage which is advantageously driven with small
steps, and in the simplest case may consist of a circular plate
carrying a plurality of mounts for vessels on the
circumference.
In one embodiment of the invention, the feed or first transport
system has several treatment zones parallel with one another and
that at the treatment zones different numbers of treatment devices
are provided. In this way, a branching is provided at the receiving
or dispensing station, and it becomes possible to treat portions of
the same sample differently. Parallel treatment zones have, in a
particularly advantageous form of the invention, a different length
from the input station, or respectively from the receiving or
dispensing station to an evaluating or measuring station; the
difference in length or in the number of steps being compensated if
the step length in the treatment zones is the same, by a storage
device. At the evaluating or measuring station, the sample portions
prepared for measuring, which are taken from the same sample at the
input, are available for testing in a measuring instrument either
simultaneously or sequentially.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, there
is provided a common measuring instrument for several parallel
treatment zones. The sample portions taken from the same sample at
the entrance are tested in sequence, one immediately following the
other. The evaluation can thereby be greatly facilitated, in
particular by successively recording in table form, the test
results on different portions of a sample.
Since photometric measuring and the subsequent evaluation of the
results are very fast, and since the measuring apparatus
constitutes a major portion of the total cost, it is another object
of the invention to use only one photometer for the measuring and
evaluation of the measurement of several analyses.
An essential characteristic of the invention resides in that the
time difference between the dispensing of the sample at the
dispensing station and the testing of the treated sample in the
photometer is exactly fixed at a central control by the cadence
time and the number of cadences for an analysis.
For the construction of an embodiment of the invention with a
measuring instrument, it is advantageous to provide that in a
central control equipment, the cadence time of the different
treatment zones is displaced by the measuring time in the
photometer. For example, there may be provided as the length of
stay of the transport systems, the measuring time at the photometer
multiplied by the number of treatment zones. In the photometer, the
described multiple utilization requires a change of cuvettes when
the measured value of the next treatment zone is available.
For mechanical evaluation, it is essential that the identification
of the sample be given in recording the test results. The point of
departure must be that the sample vessels introduced in the first
transport system have a marking. In a particularly advantageous
form of construction, the invention provides for the connection of
a number of links corresponding to the number of cadences of the
treatment or analysis in the first transport system or feed system
between a reading station and the receiving or dispensing station,
at which sample portions are transferred into treatment zones. In
this way, the marking of the sample is available synchronously with
the measured value for the sample. Thus, one saves storage of the
marking and facilitates the matching of the sample identification
with the measured value on a mechanized arrangement.
Advantageously, each treatment zone consists of an endless chain
with holding devices for the sample vessels and has a dispenser for
the timed feeding of a sample vessel before the receiving or
dispensing station and an ejector in the direction of movement
behind the measuring instrument.
In the path of the treatment zone or zones, means for the sealing,
heating, cooling, and shaking or centrifuging the vessels are
provided. The means for these processes become operative partly in
the treatment zone and partly after a vessel is taken from the
treatment zone, for example, in a further transport system which is
designed in the manner of a storage unit. The actual number of
steps of a vessel from the receiving or dispensing station to the
measuring station is increased by detour into the treatment devices
for heating, cooling, or centrifuging.
The objects and features of the present invention will be more
fully understood and appreciated from the following description
which is made with reference to the drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an embodiment of the
invention with a feed arrangement and a treatment zone;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of the
invention with several treatment zones;
FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a conveyor of a treatment
zone;
FIG. 5 is a partial top view of the conveyor of a treatment zone
illustrating an ejector arrangement for the vessels;
FIG. 6 is a view shown partly in section of a control arrangement
for transferring a quantity of reagent from the feed transport
system to the treatment zone;
FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6, seen from the right;
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of FIG. 6 with some parts omitted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first transport or feed system 1 and the
so-called treatment zone 2. Further, there is shown in these
figures the evaluating or measuring station 3 at which a photometer
is located. The feed system 1 includes a feed table 4 with a
platform on which is arranged a chain type series of sample vessels
6, 7. This series of vessels forms a feed chain 89. Advantageously,
there is chosen a construction which can be lengthened as desired,
and wherein conventional or a special form of links having a joint
are provided. On the feed table 4, the transport system comprises,
for example, a transport wheel 8, and a channel 9 whose width
corresponds to that of the chain or of the sample vessels. The
transport wheel 8 is positioned so that an arm protrudes into the
channel 9 and engages between two vessels or into an opening in the
chain. With each 90.degree. rotational step of the wheel 8, the
chain is moved on by one sample. With each step, a vessel is moved
into a certain position 10, in which a quantity of reagent is
received. This position is defined.
