GB1584776A - Creation of Inventions and Patents with Artificial Intelligence

GB1584776A – Centrifugal homogeniser
– Google Patents

GB1584776A – Centrifugal homogeniser
– Google Patents
Centrifugal homogeniser

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Publication number
GB1584776A

GB1584776A
GB32833/76A
GB3283376A
GB1584776A
GB 1584776 A
GB1584776 A
GB 1584776A
GB 32833/76 A
GB32833/76 A
GB 32833/76A
GB 3283376 A
GB3283376 A
GB 3283376A
GB 1584776 A
GB1584776 A
GB 1584776A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
rotation
tube
axis
gear
location means
Prior art date
1976-08-06
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)

Expired

Application number
GB32833/76A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

Ready B W

Original Assignee
Ready B W
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
1976-08-06
Filing date
1976-08-06
Publication date
1981-02-18

1976-08-06
Application filed by Ready B W
filed
Critical
Ready B W

1976-08-06
Priority to GB32833/76A
priority
Critical
patent/GB1584776A/en

1977-07-27
Priority to US05/819,454
priority
patent/US4131369A/en

1977-07-30
Priority to DE19772734488
priority
patent/DE2734488A1/en

1977-08-05
Priority to JP9347877A
priority
patent/JPS5322657A/en

1981-02-18
Publication of GB1584776A
publication
Critical
patent/GB1584776A/en

Status
Expired
legal-status
Critical
Current

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Classifications

B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL

B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING

B01F29/00—Mixers with rotating receptacles

B01F29/10—Mixers with rotating receptacles with receptacles rotated about two different axes, e.g. receptacles having planetary motion

B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL

B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING

B01F29/00—Mixers with rotating receptacles

B01F29/40—Parts or components, e.g. receptacles, feeding or discharging means

B01F29/403—Disposition of the rotor axis

B01F29/4036—Disposition of the rotor axis with a plurality of rotating receptacles

B01F29/40365—Disposition of the rotor axis with a plurality of rotating receptacles arranged for planetary motion

