Apparatus for filling sampling bottles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH SAMPLES OF LIQUIDS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: AN AIRTIGHT BOX INCLUDING A CLOSABLE COVER, A PAIR OF SHAFTS VERTICALLY ALIGNED IN SAID BOX, EACH SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION, SAID SHAFTS HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, SPROCKET WHEELS SECURED ON THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, THE SPROCKET WHEELS ON THE ENDS OF ONE OF THE SHAFTS BEING IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE SPROCKET WHEELS ON THE ENDS OF THE OTHER OF THE SHAFTS, TWO CARRIER CHAINS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE PAIRS OF ALIGNED SPROCKET WHEELS FOR BEING DRIVEN THEREBY; MEANS SUPPORTED IN SAID BOX FOR DRIVING ONE OF THE SHAFTS WHEREBY THE SPROCKET WHEELS AND CARRIER CHAINS ARE ALSO DRIVEN, A PLURALITY OF BOTTLE FRAMES, PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED FROM THE CARRIER CHAINS HORIZONTALLY IN SPACED VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT, SAID BOTTLE FRAMES EACH BEING ADAPTED FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF BOTTLES IN SUSPENDED VERTICAL ARRANGEMENT, SAID BOTTLE FRAMES ALL ADVANCING WITH SAID CARRIER CHAINS FOR PASSAGE ALONG A CLOSED PATH, A SAMPLING HEAD LYING IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE BOTTLES AND SUPPORTED FOR TRAVEL IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ALONG A HORIZONTAL PATH PARALLEL TO SAID FRAMES, SAID SAMPLING HEAD BEING MOVABLE TO A LATERAL POSITION BEYOND THE PATH OF THE BOTTLES TO ENABLE PASSAGE THEREPAST OF THE CARRIER FRAMES AND THE BOTTLES THEREON, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A LIQUID SAMPLE TO SAID SAMPLING HEAD WHICH SAMPLE IS CORRELATED WITH ONE OF THE BOTTLES WHICH IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE SAMPLE, SAID CARRIER CHAINS AND BOTTLE FRAMES BEING STOPPED AS THE BOTTLE FRAME SUPPORTING THE BOTTLE TO BE FILLED IS LOCATED AT A FILLING STATION AT A LEVEL JUST BENEATH THE SAMPLING HEAD, SAID SAMPLING HEAD THEN BEING ADVANCED TO A POSITION IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE BOTTLE TO BE FILLED WHEREAFTER THE LIQUID SAMPLE IN SAID SAMPLE HEAD MAY BE DISCHARGED INTO THE CORRELATED BOTTLE, PIVOTABLE SEALING FLAPS ON SAID BOTTLES EACH HAVING A LIP PROTRUDING BEYOND THE ASSOCIATED BOTTLE AND A DRIVING ROD SECURED IN SAID BOX EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE BOTTLES AND LYING IN THE PATH OF THE LIPS OF THE SEALING FLAPS, SAID DRIVING ROD BEING AT A LEVEL IN SAID BOX FOR CONTACTING AND OPENING THE SEALING FLAPS OF THE BOTTLES OF THE CARRIER FRAME AS THE LATTER REACHES THE FILLING STATION, SAID SEALING FLAPS BEING FREE OF THE DRIVING ROD AS THE BOTTLE FRAMES ADVANCE BEYOND THE FILLING STATION TO PERMIT THE SEALING FLAPS TO CLOSE.