1. A collection tank for use in a vacuum operated earth reduction system, said collection tank comprising:
a. a closed first end;
b. an open second end defining a tank sealing flange;
c. a body extending between said closed first end and said open second end;
d. a door coupled to said open second end and configured to releasably seal said open second end; and
e. a hydraulic powered door closer having
(i) a cross bar rigidly attached to a center of said door, said cross bar having a first end and a second end,
(ii) a first linkage assembly having a first end coupled to said cross bar first end, a second end coupled to said body and a first pivot point intermediate said first and said second ends, and
(iii) a second linkage assembly having a first end coupled to said cross bar second end, a second end coupled to said body and a second pivot point intermediate said first and said second ends,
wherein
when said first linkage assembly first pivot point rotates to a point below the coupling of said first linkage second end and said body,
when said second linkage assembly second pivot point rotates to a point below the coupling of said second linkage second end and said body, said door is in a locked position and will not open until said first and second pivot points are rotated above the coupling of their respective linkage assembly second ends to said body, and
said hydraulic powered door closer provides a closing force at said center of said door so that said closing force is equally distributed about a periphery of said door.
2. The collection tank of claim 1, said automated door closer further comprising a shaft defining a first end rigidly connected to said first linkage assembly second end and a second end rigidly connected to said second linkage assembly second end, wherein when one of said first and second linkage assemblies is actuated, the other of said first and second linkage assemblies is also actuated to move said tank door between an open first position and a closed second position.
3. The cylindrical collection tank of claim 2, said automated door closer further comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder having a piston rod in driving engagement with one of said first and second linkage assemblies, said at least one hydraulic cylinder configured to move said door between said open first position and said closed second position.
4. The cylindrical collection tank of claim 1, wherein said door has a generally circular-shaped door panel having an outer circumference.
5. The cylindrical collection tank of claim 4, wherein said generally circular-shaped door panel is dome-shaped.
6. The collection tank of claim 1, wherein said automated door closer may be remotely actuated.
7. A collection tank for use in a vacuum operated earth reduction system, said collection tank comprising:
a. a closed generally circular first end;
b. an open generally circular second end defining a tank sealing flange thereon;
c. a generally cylindrical body extending between said closed first end and said open second end;
d. a door coupled to said open second end and having a generally circular-shaped door panel configured to releasably seal said tank open second end; and
e. a cross-bar coupled to a center of said generally circular shaped door, said cross-bar having a first end and an opposite second end, and
f. at least one linkage assembly coupled to said cross-bar first and second ends to apply a closing force to said door,
wherein said closing force is applied to a center of said door so that said closing force is distributed equally around the periphery of said door, and
wherein when said at least one linkage assembly rotates to a position beyond overcenter, said door is maintained in a closed and locked position, further comprising
g. a first lower linkage arm coupled to said cross-bar first end,
h. a second lower linkage arm coupled to said cross-bar second end,
i. a shaft rigidly connected to said first lower linkage arm and said second lower linkage arm,
wherein when one of said first and second lower linkage arms is actuated, the other of said first and second lower linkage arms is also actuated to move said tank door between an open and closed position said at least one linkage assembly further comprising a first pivot point on said first lower linkage arm and a second pivot point on said second lower linkage arm, wherein when said first pivot point and said second pivot point are positioned below a center axis of said shaft, said door is in said locked position.
8. A collection tank for use in a vacuum operated earth reduction system, said collection tank comprising:
a. a closed generally circular first end;
b. an open generally circular second end defining a tank sealing flange thereon;
c. a generally cylindrical body extending between said closed first end and said open second end;
d. a door coupled to said open second end and having a generally circular-shaped door panel configured to releasably seal said tank open second end; and
e. a cross-bar coupled to a center of said generally circular shaped door, said cross-bar having a first end and an opposite second end, and
f. at least one linkage assembly coupled to said cross-bar first and second ends to apply a closing force to said door,
wherein said closing force is applied to a center of said door so that said closing force is distributed equally around the periphery of said door, and
wherein when said at least one linkage assembly rotates to a position beyond overcenter, said door is maintained in a closed and locked position further comprising a first threaded connection between said at least one linkage assembly and said cross-bar first end and a second threaded connection between said at least one linkage assembly and said cross-bar second end, wherein said first and said second threaded connections can be adjusted to increase or decrease said closing force applied to said door.
9. A collection tank for use in a vacuum operated earth reduction system, said collection tank comprising:
a. a closed first end;
b. an open second end defining a tank sealing flange;
c. a body extending between said closed first end and said open second end;
d. a door moveably coupled to said tank open second end and defining a sealing flange about a periphery thereof, said door configured to releasably seal said tank open second end; and
e. a powered door closer and lock having
(i) a cross bar rigidly attached to a center of said door, said cross bar having a first end and a second end,
(ii) a first linkage assembly having a first end coupled to said cross bar first end, a second end coupled to said body and a first pivot point intermediate said first and said second ends, and
(iii) a second linkage assembly having a first end coupled to said cross bar second end, a second end coupled to said body and a second pivot point intermediate said first and said second ends,
wherein
when said first linkage assembly first pivot point rotates to a point below the coupling of said first linkage second end and said body and
when said second linkage assembly second pivot point rotates to a point below the coupling of said second linkage second end and said body, said door is in a locked position.
10. The collection tank of claim 9, wherein said first linkage assembly is rotatably coupled to said second linkage assembly so that said first and said second linkage assemblies move in tandem.
11. The collection tank of claim 10, further comprising a shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end being rotationally fixed to said first linkage assembly second end and said second end being rotationally fixed to said second linkage assembly second end.
12. The collection tank of claim 10, further comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder coupled between said tank and one of said first and said second linkage assemblies for moving said door between a first open position and a closed second position, said at least one hydraulic cylinder having a piston rod in driving engagement with said one of said first and second linkage assemblies.
