Sampling apparatus

Claim 2

An improved apparatus for the collection of atmospheric samples comprising: a sealed manually collapsible receptacle including a hollow body comprising base and top elements and side walls, at least said side walls comprising a flexible thermoplastic or elasteromeric material sufficiently flexible to allow easy manual compression; venting means for the controlled introduction of the atmosphere surrounding said apparatus into said receptacle; said venting mean comprising one or more resilient penetrable septum members fixedly attached and sealed to said receptacle, and a hollow needle member having an aperture proximate its sharpened tip, said hollow needle member being insertable through said septum whereby gaseous atmosphere may pass into said receptacle; and actuating means for automatically, controllably and progressively expanding said receptacle after the compression thereof, said expansion thereby creating a vacuum in said receptacle, said controlled expansion being effective to aspirate a measured volume of atmosphere per unit of time through said venting means and into said receptacle; and sample removal means for permitting the withdrawal of a desired quantity of said retained atmosphere from within said receptacle, as required.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a multiplicity of accordian pleats formed in said side walls of said receptacle, said side walls being of sufficient resiliency to expand said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a multiplicity of corrugations formed in said side walls of said receptacle, said side walls being of sufficient resiliency to expand said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a plurality of resilient coil spring members contained within and disposed about the side walls of said receptacle, said coil spring or springs being of sufficient resiliency to expand said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a plurality of resilient coil spring members attached to and interposed between a base member and said receptacle for the progressive expansion of said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said receptacle comprises a bellows formed of material of sufficient resiliency to return to a normal expanded position after compression thereof, said bellows comprising a hollow body having top and base elements connected by a pleated side wall constructed and arranged for the compression of said bellows to a condition of substantially minimum volume by collapsing of said side wall.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said hollow needle comprises a 27-gauge hypodermic needle.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1 in which said apparatus provides time weighted average samples of said surrounding atmosphere for chemical analysis thereof.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 8 in which said apparatus controllably draws a stream of said surrounding atmosphere into said apparatus for a period of substantially eight hours, thereby permitting withdrawal of an atmospheric sample having an average concentration of the chemicals present in said atmosphere over an eight hour period.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 1 in which said sample removal means comprises a hypodermic syringe adapted for penetration and withdrawal of a desired quantity of the atmosphere to be sampled from said apparatus through one of said septums or through said receptacle.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 10 in which said sample removal means further comprises a sealed vacuum tube member adapted for injection of said desired quantity of atmosphere by said hypodermic syringe and for the retention thereof.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 1 or 3 or 7 in which said flexible material comprises a silicone elastomer.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 1 or 3 or 7 in which said flexible material comprises a polyethylene or polypropylene.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 14 including the additional steps of: inserting a hypodermic syringe into said receptacle; drawing a measured quantity of said atmosphere into said syringe; and injecting said measured quantity of said atmosphere into a gas chromatograph for chemical analysis thereof.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 14 including the additional steps of: inserting a hypodermic syringe into said receptacle; injecting said measured quantity of said atmosphere into a sealed vacuum tube and withdrawing said syringe; transporting said vacuum tube to the location of a gas chromatograph; injecting a hypodermic syringe into said sealed vacuum tube; drawing a measured quantity of said atmosphere into said syringe; and injecting said measured quantity of said atmosphere into a gas chromatograph for chemical analysis thereof.

Claim 19

An improved apparatus for the collection of atmospheric samples comprising: a sealed manually collapsible receptacle including a hollow body comprising base and top elements and side walls, at least said side walls comprising a flexible thermoplastic or elasteromeric material sufficiently flexible to allow easy manual compression; venting means for the controlled introduction of the atmosphere surrounding said apparatus into said receptacle; actuating means for automatically, controllably and progressively expanding said receptacle after the compression thereof, said expansion thereby creating a vacuum in said receptacle, said controlled expansion being effective to aspirate a measured volume of atmosphere per unit of time through said venting means and into said receptacle; sample removal means for permitting the withdrawal of a desired quantity of said retained atmosphere from within said receptacle, as required; said actuating means comprising a plurality of resilient coil spring members attached to and interposed between a base member and said receptacle for the progressive expansion of said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof; and said base member further comprises marking means uniformly disposed along its length for providing alpha-numeric indicia of the size of and volume of air contained within said receptacle.

Claim 20

An improved apparatus for the collection of atmospheric samples comprising: a sealed manually collapsible receptacle including a hollow body comprising base and top elements and side walls, at least said side walls comprising a flexible thermoplastic or elasteromeric material sufficiently flexible to allow easy manual compression; venting means for the controlled introduction of the atmosphere surrounding said apparatus into said receptacle; actuating means for automatically, controllably and progressively expanding said receptacle after the compression thereof, said expansion thereby creating a vacuum in said receptacle, said controlled expansion being effective to aspirate a measured volume of atmosphere per unit of time through said venting means and into said receptacle; sample removal means for permitting the withdrawal of a desired quantity of said retained atmosphere from within said receptacle, as required; said actuating means comprising a plurality of resilient coil spring members attached to and interposed between a base member and said receptacle for the progressive expansion of said receptacle to a substantially open position after the compression thereof; and said base member further comprises marking means uniformly disposed along its length for providing alpha-numeric indicia of the size of and volume of air contained within said receptacle.

Claim 21

An improved apparatus for the collection of atmospheric samples comprising: a sealed manually collapsible receptacle including a hollow body comprising base and top elements and side walls, at least said side walls comprising a flexible thermoplastic or elasteromeric material sufficiently flexible to allow easy manual compression; venting means for the controlled introduction of the atmosphere surrounding said apparatus into said receptacle; actuating means for automatically, controllably and progressively expanding said receptacle after the compression thereof, said expansion thereby creating a vacuum in said receptacle, said controlled expansion being effective to aspirate a measured volume of atmosphere per unit of time through said venting means and into said receptacle; said actuating means comprising; suspension means for suspending said receptacle at a first end; weight means adjacent the second end of said receptacle for controllably drawing said receptacle open by means of gravitational force; and sample removal means for permitting the withdrawal of a desired quantity of said retained atmosphere from within said receptacle, as required.

Claim 22

An improved apparatus for the collection of atmospheric samples comprising: a sealed manually collapsible receptacle including a hollow body comprising base and top elements and side walls, at least said side walls comprising a flexible thermoplastic or elasteromeric material sufficiently flexible to allow easy manual compression; venting means for the controlled introduction of the atmosphere surrounding said apparatus into said receptacle; actuating means for automatically, controllably and progressively expanding said receptacle after the compression thereof, said expansion thereby creating a vacuum in said receptacle, said controlled expansion being effective to aspirate a measured volume of atmosphere per unit of time through said venting means and into said receptacle; said actuating means comprising; suspension means for suspending said receptacle at a first end; weight means adjacent the second end of said receptacle for controllably drawing said receptacle open by means of gravitational force; and sample removal means for permitting the withdrawal of a desired quantity of said retained atmosphere from within said receptacle, as required.