US3886791A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cyclic test apparatus
Assignee: PANEL Co Q
•
Filing: 1973-07-23
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Granted: 1975-06-03
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Expires: 1993-07-23
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for simulating the effects of extended outdoor weathering on paint, plastics, textiles and other surfaces and samples, including the effects of light, humidity, condensation, heat and/or atmospheric pollutants. The apparatus includes a closed chamber, panel or sample holders inside the chamber and around the outside wall and partially isolating the space between the sample and the outside wall to maintain the temperature therein below, but close to, the chamber interior temperature and above the ambient temperature outside the wall while having what is functionally the same moisture and pollutant content throughout the chamber, including the partially isolated space. The apparatus also includes a water vaporizer in the chamber to provide ''''humidity'''', a central stack, a fan for circulating the atmosphere within the chamber to keep it uniform, a rotor rotating the chamber to mitigate against the effect of variations in external conditions, a water seal at the bottom of the chamber to return condensate collecting on the samples and housing to the vaporizer, a heater to prevent condensation on the central stack, fans for forcing air into and drawing moisture-laden air out of the chamber, the latter to remove excess moisture from the chamber beyond the capacity of the condensation process, and insulation, heater and structure to prevent condensation about the chamber exteriorly thereof and at the atmospheric interface with ambient temperature and ambient atmosphere.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul R Grossman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 15:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 56
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples in equidistant relationship with and radially, outwardly of said conduit means, and means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and the same atmosphere and in the opposite direction through said conduit means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples in equidistant relationship with and radially, outwardly of said conduit means, and means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and the same atmosphere and in the opposite direction through said conduit means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples in equidistant relationship with and radially, outwardly of said conduit means, and means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and the same atmosphere and in the opposite direction through said conduit means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
90 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples in equidistant relationship with and radially, outwardly of said conduit means, and means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and the same atmosphere and in the opposite direction through said conduit means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said housing has an exterior wall, said test panels are arranged symmetrically about and in spaced relationship with said wall, and said apparatus includes means at least partially isolating the space between said panels and wall from the interior of said housing surrounding said conduit whereby the test atmosphere in said space can be controlled to have different characteristics from that in the said interior of said housing surrounding said conduit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the atmosphere in said housing circulates into said space between said panels and wall and is controlled to have a lower temperature than the atmosphere intermediate said conduit means and test panels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus according to claim 2 with means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
197 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall and adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples arranged symmetrically about and in spaced relationship with said wall, outwardly of said conduit means, said apparatus includes means at least partially isolating the space between said panels and wall from the interior of said housing surrounding said conduit, means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and in the opposite direction through said conduit means, and means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere to cause said test gas or atmosphere to be at 100 percent relative humidity and the gas or atmosphere in said space to be at a temperature lower than that of the test gas or atmosphere surrounding said conduit means sufficient to reduce the temperature of the test sample adjacent said test gas or atmosphere below the dew point of said test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
197 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall and adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples arranged symmetrically about and in spaced relationship with said wall, outwardly of said conduit means, said apparatus includes means at least partially isolating the space between said panels and wall from the interior of said housing surrounding said conduit, means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and in the opposite direction through said conduit means, and means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere to cause said test gas or atmosphere to be at 100 percent relative humidity and the gas or atmosphere in said space to be at a temperature lower than that of the test gas or atmosphere surrounding said conduit means sufficient to reduce the temperature of the test sample adjacent said test gas or atmosphere below the dew point of said test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, in which said space is maintained at said lower temperature by action and effect of the ambient temperatures without and adjacent said wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 with means for rotating said housing about said axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 5 with reservoir means containing water opening into said housing without said space, and means to heat said water to evaporate the same.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus according to claim 8 in which said reservoir comprises an open pan, said housing has an open end defined by said wall and said wall terminates within said pan and below the level of the water contained therein.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus according to claim 9 in which said conduit extends below said reservoir and said apparatus includes an aperture in said conduit means above said resErvoir and below the lowermost of said panels, and said aperture provides communication between said interior of said housing, intermediate said panels and said conduit means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 in which said conduit extends below said reservoir and including means in communication with said conduit means below said aperture for educting test atmosphere, including excess water vapor, exteriorly of said test apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 in which said last-named means educts said water vapor without condensation of water vapor because of such eduction.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
