AU608072B2 - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Form

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE 172 Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: 00 00 0 0 o 0 0 00 0 O* 01 00 C0 Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: This docunient cont'n..; th' PP t) c.;rrecl ii TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT 0 00 00 O 00 0 00 0 0 00 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: D.J.C. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PTY. LTD.

795 Glenferrie Road Hawthorn, Vic. 3123

AUSTRAILIA

David J. CHAPMAN GRIFFITH HACK CO., 601 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: DISPENSING DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- MI S 3-QFFiCE 13 RAI 1987 I 0 111 Mel,, rWrV LA SIXly

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DISPENSING DEVICE This invention relates to a dispensing device and in particular, to a dispensing device for use with the sample preparation apparatus disclosed in our Australian Patent No.

584833. The subject matter of that Australian application is incorporated into this specification by this reference.

The invention provides a dispensing device for dispensing a substance, said device comprising a frame, a plurality of dispensing elements supported in said frame, first moving means for moving said dispensing elements from a substance receiving position to a substance dispensing position and for returning said dispensing elements to the substance receiving position, and second moving means for rotating said dispensing elements when at the dispensing position so that the dispensing elements are moved from a ij i

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0 This form may be completed and filed after the filing of a patent application but the form must not be signed until after it has been completely filled In as Indicated by the marginal notes. The place and date of signing must be filled In. Company stamps or seals chould not be used.

No legalisation is necessary. S- uwNlIrfl-~ 00 00 0 0 0 o o 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 00 0* 00 0 00 0 0000 00 00 0 k 00: -3substance holding position to a substance release position so that the substance can be tipped off the dispensing elements, and said second moving means being for returning said dispensing elements from the substance release position to the substance holding position, and third moving means for tilting said dispensing elements so that the dispensing elements are lowered when in the substance dispensing position so that the substance has a reduced distance to fall when the second moving means rotates the dispensing elements from the substance holding position to the substance release position.

Preferably the receptacle into which the substance is deposited comprises a crucible held in the apparatu~s disclosed in our abovementioned Australian patent application.

Preferably the means for moving the said dispensing elements comprises ram means for moving said elements from the position beneath said hopper to said remote position.

Preferably a plurality of dispensing elements are provided and moving means is provided for moving a hopper so that said hopper can be located above a selected dispensing element to deposit said substance onto said selected dispensing element.

Preferably, said device comprises means for shaking said hopper such that the substance contained in said hopper is disturbed to prevent said substance from setting or solidifying into a generally solid mass.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view along the line 4-4 of Figure 2; 0000 0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0 S (1 4

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C C C CC DECLARED at ths 2 d19a This form mnv hIA c-nmnlatgr arr- (lh r .tfw r tjo <ill., f.m i I 4 Figure 5 is a view of a second embodiment of part of the invention; and Figure 6 is a view of a third embodiment of part of the invention.

With reference to Figure 1, the device comprises a pair of end frame members 12 which extend between upright frame members 13. Inner frame members 14 are pivotally connected to front upright frame members 13 by pivot pins 16. The inner fraine members 14 are joined by a cross member 18 connected at the rear thereof and a cross member 19 connected at the front thereof. It should be noted that the cross member 18 is only partly shown for the sake of clarity in Figure 1. A hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 22 is connected to each of the Oo 15 members 14 at the ends of the device. One of the °cylinders 22 is partly shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The cylinders 0 22 have rams 24 which are coupled to lugs 26 which are in .o S turn coupled to the members 14. The members 14 are also provided with abutment members 32 which have flanges 34 which sit on cushions 36 secured to the frame members 13.

Soo 0 A pair of rails 40 extend between the member 18 Oo and 19 and have mounted thereon a moveable bar 20 and a fixed block 42. A plurality of dispensing spoons 50 are a 25 coupled between the rail 20 and block 42 and are proviC-d a with spoon shaped recesses 52 at their remote end. The dispensing spoons are fixed to the bar 20 so that they S° cannot move in the longitudinal direction relative to the °o bar 20 and for sliding movement through the block 42.

The opposite end of the dispensing spoons 50 pass through the bar 20 and are coupled to one end of a rod 54. The other end of the rod 54 is pivotally coupled to a link 56.

