John R Reader

US Patent:

6644136, Nov 11, 2003

Filed:

Mar 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/796733

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE
John R. Reader - Newark DE
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters, LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

G01N 100

US Classification:

7386425

Abstract:

The invention relates to a sample tray to be used by an automatic sampler having a sample arm. According to an aspect, the sample tray includes wells that can be accessed by a sample arm along a common arc of rotation, without moving the sample arm in and out. According to another aspect, the sample tray has several concentric rows of wells for holding sample pans and reference pans. Each row of wells lies along an inner circumference of the sample tray. The rows are placed so that when the sample tray is rotated, every well can be located on a common arc of rotation relative to a sample arm. According to another aspect, a well in a sample tray is configured with a pan receiving area and finger receiving areas. Gripper fingers can be extended into the finger receiving areas to access pans of different sizes.

US Patent:

6652015, Nov 25, 2003

Filed:

Mar 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/796748

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE
John R. Reader - Newark DE
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

B66C 142

US Classification:

294 864, 294106, 294116, 294902, 422 63, 901 38, 901 39

Abstract:

The invention relates to a gripper device. According to one aspect, the gripper device includes fingers with grasping ends. The gripper device includes a mechanism to cause the grasping ends to open and close. When the mechanism is engaged, the grasping ends open and close to define a circumference. According to another aspect, the gripper device includes fingers, an upper flat member, and a lower flat member. The fingers have grasping ends. The fingers are inserted into the upper flat member and lower flat member. When the upper flat member is rotated relative to the lower flat member, the grasping ends of the fingers open and close. According to another aspect, a gripper assembly has a gripper device with fingers and a rotating member. The gripper assembly also has a motor and mechanism for rotating the rotating member. The gripper device opens or closes the grasping ends in response to the rotation of the rotating member.

US Patent:

6760679, Jul 6, 2004

Filed:

Mar 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/796750

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE
John R. Reader - Newark DE
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA
Jay A. Crosby - Newark DE

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters, LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

G01C 1738

US Classification:

702 94

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to a technique for performing calibration of an automatic sampler device. According to an aspect, the automatic sampler device includes a cell with a sample platform and a reference platform; a sample arm; a sample tray, and a platen. The sample tray includes wells into which pans are inserted. The platen may include conductive and/or reflective areas for calibration. The sample arm has an electronic sensor and an optical sensor. The electrical sensor and the optical sensor are used to calibrate the positions of one or more of: the sample platform, the reference platform, and a well. According to another aspect, autocalibration is optimized by adjusting autocalibration results with a set of stored offset coefficients. The offset coefficients are generated by performing a manual calibration. The difference between the results of the manual calibration and an autocalibration are stored as offset coefficients.

US Patent:

6823278, Nov 23, 2004

Filed:

Dec 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/730121

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE
John R. Reader - Newark DE
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA
Jay A. Crosby - Newark DE

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters, LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

G01C 1738

US Classification:

702 94

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to a technique for performing calibration of an automatic sampler device. According to an aspect, the automatic sampler device includes a cell with a sample platform and a reference platform; a sample arm; a sample tray, and a platen. The sample tray includes wells into which pans are inserted. The platen may include conductive and/or reflective areas for calibration. The sample arm has an electronic sensor and an optical sensor. The electrical sensor and the optical sensor are used to calibrate the positions of one or more of: the sample platform, the reference platform, and a well. According to another aspect, autocalibration is optimized by adjusting autocalibration results with a set of stored offset coefficients. The offset coefficients are generated by performing a manual calibration. The difference between the results of the manual calibration and an autocalibration are stored as offset coefficients.

US Patent:

6846455, Jan 25, 2005

Filed:

Mar 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/796738

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE, US
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE, US
John R. Reader - Newark DE, US
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA, US
Jay A. Crosby - Newark DE, US

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters, LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

G01N 2520
G05B 1904
B25J 1500

US Classification:

422 64, 422 51, 422 63, 422 67, 422100, 31856822, 700255, 901 33, 901 38

Abstract:

The invention relates to an automatic sampler device. According to one aspect, the automatic sampler includes a cell having a sample platform and a reference platform; a sample tray; and a sample arm. The sample tray has wells into which sample pans and reference pans are inserted. The geometry of the automatic sampler device permits the sample platform, the reference platform, and the wells in the sample tray to be accessed by the sample arm along a common arc. According to another aspect, the automatic sampler device includes a sample tray with wells, a sample arm, and a gripper device. The gripper device has gripping fingers. The gripping fingers open or close in a manner that tends to center objects grasped by the gripper device. According to another aspect, the automatic sampler device includes a sample tray with wells, a sample arm, and a gripper device. The sample arm has an optical sensor and an electrical sensor.

US Patent:

6859271, Feb 22, 2005

Filed:

Mar 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/796751

Inventors:

Christopher F. Carney - Wilmington DE, US
Fred L. Ferguson - Wilmington DE, US
John R. Reader - Newark DE, US
Weidong Liu - West Chester PA, US

Assignee:

TA Instruments-Waters LLC - New Castle DE

International Classification:

G01N021/01

US Classification:

356244

Abstract:

The invention relates to a platen to be used with a sample tray of an automatic sampler. According to an aspect, the platen includes both electrically conductive and reflective areas that can be used to calibrate the sample tray. According to another aspect, calibration of the sample tray can be performed in all three dimensions. According to another aspect, the platen is used to calibrate the sample tray, including its height and the location of its wells. The platen may include electrically-responsive (i. e. , conductive) and optically-responsive (i. e. , reflective) areas that can be sensed by electrical sensors and optical sensors in order to compute the coordinates of representative wells.

US Patent:

20050018746, Jan 27, 2005

Filed:

Jul 25, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/626696

Inventors:

John Reader - Newark DE, US
Amichai Shdaimah - Ardmore PA, US
Fred Ferguson - Wilmington DE, US

International Classification:

G01N025/20
B25J015/00
G01N035/10
G05B019/04

US Classification:

374014000, 422051000, 422063000, 422102000, 422064000, 422067000, 901033000, 901038000, 220359100

Abstract:

The present invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for opening an autosampler sealed sample pan prior to TGA testing. The sealed sample pan comprises a pan, cover, and bail. A notch is formed in the seal sample pan cover. The cover can be opened by applying a concentrated force to the inside of the notch with a punch element integrated into the autosampler. This causes the center disk portion of the cover to be partially sheared and the sealed sample pan to be opened. It also prevents the punch element from touching the sample. A force sensor is used to determine if the cover has been opened. If the cover has been opened, then the sample pan is loaded to the TGA balance. If the cover has not been opened, the autosampler will not load the pan and will automatically move to the next sealed sample pan.

US Patent:

20060027670, Feb 9, 2006

Filed:

Aug 4, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/910575

Inventors:

Amichai Shdaimah - Ardmore PA, US
John Reader - Newark DE, US
Eric Pilacik - East Norriton PA, US

International Classification:

G01N 25/00
F24F 3/14
G05D 22/02
F24F 11/00

US Classification:

23604400C, 374014000

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus, systems and methods for adding a humidity-controlled system to a thermogravimetric instrument. A humidity-controlled chamber incorporates a housing, a humidifier, a sample chamber, a reference chamber, Peltier devices, humidity and temperature sensors, and gas transmission lines into a single unit. This single unit along with an electronic control unit and mass flow controllers provide a humidity-controlled system designed to control the atmosphere of TGA sample and reference chambers simultaneously. A system comprising an arm, motorized linear actuator and electronic control unit, allows a humidity-controlled chamber to be automatically opened and closed, in turn, allowing reference and sample chambers to automatically be accessed.