Arrangement for determining the constituents of a gas mixture

Claim 2

Apparatus for determining the constituents of a gas mixture given off by a gas source, such as in the examination of gas samples obtained in a vacuum hot-extraction furnace, comprising a gas detector and a sorption trap arranged in communication with one another for selectively removing certain constituents of the gas mixture for detecting the remaining constituents in said gas detector, wherein the improvement comprises that said sorption trap includes wall means forming a laterally closed passageway, a granular sorption agent located within and movably displaceable through said passageway, means closing at least one end of said passageway for admitting a gas mixture thereto so that the gas mixture after passing through said passageway in contact with the sorption agent flows to said gas detector, means for forming a heated zone and a separate cooled zone in said passageway for selectively heating and cooling said sorption agent, and vibrating means for selectively displacing said sorption agent through said passageway between the heated and cooled zones therein.

Claim 3

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall meaNs comprises an elongated tubular member, said vibrating means comprising a pair of vibrators connected to said tubular member in spaced positions along its length and said vibrators being selectively operable one at a time for conveying the sorption agent through the passageway within said tubular member between the heated zone and the cooled zone.

Claim 4

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the said tubular member haivng an inlet at one end for receiving the gas mixture to contact the sorption agent therein and an outlet at its oppositely disposed end connected to said gas detector.

Claim 5

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for forming a heated zone and a separate cooled zone in said passageway comprises a first device for forming the cooled zone located at the inlet end of said tubular member and a second device for forming the heated zone located in spaced relationship from the inlet end of said tubular member.

Claim 6

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second device comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced connections for passing a current through said tubular member so that it acts as an electric heating resistance for forming the heated zone in said passageway.

Claim 7

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall means comprises an elongated tubular member having an inlet at one end and an outlet at its opposite end with said passageway extending continuously therebetween, a first flexible line connected at one end to the inlet end of said tubular member, said means closing at least one end of said passageway comprising a multi-way valve located at the other end of said first flexible line, a second flexible line connected at one end to the outlet end of said tubular member and at its opposite end to said detector member, said vibrating means comprising a pair of elastic suspension elements each positioned adjacent to and connected to an opposite end of said tubular member, a separate vibration transmitting element mounting each said suspension element, and a vibrator secured to each said transmitting element for supplying vibrating action to said tubular member through the cooperating trasmitting element and suspension element.

Claim 8

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said vibrators being symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the center of gravity of said vibrating means and the lines of action of said vibrators intersecting at the center of gravity.

Claim 9

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means for forming a heated zone and a separate cooled zone in said passageway includes a flow passage in each said transmitting element for flowing a cooling medium therethrough for cooling said passageway, one of said transmitting elements located adjacent the inlet end of said tubular member and the other one of said transmitting elements located adjacent the outlet end of said tubular member and the one of said transmitting elements adjacent the inlet end of said tubular member being in heat transfer relationship with said tubular member for a considerably greater longitudinal distance than the other one of said transmitting elements so that a greater cooling effect is provided to said tubular member at the inlet end of said passageway.

Claim 10

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said means for forming a heated zone and a separate cooled zone includes a cable connection secured to each of said transmitting elements for providing a flow of current therethrough to said tubular member for effecting heating of said passageway therethrough.

Claim 11

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, wherein a gas-permeable body being fitted into each of the opposite ends of said tubular member for preventing the sorption agent from being displaced from said passageway within said tubular member.

Claim 12

Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall means comprises an elongated U-shaped tube member with the bight portion of the U-shaped tube member being closed so that a separate dead-end passageway is formed iN each leg of said tubular member, said means for forming a heated zone and a separate cooled zone in said passageway includes a block supporting the opposite free end of said tubular member and said block forming a common chamber for the free ends of said tubular member, said block being arranged to be cooled for cooling the opposite ends of said U-shaped tubular member, and cables connected to said tubular member on each side of its bight portion in spaced relationship from said block for passing current through said tubular member and providing the heated zone in each of said passageways therein, said means closing at least one end of said passageway includes a conduit connected to the chamber in said block and a multi-way valve connected to said conduit for admitting a gas mixture into the passageways in said tubular member, a branch line connected to said conduit between said multi-way valve and said block, and said detector connected to the end of said branch line spaced from said conduit.