68 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 in which said last-named means comprises a baffle means in said conduit means more remote from said panels than said aperture and substantially, but not entirely closing said conduit, an exhaust duct leading from said conduit means more remote from said aperture than said baffle and, and exhaust fan exhausting atmosphere including water vapor from said conduit means through said exhaust duct.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 in which said last-named means educts said water vapor without condensation of water vapor because of such eduction.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus according to claim 14 including an auxiliary inlet to said exhaust fan in communication with ambient air, said exhaust fan mixing said exhaust atmosphere and ambient air before expelling the mixture thereof from the apparatus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus according to claim 15 with means to insulate said conduit means more remote from said panels than said baffle means, and means to admit ambient air to said conduit means more remote from said baffle means than said exhaust duct.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 including an intake duct leading from the ambient atmosphere without said housing to said conduit means more remote from said panels than said aperture, and an intake fan to force air through said intake duct and into said recirculation system.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 17 with means intermediate said conduit means and intake fan to control flow through said intake duct.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 17 with means to heat the air within said intake and exhaust ducts.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 19 in which said heating means comprises electrical resistance heating wire wrapped around said ducts, respectively.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus according to claim 17 in which said baffle means is disposed to direct the flow of test gas and atmosphere through said aperture toward said circulating fan, said baffle means has a central opening, and said intake duct directs said air through said central opening toward said circulating fan.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus according to claim 21 in which said baffle means comprises a truncated hollow cone with its base opening toward said intake duct and its top opening toward said circulating fan.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 with means to heat said conduit means above said pan and adjacent said aperture to a temperature above the heated water temperature.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus according to claim 23 in which said last-named means comprises the means for heating the water and insulation so positioned that heat is directed against and toward said conduit means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 with baffle means in said conduit means adjacent said aperture and disposed to direct the flow of gas or atmosphere through said aperture along said conduit means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 in which said circulating means includes a fan disposed in said conduit means above said aperture and moving atmosphere through said aperture and along said conduit means to the other end of said housing to form a recirculating system.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 26 with baffle means in said conduit adjacent said aperture directing test gas or atmosphere flowing through said aperture toward said fan.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus according to claim 5 with means to introduce water vapor into said atmosphere.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 28 including means for educting test atmosphere, including excess water vapor, exteriorly of said test apparatus.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to claim 5 with means to introduce a test gas into said housing.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
65 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall, means for mounting test panels in said housing in spaced relationship with said exterior wall, said test panels dividing said housing into first and second portions whereby the test atmosphere in said first portion can be controlled to have different characteristics from that in the said second portion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
65 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall, means for mounting test panels in said housing in spaced relationship with said exterior wall, said test panels dividing said housing into first and second portions whereby the test atmosphere in said first portion can be controlled to have different characteristics from that in the said second portion.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus according to claim 31 wherein the test atmosphere in the said housing circulates into said first and second portions and said test atmosphere is controlled to have a lower temperature in said first portion than in said second portion.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus according to claim 32 with means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 33 with reservoir means containing water opening into said housing without said space, and means to heat said water to evaporate the same.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
155 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall, a test atmosphere or gas in said housing, means for mounting test panels in said housing and arranged about and in spaced relationship with said wall, means at least partially isolating the space between said panels and wall from the interior of said housing interiorly of said panels, said atmosphere circulating into said space between said panels and wall, and means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere to cause said test gas or atmosphere to be at 100 percent relative humidity and the gas or atmosphere in said space to be at a temperature lower than that of the test gas or atmosphere interior of said panels sufficient to reduce the temperature of the test sample adjacent said test gas or atmosphere below the dew point of said test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
