Patent GB-1514358-A (GB)
Title: Device for the insertion of samples into a chromatography column
IPC: G01N30/24
Filed: 1976-04-22
Abstract: 1514358 Chromatography sampling device SOC NATIONALE DES PETROLES D' AQUITAINE 22 April 1976 [24 April 1975] 16379/76 Heading B1H [Also in Division G1] A device for inserting samples into a chromatography column 11 comprises a sample holder comprising a plate 5 mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to said column, said plate defining a plurality of cavities 18 arranged in a circle the centre of which lies on said axis, at least some of said cavities being adapted to receive cells containing either a sample or a rinsing solution while others are in the form of holes 20 passing through said plate, a syringe 1 facing one side of said sample holder in a position such that said cavities become successively aligned with said syringe as said plate rotates, said syringe comprising an elongated hollow body 2, a needle 12 at one end of said body, and a piston 13 mounted in said body and which is controlled by a jack 15, and both said piston and said body being mounted on a carriage 3 for translational movement parallel to said axis, the axis of the plate and the path of translational movement of said syringe lying in the same vertical plane, and an axis of a cavity 18 aligned with said syringe, when taken in a vertical plane containing said axis, being at an angle of at least 10 to the horizontal, and control means for correlating the rotation of said plate to the translational movements of said syringe and piston in order to carry out a cycle of operations including the withdrawal of a sample from a cell in one of said cavities, the injection of said sample through one of said holes into said chromatography column and the rinsing out of the syringe. The axis of rotation of the plate 5 and the path of translation of the syringe 1 are preferably horizontal and the axes of the cavities 18 form the generating lines of a cone. In a further embodiment, the axis of rotation of the plate and the path of translational movement of the syringe are at an angle of about 10 to the horizontal and the axes of cavities 18 are parallel to said axis and path (Fig. 6; not shown). The control means comprises a cam 23 integral with carriage 3 and a slotted drum 21 coaxial with and integral with plate 5 and containing the same number of slots 22 as the plate has holes. The cavities in plate 5 are grouped in series of three, one containing a cell holding a sample, one being a through hole and one containing a cell holding a rinsing solution, and the control means operates so as to i) move the syringe assembly on the carriage forward until the cam 23 engages the end of the drum 21 and the needle penetrates the sample cell, the jack operating to withdraw sample into the syringe (position as shown above) ii) withdraw the syringe assembly and rotate the plate to bring a hole opposite the needle, iii) move the syringe assembly forward, the cam travelling down a slot in the drum and the needle passing through the hole in the plate to discharge the sample into the chromatography column 11, iv) withdraw the syringe assembly and rotate the plate to bring the cell containing rinsing solution opposite the needle, and v) move the syringe assembly forward so that the needle penetrates the rinsing cell and the jack operates to rinse out the syringe.