Simplex liquid handling apparatus having improved electrode type control system

Claim 1

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A CLOSED MATERIAL RECEIVING VESSEL; INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL AND ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO A SOURCE OF MATERIAL TO BE HANDLED SO AS TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF MATERIAL ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID VESSEL; VENT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL AND ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; VALVE MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID VENT MEANS AND CONDUIT MEANS OF SAID VESSEL, SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING A NORMAL POSITION THAT PERMITS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID VESSEL AND SAID VENT MEANS AND PRECLUDES COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING SHIFTABLE TO AN ALTERNATE POSITION WHEREIN COMMUNICATION IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SAID VESSEL AND SAID CONDUIT MEANS AND WHEREIN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID VENT MEANS IS PRECLUDED; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SELECTIVE SHIFTING OF SAID VALVE MEANS TO THE ALTERNATE POSITION WHEN SAID MEANS IS ACTUATED; SENSING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID VESSEL SO AS TO BE CONTACTED BY THE MATERIAL THEREIN WHEN A PRESELECTED LEVEL OF MATERIAL ACCUMULATION HAS BEEN REACHED; OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL SO AS TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF MATERIAL THEREFROM; CIRCUIT MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE SHIFTING MEANS SO THAT SAID VALVE SHIFTING MEANS IS ACTUATED IN RESPONSE TO THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS BEING ENERGIZED IN RESPONSE TO SAID ACCUMULATED MATERIAL CONTACTING AND GROUNDING SAID SENSING MEANS AND BEING MAINTAINED IN AN ENERGIZED STATE WHEN SAID SENSING MEANS CONTINUES TO BE GROUNDED DUE TO THE FOULING THEREOF; A FIRST TIMING CIRCUIT ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CIRCUIT MEANS, SAID FIRST TIMING CIRCUIT BEING ACTUATED A PRESELECTED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS, SAID PRESELECTED PERIOD OF TIME CORRESPONDING TO THE PERIOD REQUIRED TO EFFECT THE DISCHARGE OF A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF ACCUMULATED MATERIAL FROM SAID MATERIAL RECEIVING VESSEL; SAID ACTUATED FIRST TIMING CIRCUIT EFFECTING THE DEACTUATION OF SAID VALVE SHIFTING MEANS TO THEREBY RETURN SAID VALVE MEANS TO THE NORMAL POSITION AND NORMALLY EFFECTING THE DEENERGIZATION OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS; AND A SECOND TIMING CIRCUIT BEING ALTERNATELY RENDERED EFFECTIVE AND INEFFECTIVE FOR PRESELECTED PERIODS OF TIME AS LONG AS SAID SENSING MEANS CONTINUES TO BE GROUNDED AND IN RESPONSE TO THE CONTINUED ENERGIZATION OF SAID CIRCUIT MEANS WHEREBY SAID VALVE SHIFTING MEANS IS ALTERNATELY ACTUATED AND DEACTUATED FOR CORRESPONDING PERIODS OF TIME AND THE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS IS ALTERNATED BETWEEN A MATERIAL RECEIVING STATE AND A MATERIAL EJECTING STATE.