US3729983A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Leak tightness testing method and apparatus
Assignee: Inland Steel Co
•
Filing: 1970-08-27
•
Granted: 1973-05-01
•
Expires: 1990-08-27
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for leak tightness testing of articles such as metal drums wherein the article is placed in a testing enclosure with a detectable gas such as nitrous oxide adjacent one closed side of the article and the space between the other side of the article and the enclosure is evacuated to a pressure lower than the gas pressure on said one closed side of the article. After the test time has passed the entire content of the evacuated enclosure space is flushed to a detector apparatus by an inert gas, preferably air, introduced into the enclosure space at a pressure higher than the pressure to which the space had been evacuated.
Inventors
- 👤 M Coppens
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:11
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M3/00; G01M3/02; G01M3/04; G01M3/20; G01M3/22; G01M3/226; G01M3/229
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
190 words
The method of leak tightness testing of articles wherein a closed space containing a pressurized detectable gas is presented adjacent one side of the article and an enclosed space is adjacent to the opposite side of the article, comprising the steps of, evacuating said enclosed space adjacent said opposite side of the article to a pressure lower than the pressure in the space adjacent the side of the article containing the detectable gas, permitting the passage of a sufficient predetermined time to allow said detectable gas to permeate leaks through in said article, and then thereafter flushing the gaseous contents from said previously evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure to which said space was evacuated, directing the flushed contents of said evacuated space to the detector apparatus for determining the presence of said detectable gas as an indication of a leak in the article, and evacuating the detector apparatus to a lower pressure than that of the evacuated space adjacent said article before directing the flushed contents of the evacuated space to the detector apparatus.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
190 words
The method of leak tightness testing of articles wherein a closed space containing a pressurized detectable gas is presented adjacent one side of the article and an enclosed space is adjacent to the opposite side of the article, comprising the steps of, evacuating said enclosed space adjacent said opposite side of the article to a pressure lower than the pressure in the space adjacent the side of the article containing the detectable gas, permitting the passage of a sufficient predetermined time to allow said detectable gas to permeate leaks through in said article, and then thereafter flushing the gaseous contents from said previously evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure to which said space was evacuated, directing the flushed contents of said evacuated space to the detector apparatus for determining the presence of said detectable gas as an indication of a leak in the article, and evacuating the detector apparatus to a lower pressure than that of the evacuated space adjacent said article before directing the flushed contents of the evacuated space to the detector apparatus.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
170 words
The method of leak tightness testing of articles wherein a closed space containing a pressurized detectable gas is presented adjacent one side of the article and an enclosed space is adjacent to the opposite side of the article, comprising the steps of, evacuating said enclosed space adjacent said opposite side of the article to a pressure lower than the pressure in the space adjacent the side of the article containing the detectable gas, permitting the passage of a sufficient predetermined time to allow said detectable gas to permeate through leaks in said article, and then thereafter flushing the gaseous contents from said previously evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure to which said space was evacuated, and introducing at least a portion of the contents evacuated from said space adjacent said article as a reference sample into the detector apparatus for subsequent comparison with said flushed contents received from said evacuated space as the test sample.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
170 words
The method of leak tightness testing of articles wherein a closed space containing a pressurized detectable gas is presented adjacent one side of the article and an enclosed space is adjacent to the opposite side of the article, comprising the steps of, evacuating said enclosed space adjacent said opposite side of the article to a pressure lower than the pressure in the space adjacent the side of the article containing the detectable gas, permitting the passage of a sufficient predetermined time to allow said detectable gas to permeate through leaks in said article, and then thereafter flushing the gaseous contents from said previously evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure to which said space was evacuated, and introducing at least a portion of the contents evacuated from said space adjacent said article as a reference sample into the detector apparatus for subsequent comparison with said flushed contents received from said evacuated space as the test sample.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
164 words
The method of leak tightness testing of metal drums and the like, comprising the steps of, placing said drum into an enclosure wherein a closed space is defined between the inner walls of the enclosure and the outer walls of the drum, evacuating said closed space between said enclosure and said drum to a first pressure, filling said drum with a detectable gas from a source to a second pressure, within said drum higher than said first pressure in the closed space, allowing a predetermined time to pass for traces of the detectable gas to permeate through a leak in said drum into said evacuated closed space, flushing the contents of said evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a third pressure higher than the first pressure of said evacuated space and directing said flushed contents of the evacuated space into a detection apparatus for determination of traces of the detectable gas indicative of a leak.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
164 words
