Apparatus for electrophoretic fractionation of ampholytes

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROPHORETIC FRACTIONATION OF AMPHOLYTES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A BANK OF A PLURALITY OF CELLS FOR CONTAINING A SOLUTION OF AMPHOLYTIC MATERIALS, SAID CELLS PERMITTING MIGRATION OF AMPHOLYTES THEREBETWEEN; AN ANODE AND A CATHODE POSITIONED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLURALITY OF CELLS; A PLURALITY OF PH ADJUSTING ELECTRODES, ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES POSITIONED IN EACH CELL, SAID ANODE, CAATHODE, AND ELECTRODES BEING CONNECTABLE TO A SOURCE OF D.C. POTENTIAL HAVING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDES; FIRST RELAY SWITCHES CONNECTED BETWEEN EACH SAID ELECTRODE AND THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF SAID D.C. POTENTIAL; SECOND RELAY SWITCHES CONNECTED BETWEEN EACH OF SAID ELECTRODES AND THE POSITIVE SIDE OF SAID D.C. POTENTIAL IN PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST SWITCH, BOTH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHES BEING NORMALLY OPEN; FIRST SWITCHING MEANS ADAPTED TO SEQUENTIALLY CONNECT THE FIRST RELAYS TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER OT CLOSE ONE OF SAID FIRST RELAY SWITCHES AND PLACE A NEGATIVE POTENTIAL ON ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES; A SECOND SWITCHING MEANS ADAPTED TO SEQUENTIALLY CONNECT THE SECOND RELAYS TO THE SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER AND CLOSE ONE OF SAID SECOND RELAY SWITCHES AND PLACE A POSITIVE POTENTIAL ON ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES; CONTROL MEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHING MEANS AND THE SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER, SAID CONTROL MEANS ADAPTED TO CONNECT NOT MORE THAN ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SWITCHING MEANS TO SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VARIATION OF THE PH LEVEL IN A GIVEN CELL FROM A DESIROUS PH LEVEL; A RINSE TANK SPACED PARLLEL TO SAID CELLS; A PH SENSING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEANS, SAID SENDSING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED BETWEEN SAID RINSE TANK AND SAID CELLS; A CARRIAGE SLIDINGLY SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK; A STOP MEMBER ADJACENT SAID TRACK OPPOSITE EACH CELL; A LIMIT SWITCH MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR ENGAGING EACH STOP MEMBER; A PAIR OF ARMS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, SAID ARMS BEING POSITINED TO BE ROTATABLE THROUGH AN ARC TRANSVERSE OF SAID CARRIAGE BETWEEN SAID RINSE TANK AND SAID CELLS, SAID ARMS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER TO REMAIN PARALLEL THROUGHOUT ROTATION AND PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID PH SENSING MEANS AT THE ENDS THEREOF; A REVERSIBLE MOTOR CONNECTED TO DRIVE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ARMS; A PAIR OF TRIP SWITCHES MOUNTED AT EACH SIDE OF SAID CARRIAGE IN THE PATH OF SAID ARMS, SAID SWITHCES BEING ELECTRICALY CONNECTED TO SAID REVERSIBLE MOTOR TO STOP THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMS AND REVERSE THE MOTOR AT POSITIONS WHERE THE PH SENSING MEANS IS INSERTED IN A CELL AND SAID RINSE TANK; AND A DRIVE MOTOR CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVING IT ALONG SAID TRACK, SAID DRIVE MOTOR BEIN ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID LIMIT SWITCH TO STOP SAID CARRIAGE AT POSITIONS WHERE THE PH SENSING MEANS WILL BE ADJACENT SUCCESSIVE CELLS.