Fraction collector

Claim 2

Fraction collecting apparatus comprising in combination: a spiral array of containers mounted for free rotation; a filling assembly mounted for free movement along a path intersecting the convolutions of said spiral array; a container engaging member mounted on said filling assembly; and drive means for moving said member into engagement with successive containers in said spiral array thereby to rotate said array while moving said filling assembly along said intersecting path.

Claim 3

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said filling assembly includes an elongated support arm spaced above said array and extending from a position outwardly of said containers toward the center of said array, said container engaging member mounted for free sliding longitudinal movement on said arm.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said support arm is mounted for movement in a repetitive closed orbit generally normal to the longitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said member is engaged with a container during only a portion of said orbit, and during said portion said array is rotated to position the next successive container into a filling position beneath said filling assembly.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said member includes sloped lateral cam surfaces engageable against surfaces of said containers to move said filling assembly longitudinally on said arm as each successive container moves into a filling position.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said filling assembly includes a discharge opening for dispensing liquid into said container, said opening being spaced from said container engaging member to fill the container next adjacent thereto.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said filling assembly includes drain means, and means operable to align said discharge opening and drain means after a selected container in said array has been filled.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said last mentioned means includes a stop member removably mounted in any selected container in said array and engageable with said filling assembly to effect alignment of said discharge opening and drain means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 including rotating table means supporting said array of containers, means hingedly interconnecting said containers in a string, and means for securing said string in a tightly wrapped spiral around the axis of rotation of said table.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said last mentioned resilient means exerts tension on said string of containers.

Claim 12

Fraction collecting apparatus comprising: a freely rotatable table; a series of containers disposed in a curve on said table; a filling assembly including means for discharging material into said containers; a support means located above said table and mounting said filling assembly for free sliding movement across said curve; and drive means for producing relative movement between said filling assembly and said containers to align said filling assembly sequentially with said containers, said drive means comprising: container engaging means on said filling assembly; means for repeatedly moving said support means through a closed path for brining said container engaging means into sequential engagement with said containers, said last mentioned means including shaft means connected to and spaced from said support means, motor means having an output shaft and a pair of rotary cams mounted thereon, first linkage means drivingly interconnecting one of said cams and said shaft means for producing oscillatory rotation of the latter, and second linkage means drivingly interconnecting said other of said cams and said shaft means for producing vertical reciprocation of the latter.

Claim 13

Fraction collecting apparatus comprising: a freely rotatable table; a series of containers disposed in a curve on said table; a filling assembly including means for discharging material into said containers; a support means located above said table and mounting said filling assembly for free sliding movement across said curve; and drive means for producing relative movement between said filling assembly and said containers to align said filling assembly sequentially with said containers, said drive means comprising: container engaging means on said filling assembly; means for repeatedly moving said support means through a closed path for brining said container engaging means into sequential engagement with said containers, said last mentioned means including shaft means connected to and spaced from said support means, motor means having an output shaft and a pair of rotary cams mounted thereon, first linkage means drivingly interconnecting one of said cams and said shaft means for producing oscillatory rotation of the latter, and second linkage means drivingly interconnecting said other of said cams and said shaft means for producing vertical reciprocation of the latter.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein said steps are carried out by moving said member repeatedly through a cycle of movement.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12 further comprising filling said one container while said adjacent container is engaged by said member.

Claim 18

Fraction collecting apparatus comprising a series of containers arranged in a spiral path on a support table mounted for free rotation about an upstanding axis, a filling head assembly mounted for free sliding movement generally transversely across adjacent convolutions in said spiral path, and a drive element carried by said filling head assembly and engageable with said containers for simultaneously rotating said table and sliding said filling head assembly.

Claim 19

Fraction collecting apparatus comprising a series of containers arranged in a spiral path on a support table mounted for free rotation about an upstanding axis, a filling head assembly mounted for free sliding movement generally transversely across adjacent convolutions in said spiral path, and a drive element carried by said filling head assembly and engageable with said containers for simultaneously rotating said table and sliding said filling head assembly.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said drive element comprises a downwardly depending finger engageable with said containers to align successive containers beneath said filling head.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said guide finger includes lateral camming surfaces sloping inwardly and downwardly for engaging lateral sides of said containers and producing relative movement of said filling head transversely of said spiral path to a position centered above a container thereon.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said finger is movable in a repetitive closed path including upward and downward strokes and strokes in opposite directions along said spiral path, said finger and a container operatively engaging one another during one of said latter strokes to rotate said table to align tHe next adjacent container into position for filling.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said finger includes an inwardly and downwardly sloping forward cam surface engageable with a side of containers extending between said lateral sides thereof for advancing the same into a filling position.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said filling head means includes support arm means above said containers and extending generally radially of the axis of rotation of said table and a filling head supporting said finger mounted for free sliding movement longitudinally of said arm means.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 20 including motor means for moving said support arm in a repetitive closed circuit generally normal thereto for aligning successive containers in said spiral path into a filling position.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said motor means includes an upstanding leg connected at its upper end to an outer end of said support arm and a movable shaft supporting the lower end of said leg for vertical movement thereof.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said motor means includes first and second cams mounted for rotation on a common shaft, first follower means engaging said first cam and said shaft for raising and lowering said shaft upon rotation of said cams, and second follower means engaging said second cam and said shaft for rotationally oscillating said shaft upon rotation of said cams thereby producing said repetitive closed circuit motion of said support arm.

Claim 28

For use with a fraction collector, the combination of a supporting surface mounted for rotational movement about an axis normal to and intersecting said surface, a hub member located at said axis, a string of hingedly interconnected containers supported on said surface and having first and second end containers, said first end container being connected to said hub member and said string being disposed in a spiral around said hub member, and means interconnecting said second end container to said surface for holding said string in said spiral.

Claim 29

For use with a fraction collector, the combination of a supporting surface mounted for rotational movement about an axis normal to and intersecting said surface, a hub member located at said axis, a string of hingedly interconnected containers supported on said surface and having first and second end containers, said first end container being connected to said hub member and said string being disposed in a spiral around said hub member, and means interconnecting said second end container to said surface for holding said string in said spiral.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 24 wherein said interconnecting means includes resilient means held in tension to apply tension to said string.

Claim 31

The combination of claim 24, a tray comprising said surface and said hub member.