Back to results
US 4,513,604 AGranted
Method and apparatus for indicating leakage in compressed air line
OwnerVirgil L. Frantz, Robert W. Bowlesinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerVirgil L. Frantz, Robert W. Bowlesinventors
Estimating the term…
Method and apparatus for indicating on a pressure differential gauge whether air leakage in a compressed air line is within a predetermined acceptable level, the gauge has pressure-responsive and manually shiftable pointers and is connectable in the air line across a first restriction in the line for indicating by the pressure-responsive pointer pressure differentials across the first restriction, and a second restriction temporarily insertable in the line downstream of the first restriction for passing air at a rate equal to the permissible air leakage from the line, and discharging air through the second restriction and indicating by the manually shiftable pointer the position of the pressure-responsive pointer during such discharge, the manually shiftable pointer after removal of the temporary restriction indicating by the relative position of the pressure-responsive pointer on charging of the line whether leakage therefrom is within acceptable limits.
A differential flowmeter connectable to a compressed gas line upstream and downstream of a restriction in said line, said flowmeter comprising a casing, a dial on said casing, a pointer pivotally mounted on said dial and responsive to pressure differentials across said restriction for indicating said differentials on a scale on said dial, a rim attached to said casing forwardly of said dial, a concentric cylindrical track on an inside of said rim, a circumferentially gapped radially expandable resilient band compressed into and rotatable in said track relative to said rim, and indicator/pointer fixed to said band for swinging therewith along said scale, and a positioning pin fixed to and projecting radially from said band through and substantially contained against accidental actuation in a circumferential slot in said rim for manually shifting said indicator/pointer along said scale against yieldable resistance between said band and track.
A method for indicating whether leakage from a compressed gas line is within or beyond a predetermined permissible maximum, comprising connection to said line across a first restriction therein a differential flowmeter having a pointer shiftable along a scale on a dial thereof in response to differential pressures thereon and an indicator manually shiftable along said scale, inserting in said line downstream of said first restriction a second restriction of a size to pass gas under the pressure normally applied to said line at a flow rate substantially equal to the permissible rate of leakage from said line, charging said line with compressed gas while discharging said gas at a controlled rate to atmosphere through said second restriction and consequently indicating on the dial by the pressure-responsive pointer the pressure differential across said first restriction during said discharge, and manually shifting said indicator to the position of the pressure-responsive pointer on said scale, said indicator on removal of said second restriction and recharging of said line indicating by the position relative thereto on said scale of the pressure-responsive pointer whether leakage of gas from the line downstream of the first restriction is within or beyond permissible limits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.