A reading station 56 is also arranged on the feed table 4. Between
the reading station and the dispensing station at position 10, a
positive guide 57 for the feed chain 89 is provided. The guide path
is of such length that the number of links between the vessel at
position 10 and the reading station 56 corresponds to the number of
work cycles or cadences of the following treatment or analysis zone
2. Functional connections in a central control device 40 and the
reading station 56, in combination with a computer 38 and printer
39, insure that the marking on the vessel in the reading station 56
is subsequently fed into the printer when the measured results of
the sample from this vessel are being recorded.
In a typical arrangement, the treatment zone 2 or respectively, the
feed system 1, has correlated therewith a sample or reagent
proportioning unit 11 with a controlled pump. The pump siphons a
defined sample quantity of, for example, 20 microliters into a
receiving vessel such as the hose 12. The specific design of unit
11 need not be described in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the
hose 12 terminates in a holder 13, which is fastened on a pivot arm
14. The latter is arranged on a column 15 in a special unit 16,
which functions as the receiving or dispensing station, and is
provided in connection with the treatment zone 2 and with the feed
system 1. The receiving or dispensing station receives sample
portions from the vessels on the feed table 4, and at this location
the treatment zone 2 takes up sample portions. At the receiving or
dispensing station 16, there is up and down movement of the holder
13, as well as a pivotal movement, as illustrated by the arrow 17
for transporting the holder to a point 18 over the treatment zone.
The specific design for the control will be described with
reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. Let it be remarked here only that
the mouthpiece of hose 12, which extends downwardly from the holder
13, is first immersed into sample vessels at position 10 on the
feed table 4, after which a certain sample quantity is siphoned and
this sample quantity is transferred into a vessel at location 18 of
the treatment zone 2, where the proportioning unit 11 transfers the
sample quantity into another vessel. The proportioning unit 11
forces first the sample and then an adjustable quantity of reagent,
for example, 200 microliters, into the vessel present at location
18 and thus rinses all traces of sample out of the transfer hose
12.
The treatment zone 2 has a conveyor 19, designed for example as a
chain, which is formed at least at points 20, 21, 22...for the
pickup of vessels. The vessels are supplied from a dispenser 23.
The apparatus may be designed so that the conveyor 19 has mounts
for vessels at points 20, 21, 22 spaced from each other, or a chain
may be used which has pickup elements for vessels immediately
following each other. The dispenser 23 operates so that vessels are
supplied to conveyor 19 with a spacing corresponding to the
interval between vessels or one-step length of the conveyor 19. It
can be seen that this distance is greater than the distance between
two vessels 6, 7 in the transport system on the feed table 4.
In the illustrative embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, there are also
provided in the treatment zone 2: a device 24 for sealing the
vessels; a device 25 for the mixing of vessel's contents, for
example, by mechanical vibration; a device 26 for heating the
contents of vessels; storage unit 27; a device 28 designed as
mixer; and a station 29 at which the portion of the sample which
has been prepared for the measurement, is extracted. It can be seen
that there is a length of one step between the action of the
devices 24, 25, while between the action of the devices 26, 27, and
28 there is a length of two steps. This is accomplished by the
mechanical construction of the individual devices or by the
necessary lengths of stay between successive actions.
At position 18, a vessel is filled with a sample portion.
Thereafter, with each step of the conveyor 19, a new vessel is
brought to position 18.
When a vessel enters heating station 30, the vessel is taken off
the conveyor 19; for example, it may fall into the unit 26. The
extraction of the vessel may be effected with a device of the type
shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, or the mounts of the conveyor may be of an
expandable type which permit removal of the vessels. In principle,
mounts for vessels on the conveyor belt are included, which permit
vessels to be admitted and removed from above or upward, downward,
or sideways, selectively.
In the example, the heating unit 26 is designed as a rotational
body of metal which has on a circular circumference a series of
bores 31, 32 which can be heated to a predetermined temperature
which is transmitted to the liquid in the vessel. As illustrated,
the heating unit 26 has 24 bores. If the length of stay of
individual vessels equals two work steps of the conveyor 19, the
rotational body of apparatus 26 would rotate by substantially
180.degree. with every work step of the conveyor 19. Since the
conveyor 19 has certain lengths of stay in the treatment zone 2,
the assumed rotation of 180.degree. is reduced by the interval
between bores on the rotational body in order to pick up a vessel
from a mount in the treatment zone, whereupon the unit is moved on
by one interval to transfer the vessel presently in the unit during
the length of stay of the conveyor. Thus, the insertion into and
extraction out of the additional conveyor, here formed by the
heating unit 26, takes place at the same location. Obviously, the
length of stay can easily be adjusted differently by selecting a
different rate of rotation. The movement of individual vessels
within the unit is determined by the desired number of work
steps.
