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US 6,279,294 B1Granted
Apparatus and method for charging canisters with a high pressure gas
AssigneeRWC, Inc.
InventorsRonald W. Richardson, Jr., James Harrington
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for charging a closed metallic canister with a gas under pressure comprising means for forming a gas filling opening in the canister, and dispensing means for sequentially injecting a high pressure gas through the gas filling opening to charge the canister, and depositing and fusing a fusible body in the gas filling opening, while continuing to inject gas into the canister and utilize the force of the gas to urge the dispensing means into sealing engagement with the canister being charged.
Claims41
An apparatus for charging a closed metallic canister with a gas under pressure comprising:
- support means having a first canister loading an unloading station and second and third stations;
- at least one means disposed on said support means for removably retaining said canister in a predetermined orientation;
- second means for advancing said canister retaining means sequentially to said stations;
- third means disposed at said second station for forming an opening in a wall portion of said canister positioned in said second station;
- and
- fourth means disposed at said third station for sequentially injecting said gas under pressure through said opening into said canister positioned at said third station, and then depositing and fusing a fusible body in said openingto close said opening while maintaining said gas injected into said canister under pressure, including means utilizing the force exerted by said gas under pressure for urging a contact portion of said fourth means into sealing engagement with said canister during the gas injecting, fusible body depositing and fusible body fusing, in closing said gas filling opening.
3 more elements
An apparatus for charging a closed metallic canister having a cylindrical body portion and a rounded shoulder portion with a gas under pressure comprising:
- support means having a first canister loading and unloading station and second and third stations;
- at least one means for removable retaining said canister in a predetermined orientation;
- means for advancing said canister retaining means sequentially to said stations;
- means disposed at said second station for forming an opening in said rounded wall portion of said canister positioned at said second station including a piercing tool displaceable along a line of travel penetrating said rounded wall portion, said piercing tool having an end configuration and length of penetrating said rounded wall portion, said piercing tool having an end configuration and length of penetrating stroke to form an opening having diverging configuration providing a lower annular support surface for receiving and returning a fusible body;
- and
- means disposed at said third station for sequentially injecting said gas under pressure through said opening into said canister positioned at said third station, and the depositing and fusing a fusible body in said opening to close said opening while maintaining said gas injected into said canister under pressure, including means utilizing the force exerted by said gas under pressure for urging a contract portion of said fourth mentioned means into sealing engagement with said canister during the gas injecting, fusible body depositing and fusible body fusing, in closing said gas filling opening.
3 more elements
An apparatus for charging a closed metallic canister with a gas under pressure comprising:
- support means;
- means disposed on said support means for removably retaining said canister in a predetermined orientation;
- first means for advancing said canister retaining means, along a predetermined line of travel sequentially to at least two work stations;
- second means disposed at a first work station for forming a gas filling opening in a canister disposed on a retaining means located at said first work station and;
- third means disposed at a second work station operable to sequentially inject a gas under pressure into a canister disposed on a retaining means located at said second work station, through said gas filling opening, and then depositing and fusing a fusible body in said gas filling opening to close said opening while maintaining gas charged into said canister under pressure, including means utilizing the force exerted by said gas under pressure for urging a contact portion of said third means into sealing engagement with said canister during the gas injecting, fusible body depositing and fusible body fusing in closing said gas filling opening.
2 more elements
An apparatus for charging a gas under pressure into a metallic canister through a gas filling opening formed in a wall portion thereof and sealing said opening comprising:
- a member having a passageway therethrough, engageable with said canister wall portion about said gas filling opening therein, with the passageway thereof communicating with said gas filling opening;
- means for supplying a gas under pressure through said passageway of said member and said gas filling opening in said canister wall portion, and against a surface of said member to produce a force urging said member into sealing engagement with said canister wall portion about the periphery of said gas filling opening;
- means for dispensing a fusible ball through said passageway of said member to nest in said gas filling opening in said canister wall portion while continuing the supply of said gas under pressure;
- and
- means for extending a welding rod through said passageway of said member into engagement with said fusible ball nested in said gas filling opening in said canister wall portion while continuing to supply said gas under pressure through said passageway of said member and against said member to maintain said member in sealing engagement with said canister wall portion about said gas filling opening.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.