Microprocessor controllable automatic sampler

Claim 2

1, An apparatus for automatically establishing fluid communication between probe means and a plurality of containers presented in a controlled sequence to a sampling position, comprising: rack means (54) adapted to hold said containers (56) for movement into and out of said sampling position; hollow probe means (52) supported by probe holding means (53) and movable thereby into and out of said sampling position; and drive means (126, 176, 261, 262) connected to said rack means and to said probe holding means for effecting and controlling said movements thereof, said drive means including a first pressure fluid operated motor (126) actuable for moving said probe means into and out of said sampling position for communication with containers thereat, and a second pressure fluid operated motor (176, 261, 262) actuable for causing said rack means to move a desired one of said containers to said sampling position, said first and second pressure fluid operated motors being actuable independently of each other from a common source (303) of pressure fluid.

Claim 3

The apparatus of Claim 1, including a housing (70), said rack means and probe means and sampling position being atop said housing, said drive means being within said housing, said housing containing solenoid valves (306, 307, 309, 310) through which said pressure fluid actuated motors are connectible with said common pressure fluid source, a microprocessor circuit (350) mounted within said housing adjacent said solenoid valves and connected through said solenoid valves for controlling all movements of said pressure fluid actuated motors, a further solenoid valve (301), and an automatic injection valve (13) mounted on said housing and supplied pressure fluid under control of said further valve for controlling positioning of said automatic injection valve, said automatic injection valve controlling liquid flow from said probe means to selected locations for sample analysis or rinse liquid disposal.

Claim 4

The apparatus of Claim 1, in which said first motor comprises a first pressure fluid cylinder (126) actuable to move said probe means vertically, said first pressure fluid cylinder having a casing (127) upstanding within said housing (70) and a piston rod (128) vertically reciprocable by pressure fluid, said second motor comprising a second pressure fluid cylinder (176) with a casing horizontally extending from and supported on a vertical pivot axis C1791 fixed on said housing and a piston rod C181) extending generally tangentially of said first pressure fluid cylinder and operatively connected to said first pressure fluid cylinder and means for horizontally moving both said probe means and rack means for shifting said probe means between said sampling position and a rinse position, and for advancing said rack means to bring another container to said sampling position.

Claim 5

The apparatus of Claim 3, including arm means (163) pivoted on said upstanding first pressure fluid cylinder casing (127) and having an outboard portion pivotally connected to said second pressure fluid cylinder (176) for pivoting said arm means about the axis of said first pressure fluid cylinder in response to extension and retraction of said second pressure fluid cylinder and connected to support said probe means (52) for pivoting of the latter therewith, ratchet arm means (241) also pivotally connected with said outboard portion of said arm means for reciprocation thereby, means (251) resiliently guiding said reciprocation of said ratchet arm means and a sprocket (116) engaged by and responsive to reciprocation of said ratchet arm means for causing said rack means to advance containers to said sampling position, in which said rack means comprises a sample tray (101) fixed coaxially to said sprocket (116) by means (108, 112) supported for rotation about a vertical axis in said housing and protruding upward therethrough, and including detent means (236) fixedly supported in said housing and cooperating with said sprocket for resiliently locating containers on said sample tray repeatably at said sampling station and holding same there prior to circumferential advancement of said sprocket by a reciprocation stroke of said ratchet arm means (241) by said second pressure fluid cylinder (176).

Claim 6

The apparatus of Claim 3, including a further pressure fluid cylinder (276) horizontally fixed on said housing and actuable to interpose a wedge (219) in the path of.the piston rod of said second pressure fluid cylinder (176) to reduce the horizontal range of swing of said probe means (52) toward the rack means (54) and thereby produce a second sampling position, said rack means comprising a rotationally movable sample tray having concentric first and second rings of container locations thereon, said first ring being surrounded by the second and passing through said first sampling position, said second sampling ring passing through said second sampling position.

