AN AUTOMATIC LIQUID SAMPLE SUPPLY APPARATUS AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING A DELIVERY TUBE OF THE SUPPLY APPARATUS

摘要

An automatic sample supply apparatus is provided with a delivery tube which aspirates liquid samples from sample containers mounted on a turntable and delivers the samples to a dosing aperture of a graphite tube of an atomic absorption spectrophotometer or to the sample input of other analytical instruments. The turntable also carries at least one flushing discharge container which is of similar form to the sample container, but has an aperture in the side wall. When the turntable is indexed so that the delivery tube enters the flushing discharge container, a solenoid valve is opened to allow a flushing liquid from a container to flow through the delivery tube and into the flushing discharge container. The aperture in the wall of the flushing discharge container is dimensioned so that the flushing liquid will only flow through it when a given head of liquid exists above the top of the aperture.