Apparatus for testing extruded tubing
AssigneePilot Industries, Inc.
InventorCharles J. Armentrout
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Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for testing the integrity of tubing formed by extruding material through an extrusion die. The apparatus includes a source of helium gas which is fluidly connected to the extrusion die so that helium gas is continuously introduced into the interior of the tube as it is formed during the extruding process. The extruded tubing is passed through an elongated inspection housing open at each end. The inspection housing has a cross-sectional inside shape greater than the cross-sectional shape of the tubing thus forming an annular chamber between the tubing and the interior of the inspection housing. A helium detector constantly monitors the atmosphere within the annular chamber and, whenever helium is detected, indicative that the tubing has a leak or the fault, activates an alarm.
Claims9
Apparatus for testing moving tubing continuously formed by extruding material through an extrusion die, said tubing having an interior formed downstream from the extrusion die, comprising
- a source of a preselected gas,
- means for supplying gas from said source into the interior of the tubing downstream from the extrusion die,
- an elongated inspection housing open at each end, said housing having an inside cross-sectional shaper greater than the cross-sectional shape of the tubing, said tubing passing through said housing,
- means for detecting the presence of said preselected gas in said housing and generating an output signal representative thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.