Abstract:
A compressed air indicator includes a housing having a pair of fittings and at least one (1) external pressure status window. The housing allows an “in-line” connection to an air line allowing compressed air to pass through. Once connected, movable indicator sleeves within the housing are visible through any window. The indicator sleeves are acted upon and correspondingly positioned relative to each window based upon “pressure” or “no-pressure” conditions within the air line and the housing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 13/784,005, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to gas pressure indicators, and in particular, to an in-line pressure indicator for compressed air lines. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Air-operated tools, such as impact wrenches, cutting chisels, and the like, are common tools found in almost any mechanical shop, or motor vehicle repair center. Pneumatic power is also used to operate nail guns, pneumatic staplers, inflation devices, and other tools around homes and businesses. When such tools are connected to an air line, it is not intuitively obvious as to the presence of compressed air. The user must typically go ahead with the connection of the tool, and then try to operate the tool to determine proper air pressure. This results in much wasted time and possible repeated trips back and forth to the compressor just to begin work. Additionally, the lack of any indication may impact safety, should a user begin to work on a pneumatic piping system thinking it is unpressurized, when it is actually not. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a device which determines and indicates the presence of compressed air in a pneumatic system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for a device that can easily and quickly determine and indicate the presence of compressed air in a pneumatic system. The development of the present invention, which will be described in greater detail herein, substantially departs from conventional solutions to provide a compressed air indicator and in doing so fulfills this need. 
     In one (1) embodiment, the disclosed compressed gas indicating device can include a housing comprising a first and a second end and an outer wall defining a hollow interior, a dividing wall positioned within the hollow interior, the dividing wall defining an inner air chamber and an outer air chamber, the inner air chamber being pneumatically connected to the outer air chamber, a first indicator sleeve and a second indicator sleeve disposed within the outer air chamber, and at least one (1) window disposed within the outer wall, wherein both indicator sleeves are linearly movable such that the first indicator sleeve, in response to a presence of compressed gas within the inner chamber, is visible through any window, and the second indicator sleeve, in response to a lack of compressed gas within the inner chamber, is visible through any window. 
     In another embodiment, the disclosed compressed gas indicating device can include a housing comprising a first end and a second end cylindrical outer wall, defining a hollow interior, a cylindrical dividing wall positioned within the hollow interior, the dividing wall defining an inner air chamber and an outer air chamber, a plurality of weep apertures extending through the dividing wall from the inner chamber to the outer chamber, the weep apertures pneumatically connecting the inner chamber and the outer chamber, a first indicator sleeve and a second indicator sleeve disposed within the outer air chamber, and at least one (1) window disposed within the outer wall, wherein both indicator sleeves are linearly movable such that the first indicator sleeve, in response to a presence of compressed gas within the inner chamber, is visible through any window, and the second indicator sleeve, in response to a lack of compressed gas within the inner chamber, is visible through any window. This is accomplished with a seal being acted upon by the compressed gas such that the first indicator sleeve is visible through any window, and a spring biasing the second indicator sleeve such that it is visible through any window. 
     Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosed compressed air indicator can be combined in various manners and embodiments as one skilled in the relevant art will recognize after reading the present disclosure. The disclosure can be practiced without one (1) or more of the features and advantages described in any particular embodiment. 
     Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a compressed air indicator  10  in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the compressed air indicator  10  taken along section line A-A of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a second end  24   b  of the compressed air indicator  10  in accordance with the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the compressed air indicator  10  in accordance with the present invention; 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  compressed air indicator 
               20  housing 
               21  outer wall 
               23  dividing wall 
               24   a  first end 
               24   b  second end 
               26  inner air chamber 
               28  outer air chamber 
               30  weep aperture 
               32  spring 
               34   a  first window 
               34   b  second window 
               40  indicator cylinder 
               42  seal 
               44  first indicator sleeve 
               46  second indicator sleeve 
               80  compressed flow of air 
               82   a  first fitting 
               82   b  second fitting 
               84  air line 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the invention, the best mode is presented in terms of the described embodiments, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 4 . However, the disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the disclosure and that any such work around will also fall under its scope. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure, and only certain configurations have been shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     It can be appreciated that, although such terms as first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one (1) element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It also will be understood that, as used herein, the term “comprising” or “comprises” is open-ended, and includes one (1) or more stated elements, steps or functions without precluding one (1) or more unstated elements, steps or functions. Relative terms such as “front” or “rear” or “left” or “right” or “top” or “bottom” or “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one (1) element, feature or region to another element, feature or region as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. It should also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. It should also be understood that the sizes and relative orientations of the illustrated elements are not shown to scale, and in some instances they have been exaggerated for purposes of explanation. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 , disclosing a compressed air indicator (herein referred to generally as a “device”)  10 , where like reference numerals represent similar or like parts. Generally, the device  10  indicates the presence or absence of compressed flow of air  80  within a pneumatic air line  84 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  can include a unitary cylindrical plastic or metallic housing  20  having a first window  34   a  and a second window  34   b . The housing  20  can also be fabricated in multiple elements. A colored first indicator sleeve  44  is visible through either window  34   a ,  34   b  when a compressed flow of air  80  is present. The first indicator sleeve  44  can be a quickly recognizable color, preferably green. A second colored indicator sleeve  46  is visible through either status window  34   a ,  34   b  when no compressed flow of air  80  is present. The second indicator sleeve  46  can be a quickly recognizable color, preferably red, and different than the color of the first indicator sleeve  44 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the housing  20  includes a cylindrical outer wall  21 , a circumscribed internal dividing wall  23 , separating a hollow inner air chamber  26  from an outer air chamber  28 . The pressurized (i.e., compressed) flow of air  80  flows through the inner air chamber  26 . A gap is formed between the outer wall  21  and the circumscribed dividing wall  23  that defines the outer air chamber  28 . The first indicator sleeve  44  and the second indicator sleeve  46  each reside within the outer air chamber  26 . The first indicator sleeve  44  and second indicator sleeve  46  are keyed together, or otherwise configured to interact with each other, such that movement of the first indicator sleeve  44  actuates movement of the second indicator sleeve  46 , and vice versa, linearly within the outer air chamber  28  based upon the presence (i.e., pressure) of the compressed flow of air  80 . 
