Air-sampling cartridge

Claim 1

Apparatus for carrying an air-pervious packing of adsorbent material, and useful in combination therewith for collecting compounds from an air sample, comprising: a cartridge body including a thin, nearly cylindrical wall defining a cavity for receiving a packing of adsorbent material, said body having a first end open for admitting said packing and a hollow elongated outlet opposite said first end and having an outlet port therein; a cartridge cap having a hollow elongated inlet at one end thereof with an inlet port therein, said cap being sealably attachable to the first end of said cartridge body to form a cartridge; said inlet having an inner surface of a shape similar to the outer surface of said outlet to permit series connection of said cartridge to a second cartridge identical thereto by insertion of the outlet of one of said cartridges into the inlet of the other of said cartridges; retainer means in said cartridge body and said cartridge cap for, upon receipt of adsorbent material in said cavity, preventing the passage of adsorbent material through the outlet of said body and, after attachment of said cartridge cap to the body, through the inlet of said cap, said retainer means being porous to the flow of air and selected solvents therethrough; and a pair of shipping caps removably attachable to said inlet and said outlet for blocking the inlet port and outlet port at selected times, said caps being storable in a pair of wells formed in said cartridge body outside said nearly cylindrical wall; said outlet having an outer diameter appreciably smaller than the outer diameter of said inlet to avoid inadvertent connection of said outlet to a pump for air sampling.