Method and apparatus for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container

An apparatus for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container, comprising in combination:

• a resiliently deformable container;
• a container closure having a tube extending therethrough, such that fluids can be extracted from the container through the tube when closed by the closure;
• the tube having a first end and a second end, the first end being open to the flow of fluids and the second end being closed;
• and
• radial inlet ports being position at spaced intervals along the tube between the closure and the second end of the tube, such that fluids from the container enter the tube at several levels through different ones of the inlet ports to provide a more representative sample, the inlet ports having a combined flow capacity which is less than a flow capacity of the tube.

A method for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container, comprising the steps of:

• providing a resiliently deformable container having a container closure with a tube extending therethrough, such that fluids can be extracted from the container through the tube when closed by the closure, the tube having a first end and a second end, the first end being open to the flow of fluids and the second end being closed, radial inlet ports being position at spaced intervals along the tube between the closure and the second end of the tube, such that fluids from the container enter the tube at several levels through different ones of the inlet ports, the inlet ports having a combined flow capacity which is less than a flow capacity of the tube;
• agitating the container to mix the fluids;
• inverting the container over a sample tube;
• squeezing the container to create sufficient pressure within the container sufficient to cause a stream of mixed fluids from the container to flow out of the first end of the tube, the fluids entering through the inlet ports at spaced intervals along the tube, thereby providing a representative sample.

An apparatus for extracting a representative sample of water, oil and sediment from a container, comprising:

• a container closure having a tube extending therethrough, such that fluids can be extracted from any closed container through the tube when closed by the closure;
• the tube having a first end and a second end, the first end being open to the flow of fluids and the second end being closed;
• and
• several radial inlet ports being position at spaced intervals along the tube between the closure and the second end of the tube, such that fluids from the container enter the tube at several levels through different ones of the inlet ports to provide a more representative sample;
• a sleeve overlying the tube;
• several flow openings being positioned at spaced intervals along the sleeve;
• means for altering the relative rotational positioning of the tube and the sleeve between a full flow depth position and a restricted flow depth position, in the full flow depth position the flow openings of the sleeve are aligned with the radial inlet ports of the tube to allow flow to enter radial inlet ports along the length of the tube, in the restricted flow depth position the flow openings of the sleeve are out of register with the radial inlet ports toward the second end of the tube while still remaining aligned with the radial inlet ports toward the first end of the tube to allow flow to enter radial inlet ports only along a restricted length toward the first end.