Rotor having endless straps for mounting swinging buckets

Abstract

A swinging bucket rotor constructed of composite material has a central rotor body including strap retaining surfaces. Wound endless composite fiber straps are provided having central portions which are attached to the respective top and bottom of the central rotor body and loop portions remote from the central rotor body for mounting the swinging buckets. These wound endless straps attach centrally to the central rotor body at the strap retaining surfaces and define bucket retaining loops symmetrically spaced from the spin axis of the rotor at the central rotor body. In the preferred embodiment, each bucket retaining loop holds spaced apart bushings for receiving a trunion shaft. Paired trunions on either side of a central sample tube receiving ring are provided. The trunions fit to the composite loop portions of the endless composite material straps. Typically, four sample receiving buckets are placed within and held by the central sample tube receiving rings. Such loading of the buckets occur by the bucket being lowered into the sample tube receiving rings until they are pendulously supported through the rings by the trunions. There results a swinging bucket rotor having top loading sample tube apertures constructed at its sample retaining loops from composite material disposed in tension with the benefit of reduced construction cost and operational complication.