13. The collection tank of claim 9, wherein said automated door closer can be remotely operated.
14. The collection tank of claim 9, wherein when said door is moved to said locked position, said door sealing flange engages said tank sealing flange to create an airtight seal and said closing force is equally distributed about said periphery of said door.
15. The collection tank of claim 9, further comprising a first threaded connection between said first linkage assembly first end and said cross bar first end and a second threaded connection between said second linkage assembly first end and said cross bar second end, wherein said first and said second threaded connections may be adjusted to change a closing force applied to said center of said door.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Sample strip (1) in at least one plastic material, obtained by injecting said plastic material, or said plastic materials when applicable, into a mould by means of at least one injection duct, comprising at least one typically planar panel (10) carrying at least two and preferably at least four of the following evaluation means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7):
a) shrinkage evaluation means (2)
b) pinhole evaluation means (3)
c) means (4) for evaluating replication possibilities of a given pattern, andor printing or decoration possibilities, typically comprising at least 2 zones or bands (40) differing in surface grind or roughness,
d) means (5) for evaluating the transparency or appearance of said material via a zone of varying thickness (50),
e) means (6) for evaluating mould release capacity, typically using a wall or portion of wall (60), substantially vertical relative to said panel (10), having a given clearance angle,
f) means (7) for evaluating the capacity of said material to flow round an obstacle in said mould and to re-weld behind said obstacle, typically via a part (70) recessed perpendicular to said panel,
so as to record and group together, typically on one single sample strip (1) moulded in said plastic material, the chief evaluation criteria of said plastic material for the purpose in particular of its selection for forming an injection moulded product.
2. Sample strip according to claim 1, formed by means of a mould typically comprising 1 to 4 injection ducts for plastic material.
3. Sample strip according to claim 2, formed by means of a mould comprising 3 injection ducts, each having a different inner diameter, with typical inner diameters of 0.6 mm, 1 mm and 1.5 mm.
4. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which said shrinkage evaluation means (2) is an indicator of shrinkage measurement typically in the form of a graduated scale (20) with parallel increments at regular intervals, each increment being formed by a ridge (200) or a groove.
5. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which said pinhole evaluation means (3) is formed by a tongue comprising at least two portions of different thickness.
6. Sample strip according to claim 5 in which said tongue is a tongue (30) perpendicular to said panel (10) comprising 3 or 4 portions (300) of different thickness having a staircase profile, each portion (300) corresponding to a step.
7. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 6 comprising an attached part, said sample strip (1) having been typically supra-moulded over said attached part placed in said mould, or optionally, said attached part having been supra-moulded over said sample strip in a second mould.
8. Sample strip according any of claims 1 to 7, substantially planar with a typical size ranging from a so-called pocket format of 9 cm12 cm to a so-called A4 page format of approximately 21 cm29 cm, said sample strip (1) optionally comprising means with which to make said sample strip integral with a carrier or another sample strip to form a collection of sample strips (1), said means possibly being formed by said plastic material or another material, for example a ring or metal wire possibly forming said attached part.
9. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 7 comprising two parts (8A, 8B) intended to cooperate and typically form either a container with substantially planar surfaces, said parts (8A, 8B) typically comprising side walls (80A, 80B) with outer edges (82A, 82B) and staircase profile (820) intended to evaluate the stacking of said parts (8A, 8B), or to form two flaps associated or articulated with one another in the manner of two pages of a book.
10. Sample strip according to claim 9 in which each of said parts (8A, 8B) comprises at least one of said evaluation means a) to f).
11. Sample strip according to either of claims 9 and 10, in which said side walls (80A, 80B) comprise inner edges (81A, 81B), typically having a staircase profile (810), said inner edges (81A, 81B) cooperating typically so as to form a container and to test in particular the clearance between said parts (8a, 8B).
12. Sample strip according to claim 11, in which at least one of said side walls (80A, 80B) acts as support for, or comprises, at least one of said means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
13. Sample strip according to claim 12 in which said side wall (80A, 80B) comprises at least one portion of wall (60) having a given clearance angle, andor at least one zone or band (40) of determined roughness, so as to evaluate and, preferably, to quantify mould release capacity.
14. Sample strip according to any of claims 9 to 13, in which said parts (8A, 8B) comprise cooperating means, and optionally a flexible hinge, with which to form a container able to be closed by a lid, one of said parts forming said container, the other of said parts forming said lid.
15. Sample strip according to any of claims 9 to 13, in which said parts (8A, 8B) cooperate via male and female elements which may optionally click fit together.
16. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 15, in which said plastic material is mass-coloured.
17. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 16, in which said panel (10)comprises zones (11) able to receive at least one surface treatment andor at least one decoration or print, so as to test the compatibility of said plastic material with said surface treatment andor said decoration or print.
18. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 17, comprising a recessed part 12 forming a housing able to house a mirror so as to test the resistance of said mirror andor the compatibility between the material of said mirror, typically glass, metal or a plastic material, and said plastic material.
19. Sample strip according to any of claims 1 to 18, having a form factor of at least 5 and preferably of at least 10.
20. Use of said sample strip (1) according to any of claims 1 to 19 as means for promoting said plastic material.
21. Use of said sample strip (1) according to any of claims 1 to 19 as means for selecting a plastic material determined either in respect of the material alone or optionally relative to a surface treatment andor a subsequent decoration or print, for the purpose in particular of manufacturing packaging for cosmetic products, typically, cases, bottles, applicators or lipstick or mascara tubes.
22. Collection of sample strips (1) according to any of claims 1 to 19, said sample strips (1) being joined, at least temporarily, typically to a binder type support for example or a stacking type support, or joined to one another to form a concertina-type fold.