Process and apparatus for the automatic removal of a material sample during its pouring into a container

Apparatus for the automatic collecting of a material sample of a glass composition while in its liquid phase while the glass composition is being poured as a liquid stream into a container having an upper rim with said liquid stream solidifying in said container, comprising:

• a bucket for collecting the material samples,
• an oscillating arm connected at a first end thereof to said bucket,
• a support rod on which said oscillating arm is mounted, with said support rod extending from said upper rim of said container, so that said oscillating arm can reciprocate said bucket into a position beneath said stream for collecting the sample;
• said oscillating arm being mounted so as to oscillate about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of said support rod with said apparatus further comprising;
• means for controllably rotating said oscillating arm about the vertical axis of said support rod from an initially retracted position with said bucket removed from said liquid stream to a position with said bucket positioned beneath said liquid stream and for rotatably retracting said oscillating arm to a folded back position removed from said liquid stream;
• and
• further comprising a meltable pellet for maintaining the arm in said initially retracted position and for freeing the arm for rotation upon the melting of said pellet.

Apparatus for the automatic collecting of a material sample of a glass composition in its liquid phase while the glass composition is being poured as a liquid stream into an open container having an upper rim and with the glass composition solidifying in said open container, comprising:

• a bucket for collecting the material sample,
• a support rod extending from said upper rim of said container in substantial vertical alignment with the longitudinal axis of said container;
• an oscillating arm connected to said bucket and rotatably mounted on said support rod for rotation about said support rod in such manner so as to reciprocate said bucket into a position beneath said liquid stream and for rotatably retracting said bucket from said position;
• and
• means for controlling the rotation of said oscillating arm, so that said bucket can collect said sample;
• wherein said oscillating arm is mounted so as to oscillate about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of said support rod and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for permitting a first rotation of said oscillating arm about the vertical axis of said support rod from an initially retracted position with said bucket removed from said liquid stream to a position with said bucket positioned beneath said liquid stream and for rotatably retracting the oscillating arm about the vertical axis of said rod to a folded back position removed from said liquid stream;
• wherein said means for controllably rotating said oscillating arm comprises a counterweight connected to said oscillating arm to free said oscillating arm for rotation when said bucket is filled with liquid material thus allowing said oscillating arm to rotate to the folded back position.