155 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall, a test atmosphere or gas in said housing, means for mounting test panels in said housing and arranged about and in spaced relationship with said wall, means at least partially isolating the space between said panels and wall from the interior of said housing interiorly of said panels, said atmosphere circulating into said space between said panels and wall, and means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere to cause said test gas or atmosphere to be at 100 percent relative humidity and the gas or atmosphere in said space to be at a temperature lower than that of the test gas or atmosphere interior of said panels sufficient to reduce the temperature of the test sample adjacent said test gas or atmosphere below the dew point of said test gas or atmosphere.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus according to claim 35 in which said space is maintained at said lower temperature by action and effect of the ambient temperatures without and adjacent said wall.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus according to claim 35 with reservoir means comprising an open pan containing water opening into said housing without said space, said housing has an open end defined by said wall and said wall terminates within said pan and below the level of the water contained therein, and means to heat said water to evaporate the same.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 37 including means in communication with said housing interiorly of said panels for educting test atmosphere, including excess water vapor, exteriorly of said test apparatus.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 38 in which said last-named means educts said water vapor without condensation of water vapor because of such eduction.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
83 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weather comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, means to control the nature of said test atmosphere, means for mounting test panels or samples within said housing, said test panels dividing said housing into first and second portions, means in communication with said housing for educting the test atmosphere exteriorly of said apparatus, and said first and second portions each adapted to contain part of said test atmosphere individually.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
83 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weather comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, means to control the nature of said test atmosphere, means for mounting test panels or samples within said housing, said test panels dividing said housing into first and second portions, means in communication with said housing for educting the test atmosphere exteriorly of said apparatus, and said first and second portions each adapted to contain part of said test atmosphere individually.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
37 words
The test apparatus according to claim 36 in which said means to control the nature of said test atmosphere includes means to introduce water vapor therein and said eduction means includes means to educt excess water vapor.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 41 in which said educting means educts said water vapor without condensation of water vapor because of such eduction.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 41 includIng reservoir means having an upper open end in said housing for providing water vapor.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to claim 41 in which said apparatus includes conduit means, said panels are disposed about said conduit means, and said test gas or atmosphere circulates in one direction in said conduit means and in the opposite direction without said conduit means.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 44 in which said eduction means is in communication with said conduit means.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
201 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weather comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, means for mounting test panels or samples within said housing, means to control the nature of said test atmosphere including means to introduce water vapor therein, conduit means, said panels disposed about said conduit means, reservoir means having an upper open end in said housing for providing water vapor, said conduit means extending below said reservoir means, an aperture in said conduit means above said open end of said reservoir means, baffle means in said conduit means nearer said open end of said reservoir means than said aperture, an exhaust duct leading from said conduit means more remote from said aperture than said baffle means, an exhaust fan exhausting atmosphere including water vapor from said conduit means through said exhaust duct, said test gas or atmosphere circulates in one direction in said conduit means and in the opposite direction without said conduit means, and means in communication with said housing for educting test atmosphere exteriorly of said apparatus, said eduction means including means to educt excess water vapor, and said eduction means being in communication with said conduit means.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
201 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weather comprising a housing adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, means for mounting test panels or samples within said housing, means to control the nature of said test atmosphere including means to introduce water vapor therein, conduit means, said panels disposed about said conduit means, reservoir means having an upper open end in said housing for providing water vapor, said conduit means extending below said reservoir means, an aperture in said conduit means above said open end of said reservoir means, baffle means in said conduit means nearer said open end of said reservoir means than said aperture, an exhaust duct leading from said conduit means more remote from said aperture than said baffle means, an exhaust fan exhausting atmosphere including water vapor from said conduit means through said exhaust duct, said test gas or atmosphere circulates in one direction in said conduit means and in the opposite direction without said conduit means, and means in communication with said housing for educting test atmosphere exteriorly of said apparatus, said eduction means including means to educt excess water vapor, and said eduction means being in communication with said conduit means.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
144 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples arranged symmetrically about and in spaced relationship with said wall, outwardly of said conduit means, said apparatus includes said panels and wall from the interior of said housing surrounding said conduit means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and in the opposite direction through said conduit means, means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere, and reservoir means containing water opening into said housing without said space, and means to heat said water to evaporate the same.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
144 words
A testing apparatus for simulating the effects of natural weathering comprising a housing having an exterior wall adapted to have a test atmosphere or gas therein, a central axis, conduit means disposed in said housing and extending along said axis, means for mounting test panels or samples arranged symmetrically about and in spaced relationship with said wall, outwardly of said conduit means, said apparatus includes said panels and wall from the interior of said housing surrounding said conduit means for circulating the atmosphere in said housing in one direction across and in functional engagement with said test panels or samples and in the opposite direction through said conduit means, means to control the temperature and content of the test gas or atmosphere, and reservoir means containing water opening into said housing without said space, and means to heat said water to evaporate the same.
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) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |