GB1324093A - Automatic apparatus permitting highly dilute solutions to be obtained - Google Patents

Abstract

1324093 Automatic preparation of dilute solutions D DEMARQUE and F LAMASSON 17 July 1970 [18 July 1969] 34794/70 Heading B1X Apparatus used for attaining highly diluted samples by the Korsakow method, i.e. by the dilution of the droplets remaining in a bottle after it has been emptied, comprises a closed transparent chamber 2 housing a bottle support 10, attached by a pivotable shaft 9 to a body 8 which is keyed in a rotatable and vertically reciprocable shaft 3. After having its contents manually emptied the bottle 23 is introduced into the chamber and placed on the support 10 by a gripper 31 and then rotated by shaft 3 below syringe 30 which adds diluent. Further rotation brings the bottle, which has a spring biassed internal support structure, (see Fig. 2 not shown) beneath closure 34. The shaft 3 is then raised so that the bottle engages the closure 34 whereupon reciprocation of rod 33 effects mixing of the bottle contents. Further rotation of shaft 3 results in abutment of finger 14 and stop 24 which causes the bottle to be tilted back by pivot shaft 9 through 90‹ whereupon its contents empty into a trough 39 and thence into one or more containers, e.g. 51b. Later engagement of finger 15 and stop 25 completely inverts the bottle whereafter stops 26, 27 act to bring it to its original upright position. The sequence of operations is controlled by a programming unit 44-49. The chamber 2 may have a controlled atmosphere. In alternative embodiments the fingers 14-17 may be replaced by a star-shaped attachment, Fig. 4, (not shown); or the stops 24-27 may be replaced by a smooth ramp to prevent violent arrest of the bottle; or the support 10 may be provided with a pinion (52), Fig. 5 (not shown) to engage upper and lower curvelinear toothed racks so that the pivoting of the bottle occurs in forward and reverse directions.