Patent ID: 7578934

Claim:
A movable plate for a chromatography column comprising a flow distributor and a seal plate, the seal plate being mounted on top of at least the outer periphery of the flow distributor, the plate being connected to the distributor by one or more pins, the one or more pins having a compression means for normally and positively biasing the plate toward the flow distributor, the compression means for biasing being attached to the pins and acting on an outer surface of the plate, the plate having a seal arranged at its lowermost portion at least on its outer periphery, a space formed between the lower surface of the seal plate and the upper surface of the flow distributor, an opening formed in the seal plate for the selective introduction and removal of a pressurized energy, the energy being selected from the group consisting of compressed air, a compressed gas, water, and a hydraulic fluid, and one or more seals formed between the plate and the flow distributor to contain the pressurized fluid within the space.