A further inner frame member 58 is arranged inwardly of the frame members 14 and is pivotally coupled by a pivot pin 60 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1) to links 63. The members 58 are arranged on adjustment rails 91 which extend between the members 14.

A pair of rails 64 are arranged between the links 63 and extend through a pair of struts 66. One of the struts 66 abuts one of the links and the other link 63 is spaced from strut 66 by a spacer 67 arranged on the rails 64. A screw threaded shaft 68 is mounted to one strut 66 by a bearing housing 88 and has a reduced diameter portion. 68a which extends Through the other strut and holds that strut against the spacers 67 by a washer 69. The struts 66 are therefore held fixed relative to one another by the shaft 68. A carriage 70 is mounted on the rails 64.

The carriage 70 supports a hopper 72 which has a lower 0, end 74 arranged slightly above the dispensing spoons S15 A motor 80 is connected to one of the cross members 66 0 0° and drives screw threaded shaft 68 by means of a belt 82 o oD and pulleys or gears 84 and 86.

00 04 o0o "A pair of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders are coupled to each end of the device and comprise a first cylinder 92 coupled to member 58 and having a ram 94 and a second cylinder 96 coupled to link 63 and having a ram 98. The rams 94 and 98 are coupled together by a 0 0o generally Z-shaped link 100. The cylinder 92 is securely coupled to the frame member 58 by a bracket 102 and the 900) 25 cylinder 96 is securely coupled to the link 63 via lugs 0, 104.

As is best seen in Figure 3 the hopper 72 is S°i 'provided with a pair of flanges 106 which support c cylinders 108. The cylinders 108 have rams 110 which are coupled to a link 112. The link 112 is coupled to a rod 114 which extends inside the hopper 72 through a lid 116 of the hopper and is guided by stems 113. The lid 116 may be supplied with hoses 120 to supply a substance to be dispensed'to the hopper 72.

-6- Arranged in the centre of the device is a pair of cylinders 120 which comprise a first cylinder 122 and a second cylinder 124. A generally Z-shaped link 126 (similar to the link 100) is connected between the two cylinders so that a ram 130 of the cylinder 124 is connected to one end of the link 126 and a ram 132 of the cylinder 122 is connected to the opposite end of the Z-shaped link 126. The cylinder 122 is connected to the member 20 by a rod 140 and the cylinder 124 is securely connected to the member 19 by a bracket 142.

In order to dispense substance from the hopper 72 the cylinders 108 are actuated to raise link 112 to in turn raise rod 114 which opens the open end 118 of the 0o, hopper 72 to allow substance to dispense from the hopper 0 0 15 into the recess 52 in the spoon dispenser o o0 S00 In order to dispense the substance from the 0 0o 0.0 spoon dispenser 52 the cylinders 122 and 124 are actuated Sd to extend their rams 130 and 132. Since the cylinder 124 is fixed to member 19 and the cylinder 126 is connected oo to the bar 20 and the cylinders themselves are interconnected by link 126 the bar 20 is caused to slide o oo a 00 on rails 40 relative to block 42 to move the spoon o o dispenser outwardly in the direction of arrow B. The cylinders 22 are then actuated to cause rams 24 to extend 0, 25 to thereby pivot the frame members 14 about pivot point 16. Pivotal movement of the frame members 14 in the

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direction of arrow A in Figure 2 also causes the entire t assembly comprised of the inner frame members 58, cross members 18 and 19, rails 20 and block 42 together with the dispenser spoons 50, carriage 70 supported on rails 64 and hopper 72 to be pivoted in the direction of arrow A. When the assembly has been pivoted so that the end of the assembly remote from the pivot pins 16 has been raised, the spoons dispensers 50 are tilted so that they are arranged just above a receptacle into which the I~ i Pa~- -I- 7 substance is to be deposited. In an alternative embodiment the assembly could be tilted before the dispenser spoons are moved outwardly.

When the dispenser spoons 50 having the substance in the recesses 52 are in the position outwardly of the device and above a suitable receptacle into which the substance is to be tipped, a cylinder 150 which is best seen in Figure 4 is actuated to withdraw its ram 152 in the direction of .rrow D to thereby cause the rods 54 to pivot around the longitudinal axes of the dispenser spoons 50 to thereby rotate the dispenser spoon in the direction of arrow E which tips the substance from the recesses 52 into the receptacle. In order to return the dispenser spoons to their normal position, the cylinder is actuated to extend the ram 152 so that the blocks 54 rotate in the direction opposite arrow E so that the dispenser spoons 50 are returned to their normal Qi *4 S= d upright position.