The method of leak tightness testing of metal drums and the like, comprising the steps of, placing said drum into an enclosure wherein a closed space is defined between the inner walls of the enclosure and the outer walls of the drum, evacuating said closed space between said enclosure and said drum to a first pressure, filling said drum with a detectable gas from a source to a second pressure, within said drum higher than said first pressure in the closed space, allowing a predetermined time to pass for traces of the detectable gas to permeate through a leak in said drum into said evacuated closed space, flushing the contents of said evacuated space by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a third pressure higher than the first pressure of said evacuated space and directing said flushed contents of the evacuated space into a detection apparatus for determination of traces of the detectable gas indicative of a leak.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said detection apparatus is evacuated to a fourth pressure lower than the first pressure to which said space is evacuated prior to receiving the flushed contents from said evacuated space.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein substantially all the remaining portion of said detectable gas in said drum is returned to said source.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the contents of said closed space prior to evacuation thereof is directed to said detector for comparison with said flushed contents received by the detector from the evacuated closed space.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method in accordaNce with claim 3 wherein said closed space is of substantially no greater volume than the detector test volume so that substantially all the contents of the closed space is directed into the detector.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for leak tightness testing of drums and the like comprising in combination, an enclosure adapted to sealingly receive said drum, said enclosure being dimensioned such that a closed space is defined between the drum and enclosure, a source of detectable gas, means for filling said drum in said enclosure with said detectable gas, detector means for determining the presence of said detectable gas, sealable passage means connecting said detector with said closed space, means for evacuating the contents of said closed space to a pressure lower than the pressure of said detectable gas within the drum, means for flushing the contents of said evacuated space into the detector means by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure of the evacuated space, and means for coupling said evacuating means with the detector so that said detector may be evacuated along with said closed space.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for leak tightness testing of drums and the like comprising in combination, an enclosure adapted to sealingly receive said drum, said enclosure being dimensioned such that a closed space is defined between the drum and enclosure, a source of detectable gas, means for filling said drum in said enclosure with said detectable gas, detector means for determining the presence of said detectable gas, sealable passage means connecting said detector with said closed space, means for evacuating the contents of said closed space to a pressure lower than the pressure of said detectable gas within the drum, means for flushing the contents of said evacuated space into the detector means by introduction of a gaseous medium inert to the detectable gas and at a pressure higher than the pressure of the evacuated space, and means for coupling said evacuating means with the detector so that said detector may be evacuated along with said closed space.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 including means for disconnecting said evacuating means from said closed space while retaining the connection between the vacuum source and said detector means so that the latter is evacuated to a lower pressure than the pressure in said closed space.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
165 words
Apparatus for leak tightness testing of drums and the like, comprising, in combination a plurality of enclosures adapted to sealingly received individual drums, said enclosures being dimensioned such that a space is defined between the drums contained therein and the enclosures, a source of detectable gas, means for selectively filling said drums in said enclosures with said detectable gas, a plurality of detector means for determining the presence of said detectable gas, sealable passage means connecting said detectors with said enclosure spaces, means for selectively evacuating the contents of said enclosure spaces to pressures lower than the pressures of said detectable gas with the drums, means for selectively flushing the contents of individual ones of said evacuated spaces into different ones of said detector means by introduction of a gaseous media inert to the detectable gas and a pressure higher than the pressure of the evacuated space and means for sequentially testing certain ones of said drums and changing the remaining drums for subsequent tests.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
165 words
Apparatus for leak tightness testing of drums and the like, comprising, in combination a plurality of enclosures adapted to sealingly received individual drums, said enclosures being dimensioned such that a space is defined between the drums contained therein and the enclosures, a source of detectable gas, means for selectively filling said drums in said enclosures with said detectable gas, a plurality of detector means for determining the presence of said detectable gas, sealable passage means connecting said detectors with said enclosure spaces, means for selectively evacuating the contents of said enclosure spaces to pressures lower than the pressures of said detectable gas with the drums, means for selectively flushing the contents of individual ones of said evacuated spaces into different ones of said detector means by introduction of a gaseous media inert to the detectable gas and a pressure higher than the pressure of the evacuated space and means for sequentially testing certain ones of said drums and changing the remaining drums for subsequent tests.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including means for selectively returning the substantially all remaining portions of said detector gas from said drums to said source.
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) | 1976-04-30 | 1976-10-30 | 1977-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-30 | 1980-10-30 | 1981-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-30 | 1984-10-30 | 1985-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |