Temperature controlling apparatus for use with pore volume and surface area analyzers

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said step of conducting said liquid along said vessel comprises conducting said liquid by capillary action.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of thermally shielding said liquid being conducted along said vessel from ambient temperature .Iadd.with an insulating layer contacting the outer surface of said wick.Iaddend..

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein said step of shielding said liquid from ambient temperature comprises conducting ambient heat to the surface of said liquid in said container.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said .[.means for conducting said liquid.]. .Iadd.wick .Iaddend.comprises means for conducting said liquid by capillary action.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for conducting said liquid by capillary action comprises .[.a wick including.]. connected capillary passageways .[.and.]. .Iadd.in said wick, said wick .Iaddend.extending from below the surface of said liquid to said predetermined point.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said capillary passageways have an average diameter of about 20 microns.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7, further comprises a thermally insulating layer contacting the outer surface of said wick and extending below the surface of said liquid.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises a sleeve surrounding said vessel, and further comprising: an insulating sleeve surrounding the outer surface of said wick; and a heat conducting sleeve surrounding said first insulating sleeve.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said insulating sleeve comprises epoxy-filled woven glass filaments.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said heat conducting sleeve comprises a heat conductive metal.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said metal comprises copper.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises fibrous material.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wick comprises refractory fibers.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wick comprises spun kaolin clay.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wick comprises glass fibers.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wick comprises cellulose fibers.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises packed particles.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises porous ceramic material.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said liquid comprises liquid nitrogen.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises a material capable of retaining capillary properties upon being cooled to the temperature of liquid nitrogen.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wick comprises a sleeve surrounding said vessel, and further comprises an outer sleeve of material impervious to said liquid, surrounding said wick.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said outer sleeve comprises a heat insulating material.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said outer sleeve comprises epoxy-filled woven glass filaments.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said outer sleeve comprises a refractory material.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said wick and sleeve are one with the inner region being porous and the outer surface fused into an impermeable barrier.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said outer sleeve comprises a heat conducting material.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said outer sleeve comprises an impervious layer formed of the material of said wick.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said predetermined point is as much as 10 inches above the surface of said liquid.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said said liquid comprises liquid nitrogen.

Claim 38

from ambient temperature. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel being immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; a layer of wick material for conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid; and a liquid impermeable layer contacting the outer surface of said wick material, said liquid impermeable layer being open to said liquid at or below the surface of said liquid and open to the ambient atmosphere at

Claim 39

from ambient temperature. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel being immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; a layer of wick material for conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid; and a liquid impermeable layer contacting the outer surface of said wick material, said liquid impermeable layer being open to said liquid at or below the surface of said liquid and open to the ambient atmosphere at

Claim 40

said point on said vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel being, immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; and a wick conforming in shape to at least a portion of said vessel, said wick being attached to said vessel so as to extend from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid; said wick conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point, regardless of

Claim 41

said point on said vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel being, immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; and a wick conforming in shape to at least a portion of said vessel, said wick being attached to said vessel so as to extend from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid; said wick conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point, regardless of

Claim 42

changes in the level of the surface of said liquid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said wick is removably attached to said

Claim 43

vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel defining a tubular portion immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; and a sleeve of wick material inserted onto said tubular portion of said vessel so as to extend from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid; said wick material conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point, regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid.

Claim 44

vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel defining a tubular portion immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; and a sleeve of wick material inserted onto said tubular portion of said vessel so as to extend from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point on said vessel above the surface of said liquid; said wick material conducting said liquid from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point, regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid.

Claim 45

.Iaddend. .Iadd.39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said wick is

Claim 46

removably attached to said vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel positioned in a container of volatile cooling liquid of the type in which the vessel is immersed partly in said cooling liquid and cooling liquid is conducted to non-immersed parts of the vessel, comprising: a wick connected to said vessel and extending from under the surface of said cooling liquid to above the surface, said wick maintaining a lower than ambient temperature at the surface of said vessel along the entire length of said wick. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41. A method of cooling a sample, comprising the steps of: placing said sample in a vessel, said vessel defining an elongate tubular portion thereof; inserting a sleeve of wick material over said tubular portion of said vessel until said sleeve extends from a predetermined point along said tubular portion downwardly along said tubular portion; immersing said vessel into a container of a volatile cooling liquid until said sleeve of wick material is partially immersed in said cooling liquid and said predetermined point is above the surface of said cooling liquid; conducting said liquid through said wick from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point; and maintaining the position of said vessel with respect to said container regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said cooling liquid.

Claim 47

removably attached to said vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in a vessel positioned in a container of volatile cooling liquid of the type in which the vessel is immersed partly in said cooling liquid and cooling liquid is conducted to non-immersed parts of the vessel, comprising: a wick connected to said vessel and extending from under the surface of said cooling liquid to above the surface, said wick maintaining a lower than ambient temperature at the surface of said vessel along the entire length of said wick. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41. A method of cooling a sample, comprising the steps of: placing said sample in a vessel, said vessel defining an elongate tubular portion thereof; inserting a sleeve of wick material over said tubular portion of said vessel until said sleeve extends from a predetermined point along said tubular portion downwardly along said tubular portion; immersing said vessel into a container of a volatile cooling liquid until said sleeve of wick material is partially immersed in said cooling liquid and said predetermined point is above the surface of said cooling liquid; conducting said liquid through said wick from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container to said predetermined point; and maintaining the position of said vessel with respect to said container regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said cooling liquid.

Claim 48

.Iaddend. .Iadd.42. A method of cooling a sample contained in a vessel, comprising the steps of: immersing said vessel in a container of volatile cooling liquid with a portion of said vessel extending above the surface of said liquid; conducting said liquid by capillary action from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point along the length of said vessel, said point being above the surface of said liquid, regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid; and thermally shielding said liquid being conducted along said vessel from ambient temperature by conducting ambient heat to the surface of said liquid in said container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.43. An apparatus for cooling a sample contained in an elongate vessel, comprising: a container of volatile cooling liquid, said vessel being immersed in said liquid and extending above the surface of said liquid; and means for conducting said liquid by capillary action from a location at or below the surface of said liquid in said container along said vessel to a predetermined point along the length of said vessel, said point being above the surface of said liquid, regardless of changes in the level of the surface of said liquid, comprising a wick including connected capillary passageways and extending from below the surface of said liquid to said predetermined point. .Iaddend. .Iadd.44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising a thermally insulating layer contacting the outer surface of said wick and extending below the surface of said liquid. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said wick comprises a sleeve surrounding said vessel, and further comprises an outer sleeve of material impervious to said liquid, surrounding said wick. .Iaddend. .Iadd.46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said outer sleeve comprises a

Claim 49

heat conducting material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said outer sleeve comprises an impervious layer formed of the material of said wick. .Iaddend.