US 5,566,853 A · Apparatus for sealing a vessel under pressure

Abstract

An apparatus and method for sealing a vessel or capsule under pressure comprises a preferred embodiment closure feature provided on a closure plate or metal wall to be sealed. The closure feature comprises a raised symmetrical protrusion having a small diameter elongated capillary aperture extending completely therethrough. The exposed end of the raised protrusion is heated by rodless welding to a molten state after filling the associated vessel. Then the exposed end of the cylindrical protrusion is allowed to cool while the surface tension of the metal in a molten state forms a convex bubble shape which completely closes the capillary in the exposed end of the cylindrical protrusion and maintains the heat affected zone from progressing radially outward where cracks could occur.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Apparatus for sealing a vessel under pressure, comprising:

a closure plate having a metal wall to be sealed,
a raised closure feature on said wall to be sealed comprising a symmetrical protrusion having a small diameter elongated capillary aperture less than one ten thousandths of an inch extending completely through the raised closure feature and said metal wall before being sealed, and
said raised closure feature having a symmetrical protrusion rising above the adjacent metal to enable an exposed end of the protrusion to be heated to a molten state before said adjacent metal wall to permit solidification of the molten end of the protrusion to form an imperforate end closure of said capillary aperture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for sealing a vessel under pressure

Life of this patent

Apparatus for sealing a vessel under pressure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10