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:
Jan. 07, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 29, 2000
Chad Evans Gill, Lynchburg, VA (US);
Mark Alan Klahn, Forest, VA (US);
Framatome ANP, Inc., Lynchburg, VA (US);
Abstract
A tube testing system consists of two subassemblies, the probe and the applicator. The probe uses a stack of Belleville style washers that when compressed allow the locking fingers to relax and the probe to be inserted into the tube. Once the probe is placed in the correct location using the applicator, the Belleville style washers are allowed to expand, locking in the fingers and engaging the urethane seals. As the water fills the tube, the air is pushed through a bleed hole in the mandrel of the probe. The bleed hole leads to a chamber in the top of the probe that contains a plastic ball. The ball floats on water and as the chamber fills, the ball seals off the leak path and the tube can then be pressurized and the test performed. Once the test is complete, the water is drained and using the applicator, the probe is removed from the tube.