This invention is a device for removing a sample of particulate material from predetermined locations in the mass of said material.
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7. A sample probe device for obtaining a sample of particulate material comprising an elongated support pole, a support arm having an inner and outer end, said support arm being pivotally connected to said support pole at the inner end thereof, an elongated hollow probe pivotally connected to the outer end of said support arm, said probe having an opening into the interior thereof adjacent each end of said probe, a sample container including a sample chamber and means to trap the sample therein and means to remove sample material from said container, vacuum conduit means connecting the end opening of said probe adjacent said outer end of said support arm with said sample container, separate hydraulic means to move said support arm along the longitudinal axis of said support pole and rotate said support arm about said support pole, control means, and suction means selectively operable by said control means to draw a vacuum through said probe, said vacuum conduit means, and said sample chamber and to continue to draw a vacuum within said sample container when said sample chamber of said container is filled with sampled material, whereby when said probe is in selected predetermined locations with respect to the mass thereof said sample is drawn through said probe into said conduit means and therethrough so as to be trapped into said sample chamber of said sample container.
2. A sample probe device for obtaining samples of particulate material comprising an elongated support pole; a support arm having an inner end and an outer end, said support arm being mounted at the inner end thereof on said support pole for movement with respect thereto in both vertical and horizontal planes, an elongated probe pivotally connected to said outer end of said support arm, said probe having an opening in each end portion thereof and being hollow between said openings, conduit means connected to one of said openings in one end of said probe, means for moving said support arm both horizontally and vertically relative to said support pole for horizontally positioning said probe relative to a mass of such particulate material to be sampled and reciprocating said probe downwardly and upwardly through said mass, and means, including a normally inoperative vacuum pump operatively connected to said conduit means for creating a vacuum therein and thereby causing particulate material to be drawn from said mass through said opening in the other end of said probe, the interior of said probe, said opening in said one end of said probe and said conduit means when said other end of said probe is disposed in said mass, and control means operatively connected to said pump and adapted to render said pump operable to create said vacuum in said conduit means during movement of said probe upwardly through said mass.
1. A sample probe device comprising an elongated support pole, a support arm having an inner and outer end, said support arm being pivotally connected to said support pole at the inner end thereof, an elongated hollow probe pivotally connected to the outer end of said support arm, said probe having an opening into the interior thereof adjacent each end of said probe, a sample container including a sample chamber and means to trap said sample therein and means to remove sample material from said container, vacuum conduit means connecting the end opening of said probe adjacent said outer end of support arm with said sample container, separate hydraulic means to move said support arm along the longitudinal axis of said support pole and rotate said support arm about said support pole, and suction means actuated by means responding to a pressure differential in the hydraulic means upon actuation by said hydraulic means to move the support arm about said support pole to draw a vacuum through said probe, conduit means, and said sample chamber and to continue to draw a vacuum within said sample container when the sample chamber of said container is filled with sampled material whereby when said probe is in selected predetermined locations with respect to the mass thereof said sample is drawn through said probe into said conduit means and therethrough so as to be trapped into the sample chamber of said sample container.
3. A sample probe device as defined in
4. A sample probe device as claimed in
5. A sample probe device as defined in
6. A sample probe device as defined in
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In the drawings:
Broadly, the present invention is comprises a device for sampling particulate material, which device includes a probe having an interior space and suction means to draw a sample of particulate material from the a mass of said probe particulate material into said interior space. Thereby In the operation of such a device, when said sample is drawn from the bulk of said material into said the aforementioned interior space, the sample is isolated from the mass of particulate material.
In a the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings a probe having an interior space and two openings therein is employed. Each opening forms a passageway from the interior space to the exterior of said probe. Means are employed to position said probe in predetermined locations with respect to the mass of particulate material to be sampled. Suction means is employed to draw a sample of particulate material through an opening near the tip of the probe into the interior space and therethrough by means of outwardly through the other opening in the probe into a sample container whereby the sample is isolated to thereby withdraw the sample from the mass of material.
Thus it will be seen that the present invention is advantageous with respect to has advantages over prior art devices. It is simple of design and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Applicant's device is durable and can be controlled and operated by a single worker. It is relatively maintenance free. The device of the present invention permits rapid sampling of particulate material in contrast to the disadvantageous, cumbersome slow-moving devices known in the prior art.
Referring now to the drawings for purpose of illustration, the embodiment of shown in FIG. 1 shows includes a dolly 1 upon which is mounted a support pole 2. Support pole 2 is substantially vertical in position. Sleeve A sleeve 7 is rotatably fitted about the pole 2. Support A support arm 3 is pivotally attached to the sleeve 7 by means of a hinge 6, and a probe 5 is pivotally connected to the support arm 3 at by a hinge 4.
In the embodiment illustrated, the support pole 2 is shown attached to the movable dolly 1. In this embodiment the entire device may be moved about and positioned adjacent to the bed of a truck filled with grain so that the support arm 3 may be rotated about the support pole 2 into position over the bed of said material, from which position the probe 5 may be lowered into said material. Support The support pole 2 may suitably be rigidly connected to a permanent support in many applications. For example, it may be convenient to position said the support pole 2 in a permanent position adjacent to weighing devices commonly found at grain elevators.
As depicted in detail in FIG. 2, the support arm 3 is pivotally connected to the sleeve 7 by means of the hinge 6. Hydraulic piston A hydraulic cylinder 8 is pivotally connected to the sleeve 7, at the bottom of the sleeve 7, by a hinge 9. Piston A piston rod 10 extends from the cylinder 8, and is pivotally connected at its upper end extending from piston 8 to the arm 3 by a hinge 11.
The bottom portion of the sleeve 7 rides on top of a clamp 26 which is rigidly secured to the support pole 2. Hydraulic pressure is exerted upon piston the cylinder 8 by means of a pump 17 through either one of two hoses 19 and or 20. Accordingly, as piston rod 10 is raised by exerting hydraulic pressure through hose 19 support arm 3 is raised, and as piston rod 10 is lowered by hydraulic pressure in hose 20 support arm 3 is lowered.
In like fashion piston, a cylinder 21 is rigidly fastened to the support pole 2 by the clamp 26. Vertical A vertical arm 28 is rigidly fastened to the clamp 26 and an end 29 of piston the cylinder 21. Piston A piston rod 22, mounted in the cylinder 21, is pivotally connected to the sleeve 7 by means of a rod 23 and, a clamp 24, and two hinges 25 and 27. Piston The cylinder 21 is connected to the pump 17 by means of two hoses 31 and 32.
There is provided a housing 70 into which hydraulic fluid flows from pump 17 through conduit 71. Fluid flows from housing 70 back to the pump 17 through the return conduit 72. Suitable manual controls are provided to direct hydraulic fluid under pressure into the various hoses or conduits 19, 20, 31 and 32. For example levers 57 and 58 may operate dual spool valves (not shown) of conventional design. When the spool valve operable by lever 57 is moved to one position, it will direct fluid into hose 19, and when moved to the other position it will direct fluid into hose 20. Likewise, when the spool valve operable by lever 58 is moved to one position fluid will flow therethrough to hose 31, and when moved to its other position fluid will flow through hose 32.
Probe The probe 5 is rigidly connected to a plate 30. Plate A plate 36 is pivotally connected to the support arm 3 and an arm 49 at hinges 4 and 4a,. Plates respectively. The plates 30 and 36 are pivotally connected by means of a fastener 40 which includes a spring on said fastener between the plates 30 and 36 to permit movement of the probe 5 throughout a slight angle as it enters a bed of particulate material. This is advantageous when the probe is lowered into a bed of grain in a container the sides of which have a sloping configuration, such as, for example, the sloping sides of the beds commonly found in trucks used to haul grain. As the probe 5 strikes the sloping side of a truck bed in its downward path into a mass of particulate material the force exerted against the probe 5 can overcome springs 33, 34 and 35, and the probe 5 is thereby enabled to penetrate to the bottom of the sloping bed without damage to the probe.
