Patent GB-954579-A (GB)
Title: Method of and apparatus for laboratory serial testing
Inventor: BRANDT FRITZ OTTO
IPC: G01N33/14
Filed: 1961-04-04
Abstract: 954,579. Series testing conveyer systems. KLEINWANZLEBENER SAATZUCHT. April 4, 1961, No. 12029/61. Heading B1X. [Also in Division B7] In the series testing of soluble extracts, samples of the material from which the extracts are to be obtained are passed in a first series of containers on a first conveyer through at least one pre-treatment station to a filtering station whereat the extracts in solution are filtered into respective containers of a second series, the containers of the first series being thereafter cleaned and recycled for the reception of further samples, and the extracts in solution contained in the second series of containers are passed on a second conveyer from the filtering station to at least one testing station, whereafter the containers of the second series are emptied and cleaned and recycled to the filtering station. In the series testing of sugar beet pulp, two samples of the same origin are fed in parallel at the same time past weighing, mashing, digesting, filtering, polarizing, shaking and colorimetric stations. In Fig. 1, the conveyer system comprises two double-track conveyer systems A and B such that two slides carrying the sample containers can be conveyed adjacent to one another so that each test may be carried out twice. With the upper run of conveyer A are associated weighing and mashing station 1, digesting and stirring station 2 and filtering station 3. The upper run of conveyer B begins at filtering station 3 and leads via a polarizing station 4 to a shaking station 5 and then to a colorimeter station 6. The empty containers return on the lower runs of conveyers A and B each of which passes through a spraying station 7 and a drying station 8. At weighing station 1 a sample of sugar beet pulp is introduced into each of the containers 9 and an automatic dispensing device adds the required amount of lead acetate. The containers 9 are secured to slides 10, the forwarding movement of the slides being effected by forwarding devices 22 which co-operate with abutment pins 35 on the slides, Fig. 3. The slides 10, made of a. synthetic resin material insensitive to lead acetate, with the sample containers 9 assemble in groups of say 10 on each track, i.e. 20 all together, on an assembly section 11 for admission to the digesting station 2 where the sugar beet pulp is intimately mixed with the lead acetate by stirring. The group of samples then enter filtering station 3, Fig. 5, which includes a movable track section which enables the containers 9 of both tracks to be emptied simultaneously into filter funnels arranged laterally of the filtering station. This movable track section is arranged above the filtering station 3 of conveyer B so that the filtrate drops from the filter funnels into a group of underlying containers. The empty containers 9, which now open downwardly, pass to an assembly section 13 and then through spraying and drying stations 7 and 8 to assembly section 14 where they are ready to go upwardly again to the weighing station 1. The groups of sample containers containing the filtrate, which are located on the conveyer B pass to the assembly section 15, Fig. 2, and then to the polarizing station 4. For the polarizing operation a predetermined quantity of filtrate is taken from each sample container by an automatic suction device and is fed through the tube of the polarimeter. The sample containers then move to the shaking station 5 and to the colorimeter station 6 ; here the residue of each two parallel sample containers is shaken together and the colorimetric measurement to determine the nitrogen content is taken on this sample. The slides and containers are then tipped downwardly due to the reversal of the conveyer and assemble in assembly section 16 after which they pass to spraying and drying stations and then they assemble at 17 ready to move upwardly again to filtering station 3.