Apparatus for hydrogen analysis

Claim 1

HYDROGEN ANALAYSIS APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS PROVIDING A SAMPLE ENTRY CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING GUIDE TUBE OUTLET, A STOPCOCK IN SAID GUIDE TUBE FOR SEALING SAID ENTRY CHAMBER AND ALTERNATIVELY FOR OPENING SAID CHAMBER AT THE BOTTOM TO PERMIT A SAMPLE TO DROP DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM BY WAY OF SAID GUIDE TUBE, MEANS PROVIDING A VERTICAL TUBULAR REACTION CHAMBER POSITIONED BELOW SAID ENTRY CHAMBER, SAID REACTION CHAMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR CRUCIBLE THEREIN WITH A VERTICAL PASSAGE THROUGH THE CENTER THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID GUIED TUBE, MOVABLE PLATFORM MEANS POSITIONED FOR SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING THE LOWER END OF SAID CRUCIBLE PASSAGE TO SUPPORT A SAMPLE AT A POSITION WITHIN SAID CRUCIBLE PASSAGE WHEN IN ONE POSITION, SAID PLATFORM BEING MOVABLE TO ANOTHER POSITION TO DUMP A SAMPLE OUT OF SAID CRUCIBLE PASSAGE, AN INDUCTION FURNACE COIL EXTERIORLY OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER AND ENCOMPASSING THE CRUCIBLE, A DIFFUSION PUMP HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER, AN ANALYTICAL CHAMBER STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET OF SAID DIFFUSION PUMP, MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE GAS PRESSURE IN SAID ANALYTAICAL CHAMBER, A VACUUM PUMP, VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS CONNECTING THE VACUUM PUMP TO THE ANALYTICAL CHAMBER FOR EVACUATING THE ANALYTICAL CHAMBER, THE DIFFUSION PUMP, AND THE REACTION CHAMBER; SEPARATE VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS CONNECTING THE VACUUM PUMP TO THE SAMPLE ENTRY CHAMBER, VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS FOR ADMITTING AIR TO SAID SAMPLE ENTRY CHAMBER, MEANS IN SAID SAMPLE ENTRY CHAMBER AND OPERABLE FROM OUTSIDE THE ENTRY CHAMBER FOR SUPPORTING A SAMPLE IN SAID ENTRY CHAMBER WHEN IN ONE POSITION AND FOR DUMPING THE SAMPLE THROUGH SAID STOPCOCKK WHEN IN ANOTHER POSITION, MEANS OPERABLE EXTERIORLY OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR MOVING SAID PLATFORM BETWEEN SAMPLE SUPPORTING AND DUMPING POSITIONS, MEANS DISPOSED BELOW SAID PLATFORM FOR CATCHING A SAMPLE DUMPED FROM SAID PLATFORM AND FOR REMOVING THE SAMPLE FROM THE APPARATUS, SAID ANNULAR CRUCIBLE COMPRISING AN ANNULAR HEATING RING FORMED OF A MATERIAL STRONGLY HEATED BY AN INDUCTION FIELD, AND AN ANNULAR ENVELOPE FORMED OF HEAT AND SHOCK RESISTANT SUBSTANTIALLY INERT MATERIAL COMPLETELY ENCLOSING SAID HEATING RING.