US3725134A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Expendable immersion thermocouple unit
Assignee: ROSSBOROUGH MANUFACTURING COMPANY 33565 PIN OAK PARKWAY A CORP OF
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Filing: 1970-04-23
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Granted: 1973-04-03
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Expires: 1990-04-23
Abstract
Abstract An expendable immersion thermocouple in which the thermocouple and its support and the plug are separate assemblies which may be assembled and tested before mounting in the protective housing.
Inventors
- 👤 R Gessner
- 👤 R Davies
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 10:26
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01K; G01K1/00; G01K1/08; G01K1/12; G01K1/125; H; H10; H10N; H10N10/00; H10N10/10; H10N10/17
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
361 words
An expendable thermocouple unit for immersion in molten metal and the like comprising three separate components, a first component comprising a support member having laterally spaced upwardly facing seats, a thermocouple encased in an inverted U shaped tubular glass with lower ends of the U seated on the seats of said support and leads depending from the lower ends of the U, a second component comprising a plug having contacts at its lower end and conductors extending upward from said contacts and terminating in laterally spaced tabs at the upper end of the plug, said plug being a body with a lower end in the form of a projection shaped to be received in the receptacle of a manipulator and with two slots extending axially from the lower end to the upper end of the body and extending into the body from the outer surface of the body, said conductors being of one piece with one conductor in each of said slots, the upper end of the conductor being one of said tabs at the upper end of the plug and the lower end of the conductor being one of said contacts on said lower end of the plug, said slots being located to position the conductors with said tabs laterally spaced from each other, and a third component comprising a cylindrical shaped housing open at both ends, means for mounting the first component on the second component with the tabs in position to be welded to the leads, the assembly of the first and second components supporting the thermocouple element and the welding of leads to the tabs connecting the thermocouple to said contacts, and means for mounting the assembly of the first and second components in the housing and for closing the lower end of the housing, and an electrical and thermal insulating cement filling the housing up to a level above the support and the lower ends of the glass but below the upper end of the U, said cement embedding said support and the upper ends of said plug and conductors and the lower ends of the glass and the connections between the leads and the tabs.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
361 words
An expendable thermocouple unit for immersion in molten metal and the like comprising three separate components, a first component comprising a support member having laterally spaced upwardly facing seats, a thermocouple encased in an inverted U shaped tubular glass with lower ends of the U seated on the seats of said support and leads depending from the lower ends of the U, a second component comprising a plug having contacts at its lower end and conductors extending upward from said contacts and terminating in laterally spaced tabs at the upper end of the plug, said plug being a body with a lower end in the form of a projection shaped to be received in the receptacle of a manipulator and with two slots extending axially from the lower end to the upper end of the body and extending into the body from the outer surface of the body, said conductors being of one piece with one conductor in each of said slots, the upper end of the conductor being one of said tabs at the upper end of the plug and the lower end of the conductor being one of said contacts on said lower end of the plug, said slots being located to position the conductors with said tabs laterally spaced from each other, and a third component comprising a cylindrical shaped housing open at both ends, means for mounting the first component on the second component with the tabs in position to be welded to the leads, the assembly of the first and second components supporting the thermocouple element and the welding of leads to the tabs connecting the thermocouple to said contacts, and means for mounting the assembly of the first and second components in the housing and for closing the lower end of the housing, and an electrical and thermal insulating cement filling the housing up to a level above the support and the lower ends of the glass but below the upper end of the U, said cement embedding said support and the upper ends of said plug and conductors and the lower ends of the glass and the connections between the leads and the tabs.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The unit of claim 1 in which the support comprises an upwardly extending post on the upper end of the plug extending above said tabs, and arms extending from the post and having laterally spaced seats for said lower ends.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The unit of claim 2 in which the means for mounting the first component on the second component comprises telescoping projections and depressions in the plug and post.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
