Abstract:
A dryer for use with chemical compounds employs controlled vacuum, elevated temperature and dry, inert gas to dry the chemical compounds. The dryer includes a vacuum chamber into which trays containing the compounds are placed. The chamber includes heating elements which elevate the temperature of chemical samples placed within the chamber. Supplying and evacuating manifolds, each with a plurality of orifices for supplying and evacuating dry inert gas, provide a substantially laminar flow of dry inert gas just above the trays of chemical compounds which are to be dried. The laminar gas flow removes the unwanted vapor which tends to form above the tray of chemical compound, thus accelerating the drying process.
Abstract:
An agitator capable of generating complex mixing motions is described. In some embodiments, an agitator in accordance with the present teachings includes a movable assembly that is suspended, via several resilient supports, from a frame. The movable assembly receives a vessel containing a material(s) to be agitated. The movable assembly advantageously includes spaced upper and lower plates having a rotatably-supported member disposed therebetween. The mass of the rotatably-supported member is asymmetrically distributed about its rotational axis. A drive force, such as a directed air flow, which may be used in conjunction with a belt drive mechanism, causes the rotatably-supported member to rotate. Due to the asymmetric mass distribution of the rotatably-supported member, force is non-uniformly applied to resilient supports such that, at any given time, some of such resilient supports are subjected to a compressive force while other resilient supports are placed under tension. The particular resilient supports that are subjected to the compressive force change as a function of the rotation of the rotatably-supported member, thereby placing the movable assembly in orbital motion and agitating the material(s) within the vessel disposed thereon.
Abstract:
A positive displacement positioner employs rigid stops and actuators to position a work piece, such as a microtiter plate, in any one of at least three positions. Positioner platforms, each of which is capable of moving a work piece between at least two distinct positions, are nested in order to multiply the number of positions available. For example, a two-position rigid stop positioner platform nested in a four-position rigid stop positioner platform, or a four-position rigid stop positioner platform nested in a two-position rigid stop positioner platform would permit the movement of a work piece to any one of eight distinct positions. A four-position platform nested inside a four-position platform yields sixteen positions, and so on. Each positioner platform preferably has a symmetrical polygonal outline and nested platforms provide displacement along each of the polygon's axes of symmetry. Consequently, a positioner will preferably provide displacement to any one of a number of positions.
Abstract:
A dryer for use with chemical compounds employs controlled vacuum, elevated temperature and dry, inert gas to dry the chemical compounds. The dryer includes a vacuum chamber into which trays containing the compounds are placed. The chamber includes heating elements which elevate the temperature of chemical samples placed within the chamber. Supplying and evacuating manifolds, each with a plurality of orifices for supplying and evacuating dry inert gas, provide a substantially laminar flow of dry inert gas just above the trays of chemical compounds which are to be dried. The laminar gas flow removes the unwanted vapor which tends to form above the tray of chemical compound, thus accelerating the drying process.
Abstract:
An electromagnetic torque sensor arrangement comprising a pair of magnetic circuits differentially responsive to the twist of a rotary shaft under load. Each magnetic circuit comprises a stator assembly, and at least one deflectable element disposed therein on a pair of pins which experience relative rotation in relation to the twist of the shaft. The relative rotation causes deflection of the deflectable elements in relation to the twist, and the resulting variation in the permeability of the magnetic circuits is detected as a measure of the applied torque.