Apparatus for the determination and control of compositions in chemical processes

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC TITRATION APPARATUS COMPRISING A TITRAING VESSEL CONTAINING A TITRAND, AT LEAST ONE TITRATING BURETTE CONTAINING A TITRANT, SAID BURETTE HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE THROUGH WHICH SAID TITRANT MAY FLOW INTO SAID VESSEL, TWO ELECTRODES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS IMMERSED IN SAID TITRAND, A DIFFERENCE AMPLIFIER INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO AMPLIFYING ELEMENTS EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTROL ELEMENT SAID ELECTRODES BEING COUPLED RESPECTIVELY TO THE CONTROL ELEMENTS, SAID AMPLIFIER HAVING TWO OUTPUTS THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE THEREBETWEEN BEING THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID TWO ELECTRODES AS AMPLIFIED BY SAID AMPLIFIER, BISTABLE CIRCUIT MEANS HAVING TWO INPUTS AND AT LEAST ONE OUTPUT, MEANS INCLUDING A CONDENSER FOR COUPLING ONE OF THE OUTPUTS OF SAID AMPLIFIER TO ONE OF THE INPUTS OF SAID BISTABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR COUPLING THE OTHER AMPLIFIER OUTPUT TO THE OTHER INPUT OF SAID BISTABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING SAID CONDENSER INCLUDING RELAY MEANS COUPLED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID BISTABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID VALVE, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RELAY MEANS FOR EFFECTING ENERGIZING OF SAID VALVE SO SAID TITRANT FLOWS THERETHROUGH WHEN THE BISTABLE MEANS IS IN ONE OF ITS STABLE STATES AND FOR PREVENTING ENERGIZATION THEREOF WHEN THE BISTABLE MEANS IS IN ITS OTHER STABLE STATE, SAID CONDENSER BEING CHARGED WHILE THE BISTABLE MEANS IS IN SAID ONE STATE AND BEING DISCHARGED WHILE THE BISTABLE MEANS IS IN SAID OTHER STATE, SAID BISTABLE MEANS BEING CHANGED FROM SAID ONE STATE TO THE OTHER WHEN THE COMBINATION OF THE CONDENSER CHARGE AND SAID POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CHANGES TO A FIRST PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE LEVEL AND BEING CHANGED FROM THE OTHER STATE TO SAID ONE STATE WHEN SAID COMBINATION CHANGES TO A SECOND PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE LEVEL, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID BISTABLE MEANS STAYS IN SAID ONE STATE AND TITRANT FLOWS INTO SAID VESSEL UNTIL SAID POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CHANGES TO A VALUE WHICH IN COMBINATION WITH SAID CONDENSER CHARGE EQUALS SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE LEVEL WHEREUPON THE BISTABLE MEANS CHANGES TO SAID OTHER STATE, TITRANT FLOW CEASES, AND THE CONDENSER DISCHARGES UNTIL SAID SECOND VOLTAGE LEVEL IS REACHED AT WHICH TIME THE BISTABLE MEANS CHANGES BACK TO SAID ONE STATE AND A DISCREET QUANTITY OF TITRANT FLOWS WHILE THE CONDENSER CHARGES AND THE SAID POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CHANGES TO CAUSE SAID FIRST VOLTAGE LEVEL TO BE REACHED AGAIN, THE ALTERATION OF THE BISTABLE MEANS BETWEEN ITS TWO STATES CONTINUING UNTIL SAID SECOND VOLTAGE LEVEL CAN NO LONGER BE REACHED.