Claim 7

The apparatus of Claim 4, including arm means (163) pivotable on said first pressure fluid cylinder casing (127) and having an outboard portion swingable about said first pressure fluid cylinder casing, said outboard portion being pivotally connected to said second pressure fluid cylinder for pivoting said arm means thereby, said outboard portion being pivotally connected to ratchet arm means (241) for stepwise moving of said rack means, said outboard portion including a first upstanding rod (171) radially remote from said first pressure fluid cylinder casing and effecting said pivotal connection to said second pressure fluid cylinder and ratchet arm means adjacent the lower end thereof, a second upstanding rod (172) radially spaced between said first upstanding rod and said first pressure fluid cylinder casing, said probe holding means including a sample head (131) fixed at one end to the upstanding piston rod of said first pressure cylinder for raising and lowering thereby and fixedly carrying said probe means at the remote end thereof, the upper end of said second upstanding rod being fixed to said sample head intermediate the ends of the latter for horizontally pivoting said sample head with said arm means, said second upstanding rod being slidable up and down with respect-to said arm means for maintaining alignment of said sample head with said arm means during vertical reciprocation of said first pressure fluid cylinder, said first upstanding rod being vertically fixed with respect to said arm means and pivotally connecting said arm means with said ratchet arm means and second pressure fluid cylinder, said first upstanding rod carrying at its upper end, for pivotal adjustment about the axis of said first upstanding rod, sample stripper means including a sample stripper arm (196) disposed along the vertical path of movement of said probe means for vertically guiding and stripping of containers from said probe means during vertical movement of said probe means with respect thereto and for horizontal pivoting with said probe means, said first upstanding rod being vertically fixed with respect to said arm means.

Claim 8

The apparatus of Claim 1, in which said first pressure fluid actuated motor comprises independently actuable horizontal and vertical pressure fluid cylinders (176, 126) for horizontally pivoting and vertically shifting said probe means, said second pressure fluid actuated motor comprising at least one further pressure fluid cylinder (261 or 262) and ratchet arm means (268) reciprocated thereby, said rack means comprising a rotatable sample tray (101). and a sprocket (116) in fixed rotationally driving relation with said sample tray and engageable by said ratchet arm means for circumferentially incrementing said sample tray by reciprocation of said further pressure fluid cylinder (261 or 262).

Claim 13

The apparatus of Claim 9, in which said housing (70) includes exterior front and rear panels (72, 73), said exterior front panel carrying manually settable control data inputs (361-365) and information display means (371, 377), interior front and rear panels (77, 78) disposed within said housing respectively adjacent said exterior front and rear panels, said motor means including solenoid valves (301, 306-308, 309, 310) and pneumatic motors (126, 176, 216, 261, 262) driven thereby and in turn defining the sole motor power sources for said rack means and probe means, said solenoid.valves and motor means being disposed between said interior panels, said interior front panel mounting said microprocessor circuit on the interior face thereof, connecting means (381, 382) between said front panels for interconnecting said microprocessor circuit with said control data inputs and information display means on said exterior front panel, a low dc voltage (233) supply mounted in said housing adjacent said interior front panel for supplying operating potential to said microprocessor circuit thereon,.an ac voltage supply input (452) connection on said exterior rear panel, solid state ac controlling relays (421) mounted on said interior rear panel and controllable for applying ac operating potential to said solenoid valves, conductor means (410) connecting dc control inputs of said ac controlling relays to outputs of said microprocessor circuitry on said interior front panel,

Claim 14

The apparatus of Claim 9, including a sample analysis, system (11, 13, 18) connected to receive samples from said probe means and connected to said microprocessor circuit, said microprocessor circuit being actuable to select between several modes of operation of said sample analysis system, including an automatic mode for carrying out analysis of the contents of a plurality of said containers, in which said sample analysis system processes each sample through several steps, and including means (361, 362, 363, 364) connected to said microprocessor circuit for selecting the time duration of ones of said steps and for selecting containers to be sampled.