AU723574B2

AU723574B2 - Dry powder sampler

Info

Publication number: AU723574B2
Application number: AU22221/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Tony J. Smith
Original assignee: Smith Gregory Paul; Smith Jason Scott; Smith Matthew Gordon
Current assignee: Smith Gregory Paul; Smith Jason Scott; Smith Matthew Gordon
Priority date: 1996-05-17
Filing date: 1997-05-15
Publication date: 2000-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2017-05-15
Also published as: AU2222197A

Description

EDITORIAL NOTE NO: 22221/97 THIS SPECIFICATION BEGINS AT PAGE 2.

-2- TITLE: Dry Powder Sampler Field Of The Invention This invention relates to improvements in devices for the removal of dry powder samples from processing and/or packaging streams for the purpose of analysis, investigation, or any other purpose for which such samples may be required.

Disclosure Of The Invention Accordingly the invention resides in a dry powder sampling device comprising a housing defining a chamber, said chamber having an outlet port and an inlet orifice, said orifice being adapted to open into a space accommodating said dry powder, a shaft mounted in said chamber and having an end receivable in the orifice, said shaft being capable of reciprocating between a closed position at which it is received in the orifice and the end extends beyond the orifice into the space and an open position at which the end is accommodated within the chamber clear of the orifice, a drive member adapted to cause the reciprocation 15 of the shaft.

40000 According to a preferred feature of the invention the orifice is provided in a boss which is receivable in a aperture in a wall of the space and the chamber is provided with a mounting means adapted to be fixed to said wall.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the space comprises a duct 20 conveying a fluidised stream of said dry powder.

*foee e According to a preferred feature of the invention the shaft is slidably and sealingly supported by the a wall of the housing in opposed relation to the orifice.

9 According to a preferred feature of the invention the outlet port is located below the inner extent of the orifice.

-3- According to a preferred feature of the invention the drive member is driven to periodically open at regular intervals. According to one embodiment the drive member is driven by a mechanical drive. According to another embodiment the drive member is driven by a hydraulic drive. According to another embodiment the drive member is driven by a pneumatic drive. According to another embodiment the drive member is driven by a manual drive.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the operation of the drive member is controlled from a programmable control means.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments.

Brief Description Of The Drawings In The Drawings The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional elevation of the first embodiment; a* 15 Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the first embodiment in position with the o• device closed: SFigure 4 is a schematic illustration of the first embodiment in position with the device open; and Figure 5 is a schematic sectional elevation of a second embodiment of this invention.

a.

Detailed Description Of Several Specific Embodiments Rj-4eferring to Figure 1, the dry powder sampling device according to the first V .,nbodiment comprises a reciprocating shaft which comprises a narrow zorallel walled cylindrical section a short stepped cylindrical section of diameter to match the outside diameter of the activating device shaft and machined perpendicular to the narrow cylindrical section in order to maintain shaft alignment, with a shorter threaded cylindrical section which screws into a matching female threaded end on the activating device shaft The reciprocating shaft is housed in a chamber which comprises a central section having a straight cylindrical section with an outlet spout which comprises a short cylindrical tube firmly attached to a matching hole in and perpendicular to cylindrical section by welding, moulding, casting, or other such means. One end of central section comprises a flange drilled with a number of holes "10" through which coupling bolts pass for the purpose of attaching the central section to rear section The opposite end of central section is machined perpendicular to the cylinder wall and is drilled with a number of holes "11" and threaded to match front plate mounting bolts In addition, the chamber comprises a central section as described above, to which the front plate is attached by front plate mounting screws which pass through front plate mounting holes "12" which are drilled at a radius and spaced such that they match up with corresponding threaded holes "11" in the front end of central section The front plate comprises tubular boss "13" a central orifice "14" machined parallel to the cylindrical outer surface, and of size S 20 and alignment such as to permit the cylindrical section of reciprocating shaft S: to smoothly pass therethrough, and a shallow conical section "15" having a S: rear surface "16" which is parallel to front surface and having a flat surface "18" machined around the outer rear surface so as to produce a flush fit when screwed up to the front of central section A thin smear of an elastic sealant 25 such as "Silastic" may be wiped on the flat surface "18" on the back of front plate during assembly to act as a seal to prevent dust escape.

