Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
272 words
Apparatus for sampling potentially hazardous solid materials comprising: a handle having an interior bore, said handle having connection means for connecting said interior bore to a source of vacuum; and sampler means mounted on said handle for sampling said material, said sampler means comprising: a collector having a funnel-shaped wall which diverges away from said handle from a minor opening to a major opening, a separator plate having an exterior surface oriented in the direction of divergence of said funnel-shaped wall and with an interior surface in communication with said interior bore of said handle; a cutter holder mounted in said separator plate and extending into said collector, said cutter holder being generally centered with respect to said minor opening of said collector and said funnel-shaped wall; an elongate, removable cutter sleeve and means for attaching an attachment end of said cutter sleeve to said cutter holder, said cutter sleeve having a cutting end sharpened to cut and receive a sample into the interior of said cutter sleeve when attached to said cutter holder, said cutter sleeve having a wall thickness not greater than about 0.1 inch; said minor opening of said collector and said cutter holder each being dimensioned such that an annular area of said exterior surface of said separator plate about said cutter holder is exposed to the interior of said collector and has a minimum dimension between said cutter holder and said funnel-shaped wall sufficient to permit access for easy cleaning; and at least one aperture in said exposed annular area of said separator plate to communicate vacuum supplied to said bore in said handle to said collector.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
272 words
Apparatus for sampling potentially hazardous solid materials comprising: a handle having an interior bore, said handle having connection means for connecting said interior bore to a source of vacuum; and sampler means mounted on said handle for sampling said material, said sampler means comprising: a collector having a funnel-shaped wall which diverges away from said handle from a minor opening to a major opening, a separator plate having an exterior surface oriented in the direction of divergence of said funnel-shaped wall and with an interior surface in communication with said interior bore of said handle; a cutter holder mounted in said separator plate and extending into said collector, said cutter holder being generally centered with respect to said minor opening of said collector and said funnel-shaped wall; an elongate, removable cutter sleeve and means for attaching an attachment end of said cutter sleeve to said cutter holder, said cutter sleeve having a cutting end sharpened to cut and receive a sample into the interior of said cutter sleeve when attached to said cutter holder, said cutter sleeve having a wall thickness not greater than about 0.1 inch; said minor opening of said collector and said cutter holder each being dimensioned such that an annular area of said exterior surface of said separator plate about said cutter holder is exposed to the interior of said collector and has a minimum dimension between said cutter holder and said funnel-shaped wall sufficient to permit access for easy cleaning; and at least one aperture in said exposed annular area of said separator plate to communicate vacuum supplied to said bore in said handle to said collector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said exposed annular area has a minimum dimension which is not less than about 0.5 inch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said exterior surface of said separator plate is generally planar and is generally perpendicular to said cutter holder and said cutter sleeve.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said funnel-shaped wall is conical in shape with its axis being generally coaxial with said cutter holder and cutter sleeve.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutter sleeve comprises an open-ended cylindrical tube having an outside diameter of not greater than 1.0 inch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for attaching said cutter sleeve to said cutter holder comprises: a portion of said cutter holder adapted to be received into the attachment end of said cutter sleeve; a shoulder screw threadably received into said portion of said cutter holder; and a longitudinally-aligned slot extending into said attachment end of said cutter sleeve for receiving said shoulder screw when said portion of said cutter holder is received into said cutter sleeve.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cutter holder terminates proximate to said major opening of said collector.