Semi-automatic adjusting delay for an electronic particle separator

Claim 1

A device for adjusting an electrical delay to a time interval between two occurrences of a moving particle in an apparatus for classifying particles suspended in a fluid, in which said apparatus comprises: A. nozzle means including a nozzle connected to a fluid reservoir for generating a fluid jet, B. means connected to the nozzle means for pulsating the fluid jet so as to separate same into droplets at a break-off point, C. sensing means located at the outlet of the nozzle means for producing an electric quantity in response to a selected parameter of a passing particle, D. means disposed adjacent the fluid downstream of the sensing means for charging each droplet with a potential related to the electric quantity produced by the sensing means, E. electrical delay means, the input thereof being coupled to the sensing means and the output thereof being coupled to the charging means, F. first and second means associated with the electrical delay means for adjusting the delay of said electrical delay means, G. means situated downstream of the charging means for deflecting each droplet by an amount related to said parameter of the particle, H. collecting means supported downstream of the deflecting means for collecting the droplets in relation to the amounts of deflection, I. microscope means arranged in front of the nozzle means and means for illuminating same in synchronization with said pulsating means, J. movable scale means associated with the microscope means and including a graticule having a reference line and at least one nonparallel comparison line, K. position adjusting means connected to the nozzle means for raising or lowering the nozzle until the image of the breakoff point of the jet is on said reference line, L. graticule adjusting means associated with the graticule for aligning said at least one comparison line with the image of at least one of said droplets, and M. means for coupling said first and second delay adjusting means to said position and graticule adjusting means, respectively. wherein, upon completion of said adjustments, the image of the train of droplets is rendered visible, stationary and measurable, and the electrical delay is substantially equal to the time interval between the passage of a particle through the sensing means and the arrival thereof at the break-off point.

Claim 2

A device for adjusting an electrical delay to a time interval between two occurrences of a moving particle in an apparatus for classifying particles suspended in a fluid, in which said apparatus comprises: A. nozzle means including a nozzle connected to a fluid reservoir for generating a fluid jet, B. means connected to the nozzle means for pulsating the fluid jet so as to separate same into droplets at a break-off point, C. sensing means located at the outlet of the nozzle means for producing an electric quantity in response to a selected parameter of a passing particle, D. means disposed adjacent the fluid downstream of the sensing means for charging each droplet with a potential related to the electric quantity produced by the sensing means, E. electrical delay means, the input thereof being coupled to the sensing means and the output thereof being coupled to the charging means, F. first and second means associated with the electrical delay means for adjusting the delay of said electrical delay means, G. means situated downstream of the charging means for deflecting each droplet by an amount related to said parameter of the particle, H. collecting means supported downstream of the deflecting means for collecting the droplets in relation to the amounts of deflection, I. microscope means arranged in front of the nozzle means and means for illuminating same in synchronization with said pulsating means, J. movable scale means associated with the microscope means and including a graticule having a reference line and at least one nonparallel comparison line, K. position adjusting means connected to the nozzle means for raising or lowering the nozzle until the image of the breakoff point of the jet is on said reference line, L. graticule adjusting means associated with the graticule for aligning said at least one comparison line with the image of at least one of said droplets, and M. means for coupling said first and second delay adjusting means to said position and graticule adjusting means, respectively. wherein, upon completion of said adjustments, the image of the train of droplets is rendered visible, stationary and measurable, and the electrical delay is substantially equal to the time interval between the passage of a particle through the sensing means and the arrival thereof at the break-off point.