Measurement and control of constituent potentials

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF A CARBURIZING ATMOSPHERE, COMPRISING MEANS PROVIDING A FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING AN INLET ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN SAID CARBURIZING ATMOSPHERE, A MIXING CHAMBER, A FILAMENT CHAMBER, AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE, MEANS IN SAID FLUID CIRCUIT FOR MOVING A SAMPLE STREAM OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN SAID CARBURIZING ZONE SERIALLY THROUGH SAID INLET AND THENCE THROUGH SAID MIXING AND FILAMENT CHAMBERS, A SENSITIVE ELEMENT INCLUDING A FERROUS METAL FILAMENT SUPPORTED IN SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER, THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF SAID ELEMENT VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHANGE IN CARBON CONTENT THEREOF, THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF SAID ATMOSPHERE BEING NORMALLY ABOVE THE RANGE WITHIN WHICH SAID ELEMENT WILL RELIABLY RESPOND, AN ELECTRICAL MEASURING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID ELEMENT FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF SAID ELEMENT, SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO SAID SAMPLE STREAM PRIOR TO ITS ARRIVAL IN SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER A SECOND GASEOUS STREAM TO FORM WITH SAID SAMPLE STREAM A THIRD STREAM OF GASES FOR FLOW THROUGH SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER, SAID SECOND GASEOUS STREAM INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE GAS OF CHARACTER WHICH WHEN MIXED WITH SAID SAMPLE STREAM REDUCES THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF THAT STREAM TO WITHIN SAID RANGE WITHIN WHICH SAID ELEMENT WILL RELIABLY RESPOND, AND FLOW-RESPONSIVE MEANS DISPOSED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE RATES OF FLOW OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID STREAMS OF GASES FOR INDICATION OF THE RELATIVE RATES OF FLOW OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM AND OF SAID SECOND STREAM OF GASES.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF A CARBURIZING ATMOSPHERE, COMPRISING MEANS PROVIDING A FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING AN INLET ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN SAID CARBURIZING ATMOSPHERE, A MIXING CHAMBER, A FILAMENT CHAMBER, AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE, MEANS IN SAID FLUID CIRCUIT FOR MOVING A SAMPLE STREAM OF THE ATMOSPHERE IN SAID CARBURIZING ZONE SERIALLY THROUGH SAID INLET AND THENCE THROUGH SAID MIXING AND FILAMENT CHAMBERS, A SENSITIVE ELEMENT INCLUDING A FERROUS METAL FILAMENT SUPPORTED IN SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER, THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF SAID ELEMENT VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHANGE IN CARBON CONTENT THEREOF, THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF SAID ATMOSPHERE BEING NORMALLY ABOVE THE RANGE WITHIN WHICH SAID ELEMENT WILL RELIABLY RESPOND, AN ELECTRICAL MEASURING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID ELEMENT FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF SAID ELEMENT, SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO SAID SAMPLE STREAM PRIOR TO ITS ARRIVAL IN SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER A SECOND GASEOUS STREAM TO FORM WITH SAID SAMPLE STREAM A THIRD STREAM OF GASES FOR FLOW THROUGH SAID FILAMENT CHAMBER, SAID SECOND GASEOUS STREAM INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE GAS OF CHARACTER WHICH WHEN MIXED WITH SAID SAMPLE STREAM REDUCES THE CARBON POTENTIAL OF THAT STREAM TO WITHIN SAID RANGE WITHIN WHICH SAID ELEMENT WILL RELIABLY RESPOND, AND FLOW-RESPONSIVE MEANS DISPOSED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE RATES OF FLOW OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID STREAMS OF GASES FOR INDICATION OF THE RELATIVE RATES OF FLOW OF SAID SAMPLE STREAM AND OF SAID SECOND STREAM OF GASES.