Thermocouple assembly

Claim 1

A process for forming a thermocouple apparatus, comprising the steps of (a) providing a tubular, electrically conductive, casing constituting a probe and characterized by a distant closed end and a proximate open end, the interior of said casing enclosing a pair of thermocouple wires joined together to form a thermocouple junction located adjacent said closed end, the wires thence extending lengthwise, insulatingly spaced apart laterally, and having their respective ends projecting beyond said open end, (b) providing a two-piece tubular transition fitting consisting of a body piece and a nose piece separable from said body piece, said pieces having cooperable coupling means, and the proximate end of said casing being lengthwise insertable for a short distance into said nose piece, (c) inserting the proximate end of said casing including said projecting thermocouple wires extending therethrough into said nosepiece and forming a fixed union by brazing the casing to the nose piece, (d) forming soldered unions between said projecting ends of the thermocouple wires and respective extension wires, adapted to transmit current developed at the thermocouple junction to a remote utilization device, and (e) joining said transition fitting to said nose piece by said cooperable coupling means and inserting into the tubular fitting encapsulation material positioned to hold said soldered unions insulatingly spaced apart and sealed within the fitting.