So The link 56 has a fixed abutment 57 connected to one of its ends which moves with the link 56 when the rods 54 pivot about the axes of the spoon dispensers 0oo0 0An adjustable stop 59 is coupled to the member 20 so that 0 r a Soo when the ram 142 is extended to return the spoons to their upright position the abutment 57 contacts the stop 00449 25 59 to prevent further movement of the link 56, rods and therefore the spoons 50 to ensure that the spoons are stopped in their correct upright position to enable a the recesses 52 to receive a further deposit of substance .41, from the hopper 72.

In order to retract the dispensing spoons back into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cylinders 122 and 124 are actuated to withdraw their rams 130 and 132 to thereby cause the member 20 and block 42 to be drawn in the direction of arrow C in Figure 2 so that the 8members 20 and block 42 slide on rails 40 to thereby return the dispensing spoons 50 back to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the substance to be dispensed comprises or includes ammonium iodide and the amount to be dispensed varies from 10 mg to 40 mg. This substance which is normally in powder form tends to solidify or form a solid lump if left standing. Thus, in order to prevent this from happening the invention intermittently shakes the hopper 13 to maintain the substance in its powdered form. In order to shake the hopper the cylinders 92 and 96 are actuated to withdraw their rams 94 and 98 to thereby o" cause the links 63 to pivot about pivot pins 60 in the 0 v direction of arrow F in Figure 2. This pivotal movement oo causes the rails 64, struts 66 together with the carriage D 00 00

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6Oo 70 and hopper 72 to also pivot in the direction of arrow 01 so 0 0 F with the links 63. The cylinders are quickly actuated 00 o again to extend the rams 94 and 98 to return the link 63 and the hopper 72 to its normal position so that the pivotal movement in the direction of arrow F, then the °o4, return movement, tends to shake the hopper 72 to maintain 6 o the substance in its powdered form. Actuation of the 6 00 cylinders 92 and 96 can take place every, for example, 0,00 25 seconds to maintain the substance in the powdered form.

Co~~It will be evident that since the cylinders 92 and 96 a 0 form part of the assembly which is generally held by the S* 0 frame members 14 the cylinders 92 and 96 can shake the Shopper 7.2 regardless of whether the assembly is in the elevated position in which the dispenser spoons are extended or in the normal position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The links 63 have stops 65 which abut the members 58 to support the links in their lowered position.

A rail 170 extends between the further inner frame members 58 and is provided with apertures for receiving sensors 172.. The sensors 172 sense the -9 position of a projection 174 connected to carriage 70 so that the position of carriage 70, and therefore the hopper 72, can be determined. Further sensors 174 and 176 are coupled to the member 170 and to the frame member 18 for sensing the position of the member 20 to provide an indication of whether the dispenser spoons are in the retracted or extended positions.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention all of the cylinders described above together with the sensors are controlled by suitable microproce!:sor or computing apparatus. The hopper 72 can be located above any of the dispenser spoons 50 and deposit a predetermined amount of substance onto those spoons by varying the actuation time of the cylinders 108 to vary o 15 the amount of time the bottom 118 of the hopper 172 is opened. Thus, a predetermined amount of substance can be deposited on predetermined spoons for depositing into the receptacles.

o0 r A sensor 180 is also coupled to the member for detecting the position of the rods 54 so that the orientation of the spoon dispensers can be determined.

0 oOo00 9That ise whether the spoon dispensers are in the upright 06-1 5position or in the rotated position whereby the contents have been tipped from the spoon dispensers.

aO 25 The members 58 which are mounted on rails 91 *o allow the members 58 and the block 42, bar 20, dispensing spoons 50 and hopper 72 etc. to be moved sideways to o4 0 adjust the alignment of the dispenser spoons if they are o~ not accurately located above the receptacles.