In like manner, the storage device 27 is designed with a rotational
body 33, which is rotated intermittently and delays the passage of
the vessels to the following mixing device 28 by any desired number
of steps. The purpose of this is to control the arrival of the
vessels at station 29 to afford a perfectly uniform movement of the
conveyor 19; this is essential particularly for the intended
combined operation with the reading station 56. The storage device
27 may also have a chain in the manner of the conveyor 19, thereby
permitting greater freedom with respect to the selection of the
length of stay.
The mixing device 28 may be designed, for example, to detach a
condensate which forms at the cover of the vessels during
temperature control. The required mixing operation may be carried
out advantageously by turning each vessel 180.degree. on a
relatively large semicircle whose radius is determined by the
length of an arm 34, so that the cover of the vessel is at the
bottom for a short time.
At extraction station 29, a quantity of sample required for
photometric measurement is extracted by means of a vertically
movable cannula which is arranged on a supporting arm 35. The cover
of the vessel is pierced by this cannula and a hose pump 36 siphons
the test substance into a flow cell or cuvette 37. The cuvette is
in the light path of the photometer 3 during the measuring process.
The measured degree of transmission of the sampled substance is fed
into a computer 38 and evaluated. This value resulting from the
computer operation is fed to a printer 39 and printed out.
FIG. 1 also shows a central control unit 40, which is functionally
connected with the other parts of the apparatus and synchronizes
the individual movements, i.e., the movements for execution of the
required lifting and forward movements, in the correct sequence and
in the proper cadence.
FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention having a feed
arrangement 1 with a feed table 4, and four treatment zones 41, 42,
43, 44, all having different lengths. A common measuring station 45
with a photometer 3 and connected devices 38, 39, is associated
with this arrangement. In this embodiment, sample portions are
successively transferred from a vessel at 10 into the various
treatment zones 41-44 at a receiving and dispensing station 46.
This can be effected with a unit of the type shown in FIGS. 6-8. It
is pointed out that here, too, the feed table is constructed with a
reading station 56. A central control equipment 47, comparable to
the central control equipment 40 discussed in connection with FIG.
1, operates all treatment zones 41-44 and the respective devices in
equal work steps, but with the phase displacement set forth in the
introduction. The central control device 47 preferably has for each
analysis system a control cylinder which is driven with a
synchronous motor.
The receiving or dispensing station 46, which is arranged between
the feed arrangement 1 and the treatment zones, is so designed that
it successively extracts from a vessel at position 10 on the feed
table 4, four quantities of reagent and transfers them into vessels
in the various treatment zones.
The treatment zones 41-44, which may be designed for different
tests, may include conveyors operating in different numbers of
steps, as indicated by the different lengths, to the evaluating or
measuring station 45. For example, there may be provided a
treatment zone for blood sugar tests, a treatment zone for
bilirubin analysis, a treatment zone for urinalysis, and a
treatment zone for phosphatase analysis.
Assuming that for the photometric measuring system at 3 with the
connected printer 38, 39, a work cadence of 5 seconds is required,
it follows that for the successive evaluation of four samples, 20
sec. are needed. In this example, therefore, unless other
conditions are required on the basis of treatment devices, the
length of stay between two work steps in the treatment zones is 20
sec. The different portions of a sample are successively extracted
by adjusting pivot arm 90 to different angular positions. It is
clear that for this type of operation, different cuvettes are used
to present each sample portion for evaluation by the photometer 3.
Advantageously, however, a phase displacement of 5 seconds is
provided between individual work steps of the treatment zones
41-44. Thus, the length of stay in the individual treatment zones
need be only 5 seconds, because the vessels of the treatment zones
41 to 44 enter the evaluating or measuring station 45 successively
in the order in which the sample portions are dispensed.
FIG. 3 also illustrates that individual treatment zones can be held
completely in readiness for different tests and also can be
arranged, as needed, individually or in combinations between a feed
system 1 and an evaluating or measuring station 45. Optimum
utilization is made possible by the work cadence control provided
by control device 47.
A special feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of
the storage unit 27 shown in FIG. 1. The storage drive of this unit
is adjusted so that the individual samples are fed to the
evaluating or measuring station 45 in the same order, and for
example, with a phase displacement of 5 seconds, so that the
recording in the printer 39 can be effected line by line. In other
words, various results from tests on a vessel on the feed table can
be reproduced in the evaluation report in lines one after the
other.
It can be seen that when the treatment zone 44 is the longest, a
storage 50 is provided in the treatment zone 41, a storage 48 is
provided in the treatment zone 42, and a storage 49 is provided in
the treatment zone 43. In other instances, a treatment device such
as the unit 26 in FIG. 1 may be operating with a corresponding
delay. Moreover, for the sake of completeness, there may be
provided treatment devices 51-55 for the execution of treatments
outside or alongside the individual treatment zones.
With the essential principle of the invention having been
described, reference will now be made to the remaining figures, in
order to explain the details.