The unit of claim 1 in which the upper end of the plug has axially extending and outwardly projecting angularly spaced ribs with the outer edges of the ribs radially outside said lower end of the plug and in which part of one of said slots consists of a longitudinal groove in the outer edge of one of the ribs open at its outer side and its upper and lower ends for receiving one of the conductors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The unit of claim 4 in which the plug has a disc below the ribs closing the space between the ribs and in which part of one of said slots consists of a groove in said disc in alignment with the groove in said one rib and open at the outer side of the disc.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The unit of claim 4 in which a cylindrical housing surrounds the upper end of the plug and the lower end of the thermocouple element and the connections to tabs, said housing having at the bottom an upwardly extending reentrant wall surrounding the ribs and gripping the ribs to hold the plug in the housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
211 words
An expendable thermocouple unit comprising a plug having contacts at its lower end and conductors extending upward from said contacts and terminating in laterally spaced tabs at the upper end of the plug, said plug being a body with a lower end in the form of a projection shaped to be received in the receptacle of a manipulator and with two slots extending axially from the lower end to the upper end of the body and extending into the body from the outer surface of the body, said conductors being of one piece with one conductor in each of said slots, the upper end of the conductor being one of said tabs at the upper end of the plug and the lower end of the conductor being one of said contacts on said lower end of the plug, said slots being located to position the conductors with said tabs laterally spaced from each other, an upwardly extending post on the upper end of the plug, a thermocouple element encased in an inverted U-shaped tubular glass with leads depending from the lower ends of the U, and connected to said tabs, and a support extending from the post and having laterally spaced seats for the lower ends of the U-shaped glass sleeve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
211 words
An expendable thermocouple unit comprising a plug having contacts at its lower end and conductors extending upward from said contacts and terminating in laterally spaced tabs at the upper end of the plug, said plug being a body with a lower end in the form of a projection shaped to be received in the receptacle of a manipulator and with two slots extending axially from the lower end to the upper end of the body and extending into the body from the outer surface of the body, said conductors being of one piece with one conductor in each of said slots, the upper end of the conductor being one of said tabs at the upper end of the plug and the lower end of the conductor being one of said contacts on said lower end of the plug, said slots being located to position the conductors with said tabs laterally spaced from each other, an upwardly extending post on the upper end of the plug, a thermocouple element encased in an inverted U-shaped tubular glass with leads depending from the lower ends of the U, and connected to said tabs, and a support extending from the post and having laterally spaced seats for the lower ends of the U-shaped glass sleeve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The unit of claim 7 in which the post and support is a separate part into which the thermocouple element may be assembled, said post having means remote from the thermocouple element for assembling it to the plug.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The unit of claim 8 in which the means for assembling the post to the plug comprises telescoping projections and depressions on the post and plug.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
102 words
The unit of claim 7 in which said contact portion of one of the conductors comprises a loop with the open end of the loop facing radially inward and the upper and lower axially spaced sides of the loop extending radially inward of the outer surface of the lower end of the plug and with the portion of the loop between said sides extending radially outward of the outer surface of the lower end of the plug serving as one of the contacts and with said upper side of the loop in direct continuation of the upper portion of said one conductor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The unit of claim 10 in which the lower end of the plug is a tube and the sideS of the loop extend radially inward through the wall thickness of the tube.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
77 words
The unit of claim 7 in which the upper end of the plug has axially extending and outwardly projecting angularly spaced ribs with the outer edges of the ribs radially outside said lower end of the plug and in which part of one of said slots consists of a longitudinal groove in the outer edge of one of the ribs open at its outer side and its upper and lower ends for receiving one of the conductors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The unit of claim 12 in which part of one of said slots consists of a groove in said disc in alignment with the groove in said one rib and open at the outer side of the disc.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The unit of claim 4 in which said one of the conductors has a V bend adjacent the lower end of said groove and of height substantially the depth of said groove blocking the lower end of said groove.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The unit of claim 14 in which said one of the conductors has a V bend of height greater than the depth of the groove engaging said reentrant wall and forcing said one conductor to the bottom of the groove.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3201277A
Cited
US3501957A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-02 | 1976-10-02 | 1977-04-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-02 | 1980-10-02 | 1981-04-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-02 | 1984-10-02 | 1985-04-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |