US3638442A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cryogenic liquid level control
Assignee: Almac Cryogenics Inc
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Filing: 1968-08-01
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Granted: 1972-02-01
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Expires: 1988-08-01
Abstract
Abstract A pneumatically operated automatic control for the liquid level of cryogenic liquids in which a start valve controls the starting of cryogenic liquid delivery which continues until the level of the cryogenic liquid reaches a temperature-sensitive sensor. A delivery valve for the cryogenic liquid is held open by a body of entrapped gas under pressure which is first pressurized by the start valve. A metering valve may be employed to release the entrapped gas at a predetermined rate to limit the duration of each filling cycle regardless of the height of liquid level reaches after operation of the start valve. A second temperatureresponsive means may be employed for operating the start valve to provide automatic incremental control of liquid level between minimum and maximum levels, and the delivery valve may be employed for controlling the main line valve where evaporative cooling in the main line valve has a tendency to condense pressurized gas at the control port of the line valve.
Inventors
- 👤 Albert V Hedstrom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:55
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/22; G01F23/24; G01F23/246; G01F23/247; F; F17; F17C; F17C13/00; F17C13/02; F17C13/021; F17C2205/00; F17C2205/03; F17C2205/0302; F17C2205/0323; F17C2205/0329; F17C2205/0382; F17C2205/0385; F17C2221/00; F17C2221/01; F17C2221/014; F17C2223/00; F17C2223/01; F17C2223/0146; F17C2223/0153; F17C2223/0161; F17C2223/03; F17C2223/033; F17C2227/00; F17C2227/04; F17C2250/00; F17C2250/04; F17C2250/0404; F17C2250/0439; F17C2250/06; F17C2250/0605; F17C2250/061; F17C2250/0636; F17C2250/07; F17C2250/072; F17C2260/00; F17C2260/02; F17C2260/024; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7287
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquids which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; and, C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; and D. temperature-responsive means having a sensor adapted to be positioned at a minimum level in a container to which said container is to be filled with liquid with said temperature responsive means having movable means conneCted to the valve means of said start valve for moving the valve means thereof to said valve closed position when the temperature of said sensor is maintained at the temperature of a cryogenic liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquids which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; and, C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; and D. temperature-responsive means having a sensor adapted to be positioned at a minimum level in a container to which said container is to be filled with liquid with said temperature responsive means having movable means conneCted to the valve means of said start valve for moving the valve means thereof to said valve closed position when the temperature of said sensor is maintained at the temperature of a cryogenic liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said control means comprises an adjustable metering valve for delivering fluid from said entrapped body of pressurized fluid at a predetermined rate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
281 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquids which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; and, C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; in which said control means comprises: A. a high-level control valve having a supply opening connected to said discharge opening of said start valve, a discharge opening connected to said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position closing said supply opening and venting said discharge opening, and; B. temperature-responsive means having a sensor adapted to be positioned at a maximum level in a container to which said container is to be filled with liquid with said temperature-responsive means having movable means connected to said valve means of said high-level control valve for moving the valve means thereof to said valve closed position when the temperature of said sensor is maintained at the temperature of a cryogenic liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
281 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquids which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; and, C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; in which said control means comprises: A. a high-level control valve having a supply opening connected to said discharge opening of said start valve, a discharge opening connected to said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position closing said supply opening and venting said discharge opening, and; B. temperature-responsive means having a sensor adapted to be positioned at a maximum level in a container to which said container is to be filled with liquid with said temperature-responsive means having movable means connected to said valve means of said high-level control valve for moving the valve means thereof to said valve closed position when the temperature of said sensor is maintained at the temperature of a cryogenic liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
The apparatus of claim 3 characterized further by the inclusion of second temperature-responsive means having a sensor adapted to be positioned at a minimum level in a container to which said container is to be filled with liquid with said temperature-responsive means having movable means connected to the valve means of said start valve for moving the valve means thereof to said valve closed position when the temperature of said sensor is maintained at the temperature of a cryogenic liquid whereby said apparatus will operate automatically and incrementally to fill a container from said minimum level to said maximum level every time the cryogenic liquid level in said container falls below said minimum level.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which each of said temperature-responsive means consists of a contractable bellows positioned to move the valve means of the valve operated by said temperature-responsive means, a capillary tube having a closed end forming said sensor and an open end communicating with the interior of said bellows, and a body of gas filling said bellows and said capillary tube and having a boiling point which is lower than ambient temperature, but not lower than the boiling point of said cryogenic liquid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus of claim 5 characterized further by the inclusion of a cryogenic liquid delivery conduit and a line valve having delivery opening connected to said delivery conduit, a supply opening connected to source, a control port connected to the discharge opening of said delivery valve, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port whereby fluid pressure at the control port of said line valve is not dissipated by evaporative cooling in said line valve, and No evaporative cooling is applied to said delivery valve to dissipate fluid pressure at the control port of said delivery valve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
245 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquid which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; and D. a cryogenic liquid delivery conduit and a line valve having a delivery opening connected to said delivery conduit, a supply opening connected to source, a control port connected to the discharge opening of said delivery valve, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port whereby fluid pressure at the control port of said line valve is not dissipated by evaporative cooling in said line valve, and no evaporative cooling is applied to said delivery valve to dissipate fluid pressure at the control port of said delivery valve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
245 words
Apparatus for dispensing cryogenic liquids from a pressurized supply source of such liquid which comprises: A. a pressure-responsive delivery valve having a discharge opening, a supply opening connected to said source, a control port, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port; B. a start valve having a supply opening connected to said supply source, a discharge opening communicating with said control port of said delivery valve, and valve means movable between a valve open position connecting said supply and discharge openings and a valve closed position disconnecting said supply and discharge openings without venting said discharge opening for establishing an entrapped body of pressurized fluid between said start valve and said control port when said start valve closes after opening; C. control means for venting said entrapped body of pressurized fluid; and D. a cryogenic liquid delivery conduit and a line valve having a delivery opening connected to said delivery conduit, a supply opening connected to source, a control port connected to the discharge opening of said delivery valve, and means for connecting said delivery opening to said supply opening when fluid pressure is applied to said control port whereby fluid pressure at the control port of said line valve is not dissipated by evaporative cooling in said line valve, and no evaporative cooling is applied to said delivery valve to dissipate fluid pressure at the control port of said delivery valve.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-31 | 1975-08-02 | 1976-02-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-31 | 1979-08-02 | 1980-02-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-31 | 1983-08-02 | 1984-02-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |