Abstract: A method for obtaining a gas sample from a sealed glass ampule containing a liquid and a gas, wherein the steps are immersing the sealed glass ampule in water beneath a collection chamber which is also immersed in water, breaking the glass ampule to permit the gas in the ampule to bubble upwardly into the collection chamber, inserting a hollow needle connected to a syringe into the collection chamber to obtain a sample of the bubbled gas, and injecting the obtained sample into a gas analyzer machine.

Abstract: A process for measuring the vapor transmission rate characteristics of a test material by first measuring the vapor transmission through a test chamber and sample material and subsequently repeating the measurement with the test material adjacent the sample material. By subtracting the first measured transmission rate reciprocal from the second measured transmission rate reciprocal, a value is determined which is the reciprocal of the vapor transmission rate characteristic of the test material.

Abstract: An automated gas sampling system for connection into an industrial packaging line, wherein packaged products are sealed in a product chamber. Apparatus as provided for obtaining a gas sample from inside the product package and for transferring the sample to a gas analyzer to record gas content during the operation of the product packaging line.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the gas transmission rate through contact lens material, and a method of measuring, using a test cell having an upper and lower gas chamber and separating the upper and lower chamber with a layered group of films, including a contact lens film material clamped between an upper and lower guard film, and flowing oxygen through the upper chamber and an inert gas through the lower chamber, the lower chamber being connected to a coulometric sensor to measure oxygen content in the inert gas at defined intervals, to obtain a first series of oxygen transmission rates. A second series of oxygen transmission rates are made with the same apparatus, but with the contact lens material removed from the apparatus, and the transmission rate through the contact lens material is calculated by subtracting the reciprocal of the second measured transmission rate from the reciprocal of the first measured transmission rate, then taking the reciprocal of the difference.

Abstract: A device for checking the weights of individual capsules in a stream of capsules by passing the stream of capsules past a capacitance sensor which measures the capacitance of each capsule as representative of the capsule weight, and passing the stream of capsules past a velocity sensor which measures the velocity of each capsule as representative of the capsule weight. The measured capacitance and measured velocity values are each compared against preset ranges of values, and a capsule is mechanically deflected from the moving stream if the comparison shows either measured value to be outside the respective preset range of values.

Abstract: A method for measuring the permeability of a gas through a material, wherein the steps include exposing the material to the gas to be measured and measuring the outgassing characteristics of the material over increments of time to develop exponential expressions representative of the measured amounts and solving the exponential expressions for the diffusion coefficient D and the solubility coefficient S; and then calculating the permeability of the material by forming the product of the diffusion coefficient D and the solubility coefficient S.

Abstract: A method for measuring the permeability of a gas through a material, wherein the steps include exposing the material to the gas to be measured and measuring the outgassing characteristics of the material over increments of time, to develop exponential expressions representative of the measured amounts, and solving the exponential expressions for the diffusion coefficient D and the solubility coefficient S; and then calculating the permeability of the material by forming the product of the diffusion coefficient D and the solubility coefficient S.

Abstract: An absorption cell of the type used to measure gas concentrations by pressure fluctuations of the concentrated gas in an IR radiation field, wherein the IR radiation through the field is affected by the pressurized gas fluctuations to thereby provide an electrical measurement of gas concentration. The sensitivity, linearity and accuracy of the measured gas concentration is improved by controlling the surface roughness of the interior walls of the measurement cell; the wall roughness is preferably controlled to between 15 and 70 microinches.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor constructed as a coulometric sensor and capable of detecting oxygen concentrations in the range of 1% or greater concentrations. The coulometric sensor utilizes a gas flow path which has a predetermined section constructed with oxygen-permeable tubing, wherein a portion of the oxygen flowing through the gas flow path will permeate into the sensor to generate an electric current flow indicative of the permeating oxygen level. The length of the tubing section which is constructed from oxygen-permeable material maybe selectively adjusted to control the relative attenuation of oxygen flow through the sensor.

Abstract: A system for measuring the permeability of membranes, particularly with reference to water vapor, utilizing a diffusion cell having a first water vapor chamber and a second gas flow chamber, the chambers being separated by the membrane to be tested. Gas flow through the gas flow chamber is conveyed to an infrared gas analyzer and to a gas flow sensor; the infrared analyzer provides an electrical signal representative of the water vapor content of the gas, and the gas flow sensor provides a signal representative of the rate of gas flow through the system; the analyzer signal is conveyed to an amplifier and the gas flow sensor signal is utilized to adjust the gain of the amplifier, the output of the amplifier thereby presenting a water vapor signal which has been adjusted to compensate for air flow through the system.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the capacitance of tablets of varying shapes and sizes by conveying the tablets along a curved path which includes a zone of travel between the plates of a capacitive sensing device. The tablets are conveyed in a relatively fixed orientation by constructing a guide channel including a fixedly-positioned curved guide spaced away from a rotatable disk, and wherein a resilient clamp is provided above the guide channel so as to compress the tablet against the rotatable disk during its path of travel.

Abstract: A method for reactivating and recovering electrolyte cells by drilling a hole through the battery case and injecting a volume of electrolyte liquid into the case for absorption into the cell separator material. The battery is subjected to multiple charge/discharge cycles while the cell opening remains unsealed, and is subjected to a final charge prior to sealing the drilled hole through the cell outer case.

Abstract: A system for measuring the transmission rate of volatile organic chemicals through a barrier material, where a barrier material sample is clamped in a test cell so as to form a chamber on both sides of the material, with a temperature-controlled test gas conveyed into one chamber and a temperature-controlled carrier gas conveyed through the other chamber. The carrier gas is passed through a cryotrap where the organic chemicals are collected, and the carrier gas with collected chemicals is then burned in a flame ionization detector to measure the quantity of organic chemicals.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding tablets in an aligned and uniformly oriented sequence onto a tablet measuring device, including a movable turntable having a deflector for guiding the tablets to a circumferential edge, a guide member and plow assembly respectively aligned in parallel and spaced apart relationship, the guide member having longitudinally-spaced air jets and the plow assembly having respective edge surfaces for slidably guiding tablets to a uniform orientation, and including a gate for removing particles and broken tablets from the channel to prevent them from being conveyed onto the measuring system.

Abstract: A rotatable capacitance sensor preferably constructed of a generally cylindrical body mounted on bearings to a carriage assembly. The body has a number of parallel, spaced apart conductive plates having edges extending through the exterior body surface, and alternate ones of the plates are connected via a bearing to a conductor in one part of the carriage assembly, and the remaining ones of the plates are connected via a bearing to a second conductor in another part of the carriage assembly.

Abstract: A rotatable capacitance sensor for detecting film thickness of a moving film web, the rotatable sensor having a capacitive element arranged to contact the moving web film, the capacitive element electrically connected to projecting shaft ends of the rotatable sensor, resilient conductors urged against the respective shaft ends, and an electrical shield overlaying the resilient conductors and the rotatable shaft, to electrically isolate shaft wobble from the surrounding housing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for extracting and measuring a gas sample from a package. The apparatus includes a hollow needle for puncturing the package, a suction pump for withdrawing a gas sample, and an intermediate sensor and valve to receive and direct gas flow through the system. The method includes puncturing the package, activating the suction pump for a predetermined time, equalizing the pressure drop across the sensor, and measuring the gas oxygen content.

Abstract: A rotatable capacitance sensor preferably constructed of a generally cylindrical body mounted on bearings to a carriage assembly. The body has a number of parallel, spaced apart conductive plates having edges extending through the exterior body surface, and alternate ones of the plates are connected via a bearing to a conductor in one part of the carriage assembly, and the remaining ones of the plates are connected via a bearing to a second conductor in another part of the carriage assembly.

Abstract: A sensor system for measuring the thickness of blown film, by mounting a linear motor system on either side of a collapsing frame to permit the linear travel of a forcer element substantially across the width of the collapsing frame. A sensor is affixed to the forcer element and is positioned in close contact with blown film surface, to provide a plurality of measurement samples of thickness during the traversal of the linear motor across the blown film surface.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for controlling the thickness of film made in a blown film machine having a rotating die, wherein a variable speed motor is used to control the haul-off speed of the film from the machine, by subdividing the die rotation into angular segments, measuring the blown film thickness at a point fixed in space and across each of the angular segments, and calculating an average film thickness for an angular segment, and comparing the measured thickness against a preselected desired thickness, and increasing or decreasing the speed of the variable speed motor to change the haul-off speed to bring the measured thickness into agreement with the preselected thickness.