GB1059654A - Improvements in or relating to liquid supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,059,654. Bottling. J. M. L. DE BAETS. May 8, 1964 [May 9, 1963], No. 19330/64. Heading B8T. An electrically controlled liquid supply apparatus for filling test tubes includes a carrier 20 for test-tubes 19 intermittently movable in the direction of the arrow 23 beneath liquid supply nozzles 17, and each transverse row of nozzles, which is arranged to correspond with a similar number of test-tubes, is fed from a constant level tank 8 via a syphon tube 13, valve 14 and pipes 15, 16. Each tank is supplied from a vessel 4 through a valve controlled pipe 5. The carrier moves intermittently down a slide 22, and at each stoppage a row of test-tubes is located below a row of nozzles, whereupon an electromagneticallycontrolled liquid supply valve at a location 61, Fig. 2, in the appropriate pipe 15, is automatically opened and liquid flows for a regulable period of time. The slide is adjustable in the direction of movement and, depending on its position, operates one of a series of switches, equal in number to the number of vessels 4, whereby the appropriate electromagnetically-controlled valve in one of the pipes 15 may be opened when the carriage comes to rest. As shown, there are eight vessels and supply tanks and eight slide positions. Windows 42 with indicating lights indicate from which tank liquid is being supplied. When the carrier and slide are in their appropriate positions with the rows of nozzles and test-tubes aligned a main switch is manually operated and the appropriate electromagnetically-controlled liquid supply valve automatically opened. Simultaneously, a magnetic coupling 31, Fig. 4, is energized which connects a spring-loaded lever 32, Fig. 5, to the drive of an electric motor 28. The lever is thus driven from a rest position, determined by the position of a knob 37, in the direction of the arrow 33 and operates a switch 49 which closes the liquid supply valve. In order to vary the time taken for the lever to move to operate the switch, and hence the liquid supply period, its rest position is adjusted by moving the knob towards or away from the switch. The operation of the switch by the lever also effects the energizing of a coil 51, Fig. 4, which attracts a lever 52; the end 54 of the lever is withdrawn from one of a series of notches in the carriage 20 so that the carriage is able to move by gravity down the slide. Simultaneously, the end 56 of the lever 52 operates a switch 47 which cuts-off the magnetic coupling 31, and the lever 32 returns to its rest position and the switch 49 is returned to its initial position. When the end 54 of the lever 52 enters the next adjacent notch in the carriage, the switch 47 is released from its contact with the other end of the lever; in this further position of the carriage a fresh line of test-tubes is aligned with the appropriate nozzles and the cycle of operations is automatically repeated. When the carriage reaches the end of its travel on the slide, it operates a further switch to stop the apparatus.