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AssigneePye (Electronic Products) Limited
InventorStephen J. Baker
Estimating the term…
An automatic sample supply apparatus is provided with a delivery tube which aspirates liquid samples from sample containers mounted on a turntable and delivers the samples to a dosing aperture of a graphite tube of an atomic absorption spectrophotometer or to the sample input of other analytical instruments. The turntable also carries at least one flushing discharge container which is of similar form to the sample container, but has an aperture in the side wall. When the turntable is indexed so that the delivery tube enters the flushing discharge container, a solenoid valve is opened to allow a flushing liquid from a container to flow through the delivery tube and into the flushing discharge container. The aperture in the wall of the flushing discharge container is dimensioned so that the flushing liquid will only flow through it when a given head of liquid exists above the top of the aperture.
An automatic liquid sample supply apparatus for sequentially supplying liquid samples to an analytical instrument comprising a plurality of sample containers carried on a turntable, a delivery tube movable between a first position within a container on the turntable and a second position at a sample input of the instrument, means for aspirating a predetermined volume of a sample from a sample container into the tube when in the first position, means for expelling the sample into the instrument when in the second position, and means for discharging a flushing liquid through the delivery tube when in the first position and the turntable is indexed so that the delivery tube enters a flushing discharge container, characterised in that the flushing discharge container is carried by the turntable and is provided with an overflow aperture above the delivery end of the tube and below the lower surface of the turntable.
A flushing discharge container suitable for use in an automatic liquid sample supply apparatus, said container having bottom and side walls and an overflow aperture formed in a side wall, said aperture being so dimensioned that a flushing liquid within said container will not flow from said aperture unless a head of liquid is formed above the top of said aperture.
A method of flushing the delivery tube for liquid samples in automatic liquid sample supply apparatus incorporating a flushing discharge container having a discharge aperture comprising the step of passing a flushing liquid along the tube and out of its delivery end at a flow rate determined in relation to the size of the aperture such that the flushing liquid flows from the aperture in discrete drops when a desired head above the aperture has been established.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.