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION
ú O ( 21) Application No 32833/76 ( 22) Filed 6 Aug 1976 1 ( 23) Complete Specification filed 22 July 1977
ok ( 44) Complete Specification published 18 Feb 1981
W ( 51) INT CL 3 B Oi F 13/00 9/10 IQ ( 52) Index at acceptance Bl C 10 18 E 1 18 E 3 C 22 5 8 X 26 ( 72) Inventors MANFRED GORDON BERNARD WILLIAM READY ( 54) CENTRIFUGAL HOMOGENISER ( 71) We, MANFRED GORDON, a British subject, of 11 Belle Vue Road, Wivenhoe, nr Colchester, Essex; and BERNARD WILLIAM READY, a British subject of 22, Wesley Avenue, Colchester, Essex, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: –
This invention relates to a centrifugal homogenising method and apparatus which have been developed to meet the need for rapid and efficient mixing of viscous compositions in the liquid state such as polymer solutions, normally in milligram quantities, under controlled atmosphere and prescribed temperature schedules.
In particular, the preparation of test samples of polyolefin solutions has to be carried out at high temperature ( 150-200 ‘C) in the absence of oxygen It is found difficult to mix such solutions in quantities of a few milligrams because of their high viscosity.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for mixing liquid compositions.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method of mixing a composition in the liquid state comprises enclosing the components of the composition in a tube; positioning the tube by tube location means carried by a member which is mounted for spinning about a spin axis, the tube location means being mounted for rotation relative to the member about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the spin axis and spaced therefrom; and spinning the member about the spin axis for a period of time and rotating the tube location means about the axis of rotation for at least part of the spinning period, whereby the tube is subjected to spinning about the spin axis of the member, and to end-to-end rotation about the axis of rotation of the tube location means.
Preferably the rotation of the tube location means about its axis of rotation comprises rotation of substantially 1800 in one direction followed by a returning rotation of substantially 180 .
According to another aspect of the invention, apparatus for mixing a composition in the liquid state comprises a tube 55 for enclosing the composition; a member rotatable about a spin axis; tube location means for receiving the tube; means mounting the tube location means for rotation relative to the member about an axis of rota 60 tion substantially parallel to the spin axis and spaced therefrom; means to cause the member to spin for a period of time about the spin axis; and means to cause rotation of the tube location means about the axis 65 of rotation for at least part of the spinning period, whereby the tube is subjected to spinning about the spin axis of the member and to end-to-end rotation about the axis of rotation of the tube location means 70 Preferably the member comprises a sun gear rotatable about the spin axis, and the means to cause rotation of the tube location means comprises a planet gear meshed with the sun gear; the tube location means being 75 coupled to the planet gear; and the apparatus preferably further comprises means to rotate the sun gear and the planet gear together about the spin axis and operable to cause relative rotation between the 80 planet gear and the sun gear to rotate the tube location means about the axis of rotation.
The principal of the centrifugal homogeniser is the use of centrifugal force in 85 generating the shearing forces required for mixing The additional end-to-end rotation of the tube causes the liquid composition to flow from one end of the tube to the other end under centrifugal force with a 90 moderately high shearing force.
The closed tube or “cell” containing the sample can be directly used for measurements on the polymer or other solution prepared by the centrifugal homogeniser, or 95 it may be opened and the solution used for various test purposes.
Considering the first of these applications, as an example of a direct measurement without removing the cell from the 100 ( 11) 1 584 776 1 584776 centrifugal homogeniser instrument, the phase-volume ratio method for measuring critical points may be mentioned (see R.
Koningsveld and A J Staverman, J Polymer Sci, C 16, p 1775-1786, 1967) This relies on measurement of the volumes of the two phases into which a given solution separates at various temperatures below its cloud point The volumes of the phases can be measured directly in terms of the lengths of the two liquid columns in the capillary cell, which are separated after centrifugation (without the planetary motion of the present invention) by a visible interface meniscus Without removing the cell from the centrifugal homogeniser, it can then be re-homogenised by centrifugation with the planetary motion after reheating above the cloud point The rehomogenisation of the two liquid phases is effected in one or two minutes The cell is then cooled in the instrument to another measured temperature below the cloud point, when phase separation again occurs.
The two phases are again separated into two liquid columns, and their volume ratio measured as before The determination of the critical point depends on plotting the ratio of the volumes (or lengths) of the two columns as a function of the temperature.
The centrifugal homogeniser of the present invention allows the same cell to be used for successive measurements at different temperatures, which represents increased precision, and also saving of labour previously expended in preparing separate cells containing solutions of the same composition.
As a specific example of the second exemplary application, i e preparing homogeneous solutions for subsequent tests in other apparatus, we cite the case of refractive index measurements or gel chromotography Here micro amounts of solution are generally required Typically, a 10 mg sample of a 2 % solution of polystyrene (My = 500,000) in cyclohexanol can be homogenised in vacuo at 500 C in about 10 minutes using the present centrifugal homogeniser During this period the material is not exposed to any dangers of contamination or loss of solvent, nor are the shearing forces so high as to cause degradation by chain splitting.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figs la and lb are schematic sectional and plan views, respectively, of a cell mounting within the configuration of a sun and planet gear assembly, Fig 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating the principle of a drive transmission for the concentric drive shafts of the sun and planet gear assembly, Fig 3 is a cross section of a complete homogeniser in accordance with the invention, Fig 4 is a cross section of a cell holder I 7) taken on a line IV-IV of Fig 3, and Fig 5 is a cross section of the cell holder taken on a line V-V of Fig 4.
