Sterilizing apparatus

Claim 2

A sterilizing apparatus comprising, a cylindrical autoclave having at least one circular end face of given diameter, rectangular means defining a rectangular opening in front of said circular end face, an adapting collar (2) positioned between the circular end face and the rectangular opening defining means, said adapting collar having a circular end portion corresponding to said circular end face and connected thereto, said adapting collar further having sidewalls tapering from said circular end portion toward and into a rectangular end portion adjacent to said rectangular opening defining means, said rectangular end portion of said collar being connected to said rectangular opening defining means, rectangular, plane closure means for closing said rectangular opening, and elongated heating coils attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical autoclave in contact therewith and distributed so as to cover a substantial surface area of said autoclave, said heating coils having back and forth bent coil portions, such coil portions being also shaped relative to the outer cylindrical surface of said autoclave whereby a half-cylinder coil unit is formed, two of such half-cylinder coil units being attached to each other under mechanical tension so as to closely contact the outer surface of the cylindrical autoclave.

Claim 3

A sterilizing apparatus comprising, a cylindrical autoclave having at least one circular end face of given diameter, rectangular means defining a rectangular opening in front of said circular end face, an adapting collar (2) positioned between the circular end face and the rectangular opening defining means, said adapting collar having a circular end portion corresponding to said circular end face and connected thereto, said adapting collar further having sidewalls tapering from said circular end portion toward and into a rectangular end portion adjacent to said rectangular opening defining means, said rectangular end portion of said collar being connected to said rectangular opening defining means, rectangular, plane closure means for closing said recTangular opening, supporting members attached to two opposite edges of said rectangular opening defining means but spaced from the outer end of said edges to leave a space surrounding the opening defining means along the supporting members, a sealing strip held in said space and slightly protruding from the outer end of said edge, said rectangular, plane closure means including a rectangular plate and pressure means for pressing the plate against the sealing strip, said pressure means including two channels, one of which is fixedly attached to a respective one of said supporting members on each side of the autoclave and facing with an open side in the same direction as said rectangular opening of the autoclave, an expansible pressure hose in each of said channels, two further channels each fitting into one of said first mentioned channels and movable therein in response to the expansion of the hose when it is subjected to fluid under pressure, a pressure bar for each pair of the channels, and pivot means for pivotally mounting each pressure bar to its respective support member, each pressure bar extending with one end into contact with said further channel and with another end into contact with a margin of said closure plate.

Claim 4

A sterilizing apparatus comprising, a cylindrical autoclave having at least one circular end face of given diameter, rectangular means defining a rectangular opening in front of said circular end face, an adapting collar (2) positioned between the circular end face and the rectangular opening defining means, said adapting collar having a circular end portion corresponding to said circular end face and connected thereto, said adapting collar further having sidewalls tapering from said circular end portion toward and into a rectangular end portion adjacent to said rectangular opening defining means, said rectangular end portion of said collar being connected to said rectangular opening defining means, rectangular, plane closure means for closing said recTangular opening, supporting members attached to two opposite edges of said rectangular opening defining means but spaced from the outer end of said edges to leave a space surrounding the opening defining means along the supporting members, a sealing strip held in said space and slightly protruding from the outer end of said edge, said rectangular, plane closure means including a rectangular plate and pressure means for pressing the plate against the sealing strip, said pressure means including two channels, one of which is fixedly attached to a respective one of said supporting members on each side of the autoclave and facing with an open side in the same direction as said rectangular opening of the autoclave, an expansible pressure hose in each of said channels, two further channels each fitting into one of said first mentioned channels and movable therein in response to the expansion of the hose when it is subjected to fluid under pressure, a pressure bar for each pair of the channels, and pivot means for pivotally mounting each pressure bar to its respective support member, each pressure bar extending with one end into contact with said further channel and with another end into contact with a margin of said closure plate.

Claim 5

The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pivot means comprise a bolt with a head provided with a curved surface at one end thereof, a concave recess in said pressure bar for cooperation with said curved surface, said concave recess in the pressure bar extending into a bore for the bolt, the other end of the bolt comprising means for fastening the bolt to its support member.

Claim 6

The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said curved surface of the pivot means is part of a washer which rests with a plane surface against the head of the bolt, said pressure bar having a concave recess therein for pivotal cooperation with the curved surface of the washer, said bore in the pressure bar into which the concave recess extends having a diameter which is larger than that of the bolt to permit such pivoting.