US3729984A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for testing pressurized containers
Assignee: WALDHERR OHS
•
Filing: 1972-04-24
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Granted: 1973-05-01
•
Expires: 1992-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A succession of pressurized containers are delivered by a conveyor band to a heating station, a rotary feeding wheel receives the containers from the conveyor band in peripheral pockets, and a rotary star wheel is arranged in tangential relationship to the feeding wheel to receive the successive containers in peripheral chambers from the feeding wheel. The containers are held in the chambers, while the chambers are sealed, until the respective chambers have almost reached the feeding wheel after almost a full rotation of the star wheel, and then the containers are removed from the chambers of the star wheel after their fluid tightness has been tested.
Inventors
- 👤 R Waldherr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:10
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M3/00; G01M3/02; G01M3/04; G01M3/20; G01M3/22; G01M3/226; G01M3/229
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
An apparatus for testing the pressure resistance and fluid tightness of a succession of containers filled with a gaseous fluid under pressure, comprising 1. a heating means for the containers for elevating the temperature of the fluid in the containers, 2. a first conveyor means for conveying the succession of containers through the heating means for a time sufficient to permit the fluid temperature to be elevated, 3. a container feeding means receiving the containers in succession from the first conveyor means, 4. a second conveyor means arranged in substantially tangential relationship to the container feeding means and having a succession of chambers arranged peripherally for receiving successive ones of the containers from the feeding means, the second conveyor means revolving to move the chambers in a closed path and through a testing zone, 5. means for holding the successive containers in respective ones of the successive chambers and for sealing the chambers at least in said testing zone, and 6. means for testing containers for leakage in the testing zone arranged subsequent to the heating means, 7. means for removing the tested containers from the respective chambers beyond the testing zone.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
192 words
An apparatus for testing the pressure resistance and fluid tightness of a succession of containers filled with a gaseous fluid under pressure, comprising 1. a heating means for the containers for elevating the temperature of the fluid in the containers, 2. a first conveyor means for conveying the succession of containers through the heating means for a time sufficient to permit the fluid temperature to be elevated, 3. a container feeding means receiving the containers in succession from the first conveyor means, 4. a second conveyor means arranged in substantially tangential relationship to the container feeding means and having a succession of chambers arranged peripherally for receiving successive ones of the containers from the feeding means, the second conveyor means revolving to move the chambers in a closed path and through a testing zone, 5. means for holding the successive containers in respective ones of the successive chambers and for sealing the chambers at least in said testing zone, and 6. means for testing containers for leakage in the testing zone arranged subsequent to the heating means, 7. means for removing the tested containers from the respective chambers beyond the testing zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
a first conveyor means for conveying the succession of containers through the heating means for a time sufficient to permit the fluid temperature to be elevated,
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
a first conveyor means for conveying the succession of containers through the heating means for a time sufficient to permit the fluid temperature to be elevated,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
91 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conveyor means is a conveyor band, wherein the container feeding means is a rotary feeding wheel having a succession of pockets arranged about the periphery of the feeding wheel for receiving the successive containers from the conveyor band, and the second conveyor means is a rotary star wheel rotating in a direction opposite to that of the feeding wheel, the chambers being arranged annularly about the periphery of the star wheel and receiving the successive containers from the pockets of the feeding wheel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating means comprises a trough having a bottom and containing a liquid heating medium, the conveyor band is a meandering band arranged at the bottom, an inclined plane guides the successive containers to the bottom of the trough at an inlet end of the conveyor band and an inclined plane guides the containers to the feeding wheel at an outlet end of the conveyor band, and further comprising an auxiliary trough in communication with the trough, and a heating medium level control means arranged between the trough and the auxiliary trough.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
a container feeding means receiving the containers in succession from the first conveyor means,
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
a container feeding means receiving the containers in succession from the first conveyor means,
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
a second conveyor means arranged in substantially tangential relationship to the container feeding means and having a succession of chambers arranged peripherally for receiving successive ones of the containers from the feeding means, the second conveyor means revolving to move the chambers in a closed path and through a testing zone,
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
a second conveyor means arranged in substantially tangential relationship to the container feeding means and having a succession of chambers arranged peripherally for receiving successive ones of the containers from the feeding means, the second conveyor means revolving to move the chambers in a closed path and through a testing zone,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a support base for the star wheel, the support base providing a bottom sealing means for the chambers, and the sealing means including a lateral sealing wall for the chambers, and fluid detecting means arranged in the testing zone adjacent the lateral sealing wall for detecting fluid escaped from the containers held in the respective chambers in said zone.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a shaft mounting the star wheel coaxially on the support base, a sealing cover over the star wheel providing a top sealing means for the chambers, and the lateral sealing wall including a sealing band extending about a large portion of the periphery of the star wheel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
means for holding the successive containers in respective ones of the successive chambers and for sealing the chambers at least in said testing zone, and
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
means for holding the successive containers in respective ones of the successive chambers and for sealing the chambers at least in said testing zone, and
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
means for testing containers for leakage in the testing zone arranged subsequent to the heating means,
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
means for testing containers for leakage in the testing zone arranged subsequent to the heating means,
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising means fixedly holding one end of the sealing band, and resilient means for holding the other end of the sealing band to exert tension upon the band.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the resilient means is pneumatically operated.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
means for removing the tested containers from the respective chambers beyond the testing zone.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
means for removing the tested containers from the respective chambers beyond the testing zone.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising guide rollers supporting the sealing band for movement with the rotating star wheel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a shaft mounting the star wheel coaxially on the support base, a sealing cover over the star wheel providing a top sealing means for the chambers, and the lateral sealing wall including an upright sealing segment extendIng about a large portion of the periphery of the star wheel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
68 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the chambers are defined by a succession of bores adjacent the periphery of the star wheel, the bores passing through the wheel and having open lower and upper ends, and wherein the sealing and holding means comprise pressure fluid operated closures operable for sealing the lower ends of the bores and replaceable holding devices for sealing the upper ends of the bores.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the holding devices comprise a sleeve fitting into the bores, and a container centering means associated with the sleeves and including a spring biased clamping rod extending into the sleeve.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
121 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the periphery of the star wheel defines a series of grooves, the bores being in communication with the grooves by ports leading from the bores to the grooves, and further comprising arms in frictional engagement with the grooves in the testing zone, the arms having chambers in communication with the grooves, a vacuum installation, lines connecting the chambers in the arms to the vacuum installation, control valve means in said lines for selectively connecting and disconnecting the vacuum installation from the chambers in the arms, and gas detecting chambers arranged in the lines between the chambers in the arms and the control valve means for detecting any escaped gases from the containers in the bores.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the chambers in the arms are elongated in the direction of rotation of the star wheel, these chambers being defined by elongated slots in the arms in contact with the grooves, and the lines including ports in the arms leading from the chambers in the arms to flexible tubes connecting the ports to the control valve means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein successive ones of the ports each associated with a respective one of the bores being staggered at intervals in the grooves.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a support column vertically adjustably mounting the arms.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second conveyor means comprises an endless chain having a succession of the chambers affixed to the chain, the chambers being laterally open at the periphery thereof, and the sealing means comprising a sealing plate and means for resiliently pressing the plate against the open sides of the chambers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1163962A
Cited
US3590256A
Cited
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 |