Referring to Fig la and Fig lb of the drawing, two concentric drive shafts A and 75 B normally rotate synchronously at up to 6000 rpm Cell holders C comprise geared planetary discs which are in mesh with the drive shaft A via a central (sun) gear wheel ZH The cell holders are connected to the 80 outer drive shaft B either by means of ball bearing mounts (not shown) which define the axes of rotation of the cell holders and by an outer ring gear, or solely by means of an outer ring gear When the drive 85 shafts A and B rotate synchronously about the central axis of spin, the sun and planet components of this system maintain fixed positions relative to each other The cells therefore do not rotate about the axes of 90 rotation of the cell holders, but merely spin about the axis of the shafts A and B However, any rotation of the shaft A with respect to the shaft B causes each planetary disc C to rotate about its axis 95 If the axis of rotation is not defined by ball bearing mounts, then rotation of the cells will be accompanied by displacement of the cell holder along a circle centred on the axis of spinning, so that the cell holder 100 precesses This precessional feature of the sun and planet principle is important in some applications of the invention.
The principle of a drive transmission for the shafts A and B is shown schematic 105 ally in Fig 2 Spur gears D and D’ are fixed on ball bearing mounts to a normally stationary member X, while gears E and E’ are similarly fixed to a parallel normally stationary member Y The end of the 110 shaft B has gear teeth thereon to mesh with the gears D and D’ Similarly, teeth on the shaft A mesh with the gears E and E’.
If the shaft B is driven directly by means 115 of an electric motor, then the shaft A is driven synchronously with the shaft B and in the same direction via a ring gear F which meshes with the gears D, D’ E and E’ By rotating the member X through 120 some fixed angle relative to the member Y, the drive shafts A and B will also rotate through a fixed angle relative to each other.
By this means, the cell holders are rotated about their axes by any chosen degree in 125 a manner which is independent of the rotation about the central axis of spinning The rotation is preferably an intermittent 1800 rotation.
Each of the cell holders C can accom 130 1 584 776 modate several capillary cells so that the contents of the cells can be homogenised simultaneously.
Fig 3 is a cross sectional view of a preferred form of a homogeniser in accordance with the invention In this Figure, components corresponding to those in Figs.
1 and 2 have been given the corresponding references.
Each cell holder C (see also Fig 4) comprises an outer cylinder ZC integral with an annular gear ZD The cylinder ZC is arranged to rotate in a bearing ZE mounted on a rotor ZF which is keyed to the shaft B and carries the outer ring gear ZG The gear ZD meshes with the gear ZG and with the sun gear ZH.
The shaft B is driven by a motor J via pulleys G and H and a belt I The shaft is journalled in bearings K and K’ within a stationary housing L Slip rings M are provided on the shaft B for supplying electrical power to cell heaters N mounted beneath the cell holders C and for feeding back data relating to the temperature of each cell The cells under test may alternatively be cooled by feeding coolant to the vicinity of the cell holders via an inlet 0, the hollow shaft B and ducts P The centrifuge rotor (i e the sun and planet wheels, their supports, and the cell holders) is contained within a stationary cylindrical casing S, preferably formed of a transparent material such as polycarbonate, which is closed by a transparent cover Q, so that the rotor is totally enclosed Thermally insulating material R is provided beneath the cell holders to reduce heat loss to the rest of the rotor The precessional feature of the cellholder is exploited to translate the cell between different regions of the cell heater, such regions being individually temperature controlled In this way the cell content is submitted to controlled thermal pulses if desired.
Oil from a reservoir T is fed under pressure by a pump U to an inlet V of a helical duct in the housing L around the location of the bearing K Oil is similarly fed under pressure to a housing W containing the gears D, D’, E, E’ and F.
In use of the homogeniser, cells Z (Figs.
4 and 5) containing the liquids to be mixed are placed in the cell holders, the holders are locked into the rotor, and the cover Q is fitted The shaft B is driven by the motor J so that the rotor spins at, say, 6000 rpm If the spider Y on which the gear wheels E and E’ are rotatably mounted is held stationary (the member X also being stationary because it is a fixed platform) the cell holders spin about the axis of the shafts A and B, but do not themselves rotate relative to the rest of the rotor However, if a shaft ZA coupled to the spider Y is rotated, for example by hand or by a hydraulic or other mechanical rotary actuator, the relative movement between the members X and Y will, as previously explained with reference to Figs 1 and 2, ’70 cause the planet wheels, and hence the cell holders, to rotate about their own vertical axes The speed and the duration of this rotation are, of course, dependent upon the speed and duration of the rotation of the 75 shaft ZA In practice, a backwards and forwards cell holder rotation of 1800 in several seconds is found to be suitable.
As the rotor spins, the cells can be inspected using a stroboscope synchronised to 80 the speed of rotation of the rotor A laser beam may be fed to each cell position, via an aperture ZB, for carrying out scatter or other measurements on the samples in the cells 85 Clearly, modifications to the apparatus can be made without departing from the scope of the invention For example, it is not essential for the cell holders to be attached directly to the planet wheels They 90 could be separate units driven by the planet wheels via gearing or belt drives Any desired number of cell holders could be provided instead of the four used in the described embodiment 95 Although the sun and planet wheel arrangement described above is a very convenient mechanism for imparting the spinning and intermittent cell rotation motions to the cells, alternative arrangements could 100 clearly be used For example, the spinning motion could be provided by a motor driving a centrifuge arm, whilst the cell rotation could be imparted by a separate electric or other motor on the arm driving one 105 or more of the cell holders.
The apparatus is suitable for mixing many different compositions of liquids, or liquids and solids, but any such composition must be in a liquid state 110

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1 A method of mixing a composition in the liquid state, comprising enclosing the components of the composition in a tube; positioning the tube by tube location means 115 carried by a member which is mounted for spinning about a spin axis, the tube location means being mounted for rotation relative to the member about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the spin axis 120 and spaced therefrom; and spinning the member about the spin axis for a period of time and rotating the tube location means about the axis of rotation for at least part of the spinning period, whereby 125 the tube is subjected to spinning about the spin axis of the member, and to end-to-end rotation about the axis of rotation of the tube location means.

2 A method as claimed in Claim 1, 130 1584776 wherein the rotation of the tube location means about its axis of rotation comprises rotation of substantially 180 in one direction followed by a returning rotation of substantially 1800.

3 Apparatus for mixing a composition in the liquid state, comprising a tube for enclosing the composition; a member rotatable about a spin axis; tube location means for receiving the tube; means mounting the tube location means for rotation relative to the member about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the spin axis and spaced therefrom; means to cause the member to spin for a period of time about the spin axis; and means to cause rotation of the tube location means about the axis of rotation for at least part of the spinning period, whereby the tube is subjected to spinning about the spin axis of the member and to end-to end rotation about the axis of rotation of the tube location means.

4 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the member comprises a sun gear rotatable about the spin axis; and wherein the means to cause rotation of the tube location means comprises a planet gear meshed with the sun gear, the tube location means being coupled to the planet gear; the apparatus further comprising means to rotate the sun gear and the planet gear together about the spin axis and operable to cause relative rotation between the planet gear and the sun gear to rotate the tube location means about the axis of rotation.

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the means operable to cause relative rotation between the planet gear and the sun gear comprises a ring gear coaxial with the sun gear and meshing with the planet gear.

6 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, including a gear assembly coupled to the sun and planet gears and including two bodies relative rotation of which causes said relative rotation between the planet gear and the ring gear.

7 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said gear assembly comprises first 50 and second sun and planet gear assemblies, with the planet gears of the two assemblies meshing with a common outer ring gear; the apparatus further including a first shaft rotatable about the spin axis and coupled 55 to that planet gear which causes rotation of the tube location means; means to drive said first shaft; a second shaft rotatable about the spin axis and coupled to the first-mentioned sun gear and to the 60 sun gear of said second assembly; said two bodies comprising first and second bodies on which the planet wheels of said first and second assemblies, respectively, are rotatably mounted 65

8 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said first body is maintained stationary and said second body is rotatable for imparting said relative rotation.

9 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 or 70 Claim 8, including electrical heating means mounted adjacent the tube location means for heating the tube.

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, including slip rings mounted on one of said 75 shafts for supplying electrical power to the heating means.

11 A method as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings 80 12 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
For the Applicants:
GILL JENNINGS & EVERY Chartered Patent Agents 53-64 Chancery Lane London WC 2 A IHN Printed for Her Majesty’s Stationery Office by The Tweeddale Press Ltd, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981.
Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A l AY, from which copies may be obtained.