With reference to Figure 5, a second embodiment of the hopper 72 is shown. The other parts of the device are identical to those described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the embodiment of Figure 5, the hopper 72 is supported by the carriage 70 ,n the same manner as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

The manner of dispensing the substance from the hopper 72 _ii~ rr--FlllrCCII* )C 10 is different in the embodiment of Figure 5. In the embodiment of Figure 5, the carriage 70 also supports a pair of cylinders 300 (only one of which is shown in Figure 5) which have ram arms 302 and 304 which extend in opposite directions. The ram arms 302 and 304 are connected by L-shaped links 306 to plates 308 and 310, respectively. The plate 308 is provided with an aperture 312 which is sized to receive a single bead of material from the hopper 72. If the material contained within the hopper 72 is in forms other than a bead, the size of the opening 312 can be such that a desired amount of material is received in the opening 312. The opening 312 is normally closed by the second plate 310 and therefore 0 defines a chamber of a predetermined size. In order to deposit the material from the hopper 72 into a spoon 00 the ram arm 302 is extended to move plate 308 in the Sdirection of arrow A. This causes the aperture 312 to be 00 0b e 68brought into alignment with an aperture 314 in the plate o° t 310. As the plate 308 is moved in the direction of arrow t o A the portion of the plate designated by reference 316 closes the hopper 72 to prevent further material being or dispensed from the hopper 72. When the aperture 312 is oo brought into alignment with the aperture 114, the material contained in the aperture 312 falls through the 0ap0 o~o 25 aperture 314 into the spoon 0,oX The second of the rams 300 can move its ram arm 304 to cause the plate 310 to move so that the aperture 00 0 G- 0 314 is correctly aligned with the spoon 50 if necessary.

o p In order to fill a further spoon the plate 306 is moved by the ram arm 302 in the direction opposite to arrow A to realign the aperture 312 with the hopper 72 to receive further material and the carriage 70 moves the hopper 72 to align the uarriage with another spoon 50. Sensors (not shown) may be used to ensure that the aperture 314 11 is aligned above a spoon 50 and any adjustment can be made by moving the plate 310 by means of its ram 300 and ram arm 304.

The embodiment of Figure 5 provides a device which ensures accurate and safe deposition of material from the hopper 72 into a spoon 50. Furthermore, the precise amount of material to be dispensed can be controlled and ensured by virtue of the fact that the aperture 312 can be sized to receive only one bead or a certain amount of material and the hopper 72 securely closed by the portion 316 of the plate 308 when the plate is moved to deposit the material from the aperture 312 into the spoon 0 A third embodiment of the hopper is shown in 9 0 00o 15 Figure 6 and in particular a third manner of dispensing a 00 bead of material from the hopper 72. The dispensing a 010 ~0 0 olaf mechanism includes a block 401 arranged at outlet 409 of *1 04 a 0 the hopper and which receives a shaft 403 which is 0 0 0o rotatable in the block 401 within a nylon bush 405. The shaft 403 has a plurality of holes 407 therein.

Preferably, four holes are provided in the shaft about C0 0 the circumference of the shaft and the four holes are 00o arranged 900 apart. The outlet 409 of the hopper 72 communicates with a passage through the block 401 and Sato air 25 sleeve 405 and is aligned with a generally vertical plane g which contains the holes 407. The bottom of the block 0 t 401 is provided with an outlet passage 411. The shaft 403 may be provided with a circlip 413 and a plurality of o, O-rings 415 to securely but releasably retain the shaft within the block 401 and allow the shaft to rotate within the block 401.

In order to dispense beads from the hopper 72, the bead is allowed to drop from the hopper 72 into the opening 407 which is arranged directly below the outlet 409. Rotation of the shaft 403 will move that hole 407 firstly into a position between the outlet 409,and outlet 12 passage 411 into the position of the hole 407 shown in Figure 6) and the next hole will be brought into alignment with the outlet 409 to enable another bead to drop into that hole. Further rotation of the shaft will cause the hole which contains the first bead to be brought into alignment with the outlet 411 so that the bead can drop through the outlet 411 into a spoon 50 (not shown in Figure This, in turn, brings the next hole into alignment with the outlet 409 and places the previous hole with its bead into the position shown in Figure 6. Continued rotation of the shaft 403 will enable beads to drop into holes 407 and to be dispensed from the passage 411.

As the beads are dispensed from the hopper 72 a OoO 15 negative pressure will build up in the hopper 72. A oo one-way valve 419 is provided for allowing air to enter oDO the hopper 72. Whilst air is allowed to enter through p pp the one-way valve it is paeferred that the pressure Q within the hopper 72 always be slightly less than atmospheric pressure.

