Apparatus and method of detecting leaks in pressurized piping systems

Claim 1

An apparatus for detecting leaks in a pressurized liquid piping system comprising: a mounting frame; a fill cylinder attached to said frame, said fill cylinder including a movable liquid-tight piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said fill cylinder; a selectively closable test line port, and a selectively closable liquid product suction port formed in said fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston, and a vent port formed in said fill cylinder on the opposite side of said liquid-tight piston; means for connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; means for connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; means for determining the pressure of liquid product in the fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston; a pressure cylinder attached to said frame and being spaced from and coaxially aligned with said fill cylinder, said pressure cylinder including a movable pressure piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said pressure cylinder; a pressure regulator port formed in said pressure cylinder on one side of said pressure piston, and an access port formed in said pressure cylinder on the opposite side of said pressure piston; a connecting rod attached to and interconnecting said liquid-tight piston and said pressure piston, said rod being disposed to span the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder; means for applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through said pressure regulator port; means for applying pressure to the opposite side of the pressure piston through said access port; and means for indicating the position of said connecting rod relative to the frame in the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder, whereby movement of the rod toward the fill cylinder indicates a leak in the pressurized liquid piping system being tested.

Claim 2

An apparatus for detecting leaks in a pressurized liquid piping system comprising: a mounting frame; a fill cylinder attached to said frame, said fill cylinder including a movable liquid-tight piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said fill cylinder; a selectively closable test line port, and a selectively closable liquid product suction port formed in said fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston, and a vent port formed in said fill cylinder on the opposite side of said liquid-tight piston; means for connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; means for connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; means for determining the pressure of liquid product in the fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston; a pressure cylinder attached to said frame and being spaced from and coaxially aligned with said fill cylinder, said pressure cylinder including a movable pressure piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said pressure cylinder; a pressure regulator port formed in said pressure cylinder on one side of said pressure piston, and an access port formed in said pressure cylinder on the opposite side of said pressure piston; a connecting rod attached to and interconnecting said liquid-tight piston and said pressure piston, said rod being disposed to span the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder; means for applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through said pressure regulator port; means for applying pressure to the opposite side of the pressure piston through said access port; and means for indicating the position of said connecting rod relative to the frame in the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder, whereby movement of the rod toward the fill cylinder indicates a leak in the pressurized liquid piping system being tested.

Claim 12

A method of detecting leaks in a pressurized liquid piping system using an apparatus including a mounting frame; a fill cylinder attached to said frame, said fill cylinder including a movable liquid-tight piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said fill cylinder; a selectively closable test line port, and a selectively closable liquid product suction port formed in said fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston, and a vent port formed in said fill cylinder on the opposite side of said liquid-tight piston; means for connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; means for connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; means for determining the pressure of liquid product in the fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston; a pressure cylinder attached to said frame and being spaced from and coaxially aligned with said fill cylinder, said pressure cylinder including a movable pressure piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said pressure cylinder; a pressure regulator port formed in said pressure cylinder on one side of said pressure piston, and an access port formed in said pressure cylinder on the opposite side of said pressure piston; a connecting rod attached to and interconnecting said liquid-tight piston and said pressure piston, said rod being disposed to span the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder; means for applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through said pressure regulator port; means for applying pressure to the opposite side of the pressure piston through said access port; and means for indicating the position of said connecting rod relative to the frame in the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder, whereby movement of the rod toward the fill cylinder indicates a leak in the pressurized liquid piping system being tested, said method comprising the steps of: applying air pressure through said pressure regulator port to move the pressure piston and the interconnected liquid-tight piston to one end of their respective pressure cylinder and fill cylinder; closing the test line port; opening the liquid product suction port; connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; applying air pressure through the access port to move the pressure piston and the interconnected liquid-tight piston to draw liquid product into the fill cylinder through the liquid product suction port; closing the liquid product suction port; opening the test line port; applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through the pressure regulator port until the predetermined pressure is indicated on the liquid pressure determining means; monitoring the location of the rod position indicating means, wherein movement of the indicating means toward the fill cylinder indicates leakage of liquid product from the liquid piping system being tested at the constant predetermined pressure.

Claim 13

A method of detecting leaks in a pressurized liquid piping system using an apparatus including a mounting frame; a fill cylinder attached to said frame, said fill cylinder including a movable liquid-tight piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said fill cylinder; a selectively closable test line port, and a selectively closable liquid product suction port formed in said fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston, and a vent port formed in said fill cylinder on the opposite side of said liquid-tight piston; means for connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; means for connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; means for determining the pressure of liquid product in the fill cylinder on one side of said liquid-tight piston; a pressure cylinder attached to said frame and being spaced from and coaxially aligned with said fill cylinder, said pressure cylinder including a movable pressure piston disposed therein and being movable between opposite ends of said pressure cylinder; a pressure regulator port formed in said pressure cylinder on one side of said pressure piston, and an access port formed in said pressure cylinder on the opposite side of said pressure piston; a connecting rod attached to and interconnecting said liquid-tight piston and said pressure piston, said rod being disposed to span the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder; means for applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through said pressure regulator port; means for applying pressure to the opposite side of the pressure piston through said access port; and means for indicating the position of said connecting rod relative to the frame in the space between the fill cylinder and the pressure cylinder, whereby movement of the rod toward the fill cylinder indicates a leak in the pressurized liquid piping system being tested, said method comprising the steps of: applying air pressure through said pressure regulator port to move the pressure piston and the interconnected liquid-tight piston to one end of their respective pressure cylinder and fill cylinder; closing the test line port; opening the liquid product suction port; connecting said liquid product suction port to a supply of liquid product; connecting said test line port to a pressurized liquid piping system to be tested; applying air pressure through the access port to move the pressure piston and the interconnected liquid-tight piston to draw liquid product into the fill cylinder through the liquid product suction port; closing the liquid product suction port; opening the test line port; applying a predetermined pressure to one side of the pressure piston through the pressure regulator port until the predetermined pressure is indicated on the liquid pressure determining means; monitoring the location of the rod position indicating means, wherein movement of the indicating means toward the fill cylinder indicates leakage of liquid product from the liquid piping system being tested at the constant predetermined pressure.