Weighing utensil

Abstract

A utensil ( 1 ) for weighing a sample ( 6 ) has fill ( 2 ) and discharge ( 3 ) positions. The utensil has a receptacle ( 4 ) with an attached neck ( 5 ). An outside surface ( 7 ) of the receptacle has a seating surface ( 9 ) that defines a plane, as well as a fill opening ( 13 ), through which the sample is placed when the utensil is in the fill position. A passage opening ( 15 ) and a discharge opening ( 14 ), at the ends of the neck, allow sample flow from the receptacle through and out of the neck when in the discharge position, with flow into the neck occurring between the fill and discharge positions. The neck has at least one support contact point in the plane of the seating surface, so that the receptacle rests on both the seating surface and the at least one support contact point when in the fill position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A utensil for receiving and weighing a sample substance when the utensil is positioned in a fill position and for discharging the sample substance into a measuring flask having a flask neck with a standardized ground glass mouth at an end thereof when the utensil is positioned in a discharge position, the utensil comprising:
 a receptacle with a fill opening and a seating surface provided on an outside surface thereof, the seating surface defining a plane, and positioned relative to the fill opening so that the sample substance is placed into the receptacle while the utensil is in the fill position, with the utensil resting upon the seating surface; and   a utensil neck, arranged on the receptacle, with a passage opening at a first end thereof, communicating the receptacle to the utensil neck and a discharge opening at a second end thereof, the utensil neck and discharge opening sized and adapted so that, when the utensil neck is seated into the ground glass mouth in the discharge position, the discharge opening extends into the flask neck beyond the ground glass mouth; the utensil neck having at least one support contact point, located in the plane of the seating surface so that, in the fill position, the utensil rests on both the seating surface and the at least one support contact point.   
     
     
         2 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one support contact point comprises a support contact surface defining a plane in the same plane as the seating surface, so that, in the fill position, the utensil rests on both the seating surface and the support contact surface.   
     
     
         3 . The utensil of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the utensil neck has an axis that is inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the seating surface.   
     
     
         4 . The utensil of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the receptacle and the utensil neck each have tangential planes at all points of the surface thereof which are inclined relative to the utensil neck axis at angles of the same algebraic sign or at an angle of zero degrees.   
     
     
         5 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the receptacle has a width that is significantly larger than wider than a width of the utensil neck.   
     
     
         6 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the fill opening has a width substantially equal to a width of the receptacle.   
     
     
         7 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the receptacle has an inside surface comprising a bottom area adapted to receive the sample substance, the bottom area surrounded by a peripheral surface zone that inclines away from the bottom area at at least one obtuse angle.   
     
     
         8 . The utensil of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the passage opening is connected to the receptacle a height above the level of the bottom area, so that, while in the fill position, the substance sample substance cannot flow out of the receptacle through the neck.   
     
     
         9 . The utensil of  claim 7 , wherein:
 when in the fill position, the fill opening projects vertically onto the plane of the seating surface to essentially overlap the bottom area.   
     
     
         10 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 Along a length thereof, the utensil neck has at least one conical portion, tapering down at a rate of 1:10, so that the utensil neck conforms to the standardized ground-glass mouth when in the discharge position.   
     
     
         11 . The utensil of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the utensil neck has at least two conical portions, each having the 1:10 taper and a different diameter.   
     
     
         12 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the utensil neck comprises at least one region of decreasing diameter.   
     
     
         13 . The utensil of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle adjoining the receptacle.   
     
     
         14 . The utensil of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the utensil neck has an axis that is inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the seating surface.   
     
     
         15 . The utensil of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the receptacle and the utensil neck each have tangential planes at all points of the surface thereof which are inclined relative to the utensil neck axis at angles of the same algebraic sign or at an angle of zero degrees.   
     
     
         16 . The utensil of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the receptacle has an inside surface comprising a bottom area adapted to receive the sample substance, the bottom area surrounded by a peripheral surface zone that inclines away from the bottom area at at least one obtuse angle.   
     
     
         17 . The utensil of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the passage opening is connected to the receptacle a height above the level of the bottom area, so that, while in the fill position, the substance sample substance cannot flow out of the receptacle through the neck.   
     
     
         18 . The utensil of  claim 16 , wherein:
 when in the fill position, the fill opening projects vertically onto the plane of the seating surface to essentially overlap the bottom area.   
     
     
         19 . A method for placing a sample substance into a measuring flask, comprising the steps of:
 placing the sample substance into a utensil according to  claim 1 , with the utensil arranged in the fill position thereof; and   setting the weighing utensil upright in the discharge position thereof, with the utensil neck in the mouth of the measuring flask, so that the sample substance flows out into the measuring flask.