Method and apparatus for collecting fluid contaminants

Claim 1

An apparatus to collect and concentrate dissolved constituents from a known volume of fluid, comprising: a first container to receive the known volume of fluid and having an outlet; an ion exchange material positioned at the outlet of the first container so that all the fluid leaving the first container passes through the ion exchange material; a second container to receive the fluid from the first container; reversible means to move the first container and the second container together thereby fixedly holding the ion exchange material in place; a vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the second container, the second container having an inlet extending into the interior so that a vacuum outlet located near the wall having the inlet does not withdraw the fluid being sampled; means to recirculate the fluid from the second container back to the first container to allow the fluid to pass through the ion exchange material again to extract additional dissolved constituents; a sensor detects disappearance of fluid in the first container and in turn disables the vacuum generating means; and means to introduce deionized water into the measuring container after contaminated fluid has been drained from the apparatus, the deionized water being provided to flush the containers and the means to recirculate.

Claim 2

An apparatus to collect and concentrate dissolved constituents from a known volume of fluid, comprising: a first container to receive the known volume of fluid and having an outlet; an ion exchange material positioned at the outlet of the first container so that all the fluid leaving the first container passes through the ion exchange material; a second container to receive the fluid from the first container; reversible means to move the first container and the second container together thereby fixedly holding the ion exchange material in place; a vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the second container, the second container having an inlet extending into the interior so that a vacuum outlet located near the wall having the inlet does not withdraw the fluid being sampled; means to recirculate the fluid from the second container back to the first container to allow the fluid to pass through the ion exchange material again to extract additional dissolved constituents; a sensor detects disappearance of fluid in the first container and in turn disables the vacuum generating means; and means to introduce deionized water into the measuring container after contaminated fluid has been drained from the apparatus, the deionized water being provided to flush the containers and the means to recirculate.

Claim 3

An apparatus to collect and concentrate contaminants from a known volume of fluid, comprising: a sample measuring container having a controllable outlet; a receiving container to receive the contents from the measuring container and having an outlet; a contaminant trapping material positioned on the outside of the receiving container at the outlet; an accumulating container which accumulates the fluid from the receiving container; at least one pivoted lever to bring the receiving container and the accumulating container together to fixedly hold the contaminant trapping material therebetween; recirculating means to pass the fluid from the accumulating container back to the receiving container so that the fluid can pass through the contaminant trapping material more than once; vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the accumulating container when the accumulating container and receiving container are fixedly holding the contaminant trapping material; and flushing means to flush the containers and the recirculating means after the fluid has been sampled, the accumulating container having an outlet to allow the fluid to be recirculated or to be exhausted from the apparatus once the fluid has been passed through the contaminant trapping material a predetermined number of times.

Claim 4

An apparatus to collect and concentrate contaminants from a known volume of fluid, comprising: a sample measuring container having a controllable outlet; a receiving container to receive the contents from the measuring container and having an outlet; a contaminant trapping material positioned on the outside of the receiving container at the outlet; an accumulating container which accumulates the fluid from the receiving container; at least one pivoted lever to bring the receiving container and the accumulating container together to fixedly hold the contaminant trapping material therebetween; recirculating means to pass the fluid from the accumulating container back to the receiving container so that the fluid can pass through the contaminant trapping material more than once; vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the accumulating container when the accumulating container and receiving container are fixedly holding the contaminant trapping material; and flushing means to flush the containers and the recirculating means after the fluid has been sampled, the accumulating container having an outlet to allow the fluid to be recirculated or to be exhausted from the apparatus once the fluid has been passed through the contaminant trapping material a predetermined number of times.

Claim 5

A method of collecting and concentrating contaminants from a known volume of fluid, comprising: measuring a sample of fluid; placing a contaminant trapping material between a first and a second container; bringing the first and second containers together; emptying the sample of fluid into the first container; generating a vacuum in the second container to assist the flow of fluid from the first container to the second container through the contaminant trapping material; recirculating the sample of fluid from the second container back to the first container through a recirculating path so that the sample of fluid will pass through the contaminant trapping material again; draining the sample of fluid from the containers; separating the first and second containers; advancing the contaminant trapping material; presenting the material for analysis; bringing the first and second containers back together without the contaminant trapping material between them; and flushing all the containers and the recirculating path to remove any contaminants that may not have drained.

Claim 6

A method of collecting and concentrating contaminants from a known volume of fluid, comprising: measuring a sample of fluid; placing a contaminant trapping material between a first and a second container; bringing the first and second containers together; emptying the sample of fluid into the first container; generating a vacuum in the second container to assist the flow of fluid from the first container to the second container through the contaminant trapping material; recirculating the sample of fluid from the second container back to the first container through a recirculating path so that the sample of fluid will pass through the contaminant trapping material again; draining the sample of fluid from the containers; separating the first and second containers; advancing the contaminant trapping material; presenting the material for analysis; bringing the first and second containers back together without the contaminant trapping material between them; and flushing all the containers and the recirculating path to remove any contaminants that may not have drained.

Claim 7

An apparatus to collect contaminants from a fluid comprising: a sample tank to premeasure the fluid to be analyzed; a receiving tank to receive the premeasured sample having an outlet at its lowest portion; a continuous roll of contaminant trapping material; an accumulating tank to accumulate the fluid from the receiving tank and having an inlet; a portion of the contaminant trapping material being positioned between the receiving tank and the accumulating tank so that all the fluid passes through the portion of contaminant trapping material as the fluid passes from the receiving tank to the accumulating tank; a vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the accumulating tank and having an evacuating port near the inlet of the accumulating tank; means to recirculate the fluid from the accumulating tank to the receiving tank so that the fluid can be passed through the portion of contaminant trapping material repeatedly to further trap contaminants; a container of non-contaminated fluid controllably connected to the sample tank, the non-contaminated fluid being provided to flush the apparatus thereby removing traces of any contaminated fluid remaining in the apparatus; and reversible drive motor means for exercising a Geneva mechanism so that the contaminant trapping material is removed from the flow of non-contaminated fluid during flushing of the apparatus.

Claim 8

An apparatus to collect contaminants from a fluid comprising: a sample tank to premeasure the fluid to be analyzed; a receiving tank to receive the premeasured sample having an outlet at its lowest portion; a continuous roll of contaminant trapping material; an accumulating tank to accumulate the fluid from the receiving tank and having an inlet; a portion of the contaminant trapping material being positioned between the receiving tank and the accumulating tank so that all the fluid passes through the portion of contaminant trapping material as the fluid passes from the receiving tank to the accumulating tank; a vacuum generating means to create a vacuum in the accumulating tank and having an evacuating port near the inlet of the accumulating tank; means to recirculate the fluid from the accumulating tank to the receiving tank so that the fluid can be passed through the portion of contaminant trapping material repeatedly to further trap contaminants; a container of non-contaminated fluid controllably connected to the sample tank, the non-contaminated fluid being provided to flush the apparatus thereby removing traces of any contaminated fluid remaining in the apparatus; and reversible drive motor means for exercising a Geneva mechanism so that the contaminant trapping material is removed from the flow of non-contaminated fluid during flushing of the apparatus.