Machine for introducing measured amounts of liquids into vials and other receptacles
First Claim
1. A machine for introducing measured amounts of liquids into a set of receptacles, comprising:
- a base carrying upwardly open container means filled with a supply of liquid;
a mounting disposed above said base;
an upper support and a lower support guided on said mounting for generally vertical reciprocation;
a set of horizontally spaced-apart syringes with barrels carried on said lower support and with plungers carried on said upper support, said supports being provided with first retaining means for releasably holding said supports together to hold said plungers fully inserted into said barrels and being interconnected by a lost-motion linkage enabling limited separation of said supports to an extent sufficient for a partial withdrawal of said plungers from said barrels;
operating means connected with said upper support for reciprocating same between a top position and a bottom position with entrainment of said lower support, said barrels dipping into said container means in said bottom position, said lower support and said base being provided with second retaining means capable or overriding said first retaining means for releasably holding said lower support onto said base during part of an ascending stroke of said upper support whereby some of the liquid in said container means is aspirated into said barrels by the rising plungers, said lost-motion linkage disengaging said lower support from said base and elevating the filled barrels during the remainder of said ascending stroke;
holding means carrying receptacles alignable with the filled barrels in their elevated position; and
stop means for keeping said lower support elevated during a subsequent descending stroke of said upper support whereby the contents of said barrels are discharged by said plungers into the receptacles aligned therewith.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A generally vertical frame has a pair of columns on which an upper support and a lower support are slidably mounted, the lower support carrying the barrels of a row of syringes whose plungers are fastened to the upper support. The latter support can be alternately lowered and raised, manually by a lever or automatically by a cam, and is connected with the lower support by a lost-motion linkage allowing the two supports to be separated to an extent sufficient for a partial withdrawal of the plungers from their barrels when the syringes are dipped into one or more supply containers on a base onto which the lower support is held by a strong magnetic coupling until entrained by the rising upper support. Upon alignment of the elevated syringes with a row of receptacles to be filled, an interposed stop arrests their barrels while the plungers descend with the lower support to expel the previously aspirated liquids until the two supports come into contact with each other, whereupon a weaker magnetic coupling therebetween causes their joint ascent preparatorily to the next syringe-refilling operation. The frame may be swingable about a horizontal axis for alternate alignment of the syringes with the supply containers and the receptacles which can be arrayed in one or more rows.
42 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A machine for introducing measured amounts of liquids into a set of receptacles, comprising:
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a base carrying upwardly open container means filled with a supply of liquid; a mounting disposed above said base; an upper support and a lower support guided on said mounting for generally vertical reciprocation; a set of horizontally spaced-apart syringes with barrels carried on said lower support and with plungers carried on said upper support, said supports being provided with first retaining means for releasably holding said supports together to hold said plungers fully inserted into said barrels and being interconnected by a lost-motion linkage enabling limited separation of said supports to an extent sufficient for a partial withdrawal of said plungers from said barrels; operating means connected with said upper support for reciprocating same between a top position and a bottom position with entrainment of said lower support, said barrels dipping into said container means in said bottom position, said lower support and said base being provided with second retaining means capable or overriding said first retaining means for releasably holding said lower support onto said base during part of an ascending stroke of said upper support whereby some of the liquid in said container means is aspirated into said barrels by the rising plungers, said lost-motion linkage disengaging said lower support from said base and elevating the filled barrels during the remainder of said ascending stroke; holding means carrying receptacles alignable with the filled barrels in their elevated position; and stop means for keeping said lower support elevated during a subsequent descending stroke of said upper support whereby the contents of said barrels are discharged by said plungers into the receptacles aligned therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification