Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for emptying and rinsing non-recoverable flasks containing a toxic product

US5220947A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
15References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 19, 1991
Grant dateJun 22, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 19, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2001/1056
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In order to automatically carry out the emptying and rinsing of non-recoverable bottles or flasks (78) made from a perforatable material such as polyethylene and e.g. containing a low activity solution (88), an apparatus is proposed making it possible to pass the inverted bottles under a double-walled needle (44). The needle (44), operated by a jack, perforates the bottom (82) of the flask (78). Compressed air is then injected into the bottle above the solution (88) through the annular passage formed between the walls of the needle (44), so as to discharge the solution through the central passage of the needle. The flask is then rinsed by injecting pressurized water in place of the compressed air. Finally, the rinsing water is discharged by a further compressed air injection. The emptied and rinsed flasks are then passed to a station, where they are directly discharged into a storage drum.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.