US3706413A — Automatic filling apparatus for cell washing cent…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 156 words

An apparatus having a plurality of centrifuge tubes wherein said tubes are adapted to have wash liquid injected therein, a centrifuging rotor having said tubes circularly arrayed thereon, a plurality of nozzles for delivering liquid to respective centrifuge tubes, each of said nozzles being positioned opposite a corresponding centrifuge tube, liquid pump means for intermittently projecting a metered amount of liquid through said nozzles and directed into said corresponding tubes, air pump means for intermittently projecting air under pressure through said nozzles to purge the latter of wash liquid and means for repeatedly alternating the operation of said liquid pump means and said air pump means, said alternating means comprising a first piston in said liquid pump, a second piston in said air pump, a rotatable shaft, a first cam on said shaft for controlling the movement of said first piston, and a second cam on said shaft for controlling the movement of said second piston.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 156 words

An apparatus having a plurality of centrifuge tubes wherein said tubes are adapted to have wash liquid injected therein, a centrifuging rotor having said tubes circularly arrayed thereon, a plurality of nozzles for delivering liquid to respective centrifuge tubes, each of said nozzles being positioned opposite a corresponding centrifuge tube, liquid pump means for intermittently projecting a metered amount of liquid through said nozzles and directed into said corresponding tubes, air pump means for intermittently projecting air under pressure through said nozzles to purge the latter of wash liquid and means for repeatedly alternating the operation of said liquid pump means and said air pump means, said alternating means comprising a first piston in said liquid pump, a second piston in said air pump, a rotatable shaft, a first cam on said shaft for controlling the movement of said first piston, and a second cam on said shaft for controlling the movement of said second piston.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means mounted on said rotor for indexing the location of said tubes when said rotor is at rest so that each of said nozzles is located directly opposite the upper open end of a corresponding centrifuge tube.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means for varying and controlling the quantity of wash liquid delivered by said liquid pump means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising adjustable means between said liquid pump means and said nozzles for determining the force of the jet streams of liquid delivered by said nozzles into the respective tubes.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 106 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a first check valve between said liquid pump and said nozzles, and a second check valve between said air pump means and said nozzles, said liquid pump means completing its pumping operation before the operation of said air pump means, said second check valve being located in a position relative to said first check valve whereby the opening of said second check valve permits air under pressure from said air pump means to purge the passages between said first check valve and the output ends of said nozzles of wash liquid previously released by said first check valve.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 114 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a source of wash liquid, a liquid transmission assembly connected between said source and said liquid pump means, an inlet check valve in said assembly permitting only one-way liquid movement from said source to said liquid pump means, liquid inlet means connected between said nozzles and said liquid transmission assembly, a check valve in said nozzle inlet means normally closing the transmission of liquid from said liquid pump means to said nozzles during the suction stroke of said liquid pump means, said wash liquid being delivered to said nozzles against the action of said nozzle check valve during the pressure stroke of said liquid pump means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 71 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a first motor for rotating said rotor, a second motor for rotating said shaft, means connected to both of said motors for alternating their operation whereby said second motor brings about the action of filling said centrifuge tubes when said first motor and said rotor are at rest, and means for repeating the cycle of alternating action of said first and second motors.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 144 words

An appaRatus having a plurality of centrifuge tubes wherein said tubes are adapted for at least partial filling with wash liquid, a centrifuging rotor having said tubes circularly arrayed thereon, a first means including a first piston pump for projecting said liquid under pressure simultaneously into each of said tubes, a second means including a second piston pump for subsequently discharging a stream of air under pressure through said first means to purge any residual wash liquid remaining in said first means, a rotatable shaft, a first spiral-shaped cam and a second spiral-shaped cam on said shaft, said first and second cams cooperating with said first and second pumps, respectively, to produce their respective pressure strokes, said cams being arrayed on said shaft to cause said first pump to complete its pressure stroke before the operation of the pressure stroke of said second pump.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 144 words