The top of plate 30 is a cam with a concave indentation 60. Plate The plate 36 has an anchor pin 62 slidably springs spring maintained at the top thereof. In normal operation, the pin 62 is maintained in indentation 60 to hold the probe 5 in a normally substantially vertical position. In the event, however, that the bed of particulate material, for example a truck loaded with grain, is unintentionally driven out from under the probe 5 before its it is raised up out of the bed, the force exerted on the probe 5 will eventually increase to a level sufficient to override the spring maintained a springs maintaining the pin 62 in the indentation 60. Thereby Thus, the pin 62 will be raised up out of the indentation 60 and the probe 5 will then be freed to pivot out of danger in response to the force exerted upon it. Probe The probe 5 may then later again be centered by returning it to its normal position at which point the pin 62 will again drop into the indentation 60.
Probe The probe 5 is an elongated hollow probe with an opening 37 near the tip thereof. At the opposite end of said the probe 5, a conduit, advantageously comprising rubber tubing preferably in the form of a rubber tube 38, is connected to the opening at the top 39 of said the probe 39 5. Tube The tube 38 is sealed onto the probe 5 at the top 39 by any conventional means known in the art in order to permit a vacuum to be drawn by suction means through said the tube 38. Tube The tube 38 is supported on an arm 49 and the tube 38 is connected to a sample box or container 42 at its the inlet 44 of the latter, near the front of said the container 42.
Sample The sample container 42 contains a sample chamber 45 at the rear of which is disposed a mesh screen 47. At A vacuum line 50 is connected between the top rear portion of the sample container 42 vacuum line 50 is connected to and a vacuum pump 65. Sample container 42 may conveniently include part Part or all of one wall thereof of the sample container 42 may be constructed of glass or other transparent material capable of withstanding the pressure differential to which it is subjected, so that a worker may readily observe the level of sample in the sample chamber 45. The bottom 53 of the sample chamber 45 is pivotally connected to the container 42 at 52, and said bottom panel 53 may be opened to release the contents of the sample chamber 45.
In operation, the dolly 1 is positioned adjacent to the container of particulate material to be sampled. Support The support arm 3 is then raised over above the bed of material to be sampled by directing hydraulic fluid under pressure into piston cylinder 8 through hose 19 and may then be rotated about the support pole 2 by piston 21 to actuation of the piston 22 in the cylinder 21 due to fluid pressure in hose 31 or 32 to position the probe 5 above and over the bed of material to be sampled in response to actuation of the known control means in lines 19-20 and in lines 31-32, such as controls 57 and 58. Probe 57 and 58 heretofore described. The probe 5 is then lowered, by again activating said actuating the controls 57 and 58, to thereby cause the probe 5 to penetrate to the desired depth into the mass of particulate material to be sampled. As the controls 57 and 58 are again actuated to raise the probe 5 and remove it from a bed of material to be being sampled, the vacuum pump 65 is actuated by pressure a switch 67 which may be operated manually, or which may be a pressure switch operable by responding to fluid pressure .[∂]. in line 19 and draws to thereby draw a vacuum through the conduit 38 and into the probe 39 5, whereby particulate material to be sampled is drawn through opening 37 in said the probe 5, through the hollow inner portion of said the probe 5 and into the conduit 38, through which it flows into sample container 42. Sample Preferably, the sample is continuously taken from the mass of material as probe 5 is withdrawn therefrom, with the result that when the probe 5 is removed from the mass of material and all the material which has entered the probe 5 through point the opening 37 has passed into the sample container 42, the sample therein in the container 42 is an accurate representative sample of the particulate material at all depths of the mass to be being sampled.
It will be apparent that the controls 57 and 58 may be actuated in connection conjunction with the operation of the suction means 65 so as to position the probe 5 and the opening 37 therein in any selected predetermined location with respect to the mass or bulk of material to be sampled. Thereby Thus, a complete sample may be taken from any particular given location in the mass of material by maintaining probe 5 in a constant stationary position until the sample chamber 45 of the sample container 42 is filled. Likewise, suction means 17 the vacuum pump 65 may be actuated in order in such a manner that it is effective to draw a sample into the probe 5 either as the probe is penetrating into the mass of material to be sampled or as it is withdrawn in order to obtain a representative sample of the entire depth or cross section or core of said material.
Thus, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the structure in the exact method described above but shall also include other structures and combinations following falling within the broad scope and spirit of the invention, the detailed description, and the claims which follow.
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