Loop conveyor for automatic chemical testing apparatus

Claim 2

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the conveyor including a plurality of sprocket wheels and further including means engaging one of the wheels for allowing the conveyor to index only a predetermined distance comprising, a shaft rotated by the power means, a supporting arm connected to and movable by said shaft, an indexing pawl rotatably carried by the arm, and positioned to engage the sprockets on one of said wheels when the shaft is rotated, and stop means for limiting the amount of travel of said pawl and thus the limit of travel of said conveyor when the pawl is in engagement with the sprocket.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 3 including sprocket locking means connected to and rotatable with said shaft, said locking means being moved into engagement with a sprocket when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and being moved out of engagement with the sprockets when the shaft is rotated in a second direction.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 including, a threaded pin for each opening positioned in the slats and extending to the openings for holding and aligning a tube in place in the slat opening, and a resilient protector positioned between each pin and a tube.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the power means include, a power means for rotating said conveyor and for lowering and raising the heating means, a lost motion connection between the power means and the conveyor for allowing the heating means to be lowered and retracted away from the tubes before the conveyor is rotated, and a lost motion connection between the power means and the heating means for allowing the conveyor to be rotated before the heating means is raised toward the tubes.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power means periodically indexes the loop.

Claim 7

In a chemical testing apparatus in which a plurality of reaction tubes are indexed through various positions where test samples are dispensed into the reaction tubes and chemical tests are performed therein, the improvement in a loop conveyor means for carrying the reaction tubes comprising, a loop conveyor having a plurality of sprocket wheels supported on axles and including a plurality of rows of reaction tubes having an open end and secured to and supported intermediate their ends from the conveyor with the open ends extending upwardly above the top of the upper portions of the loop and the lower ends extending beneath the upper portion of the loop, heating means positioned inside said loop and movable toward the bottom of at least some of said tubes positioned on the upper portion of the loop and movable away from said tubes for allowing the conveyor to rotate, piston and power cylinder means for providing the power for rotating said conveyor and moving the heating means, a conveyor moving power lever connected to a sprocket wheel through a one-way clutch and connected to said power means, an actuating lever connected to said power means and said heating means for moving said heating means toward and away from the bottom of the reaction tubes, a lost motion connection between the power meanS and the conveyor for allowing the heating means to be moved away from the tubes before the conveyor is rotated, and a lost motion connection between the power means and the actuating lever for allowing the conveyor to be rotated before the heating means is moved toward the tubes.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 8 including an indexing means for allowing the conveyor to rotate only a predetermined amount including, shaft means adjacent one of the sprockets and actuated by the power means, a supporting arm connected to and movable by said shaft means, an indexing pawl rotatably carried by the arm, and positioned to engage the sprockets on one of said wheels when the shaft means is rotated, and stop means for limiting the amount of travel of said pawl and thus limiting the travel of said conveyor when the pawl is in engagement with the sprockets.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 9 including sprocket locking means connected to and rotatable with said shaft means, said locking means being moved into engagement with a sprocket when the shaft means is rotated in one direction, and being moved out of engagement with the sprockets when the shaft is rotated in a second direction.

Claim 10

In a chemical testing apparatus in which a plurality of reaction tubes are indexed to various positions, test samples are dispensed into the reaction tubes at one position, and chemical tests are performed at other positions, the improvement in a loop conveyor means for supporting and indexing the reaction tubes comprising, axle supported sprocket wheels, two chains, each chain engaging two of the wheels, a plurality of transversely positioned rigid slats, one end of which engages one of the chains, each slat including a plurality of openings, a reaction tube supported in each opening, said reaction tubes having open ends extending upwardly above the top the the upper portion of the loop and having lower closed ends extending beneath the upper portion of the loop whereby chemical tests may be performed in the tubes as they are moved along to various positions as the loop is rotated and where the tubes will be inverted and the contents thereafter emptied out, heating means positioned inside said loop and movable upwardly for heating the bottom of at least some of said tubes positioned on the upper portion of said loop and movable downwardly for allowing the conveyor to rotate, spraying means positioned outside said conveyor for spraying and cleaning the tubes which are disposed upside down in the lower portion of the loop, tube drying means positioned outside the conveyor for drying the tubes, piston and cylinder power means for providing the power for rotating said conveyor and for lowering and raising the heating means, shaft means, heating means support means supporting said heating means and connected to said shaft means, said support means being lowered when the shaft is rotated in a first direction and said support means being raised when the shaft is rotated in a second direction, a conveyor moving power lever connected to a sprocket wheel axle through a one-way clutch and connected to said power means, an actuating lever connected to said power means for actuating said shaft means, a lost motion connection between the power means and the conveyor for allowing the heating means to be lowered and retracted away from the tubes before the conveyor is rotated, a lost motion connection between the power means and the actuating lever for allowing the conveyor to be rotated before the heating means is raised, a supporting arm connected to and movable by said shaft means, an indexing pawl rotatably carried by the supporting arm, and positioned to engage the sprockets on one of said wheels and the shaft means is rotated, stop means for limiting the amount of travel of said pawl and thus limit the travel of said conveyor when the pawl is in engagement with the sprockets, and locking means connected to and rotataBle with said shaft means, said locking means being moved into engagement with the sprockets when the shaft means is rotated in said second direction, and being moved out of engagement with the sprockets when the shaft means is rotated in said one direction.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 11 including, a threaded pin for each opening positioned in the slots and extending to the opening for holding a tube in place in the slot opening, and a resilient protector positioned between each pin and tube.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the heating means includes a temperature controlled water bath.