     The housing  20  includes a first end  24   a  and a second end  24   b  and forms a closed pressure-bearing vessel. The first end  24   a  includes a first fitting  82   a  and the second end  24   b  includes a second fitting  82   b , each providing for a plumbing connection between the device  10  to an air line  84  in an “in-line” manner. In a preferred embodiment, the air fittings  82   a ,  82   b  can be conventional threaded tubing fittings, as shown in the FIGS. However, it can be appreciated that a variety models of the device  10  can be provided, each having specially configured ends  24   a ,  24   b  being configured to allow connection to various types of air lines  84 , such as hard plumbing, plastic tubing, soldered copper pipe, various female and male threaded fittings and piping, and the like, without deviating from the teachings of the present disclosure, and as such should not be interpreted as a limiting factor. It is preferred that the first fitting  82   a  is a male compression fitting and the second fitting  82   b  is a female compression fitting. 
     An integral circular seal  42  is disposed around an entire bottom edge of the outer air chamber  28 , adjacent to the first end  24   a . The seal  42  is preferably a U-cup seal of 0.125 inch in thickness, made of Buna-N and available from MSP Seals, Inc. The seal  42  is acted upon by a supply of compressed flow of air  80  being continuously introduced into the outer air chamber  28  through a plurality of weep apertures  30 . The weep apertures  30  can be disposed through the dividing wall  23  to pneumatically connect the inner air chamber  26  and the outer air chamber  28 , preferably toward or near the lower closure  24   b . In a preferred embodiment, two (2) weep apertures  30  are located at diametrically opposing positions subjacent from a bottom edge of the dividing wall  23 . Thus, the compressed flow of air  80  can transfer between the inner air chamber  26  and the outer air chamber  28 . 
     The first indicator sleeve  44  and the second indicator sleeve  46  can be adjacently positioned within the outer air chamber  26 . Preferably, the indicator sleeves  44 ,  46  are positioned at an intermediate position within the outer air chamber  26 . The first indicator sleeve  44  and the second indicator sleeve  46  can preferably be of different colors, such as green and red, respectively, to indicate a “pressure” or a “no-pressure” status of the device  10 . Other indicia may be used to positively indicate the sensed pressure of the flow of air  84 . 
     A compression spring  32  can be positioned within the outer air chamber  28  between the second end  24   b  and a top surface of the second indicator sleeve  46 . The spring  32  is preferably a stainless steel construction of 0.500 inch in length and 0.045 inch in diameter. The spring  32  biases the second indicator sleeve  46  towards the first end  24   a  when no compressed flow of air  80  is present. This enables the second indicator sleeve  46  to be visible through either window  34   a ,  34   b  and functions to provide a return function during a loss of air pressure event. 
     Each window  34   a ,  34   b  can include a generally oval- or rectangle-shaped opening molded or machined within the outer wall  21  of the housing  20  to provide an external view of the position of either indicator sleeve  44 ,  46 . The spring  32  biases the second indicator ring  46  to be visible through the status window  34  when no compressed flow of air  80  is present. When a compressed flow of air  80  is present within the air line  84 , the compressed flow of air  80  passes through the weep apertures  30 . The compressed flow of air  80  within the outer air chamber  28  acts upon the seal  42  and forces it toward the second end  24   b , along with the first indicator sleeve  44 , the second indicator sleeve  46 , and spring  32 , thereby compressing the spring  32  to align the first indicator sleeve  44  with either window  34   a ,  34   b  to visually communicate a “pressure” condition. 
     During a loss of air pressure, the spring  32  biases the second indicator sleeve  46 , first indicator sleeve  44 , and seal  42  towards the first end  24   a , thereby aligning the second indicator sleeve  46  with either window  34   a ,  34   b  to communicating a “no-pressure” condition. The position of the colored sleeves  44 ,  46  is clearly visible through either window  34   a ,  34   b  on the exterior of the device  10 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the disclosed device  10  can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure, and only certain particular configurations have been shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The disclosed device  10  can be installed and utilized by the user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training After initial purchase or acquisition of the system  10 , it can be installed and utilized as indicated in  FIGS. 1-2 . 
     The method of utilizing the device  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the device  10  being configured with suitable fittings to allow integration into a particular type of air line  84  such as hose, steel pipe, or the like; using conventional plumbing assembly methods, installing the device  10  in an “in-line” manner into the air line  84 ; visually displaying a “pressure” condition by supplying a compressed flow of air  80  to the air line  84  and observing the appearance of the first indicator sleeve  44  in either window  34   a ,  34   b ; and visually displaying a “no-pressure” condition by removing or venting the compressed flow of air  80  from the air line  84  and observing the appearance of the second indicator sleeve  46  in either status window  34   a ,  34   b.    
     The foregoing embodiments of the disclosed compresses air indicator have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. It can be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other styles, configurations, and modifications of the invention can be incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure upon reading the specification and that the embodiments of the disclosed baluster bracket assembly shown and described are for the purposes of clarity and disclosure and to limit the scope. The embodiments have been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application in accordance with the invention to enable those skilled in the art to best utilize the various embodiments with expected modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present application includes such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.