This embodiment also provides a manner of p0 O0 O dispensing a control amount of substance or a certain o Damount of beads from the hopper 72.

In the preferred embodiment the device 0 25 described herein is intended for use with the apparatus described in our Patent Application No. PI3575. That apparatus is intended to be placed in front of the device 0 4 shown in Figure 1 so that when the dispenser spoons are extended outwardly of the device they are arranged above crucibles supported in the device disclosed in our abovementioned patent application so that the contents of the dispenser spoons can be deposited in those crucibles.

The subject matter of our abovementioned patent application is hereby incorporated into this specification.

13 Since modification within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

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Claims (11)

1. A dispensing device for dispensing a substance, said device comprising a frame, a plurality of dispensing elements supported in said frame, first moving means for moving said dispensing elements from a substance receiving position to a substance dispensing position and for returning said dispensing elements to the substance receiving position, and second moving means for rotating said dispensing elements when at the dispensing position so that the dispensing elements are moved from a substance holding position to a substance release position so that the substance can be tipped off the dispensing elements, and said second moving means being for returning said dispensing elements from the substance release position to the substance holding position, and third moving means for tilting said dispensing elements so that the dispensing elements are lowered when in the substance dispensing position so that the substance has a reduced distance to fall when the second moving means rotates the dispensing elements from the substance holding position to the substance release position.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said frame includes a main frame portion, a first frame portion pivotally coupled to the main frame portion, and a second frame portion pivotally coupled to the first frame portion, said plurality of dispensing elements being mounted in the first frame portion and wherein said third moving means is actuable for pivotally moving said first frame portion relative to the main frame portion to thereby tilt the first frame portion and the dispensing elements. i I i cn~ 15

3. The dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein said second frame portion has a hopper mounted thereon, hopper moving means for moving said hopper to positions above said dispensing elements when the dispensing elements are in the substance receiving position so that the substance to be dispensed by the device can be supplied from the hopper onto the dispensing elements.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the third moving means is actuable to pivot both the first and second frame portions relative to the main frame and 0 wherein a frame moving means is arranged for pivoting the second frame portion relative to the first frame portion to 00 0 thereby move the hopper pivotally with respect to the first 0 0 0 S frame portion for shaking the substance in the hopper to o.o0 prevent the substance from setting in the hopper. ~0 0o 0 o 00

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the frame °o o moving means comprises a cylinder and ram assembly for pivoting the second frame member relative to the first frame member. G0 00 0 0 0000 o*o

6. The device according to any one of the preceding 00 Gclaims, wherein the dispensing elements comprise elongate 0 S spoons having a recess at one end for receiving the a substance, said elongate spoons being supported for movement through a block fixed to said first frame portion, said elongate spoons being coupled together by a beam through which the elongate spoons extend, said beam being arranged Sremote from said recesses, said beam being mounted on rails and wherein said first moving means comprises a cylinder and ram assembly for moving said beam on said rail and therefore for moving said elongate spoons with respect to said block from said substance receiving position to said L r 16 substance dispensing position and for returning said elongate spoons to the substance receiving position.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein said second moving means comprises a plurality of rods connected to said elongate spoon means, said rods being connected by a link which is coupled to a cylinder and ran assembly for moving the link so as to pivot the rods about longitudinal axes of said elongate spoon means to thereby rotate the elongate spoons from the substance holding position to the substance release position.

8. The dispensing device according to any one of the preceding claims including sensor means for sensing the position of the dispensing elements to determine whether the dispensing elements are in the substance receiving position or the substance dispensing position.

9. The device according to claim 3, wherein sensor means is provided for sensing the position of said hopper to enable the position of said hopper to be determined. oa oo 0a a S o S o 0 ao 0 0 0 o o o o S o oooo 0o o00 00 o o 0 0 0o 0 0 00 00e 0

10. The device according to claim 3 or 9 wherein said °ooo hopper is arranged on a carriage which is mounted on rails fixed to said second frame portion, said carriage being arranged on a screw-threaded shaft, said hopper moving means comprising a motor for rotating the screw-threaded shaft to thereby drive said carriage and said hopper to move the carriage and hopper relative to the dispensing elements. I (C

11. The dispensing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 21ST DAY OF DECMEBER, 1990 D.J.C. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PTY. LTD. By Its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO., Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia