Wear indicator for material transfer systems

In combination with a material conveying system for transferring abrasive materials including a substantial length of transfer conduit having a tubular wall of substantial thickness with an exposed external wall surface and an interior material flow surface subjected to abrading wear by the flow of such transfer material thereagainst, the improvement comprising an early warning system for detecting wear-through of said tubular wall resulting from such abrasive wear, said early warning system comprising a visible indicator applied in intimate contact with an elongate section of said external wall surface, said visible indicator having means forming a distinguishable characteristic normally visibly discernible in situ along said elongate section of external wall surface and being subject to abrasive wear and obliteration substantially at the point of wear-through of an underlying portion of the tubular wall, said distinguishable characteristic of said visible indicator providing for visual inspection along the length of said transfer conduit to determine any obliterating wear-through and thus indicate the relative integrity or impending failure of the tubular wall and the location point of such obliterating wear-through thereof as it occurs, and a translucent or transparent outer containment layer encasing the external wall surface throughout its length and through which the condition of the visible indicator is discernible, said containment layer being constructed and arranged for confining the transfer material within the transfer conduit at the time of wear-through of said tubular wall and said visible indicator.

An early warning system in combination with a material transfer system having an elongated area to be monitored for internal wear caused by the erosive action of an abrasive transfer material as it flows past such monitored area, said material transfer system including a material transfer conduit of substantial length defining said elongated monitored area and having a glass tubular wall of substantial thickness with an inner wall surface forming the material flow passageway and with an outer wall surface;

• said early warning system comprising wear detection means intimately applied on an elongate section of said outer wall surface and defining therewith at least a part of said elongated monitored area, said wear detection means comprising a visible indicator having a distinguishable characteristic normally visually discernible in situ at said elongate section of said outer wall surface and being subject to obliteration upon erosive wear of the underlying portion of the tubular wall through the outer wall surface and through the wear detection means;
• a translucent or transparent outer containment layer of fiberglass encasing the outer wall surface of said tubular wall throughout its length and through which the condition of the distinguishable characteristic of said visible indicator is visibly discernible, said distinguishable characteristic of said visible indicator providing for visual inspection along the length of said material transfer system and the elongated monitored area thereof to determine the point of any obliterating wear-through and thus indicate the relative integrity or impending failure of the material transfer conduit and the location point of such obliterating wear-through thereof as it occurs, and said containment layer being constructed and arranged for confining the transfer material within the transfer conduit at the time of wear-through of said tubular wall and said wear detection means.