Improvements in Apparatus for Testing Gas Cylinders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
2
Improvements in Apparatus for Testing Gas Cylinders.
We THE SCOTCH & IRISH OXYGEN COMPANY, (LIMITED) Rosehill Works,
Polmadie in the County of Renfrew, and HENRY BRIER of 7 Park Terrace,
Crosshill, in the City of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object the improvement of that type of apparatus used
for measuring the expansion, temporary or permanent, of gas cylinders whilst
subjected to pressure tests and known as Brier's testing machine in which the
cylinder to be tested is partially immersed in water within a casing having a
stationary head carrying a fixed inflatable sealing ring of rubber bearing against
the side or shoulder of the cylinder to prevent egress of the water, the test being
made by measuring the displacement of water due to enlargement of the cylinder.
on the application of internal pressure.
Such machines have not hitherto been adapted for testing cylinders having large
ends or of different diameters without undoing the bolts and replacing the
stationary head and rubber ring and when the bursting of a cylinder under test
occurred the water casing or envelope or the stationary head was liable to become
damaged. Under the present invention such risks and inconveniences are obviated
by the provision of removable sealing rings bearing both against the inner
periphery of the water casing or envelope and against the outer periphery of the
cylinder or its neck or shoulder or against the pressure pipe used to convey into
it the testing fluid under pressure, the sealing rings being easily placed and
permitting of the test being applied either to the whole body or a part only of the
cylinder.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention
Figure 1, is a vertical section and Figure 2 a plan of the improved testing
apparatus showing a cylinder in process of being tested.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a sectional elevation and a sectional plan of the
sealing ring to a larger scale.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the head or upper part of the water casing
showing the sealing ring applied to the neck of the cylinder and
Figure 6 is a similar view showing the ring applied to the body of a relatively
smaller cylinder.
The water casing A has bolted to it a head part A' of slightly larger internal
diameter than the main body in order to provide a shoulder on which rests a
perforated guide plate B which serves to steady the gas cylinder C passing through
an orifice in it and supported by a cradle D and chains E attached to the plate B.
The cylinder if preferred can be carried on the bottom of the envelope or if short
be supported by special means. Over this perforated plate is fitted the sealing
ring which is composed of an annular ring F of flexible material such as rubber
which is grasped between two metallic rings G, G, serving to confine the flexible
ring and keep it in place. An open metallic ring is also placed within the flexible
ring and through it and the plates bolts are passed to brace the whole together.
Handles H are also provided on the upper plate for use in lifting out the sealing
ring. When placed in position in the water casing the ring F is coupled to a pipe I
through which water, air or other fluid under pressure is admitted to inflate and
distend it both outwards and inwards to bear hard against the internal surface of
the head A' and against the outer surface of the cylinder C and thereby form a
tight joint or seal to prevent egress of water from the casing or envelope A. The

page_text: admission of water, which is the fluid used by preference, is controlled by a three-
way cock J on the pipe I which may be turned to discharge the water from the
sealing ring into the casing A, or to lead water from the main direct thereinto when
required to make up any loss due to displacement by testing a cylinder of exceptional
Bize.
The usual pipe connection K is provided leading from the casing A to a gauge
glass L having an index which shows the amount of displacement of water in the
casing A due to expansion of the cylinder C under the test. A three-way cock M
is provided on the pipe connection K to permit of discharging the gauge glass and
bringing the level of water in it to the zero on the scale.
This apparatus may be used in testing vessels of irregular shape by passing
the pressure pipe directly through the side of the envelope or casing which may
then be closed by means of a piston having an inflatable ring around its outer
periphery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved gas cylinder testing
apparatus herein before described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. In apparatus for testing gas cylinders the annular removable and inflatable
ring constructed and applied to seal the water casing or envelope, substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1894.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.