Abstract:
A test kit for testing substrates for soluble salts including a test sleeve, a pre-measured volume of solvent solution, and a soluble salt measuring device. The test sleeve includes a generally tubular body with a closed end and an open end. The open end includes a flange defining an aperture, and an attachment member coupled to the flange for removably securing the testing sleeve to a substrate.

Description:
This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 09/268,481, filed Mar. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,743 which claimed priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/078,293 filed Mar. 17, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to testing surfaces in the field. 
     More specifically, the present invention concerns methods and systems for testing surfaces for soluble salts prior to applying a protective coating. 
     THE PRIOR ART 
     During preparation of surfaces prior to application of protective coatings, testing of the surfaces for soluble salt contamination is extremely important. Testing of surfaces for soluble salt contamination is typically broken down into two aspects, laboratory testing and field testing. Both laboratory testing and field testing involved a two-step procedure. The first step is to extract the salts from the substrate into a solution where they may be measured. The second step is to actually measure the ions in the solution after they have been extracted from the substrate. 
     Typically, to extract soluble salts from the surface of a substrate, three methods, boiling, swabbing, and the Bresle patch, are currently used. The boiling method involves taking a substrate sample, usually steel, into the laboratory, placing it in distilled or de-ionized water and boiling it for a period of one hour. Care must be taken that all instruments, measuring devices and containers are cleaned and uncontaminated, either from prior use or tap water. Rubber or latex gloves are also recommended to prevent contaminating samples or equipment with salts from the hands. This method, of course, cannot be utilized in the field. 
     The swab method involves taping off an appropriate sized area, and swabbing it with an appropriate quantity of distilled or de-ionized water. Cotton balls are then wetted with a pre-measured swabbing water and manually scrubbed over the taped off area. After a specific time of scrubbing, additional dry cotton balls are used to absorb the solution and return it to the working container. The solution, including all the cotton balls used, is then stirred for approximately two minutes. The extract solution is now ready for measurement. The difficulty with this method, is maintaining an uncontaminated state. In order to obtain fairly accurate measurements, sterile cotton balls must be employed and used with sterile tweezers while wearing latex gloves. Furthermore, this process is difficult to employ without losing the solution, specifically on vertical or overhead surfaces. 
     The final method is the Bresle patch, which is an adhesive patch with a blister in the center. The patch is placed over the surface of the substrate to be tested, and a user injects a manually measured volume of a solution with a needle and syringe. The fluid can then be manually manipulated to wash the surface. The solution is then extracted using the needle and syringe, and measured for soluble salt content. In this method, care must be taken to insure that the syringe is cleaned of all contaminants. Furthermore, the step of manually measuring the solution often gives rise to error. 
     Thus, the Prior Art provides methods which, while effective, include problems with contamination, inaccurate measurements of area and liquid, and testing of vertical and overhead surfaces as well as requiring a great many accessories for operation. 
     It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a test sleeve which can be employed on any surface regardless of orientation. 
     Another object of the present invention to provide a test sleeve which is inexpensive. 
     And another object of the present invention to provide a test sleeve which is easy to use. 
     Still another object of the present invention to provide a method of testing surface which is simple and effective. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to eliminate cross contamination caused by reuse of materials such as syringes or working containers or physical contact. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, to achieve the desired objects of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, provided is a testing sleeve for use in determining the level of soluble salts on a substrate. The testing sleeve includes a generally tubular body having a closed end and an open end. The open end includes a flange defining an aperture. An attachment member is coupled to the flange for removably securing the testing sleeve to a substrate. The aperture defined by the flange has an area of predetermined size, and, in a specific embodiment, the flange is sufficiently rigid to prevent variation in the predetermined size of the area of the aperture. 
     In another embodiment, a test kit for testing substrates for soluble salts including a test sleeve, a pre-measured volume of solvent solution, and a soluble salt measuring device is provided. The test sleeve includes a generally tubular body with a closed end and an open end. The open end includes a flange defining an aperture, and an attachment member coupled to the flange for removably securing the testing sleeve to a substrate. 
     Also provided is a method of testing a substrate for soluble salts. The method includes, providing a testing sleeve including a flexible, generally tubular body having a closed end and an open end, the open end having a flange defining an aperture, and an attachment member coupled to the flange for removably securing the testing sleeve to a substrate. Providing a solvent solution, and pouring a measured volume of the solvent solution into the testing sleeve. The testing sleeve is then affixed to a surface of a substrate to be tested. The salts on the surface of the substrate to be tested are dissolved into the solvent solution, and the testing sleeve is removed from the substrate to be tested. The amount of soluble salts contained in the solvent solution is then measured. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and further and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a testing sleeve in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 1 with the protective covering partially removed from the adhesive layer; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a testing sleeve fixed to a surface for testing; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sample collected from a surface in a testing sleeve being analyzed; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a closed end of a titration tube and a tool for snapping off the end, according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view, illustrating the use of the tool for snapping off a sealed end of the titration tube. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views, attention is first directed to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a test sleeve generally designated  10  having a generally tubular body  12  and an attachment member  13  coupled thereto. Tubular body  12  is preferably formed of a flexible material, such as latex, and includes a closed end  14  and an open end  15 . Open end  15  includes a flange  17  extending radially outwardly therefrom and has an aperture  18  encompassed and defined by flange  17 . 
