Process and apparatus for treating ampoules and similar containers

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND STERILIZING THE INTERIOR OF OPEN ENDED AMPOULES AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS WITH A FLUID, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AT LEAST ONE FLUID CONVEYING TUBE HAVING THE FIRST END PORTION ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF FLUID, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR SECOND END PORTION HAVING AN OPEN END ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH AN OPEN END OF AN AMPOULE AND SIMILAR CONTAINER, AND AN INTERMEDIATE HELICALLY CONVOLUTED TUBE PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN AND BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS WITH TUBE END PORTION, AT LEAST SAID HELICALLY CONVOLUTED TUBE PORTION BEING OF CURRENT-CONDUCTING MATERIAL; MEANS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO SAID TUBE SO THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT WILL FLOW AT LEAST THROUGH SAID HELICALLY CONVOLUTED PORTION TO THEREBY HEAT FLUID PASSING THERETHROUGH BEFORE IT IS DISCHARGED THROUGH THE OPEN END OF SAID RECILINEAR SECOND END PORTION; CONVEYOR MEANS OF INTERMITTENTLY MOVING A SERIES OF OPEN ENDED CONTAINERS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH SO AS TO ALIGN SAID OPEN END OF SAID SECOND END PORTION OF SAID TUBE WITH THE OPEN END OF SAID ONE CONTAINER BETWEEN THE INTERMITTENT MOVEMENTS OF SAID CONTAINERS ALONG SAID PATH; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TUBE AND AT LEAST SAID ONE CONTAINER RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN DIRECTION OF SAID RECTILINEAR SECOND END PORTION SO AS TO EXTEND SAID RECTILINEAR END PORTION IS SAID OPEN END OF SAID ONE CONTAINER TO INTRODUCE HEATED FLUID INTO THE LATTER AND TO WITHDRAW SAID END PORTION FROM SAID CONTAINER TO PERMIT FURTHER TRANSPORTATION OF THE LATTER ALONG SAID PATH.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND STERILIZING THE INTERIOR OF OPEN ENDED AMPOULES AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS WITH A FLUID, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AT LEAST ONE FLUID CONVEYING TUBE HAVING THE FIRST END PORTION ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF FLUID, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR SECOND END PORTION HAVING AN OPEN END ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH AN OPEN END OF AN AMPOULE AND SIMILAR CONTAINER, AND AN INTERMEDIATE HELICALLY CONVOLUTED TUBE PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN AND BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AT OPPOSITE ENDS WITH TUBE END PORTION, AT LEAST SAID HELICALLY CONVOLUTED TUBE PORTION BEING OF CURRENT-CONDUCTING MATERIAL; MEANS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO SAID TUBE SO THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT WILL FLOW AT LEAST THROUGH SAID HELICALLY CONVOLUTED PORTION TO THEREBY HEAT FLUID PASSING THERETHROUGH BEFORE IT IS DISCHARGED THROUGH THE OPEN END OF SAID RECILINEAR SECOND END PORTION; CONVEYOR MEANS OF INTERMITTENTLY MOVING A SERIES OF OPEN ENDED CONTAINERS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH SO AS TO ALIGN SAID OPEN END OF SAID SECOND END PORTION OF SAID TUBE WITH THE OPEN END OF SAID ONE CONTAINER BETWEEN THE INTERMITTENT MOVEMENTS OF SAID CONTAINERS ALONG SAID PATH; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TUBE AND AT LEAST SAID ONE CONTAINER RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN DIRECTION OF SAID RECTILINEAR SECOND END PORTION SO AS TO EXTEND SAID RECTILINEAR END PORTION IS SAID OPEN END OF SAID ONE CONTAINER TO INTRODUCE HEATED FLUID INTO THE LATTER AND TO WITHDRAW SAID END PORTION FROM SAID CONTAINER TO PERMIT FURTHER TRANSPORTATION OF THE LATTER ALONG SAID PATH.