Self-adjusting pump head and safety manifold cartridge for a peristaltic

Abstract

An actuator for a self-adjusting pump head assembly has a variable position pump shoe slidably attached to a base. The assembly pumps liquids through a tube in a peristaltic pump, including a translator of rotational motion into linear motion and a crank for automatically compensating for the manufacturing tolerances of the tube in the pump pivotally attached to the translator and the shoe. The crank for automatically compensating has a linkage or pair of links, carrying a helical compression spring, pivotally anchored to the translator and the shoe. The peristaltic pump includes a self-adjusting pump head, including a variable position pump shoe slidably attached to a base and a control for positioning, locking and applying a continuous reaction force on the shoe to compress the tube between the shoe and at least one roller located on the periphery of a mandrel. Thus the control further has the translator of rotational motion into linear motion, and the crank for automatically compensating for the manufacturing tolerances of the tube introduced into the pump, pivotally attached to the translator and the shoe. Alternatively the pump has a disposable manifold safety cartridge, removably attached to the base, to which ends of the tube attach. The cartridge has an asymmetrical tie bar keyed onto the base to insure that the cartridge is oriented in an acceptable manner and that the tube will be properly installed on the pump.