Hose cooling chamber with cold gas recycle

Claim 1

A chamber for cooling a section of hose to a point where said hose section becomes sufficiently rigid to undergo subsequent treatment steps without becoming frozen or embrittled, said chamber comprising: (a) a tubular passageway extending axially through the chamber, said tubular passageway having a hose inlet and a hose outlet for permitting passage of the hose; (b) a means for sealing one end of the tubular passageway to prevent the passage of vapor into or out of that end of the passageway when the hose section is in the passageway; (c) a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the tubular passageway for introducing a cryogenic fluid into said passageway and against the surface of the hose section; (d) a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the tubular passageway positioned such that the fluid inlet is located intermediate the sealing means and the fluid outlet; and (e) a recycle loop having an entrance end in fluid communication with the tubular passageway at a point between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet and an exit end in fluid communication with the tubular passageway at a point between the sealing means and the fluid inlet.