The dispenser 23 in FIG. 1, consists, for example, of a column with
stacks of vessels arranged on the circumference. Such columns are
known. The column rotates over a conveyor 19 and, by means of known
control equipments, discharges a vessel, at a point provided for
that purpose, into a holding means on the conveyor 19, or
respectively into a treatment zone. With reference to FIGS. 4 and
5, for example, a vessel falls between two holding arms 58 of a
transport chain which is driven intermittently. These holding arms,
and others such as 60 and 61, are fastened to a belt 62, which is
guided according to the progress of the conveyor 19, i.e., of a
treatment zone. In regions where the vessel remains in the
conveyor, a web 63 lies in front of the free ends of the holding
arms 56-61. At a station such as 64 in FIG. 1, a scraper 65 is
provided above and below belt 62, and the web 63 is open, as shown
at 66. At this point vessels are ejected. Belt 62 can be driven in
the required number of steps by conventional transport means, such
as rolls, or sprocket wheels. It is also possible to secure a mount
with holding arms 58, 59 by means of a plate mounted rotatable on
belt 62. In this way, the vessel can be rotated in the plane of its
axis by special abutments or rotational means in the region of the
transport chains.
As previously noted, the vessels can be sealed. The closing can be
effected for example by the device 24 in FIG. 1. After treatment,
the cover can be pierced, for example in the region of station 59,
by moving a cannula back and forth in a vertical direction. FIGS.
6, 7 and 8 show a special form of construction of the receiving or
dispensing station 16, 46. Although the controls are shown adjacent
to this station, let it be pointed out that corresponding controls
may be provided elsewhere, for example in the region of the
evaluating or measuring station 29, 45, in which case only the
connected fittings are different. An armature 67 for receiving the
end of the hose 12 is provided on holder 13. As noted when
discussing FIG. 1, the holder 13 must be raised and lowered in
order to guide the hose end into a vessel and to lift it out of the
vessel. After these operations, a pivotal movement about the column
is necessary to transfer the liquid to the treatment zone.
FIGS. 6 to 8 show a construction for transferring the liquid to
only one treatment zone. Column 15 is mounted rotatably in a holder
68. The column consists of several elements telescoping one into
the other. An outer tube 69, on which is arranged the fastening
device 70 for the pivot arm 14, carries a takeup 71 for a crankpin
72, whose crank 73 is rotatable with a shaft 74 that is rotatably
mounted in the holder 68. On shaft 74 a nonrotational cam wheel 75
is secured along with a cogwheel 76, which is driven through a
pinion 77 by an electric gear motor 78. The latter is under the
control of two switches 79, 80, which are mounted on the holder 68.
The actuating arms of switches 79, 80 cooperate with a cam notch 81
on the cam wheel 75. In this embodiment, switch 79 is open and
switch 80 closed. The dimensions are selected so that cam disk 75
rotates by 180.degree. when the crank 73 is moved by 180.degree..
Thus, a switch always turns off the drive by the electric gear
motor 78 when the holder 13 is in its top or bottom position.
A guide tube 82 is mounted in tube 69 and has a nonrotationally
mounted tongue 83 projecting downward and engaging with a cam disk
84. This engagement remains intact when the column 15 is lifted,
because the tongue 83 is adapted to be moved downwardly out of the
column. The cam disk 84 is driven by an electric gear motor 85 and
has a cam notch 81. The disk 84 also has associated therewith two
switches 87, 88, which are in the circuit of the electric gear
motor 85. The switches are opened when their actuating arms are
adjacent to the cam notch. These switches stop the rotational drive
for the column 15 after a rotation of 180.degree.. After stopping,
the drive of the electric gear motor 78 becomes operative for the
lifting and lowering in the region of the standstill. The mutual
locking arrangements are not illustrated in detail but are visibly
evident to the specialist. If the construction is such that the
pivot arm 14 is pivoted by an angle other than 180.degree., it
suffices to displace the two switches 87, 88 by a corresponding
angle in relation to each other; but then the drive of the electric
gear motor 85 must be reversed each time.
When several treatment zones 41-44 are to be charged successively
with such an arrangement, there result different pivot angles one
after the other. This can be achieved by distributing several
switches at corresponding angles about the circumference of the cam
disk 84, with measures being taken whereby individual switches are
rendered inoperative alternately in succession. The apparatus shown
in FIGS. 6 to 8 can also be used to lift or transfer vessels. To
transfer vessels to the heating unit 26, or to the storage unit and
back, a fitting for gripping the vessel would be mounted on the
holder 13.
Several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described
in detail. It will be appreciated that these embodiments are
illustrative only, and numerous modifications will be immediately
apparent to those skilled in the art. All modifications which come
within the spirit and teachings of this invention are intended to
be embraced within the scope of the following claims:
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