Abstract:
A COMBINATION TEACHING AID AND MODULAR INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF MODULES ARE PROVIDED, EACH HAVING A SEPARATE FUNCTION, AND IN WHICH THE DIFFERENT MODULES ARE ADAPTED TO BE PLACED TOGETHER IN DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT OPTICAL ANALYSIS INSTRUMENTS. THE MODULES INCLUDE A LIGHT SOURCE FOR PROVIDING LIGHT, A DETECTOR MODULE FOR RECEIVING LIGHT WHICH HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO A SAMPLE COMPARTMENT MODULE WHICH RECEIVES ONE OR MORE SAMPLES TO BE ANALYZED, AND MANY INCLUDE DISPLAY MEANS IN THE FORM OF A METER OR THE LIKE FOR READING THE OUTPUT OF THE DETECTOR MODULE. THE COMBINATION MAY ALSO INCLUDE A MONOCHROMATOR UNIT FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT, AND A FILTER MODULE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN ONE OR MORE FILTERS THROUGH WHICH A LIGHT BEAM MAY BE PASSED FOR OBTAINING A BEAM OF DESIRED FREQUENCY. DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS OF THE VARIOUS MODULES WILL PRODUCE A SPECTROPHOTOMETER, A FILTER PHOTOMETER, OR A NEPHELOMETER. THE DESCRIBED MODULE UNITS ARE ARRANGED SO THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THEM MAY BE DISPOSED ON A BASE AND OPTICALLY ALIGNED BY MEANS OF COMBINATION ADJUSTING AND CLAMPING MEANS, SO THAT THE UNITS MAY BE THEREAFTER MOVED, OR REPLACED AS DESIRED WITHOUT AFFECTING THE ALIGNMENT THEREOF. THE DESCRIBED UNITS ARE CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO THAT ALL THE SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF EACH MODULE MAY DE DIRECTLY OBSERVED BY THE STUDENT. THEREFORE, EACH MODULE IS ADAPTED TO PERFORM A MINIMUM NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS, AND THE MODULAR CONCEPT AND THE CONSTRUCTION FEATURES ARE USED AS A TEACHING AID USED TO EMPHASIZE THE RELATION BETWEEN VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF OPTICAL INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS. THE FILTER COMPARTMENT MODULE AND THE SAMPLE COMPARTMENT MODULE INCLUDE HOLDER MEANS FOR HOLDING LIGHT FILTERS OR SAMPLE UNITS, AND THE HOLDER MEANS FOR HOLDING LIGHT SO AS TO FACILITATE INTERCHANGE OF THE SAMPLE HOLDERS AND FILTER UNITS, AND TO BE ADAPTED FOR USE WITHOUT CHANGE TO PERFORM DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS IN DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTAL COMBINATIONS.