GB32833/76A
1976-08-06
1976-08-06
Centrifugal homogeniser

Expired

GB1584776A
(en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title

GB32833/76A

GB1584776A
(en)

1976-08-06
1976-08-06
Centrifugal homogeniser

US05/819,454

US4131369A
(en)

1976-08-06
1977-07-27
Centrifugal homogenizer

DE19772734488

DE2734488A1
(en)

1976-08-06
1977-07-30

CENTRIFUGAL HOMOGENIZING DEVICE

JP9347877A

JPS5322657A
(en)

1976-08-06
1977-08-05
Centrifugal homogenizing method and apparatus therefor

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title

GB32833/76A

GB1584776A
(en)

1976-08-06
1976-08-06
Centrifugal homogeniser

Publications (1)

Publication Number
Publication Date

GB1584776A
true

GB1584776A
(en)

1981-02-18

Family
ID=10344682
Family Applications (1)

Application Number
Title
Priority Date
Filing Date

GB32833/76A
Expired

GB1584776A
(en)

1976-08-06
1976-08-06
Centrifugal homogeniser

Country Status (4)

Country
Link

US
(1)

US4131369A
(en)

JP
(1)

JPS5322657A
(en)

DE
(1)

DE2734488A1
(en)

GB
(1)

GB1584776A
(en)

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1989-06-15
1990-10-18
Espe Stiftung & Co Produktions- Und Vertriebs Kg, 8031 Seefeld, De

DE3933136A1
(en)

1989-10-04
1991-04-18
Krupp Buckau Maschinenbau Gmbh

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SPINING A HIGH VISCOSITY PRODUCT

US6436349B1
(en)

1991-03-04
2002-08-20
Bayer Corporation
Fluid handling apparatus for an automated analyzer

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1999-03-11
Cobe Lab

Temperature controlled centrifuge

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1992-11-23
1994-05-26
Hilti Ag

Mixing device for flowable masses

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1993-08-27
1994-11-17
Werner Heimbeck
Method for controlling the drive of a mixing appliance and mixing appliance for carrying out the method.

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1996-09-25
2000-10-24
Becton, Dickinson And Company
Centrifugally activated tube rotator mechanism and method for using the same

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1998-03-02
2000-11-28
Becton, Dickinson And Company
Inertial tube indexer

SE9700495D0
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1997-02-12
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Omega Medicinteknik Ab

Method and round bag system and centrifuge for blood treatment

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1997-07-31
1999-02-26
Ngk Spark Plug Co Ltd
Spark plug

US6120429A
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1998-03-02
2000-09-19
Becton, Dickinson And Company
Method of using inertial tube indexer

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1998-05-08
1999-11-24
Tosei Denki Kk
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1999-05-31
2001-12-17
Gambro Inc

Centrifuge for the treatment of blood and blood components

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1999-10-26
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Method and apparatus for treating blood and blood components

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2002-04-16
2003-10-30
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Blood component processing system, apparatus and method

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2004-03-16
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Plastiques Gyf Ltee
Bladeless mixer

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2005-05-04
2009-12-08
Abbott Laboratories, Inc.
Reagent and sample handling device for automatic testing system

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2010-07-19
2015-07-14
Terumo Bct, Inc.
Centrifuge for processing blood and blood components

JP4903916B1
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2011-06-15
2012-03-28
三星工業株式会社

Stirring / defoaming device

DE102014115474A1
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2014-10-23
2016-04-28
Hans Heidolph Gmbh & Co. Kg

laboratory Shakers

CN112210421A
(en)

2020-10-22
2021-01-12
佛山肯天新材料科技有限公司
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Assignee
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US3199775A
(en)

1963-11-26
1965-08-10
Kenneth G Drucker
Sedimentation rate centrifuge and method determining sedimentation rate

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1976

1976-08-06
GB
GB32833/76A
patent/GB1584776A/en
not_active
Expired

1977

1977-07-27
US
US05/819,454
patent/US4131369A/en
not_active
Expired – Lifetime

1977-07-30
DE
DE19772734488
patent/DE2734488A1/en
active
Granted

1977-08-05
JP
JP9347877A
patent/JPS5322657A/en
active
Granted

Also Published As

Publication number
Publication date

US4131369A
(en)

1978-12-26

DE2734488A1
(en)

1978-02-09

JPS5322657A
(en)

1978-03-02

JPS6358607B2
(en)

1988-11-16

DE2734488C2
(en)

1988-03-31

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