Gas pressure measuring and regulating device and method

A device for measuring and regulating the gas pressure within an enclosure, comprising:

• an elongate hollow barrel having a head end and a base end;
• a chamber within at least the base end of the barrel;
• a fitting at said base end of the barrel for communication with the pressure in said enclosure;
• a pressure indicator extending lengthwise on and along the outside of the barrel and having means communicating with said chamber;
• pressure sensitive means in said chamber connected to said pressure indicator by means of said communicating means and reacting to pressure communicated to said chamber through said fitting from said enclosure for operating said pressure indicator for indicating the pressure in said enclosure as reflected in said chamber;
• and manually operable means carried by said barrel for controlling the gas pressure within said chamber, and thereby regulating the pressure in said enclosure in accordance with the controlled pressure in said chamber.

A device for measuring and regulating the gas pressure within an enclosure, comprising:

• housing means providing an elongate hollow barrel;
• means for connecting a chamber at one end of the barrel in communication with pressure in said enclosure;
• a pressure indicator observable from the outside of the housing and having pressure sensitive means at said chamber adjacent to said connecting means for reacting to pressure communicated to said chamber from said enclosure;
• means carried by said housing means in association with said barrel for controlling the gas pressure within said chamber, and thereby through said connected means regulating the pressure in said enclosure in accordance with the controlled pressure in said chamber;
• said connecting means comprising a conduit having a stem projecting into said chamber;
• a reservoir defined alongside said stem and opening into said chamber and having said pressure sensitive means in the form of mercury in the reservoir, said reservoir being in communication with said pressure indicator;
• and a filter secured across said reservoir and permitting gas pressure to pass therethrough between said chamber and said reservoir, but being impervious to the mercury so as to provide a mercury barrier between said reservoir on the one hand and said chamber and said conduit at the inner end of said stem on the other hand.