Liquid sampler having an in-line valve

• US 20030188588A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sentry Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ben E. Jaeger
• Inventors: Jaeger, Ben E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.84
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2035 by deviating part of a fluid stream, e.g. by drawing-off or tapping
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2057 Sample chamber in a valve/piston

Abstract

A sampling apparatus is characterized by a sampler operable to obtain samples of liquid product from a body of product in a vessel. The sampler includes a plunger having a sample receiving recess and a connecting device couples the sampler to the vessel at an aperture to the vessel. The sampler is attached to the connecting device and the connecting device is moveable between a first position placing the sampler into, and a second position taking the sampler out of, communication with the aperture. With the connecting device in the first position, the plunger is reciprocated to extend the plunger and its recess through the connecting device and vessel aperture into product in the vessel to receive a product sample in the recess. The plunger is then retracted from the vessel and through the connecting device to deliver the product sample to a collection point. During reciprocation of the plunger, a liquid seal is maintained between the vessel interior and sample collection point, and when the connecting device is moved to the second position, the sampler can be detached from the connecting device for service or repair, without escape of liquid from the vessel through the connecting device. Advantageously, the sampler remains stationary during movement of the connecting device between the first and second positions, so that additional space in which to accommodate movement of the sampler is not required when attaching the sampler and connecting device to the vessel.

Claims

1. A sampling apparatus, comprising:

a sampler operable to obtain discrete samples of liquid product from an interior of a vessel, said sampler including a plunger having a sample receiving recess;

a connecting device for coupling said sampler to the vessel, wherein said sampler is attached to said connecting device and said connecting device is movable between a first position placing said sampler into communication with the interior of the vessel and product therein and a second position taking said sampler out of communication with the interior of the vessel and product therein, said sampler being detachable from said connecting device, without escape of product from the vessel, when said connecting device is in said second position,

means for reciprocating said sampler plunger, when said connecting device is in said first position, to extend said plunger and recess through said connecting device and into the product in the vessel interior to receive in said recess a sample of product, and to then retract said plunger and recess from the vessel interior and through said connecting device to deliver the product sample in said recess to a sample collection point; and

means for maintaining a seal between the interior of the vessel and said sample collection point,

wherein said sampler remains stationary during movement of said connecting device between said first and second positions.

2. A sampling apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said connecting device includes a valve member having a passage, said valve member is movable between said first and second positions, said passage extends between said sampler and the vessel interior when said valve member is moved to said first position for reciprocation of said sampler plunger and recess through said passage, and said passage is out of communication with said sampler and the vessel interior when said valve member is moved to said second position.

3. A sampling apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said means for maintaining a seal includes seal means carried by said plunger on opposite sides of said plunger recess.

4. A sampling apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said connecting device includes a shell, said connecting device valve member comprising a ball valve within said shell and said passage extending diametrically through said ball valve, and means for rotating said ball valve in said shell between said first and second positions.

5. A sampling apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said connecting device includes seal means in said shell for maintaining isolation between said ball valve passage, said sampler and the vessel interior when said ball valve is rotated to said second position.

6. A sampling apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said sampler is attached to said connecting device shell, and including first valve means operable when said ball valve is rotated to said second position for venting any pressure of product within said shell and for checking the integrity of said seal means, and second valve means operable when said ball valve is rotated to said second position for venting any pressure of product within said sampler and for checking the integrity of said seal means.

7. A sampling apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said sampler includes a body, said plunger is reciprocated in said body, and said body is attached to said connecting device shell.

8. A sampling apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said means for reciprocating said sampler plunger includes motor means coupled to said sampler plunger and attached to said sampler body opposite from attachment of said sampler body to said connecting device shell.

9. A sampling apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said means for reciprocating said sampler plunger includes motor means.

10. A sampling apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said motor means includes pneumatic motor means.

11. A sampling apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said sampler plunger is cylindrical and said valve member passage is cylindrical and coaxial with said plunger when said valve member is moved to said first position for unobstructed reciprocation of said plunger through said passage.

12. A sampling apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said sampler plunger longitudinal axis and valve member passage axis are generally perpendicular when said valve member is moved to said second position.

13. A sampling apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said sampler body has a passage in axial alignment with said valve member passage axis when said valve member is rotated to said first position, said sample collection point is at a point in said sampler body passage, and said plunger is retracted into said sampler body passage to move said recess and the liquid sample in said recess to said sample collection point.

14. A sampling apparatus as in claim 13, including means in said sampler body at said sample collection point for receiving the liquid sample from said plunger recess.

15. A sampling apparatus as in claim 1, including means for releasably locking said connecting device in each of said first and second positions.