Claim 13

In a chemical testing apparatus in which a plurality of reaction tubes are indexed through various positions where test samples are dispensed into the reaction tubes and chemical tests are performed therein, the improvement in a loop conveyor for supporting and indexing the reaction tubes comprising, a loop conveyor including a plurality of rows of reaction tubes having an open end and secured to and supported intermediate their ends from the conveyor with the open ends extending upwardly above the top of the upper portion of the loop and the lower ends extending beneath the upper portion of the loop, heating means positioned inside said loop and movable upwardly for heating the bottom of at least some of said tubes positioned on the upper portion of the loop and movable downwardly for allowing the conveyor to rotate, piston and cylinder power means for rotating said conveyor and lowering and raising the heating means, a lost motion connection between the power means and the conveyor for allowing the heating means to be lowered and retracted away from the tubes before the conveyor is rotated, and a lost motion connection between the power means and the heating means for allowing the conveyor to be rotated before the heating means is raised toward the tubes.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 14 including, cleaning means positioned outside said conveyor for cleaning tubes disposed in the lower portion of the loop, and tube drying means positioned outside the conveyor for drying the tubes.

Claim 15

In an automatic chemical testing apparatus in which a plurality of reaction tubes are indexed through various positions where test samples are dispersed into the tubes and chemical tests are performed therein, the improvement in a loop conveyor for carrying the reaction tubes comprising, two chains, a drive wheel engaging at least one of the chains, a plurality of substantially rigid sections secured to the chains to form a loop conveyor having upper and lower portions, each section including at least one opening for receiving a reaction tube, a reaction tube positioned in each of the openings having a top opening above the upper portion of the cnoveyor and having a lower closed end extending beneath the opening whereby chemical tests may be performed as the tubes are moved along various positions as the loop is rotated and where the tubes will be inverted, the contents emptied, and the tubes recycled, a temperature controlled water heating bath positioned inside said loop and movable upwardly for heating the bottom of at least some of the tubes on the upper portion and movable downwardly for allowing the conveyor to rotate, power means for lowering and raising said heating bath and indexing said loop a predetermined amount, and means engaging said conveyor for allowing the conveyor to index only a predetermined distance.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 16 including, cleaning means positioned outside said conveyor for cleaning tubes disposed in the lower portion of the loop, and tube drying means positioned outside the conveyor for drying the tubes.

Claim 17

In an automatic chemical testing apparatus in which a plurality of reaction containers are indexed through various positions while test samples are dispersed into the containers and chemical tests are performed therein, the improvement in a convEyor for carrying the reaction containers comprising, said conveyor being an endless loop including a plurality of substantially rigid sections connected together, each section including at least one opening for receiving an elongate reaction container, an elongate reaction container positioned in each of the openings having a top opening above the top of the conveyor and having a lower closed end extending beneath the opening whereby chemical tests may be performed as the loop is rotated and where the containers will be inverted, the contents emptied and the containers recycled, a temperature controlled liquid heating bath positioned inside said loop for heating the bottom of at least some of said containers positioned on the upper portion of the loop on relative movement of the bath and the upper portion of the loop towards each other, and power means for rotating said conveyor a predetermined amount.