Method and apparatus for leak testing castings

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TESTING RECESSED PARTS FOR LEAKS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MOVING SUCCESSIVE PARTS TO A TESTING ZONE, STOPPING AND CLAMPING EACH PART IN A FIXED POSITION AT SAID TESTING ZONE, OPERATING CLOSURES AT THE FIXED POSITION TO FORM A CLOSED CHAMBER IN THE PART, PRODUCING A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLOSED CHAMBER AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AT THE SIDE OF THE WALLS OPPOSITE THE CHAMBER, CLOSING THE CHAMBER AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE THEREIN, SEGREGATING A SAMPLE OF TESTINGS MEDIA AT THE INITIAL PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER, MEASURING THE DIFFERENCE IN PRESSURE IN THE TRAPPED SAMPLE AND CLOSED CHAMBER FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE CHAMBER IS CLOSED TO DETERMINE WHETHER LEAKAGE HAS OCCURRED THROUGH THE WALL OF THE PART, VENTING THE CHAMBER AFTER SAID PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, WITHDRAWING THE CLOSURES, RELEASING THE PART AND MOVING IT FROM THE TESTING ZONE, AND SEQUENTIALLY PERFORMING EACH OF THE STEPS OF STOPPING, CLAMPING, TESTING, VENTING, RELEASING AND MOVING THE PART AWAY FROM THE TESTING ZONE AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLETION OF THE PRECEDING STEP.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TESTING RECESSED PARTS FOR LEAKS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF MOVING SUCCESSIVE PARTS TO A TESTING ZONE, STOPPING AND CLAMPING EACH PART IN A FIXED POSITION AT SAID TESTING ZONE, OPERATING CLOSURES AT THE FIXED POSITION TO FORM A CLOSED CHAMBER IN THE PART, PRODUCING A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLOSED CHAMBER AND THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AT THE SIDE OF THE WALLS OPPOSITE THE CHAMBER, CLOSING THE CHAMBER AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE THEREIN, SEGREGATING A SAMPLE OF TESTINGS MEDIA AT THE INITIAL PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER, MEASURING THE DIFFERENCE IN PRESSURE IN THE TRAPPED SAMPLE AND CLOSED CHAMBER FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE CHAMBER IS CLOSED TO DETERMINE WHETHER LEAKAGE HAS OCCURRED THROUGH THE WALL OF THE PART, VENTING THE CHAMBER AFTER SAID PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, WITHDRAWING THE CLOSURES, RELEASING THE PART AND MOVING IT FROM THE TESTING ZONE, AND SEQUENTIALLY PERFORMING EACH OF THE STEPS OF STOPPING, CLAMPING, TESTING, VENTING, RELEASING AND MOVING THE PART AWAY FROM THE TESTING ZONE AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLETION OF THE PRECEDING STEP.