The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 26, 2026
Filed:
Jan. 27, 2022
Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA (US);
Scott Laymon, Kingston, GA (US);
Frederick A. Schweighardt, Cypress, TX (US);
Airgas, Inc., Radnor, PA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for providing an inert atmosphere to the inside of a piping assembly prior to and during welding, including a cannister, and a bladder which surrounds the cannister and fits inside of a piping assembly to be welded. The cannister including a purge gas inlet connection fluidically connected to a bladder fill conduit, a bladder return conduit fluidically connected to a pressure relief device, the pressure relief device fluidically connected to a reduced pressure purge gas conduit, a primary purge gas diffuser, a secondary purge gas diffuser, a tertiary purge gas diffuser, and purge gas exit holes. Wherein the bladder fill conduit is configured to introduce purge gas into the bladder. Wherein the bladder is configured to expand and form a seal between the cannister and the piping assembly to be welded. And, wherein the bladder return conduit is configured to evacuate excess purge gas from the bladder.