16. A sampling apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said sampler plunger is generally cylindrical, said ball valve passage is generally cylindrical and coaxial with said plunger longitudinal axis when said ball valve is rotated to said first position for unobstructed reciprocation of said plunger through said ball valve passage, and including means for locking said ball valve in and unlocking said ball valve from each of said first and second positions.

17. A sampling apparatus, comprising:

a sampler including a body having a passage and a generally cylindrical plunger in said passage, said plunger having a sample receiving recess intermediate its longitudinal ends;

means for reciprocating said sampler plunger in forward and rearward directions in said body passage;

a connecting device including a shell and a valve in said shell, wherein said valve has a passage therethrough, said sampler body is attached to said shell, and said connecting device is for being coupled to a vessel containing a liquid product in its interior;

means for moving said connecting device valve in said shell between first and second positions, said valve passage, when said valve is in said first position, extending between said sampler body passage and the vessel interior for reciprocation of said plunger and recess in said forward direction through said body and valve passages into the product in the vessel interior to receive a product sample in said plunger recess, and then in said rearward direction to retract said plunger and recess through said valve and body passages to carry the product sample in said recess to a sample collection point in said sampler body passage, said valve passage, when said valve is in said second position, being out of communication with said sampler body passage and said connecting device then isolating said sampler body passage from the product in the vessel interior, so that said sampler can be detached from said connecting device shell without escape of product from the vessel interior through said connecting device,

wherein said sampler remains stationary during rotation of said connecting device valve between said first and second positions.

18. A sampling apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said means for reciprocating said sampler plunger comprises pneumatic motor means, and including first valve means operable when said connecting device valve is rotated to said second position for venting any pressure of product within said connecting device shell, and second valve means operable when said connecting device valve is rotated to said second position for venting any pressure of product within said sampler body.

19. A sampling apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said sampler further includes seal means for maintaining isolation between product in the interior of the vessel and said sample collection point during reciprocation of said plunger.

20. A sampling apparatus as in claim 17, including means for releasably locking said connecting device valve in said first and second positions.

21. A sampling apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said connecting device valve comprises a ball valve and said means for moving said valve comprises means for rotating said ball valve between said first and second positions.

22. A sampling apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said rotating means comprises a handle to the exterior of said connecting device shell and a stem extending through said shell between and coupled to each of said handle and ball valve for rotation of said ball valve by rotation of said handle, and including means for releasably locking said handle and ball valve in each of said first and second positions of said ball valve.

23. A sampling apparatus as in claim 22, including stop means for limiting rotation of said handle when said handle is rotated to each of said first and second positions of said ball valve.

24. A sampling apparatus as in claim 17, including means at said sample collection point in said sampler body passage for facilitating removal of the product sample from said plunger recess, and means for receiving the product sample.

25. A sampling apparatus, comprising:

a connecting device having a shell for being coupled to a liquid product containing vessel and a selector member sealed to and movable in and relative to said shell, said selector member having a passage therethrough;

a sampler attached to said connecting device shell in communication with said selector member, said sampler including a plunger having a product sample-receiving portion;

said selector member being movable between a first position where one end of said selector member passage is in communication with said sampler and an opposite end of said passage is in communication with product in the vessel, and a second position where said one end of said passage is out of communication with said sampler and said opposite end of said passage is out of communication with product in the vessel, said sampler remaining stationary during movement of said connecting device selector member between said first and second positions,

means for reciprocating said sampler plunger when said selector member is moved to said first position to extend said sampler plunger through said selector member passage and into product in the vessel to obtain in said plunger sample receiving portion a discrete sample of product, and to then retract said sample plunger from the product in the vessel and through said selector member passage to carry the discrete product to a sample collection point, said sampler, when said selector member is in said second position, being detachable from said connecting device shell without occurrence of an escape of product from the vessel; and

seal means for maintaining isolation between the interior of the vessel and the sample collection point during reciprocation of said sampler plunger.

26. A sampling apparatus as in claim 25, wherein said seal means is on said plunger on opposite sides of said sample receiving portion.

27. A sampling apparatus, comprising:

a sampler operable to obtain discrete samples of liquid product from a body of liquid product in a vessel; and

a connecting device for coupling said sampler to the vessel at an aperture to the vessel, wherein said sampler is attached to said connecting device and said connecting device is operable between a first position placing said sampler into communication with the product in the vessel through the aperture and a second position taking said sampler out of communication with the aperture and the product in the vessel, said sampler being detachable from said connecting device, without escape of product from the vessel through said connecting device, when said connecting device is in said second position,

said sampler including sampling means that is extendable, when said connecting device is in said first position, through said connecting device and aperture in the vessel into the product in the vessel to obtain a sample of product, and that is then retractable from the product in the vessel through the aperture and said connecting device to carry the product sample to a sample collection point,

and seal means for maintaining isolation between the product in the vessel and said sample collection point,

said sampler remaining stationary when said connecting device is operated between said first and second positions.