loll In addition, a diaphragm which is made of rubber, plastic, or other suitable 0 0 0 0. flexible resilient material is sealed to the reciprocating shaft by being sandwiched between the shaft sealing front washer and the front of the shaft t/ p 3 diaphragm mounting collar Diaphragm consists of a disc of resilient material, having a hole "19" through its centre of such size as to allow the activating device shaft to pass therethrough, and having a number of small holes "20" at a radius, and of such spacing as to match up with the holes "21" in the shaft sealing front washer and holes "22" in the shaft diaphragm mounting collar and having another series of holes "23" at a radius and of such spacing as to match up with holes "10" on the flange at the rear of central section The Diaphragm is fixed to the shaft diaphragm mounting collar by shaft diaphragm mounting bolts which pass through matching holes "22" in the shaft mounting collar holes "20" in the inner portion of diaphragm and holes "21" in shaft front sealing washer and are bolted up tightly to firmly sandwich the central section of diaphragm between the front sealing washer and the shaft diaphragm mounting collar In addition, a rear chamber section comprises a short cylindrical section "29" having a closed rear section "24" with a centrally located hole "25" through which the activating device shaft passes without contact between the said shaft and the hole. Four mounting holes "26" are located at a radius and of spacing such that they match exactly the four bolts which are part of the body of activating device The front end of the cylindrical section terminates with external °flange "27" through which a number of coupling holes "28" pass at a radius and 20 of spacing such that they match exactly with the corresponding holes °through the rear flange on central section and the corresponding holes "23" in the outer portion of diaphragm through which coupling bolts pass for the purpose of attaching the rear chamber section to the central section t 25 As shown at Figures 3 and 5, in using the device according to the first 4.1 embodiment the boss 13 is located in an suitably sized aperture in the wall 30 of a duct 32 which is conveying a dry powder and the device is fixed to the wall of S"the duct 32.

*l -6- According to the second embodiment of the device as shown in Figure 5, the diaphragm of the first embodiment is replaced by a concertina style boot formed of rubber or other suitable flexible resilient material.

The shaft and chamber of each of the embodiments may be made of any suitable material, such as metal, moulded or reinforced plastics, metal/plastic laminates, metal/ceramic laminates, or ceramics.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

It should be appreciated that the invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiments described above or to the particular application of the embodiments described above.

.I

Claims

1. A dry powder sampling device comprising a housing defining a chamber, said chamber having an outlet port and an inlet orifice, said orifice being adapted to open into a space accommodating said dry powder, a shaft mounted in said chamber and having an end receivable in the orifice, said shaft being capable of reciprocating between a closed position at which it is received in the orifice and the end extends beyond the orifice into the space and an open position at which the end is accommodated within the chamber clear of the orifice, a drive member adapted to cause the reciprocation of the shaft.

2. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at claim 1 wherein the orifice is provided in a boss which is receivable in a aperture in a wall of the space and the chamber is provided with a mounting means adapted to be fixed to said wall.

3. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the space comprises a duct conveying a fluidised stream of said dry powder. ooeeo

4. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at claim 1 or 2 or 3 wherein the shaft is slidably and sealingly supported by the a wall of the housing in opposed relation to the orifice.

5. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the outlet port is located below the inner extent of the orifice.

6. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive member is driven to periodically open at regular 25 intervals.

7. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive member is driven by a mechanical drive. -8-

8. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the drive member is driven by a hydraulic drive.

9. A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the drive member is driven by a pneumatic drive.

10.A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the drive member is driven by a manual drive.

11.A dry powder sampling device, as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the operation of the drive member is controlled from a programmable control means.

12.A dry powder sampling device substantially as herein described Dated this TWENTY EIGHTH day of JUNE 2000. Tony John Smith ~Applicant Wray Associates o. Perth, Western Australia o Patent Attorneys for the Applicant(s) S o* oS S S ooS S o o•S o *oS S o