     Due to the thinness and flexibility of tubular body  12 , the size of the area of aperture  18  can be inadvertently varied by stretching, flexing, etc. Any change in the size of the area of aperture  18  can be detrimental to the accuracy of the test as will be described in more detail below. Therefore, attachment member  13 , in this specific embodiment, includes a gasket  20  coupled to flange  17 . Gasket  20  helps maintain the desired area of aperture  18  and provides increased rigidity and form to open end  15  while retaining sufficient flexibility to contour to uneven surfaces. While in the preferred embodiment gasket  20  is fixed to flange  17  by an adhesive, other methods may be employed, such as heat sealing, etc. Furthermore, while a gasket is employed in this specific embodiment, it will be understood that gasket  20  can be omitted with a corresponding increase in the thickness of flange  17 . 
     Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, attachment member  13  further includes an adhesive  22  carried by gasket  20 . Adhesive  22  is covered by a protective sheet  23  which is peeled off prior to use. If, as stated previously, no gasket is employed, adhesive  22  is carried by flange  17 . 
     Soluble salts, like chlorides and sulfates, are found on surfaces everywhere. These soluble salts pull moisture from the ambient environment, causing protective coatings to fail. They can also cause degradation of the substrate whether its metal, concrete, brick etc. To determine the level of contamination, a solution is applied to an area of a surface of a substrate to collect a sample of the soluble salts present. The level of contamination is typically measured in micrograms per square centimeter which is calculated by multiplying parts per million of the soluble salt by the milliliters of solution used and dividing by the surface area washed. Water is conventionally employed for the test, but in the present embodiment, the solution employed is preferably a dilution of CHLOR*RID™, soluble salt removal solution, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,692 incorporated by reference herein. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, to test a surface for soluble salt contaminates a pre-measured dose of a solution, 10 ml in this example, is inserted into test sleeve  10  such as by pouring from a pre-measured container (not shown). Protective sheet  23  is removed, and sleeve  10  is fixed to a surface  25  by adhesive  22 . The area of aperture  18  determines the area of surface  25  being tested. In this embodiment, aperture  18  has an area of approximately 10 cm 2 . As can be seen, body  12  of test sleeve  10  is of sufficient length to permit a fold to be formed intermediate ends  14  and  15 . The most desirable length has been found to be approximately 3-4 inches. Thus, the solution is trapped proximate closed end  14  while open end  15  is fixed to surface  25 , preventing loss of solution. In this example surface  25  is vertical. However, because body  12  can be folded to lock the solution into closed end  14 , a surface having any orientation, horizontal, inverted, angled, etc. can be tested. 
     After adhesion to surface  25 , body  12  is manipulated to introduced the solution against surface  25 . A collection period includes a slight massaging action by the testing individual against tubular body  12  to thoroughly wash surface  25  with the solution. The collection period is preferably two minutes in duration. When testing vertical or overhead surfaces, upon release of test sleeve  10  the solution will drain to closed end  14 , allowing removal of sleeve  10  from surface  25  without loss of solution. For surfaces requiring inversion of test sleeve  10 , solution can be squeezed back toward closed end  14  by compression of body  12 , and retained there by introduction of a fold in body  12 . 
     After removal of test sleeve  10  from surface  25 , a titrator tube  30  is inserted through aperture  18  into the solution containing the sample of soluble salt contaminates. A reading is taken after a period of approximately one to two minutes during which the solution wicks up to the top of the titrator tube. A titrator tube is calibrated to measure parts per million of the soluble salt in solution. This is indicated by a color change, generally from pink (normal) to white (chloride level). While the number on the titrator tube next to the color change indicates parts per million, due to the surface area of aperture  18  and the pre-measured volume of solution, parts per million and micrograms per square centimeter have a one to one ratio. Thus the requirement for calculations is avoided. After use, testing sleeve  10  and titrator tube  30  are discarded to prevent contamination of subsequent tests due to remaining residues. It will be understood that other measuring devices may be employed. 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, titrator tube  30  preferably includes sealed ends  32 , one of which is illustrated. By providing sealed ends  32 , contamination is reduced prior to use. Also provided is a tool  33  which is a generally planar member having an aperture  34  formed therethrough proximate an end. To test a solution, end  32  of titrator tube  30  is inserted through aperture  34  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . Tool  33  is then moved in the direction of arrowed line A to snap off end  32 , unsealing titrator tube  30 . The action is repeated for the opposing end, not shown. Sealed end  32  is tapered to a general point, and the aperture is sized to receive the taper, but not the full size of the titration tube. Thus the end is inserted to the fullest through aperture and cannot be inserted too far. 
     Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof which is assessed only by a fair interpretation of the following claims.