An appaRatus having a plurality of centrifuge tubes wherein said tubes are adapted for at least partial filling with wash liquid, a centrifuging rotor having said tubes circularly arrayed thereon, a first means including a first piston pump for projecting said liquid under pressure simultaneously into each of said tubes, a second means including a second piston pump for subsequently discharging a stream of air under pressure through said first means to purge any residual wash liquid remaining in said first means, a rotatable shaft, a first spiral-shaped cam and a second spiral-shaped cam on said shaft, said first and second cams cooperating with said first and second pumps, respectively, to produce their respective pressure strokes, said cams being arrayed on said shaft to cause said first pump to complete its pressure stroke before the operation of the pressure stroke of said second pump.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 18 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising alternating means connected to said first and second piston pumps.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus according to claim 9 and further comprising fourth means for operating said third means to produce repetitions of the alternating operations of said first and second means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising adjustable fourth means for controlling the length of the pressure stroke of the piston in said pump to deliver a desired metered quantity of liquid into said tubes.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising means for controlling the force of the jet streams of liquid projected into said tubes.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first piston pump completes its function before said second piston pump operates.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 44 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising first and second springs cooperating with said first and second pumps, said springs producing the pressure strokes of said respective pumps after the latter have been released from the high radius points of their respective cams.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a manifold and check valve assembly, a plurality of nozzles in spaced circular array on said manifold and equal in number to said centrifuge tubes with each nozzle located above and serving a corresponding tube, a first connection between said first means and said manifold for transmitting liquid under pressure to said manifold, a second connection between said second means and said manifold for transmitting air under pressure to said manifold, a first check valve in said manifold for said first connection, and a second check valve in said manifold for said second connection, both of said check valves alternately permitting communication between the respective first and second piston pumps on the one hand, and said nozzles on the other hand when said respective means are in alternating pressure operation.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 103 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a first piston rod operating said first piston pump and a second piston rod operating said second piston pump, a first lever connected to said first piston rod, a second lever connected to said second piston rod, a rotatable shaft, a first cam on said shaft for operating said first lever, a second cam on said shaft for operating said second lever, said cams being arranged on said shaft whereby, upon their rotation, one of said pistons performs and completes its respective pressure stroke prior to the other piston performing and completing its pressure stroke.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein both of said cams have spiral-shaped camming surfaces and wherein the increasing radii of said surfaces cause their respective corresponding pistons to perform their respective suction strokes.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus according to claim 17 and further comprising a first spring for said first piston, a second spring for said second piston, both of said springs causing their respective pistons to perform their respective pressure strokes during the drop of the respective levers from the hIgh radius points to the low radius levels of the respective first and second cams.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 124 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a manifold located above said rotor, a distributor chamber in said manifold, a plurality of nozzles in spaced circular array on said manifold communicating with said distributor chamber, the outlet of each of said nozzles each being aligned with and spaced apart from the upper open end of a corresponding centrifuge tube, a first liquid inlet on said manifold connected to said first means and communicating with said distributor chamber, a first check valve mounted between said first inlet means and said chamber, a second air inlet on said manifold connected to said second means and communicating with said distributor chamber, and a second check valve located between said second inlet means and said distributor chamber.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said distributor chamber, said first check valve, and said second check valve are axially aligned with each other sand with the axis of said rotor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 54 words

Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said second inlet means and said second check valve are located above said first inlet means and said first check valve, and further comprising at least one channel between said air inlet means and said distributor chamber which bypasses said first inlet means and said first check valve.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the output end of said channel is located in a position to project purging air in the space from said first check valve through said distributor chamber and through said nozzles.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus according to claim 19 and further comprising a plurality of distributor tubes mounted radially on said manifold, the inner ends of said tubes communicating with said distributor chamber, the outer ends of said tubes terminating in the form of said nozzles, said nozzles being arrayed vertically to project fluid and air alternately into corresponding centrifuge tubes.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-12-19	1976-06-19	1976-12-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-12-19	1980-06-19	1980-12-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-12-19	1984-06-19	1984-12-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic filling apparatus for cell washing centrifuge

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