Automatic chemical measuring and mixing machine

• US 3,877,682 A
• Filed: 03/08/1974
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lester I. Moss
• Original Assignee: Lester I. Moss
• Inventors: Moss, Lester I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jenkins, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/448,921
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 259/4,5,6,7,8,9,10,95,97,115,96,23,24,43,44,66,67,64,65,116,154,149,165 222/145 137/3
• US Class Current: 366/132
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/88 by feeding the materials batchwise
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/133 with discontinuous action

Abstract

An automatic measuring and mixing machine for producing a limited quantity of a solution constituted by two or more components. The components drawn from separate sources, are first fed into a measuring chamber whose full capacity is equal to a volume unit of the desired volumetric ratio of the components. The measuring chamber drains into a mixing tank from which the mixture of components is pumped into a holding tank. The holding tank supplies the user, and when the level of the mixture in the holding tank falls below a predetermined low point a signal is produced which initiates a new measuring and mixing cycle.

Claims

1. In a machine for measuring and mixing two or more chemical components having a desired volumetric ratio to produce a limited quantity of a solution, A. a measuring chamber having a capacity whose volume is equal to a unit volume in the desired volumetric ratio;

B. a mixing tank coupled to the measuring chamber to receive the contents thereof;

C. supply valve means interposed between separate sources of said components and said measuring chamber;

D. drain valve means interposed between said measuring chamber and said mixing tank; and

E. a control system responsive to signals indicative of the level of the contents in said measuring chamber to operate said supply and drain valve means in a sequence in which the components from said sources are each fed into said measuring chamber until the chamber is completely Filled, after which the entire contents of the chamber is discharged into said mixing tank, said system being programmed to provide said desired component ratio in said mixing tank.

2. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, the combination further including a holding tank and means including a transfer valve to transfer the contents of said mixing tank into said holding tank, said control system including means responsive to a signal indicating that the mixing tank contains the desired amount of solution to operate said transfer valve to effect a transfer of the solution into the holding tank.

3. In a machine as set forth in claim 2, further including means to produce a signal indicating that the holding tank is low to initiate a new cycle of operation.

4. A machine for measuring and mixing two or more chemical components having a desired volumetric ratio, one of which is a solvent, to produce a limited quantity of a solution, said machine comprising:

A. a measuring chamber having a capacity whose volume is equal to a unit volume of the desired volumetric ratio;

B. means including normally closed supply valves to feed the components from separate sources thereof into said measuring chamber, C. a mixing tank for the components;

D. means including a normally closed drain valve to discharge the entire contents of said chamber into said mixing tank;

E. means to sense the level of component in said measuring chamber to produce a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'full'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the chamber is full, and to sense the drainage of the component into said mixing tank to produce an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'empty'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the measuring chamber is fully drained, and F. an electronic control system for controlling said valves in a predetermined sequence to produce said desired ratio of components in said tank, said system acting to open each of said supply valves to feed a selected component into said measuring chamber until said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'full'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal is produced, in response to which the opened supply valve is closed and the drain valve is opened to fully drain the component from the metering chamber into the mixing tank, at which point said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'empty'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal is produced in response to which one of said supply valves is opened.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4, wherein said sources are so disposed relative to said measuring chamber as to effect feed by gravity flow into the chamber.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least one of said sources is a supply tank having detector means to indicate that the tank supply is low.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 4, wherein said mixing tank is provided with a pump and means including a normally closed mixing valve to recirculate the pumped solution back into said mixing tank, said control system producing a control signal to simultaneously operate said pump and to open said mixing valve when components of said mixture are contained in said mixing tank.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 7, further including a holding tank and means including a transfer valve to transfer the contents of said mixing tank into said holding tank, said control system including means responsive to a signal indicating that all components of the solution in the desired ratio are contained in said mixing tank to cut off said mixing valve and to open said transfer valve without interrupting the operation of said pump.

9. An automatic metering and mixing machine for producing a limited quantity of a solution formed by chemicals A and B dissolved in water, said solution having a predetermined volumetric ratio of chemicals A, B and water, said machine comprising:

A a supply tank for a chemical A, B a supply tank for a chemical B, C a water supply source, D a measuring chamber having a capacity whose volume is equal to a unit volume in the desired ratio;

E means including separate normally closed supply valves coupling said supply tanks and said water supply source to said measuring Chamber, F a mixing tank, G drain means including a normally closed drain valve connecting said measuring chamber to said mixing tank, H a holding tank coupled to a user, I means including a normally closed transfer valve connecting said mixing tank to said holding tank, J a first sensor in said metering chamber to produce a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'full'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the chamber is completely full, K a second sensor in said drain means to produce an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'empty'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the measuring chamber contents are fully drained into the mixing tank, L a third sensor in the mixing tank to produce an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'end'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the contents thereof are fully transferred to said holding tank, M a fourth sensor in the holding tank to produce a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'start'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal when the holding tank is low, and N an electronic control system responsive to said signals to initiate a new cycle upon receipt of said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'start'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal, in the course of which cycle said supply valves are selectively opened in response to said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'empty'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal to fill said chamber with units of said chemicals A and B and water, and said drain valve is opened in response to said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'full'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal after each filling to discharge the entire contents from said chamber into the mixing tank until the mixing tank contains a solution having the desired ratio of components, at which point said transfer valve is opened after a period during which mixing takes place to effect transfer of the solution to the holding tank, at the end of which transfer said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'end'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal is produced to reset the control system in readiness for the next cycle of operation.