Apparatus for maintaining a pressurized liquid-gas interface within a conduit

Claim 1

Apparatus for establishing and fixing a liquid-gas interface within a substantially horizontal conduit, comprising: a. an elongated substantially horizontal conduit having a gas section connected with a source of gas under pressure and an adjoining liquid section connected with a source of liquid under pressure whereby both the gas and liquid are motivated by the pressure of their source to extend through the conduit counter to each other; b. a closed chamber interposed into the substantially horizontal conduit at approximately the location of the liquid-gas interface to be established and fixed between the pressurized gas and liquid section of the conduit and connected in direct fluid communication with each of said sections, said closed chamber extending downward from the level of the substantially horizontal conduit for a substantial distance to provide a gravity feeding liquid reservoir chamber depending therefrom; c. a drain outlet connected with a lower portion of the closed chamber and a drain valve located in said drain outlet for controlling the discharge of liquid from the closed chamber; and d. a pressure sensing regulator operating the drain valve and having pressure monitoring means responding to the pressure of the gas in the gas section of the conduit and the combined pressure of the gas with the pressure attributable to the weight of the liquid head contained within the closed chamber whereby the accumulation of liquid within the interposed closed chamber overcomes a predetermined balance of pressure between the source of gas and source of liquid and activates the drain valve to discharge liquid from the closed chamber.

Claim 8

An apparatus for the continuous manufacture of insulated electrical conductors covered with heat cured polymeric compositions, comprising a combination of an extruder for the continuous formation of a covering of heat curable polymeric material about an elongated electrical conductor moving therethrough, connected in sequence with a gas heated curing means and a liquid cooling means comprising a substantially horizontal conduit having a section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and a section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure for the continuous heat curing and then cooling under a substantially consistent pressure of the insulating covering of the curable polymeric material about the electrical conductor moving from the extruder through the conduit, said substantially horizontal conduit having a closed chamber interposed therein between and in direct fluid communication with the section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and the section supplied with a cooling Liquid under pressure, said closed chamber extending downward from the level of the substantially horizontal conduit for a substantial distance to provide a gravity feeding liquid reservoir chamber depending therefrom; a drain outlet connected with a lower portion of the closed chamber and a drain valve located in said drain outlet for controlling the discharge of liquid from the closed chamber; and, a pressure sensing regulator operating the drain valve and having pressure monitoring means responding to the pressure of the gas in the gas section of the conduit and the combined pressure of the gas with the pressure attributable to the weight of the liquid head contained within the closed chamber whereby the accumulation of liquid within the interposed closed chamber overcomes a predetermined balance of pressure between the source of gas and source of liquid and activates the drain valve to discharge liquid from the closed chamber.

Claim 9

An apparatus for the continuous manufacture of insulated electrical conductors covered with heat cured polymeric compositions, comprising a combination of an extruder for the continuous formation of a covering of heat curable polymeric material about an elongated electrical conductor moving therethrough, connected in sequence with a gas heated curing means and a liquid cooling means comprising a substantially horizontal conduit having a section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and a section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure for the continuous heat curing and then cooling under a substantially consistent pressure of the insulating covering of the curable polymeric material about the electrical conductor moving from the extruder through the conduit, said substantially horizontal conduit having a closed chamber interposed therein between and in direct fluid communication with the section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and the section supplied with a cooling Liquid under pressure, said closed chamber extending downward from the level of the substantially horizontal conduit for a substantial distance to provide a gravity feeding liquid reservoir chamber depending therefrom; a drain outlet connected with a lower portion of the closed chamber and a drain valve located in said drain outlet for controlling the discharge of liquid from the closed chamber; and, a pressure sensing regulator operating the drain valve and having pressure monitoring means responding to the pressure of the gas in the gas section of the conduit and the combined pressure of the gas with the pressure attributable to the weight of the liquid head contained within the closed chamber whereby the accumulation of liquid within the interposed closed chamber overcomes a predetermined balance of pressure between the source of gas and source of liquid and activates the drain valve to discharge liquid from the closed chamber.

Claim 12

An apparatus for the continuous manufacture of insulated electrical conductors covered with heat cured polymeric compositions, comprising a combination of an extruder for the continuous formation of a covering of heat curable polymeric material about an elongated electrical conductor moving therethrough, connected in sequence with a gas heated curing means and a liquid cooling means comprising a substantially horizontal conduit having a section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and a section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure for the continuous heat curing and then cooling under substantially constant pressure of the insulating covering of the curable polymeric material about the electrical conductor moving from the extruder through the conduit, said substantially horizontal conduit having a closed chamber interposed therein between and in direct fluid communication with the section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and the section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure, said closed chamber extending downward from the level of the substantially horizontal conduit for a substantial distance to provide a gravity feeding liquid reservoir chamber depending therefrom; a portion of the section of the conduit supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure which connects with the closed chamber having an enlarged cross sectional area of at least about twice the area of the remainder of the section supplied with a cooling liquid; a tubular leg depending from a portion of the section of the conduit supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure which is adjacent to the closed chamber and connecting with the closed chamber at an intermediate portion thereof below the substantially horizontal conduit thereby providing a fluid communicating bypass connection between the section of the conduit with a cooling liquid under pressure and the closed chamber; a drain outlet connected with a lower portion of the closed chamber and a drain valve located in said drain outlet for controlling the discharge of liquid from the closed chamber; and, a pressure sensing regulator operating the drain valve and having pressure monitoring means responding to the pressure of the heating gas in the heating section of the conduit and the combined pressure of the gas with the pressure attributable to the weight of the cooling liquid head contained within the closed chamber whereby the accumulation of cooling liquid within the interPosed chamber overcomes a predetermined balance of pressure between the source of heating gas and the source of cooling liquid and activates the drain valve to discharge cooling liquid from the closed chamber.

Claim 13

An apparatus for the continuous manufacture of insulated electrical conductors covered with heat cured polymeric compositions, comprising a combination of an extruder for the continuous formation of a covering of heat curable polymeric material about an elongated electrical conductor moving therethrough, connected in sequence with a gas heated curing means and a liquid cooling means comprising a substantially horizontal conduit having a section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and a section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure for the continuous heat curing and then cooling under substantially constant pressure of the insulating covering of the curable polymeric material about the electrical conductor moving from the extruder through the conduit, said substantially horizontal conduit having a closed chamber interposed therein between and in direct fluid communication with the section supplied with a heated gas under pressure and the section supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure, said closed chamber extending downward from the level of the substantially horizontal conduit for a substantial distance to provide a gravity feeding liquid reservoir chamber depending therefrom; a portion of the section of the conduit supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure which connects with the closed chamber having an enlarged cross sectional area of at least about twice the area of the remainder of the section supplied with a cooling liquid; a tubular leg depending from a portion of the section of the conduit supplied with a cooling liquid under pressure which is adjacent to the closed chamber and connecting with the closed chamber at an intermediate portion thereof below the substantially horizontal conduit thereby providing a fluid communicating bypass connection between the section of the conduit with a cooling liquid under pressure and the closed chamber; a drain outlet connected with a lower portion of the closed chamber and a drain valve located in said drain outlet for controlling the discharge of liquid from the closed chamber; and, a pressure sensing regulator operating the drain valve and having pressure monitoring means responding to the pressure of the heating gas in the heating section of the conduit and the combined pressure of the gas with the pressure attributable to the weight of the cooling liquid head contained within the closed chamber whereby the accumulation of cooling liquid within the interPosed chamber overcomes a predetermined balance of pressure between the source of heating gas and the source of cooling liquid and activates the drain valve to discharge cooling liquid from the closed chamber.