Patent ID: 7077486

Claim:
An evacuatable enclosure which is used for handling hazardous and suspect articles, which includes: a sealable housing having a first air inlet, a first air outlet for air evacuation from said housing and an air exchange port; a bubble gauge operably connected to said first air inlet wherein said bubble gauge includes a column sealed to atmospheric pressure and is partially filled with a fluid having a dip tube sealably extending through one end of said column and into said fluid to provide a visual indicator of pressure in said housing and a path for pressure regulated air to pass through said fluid into said housing; a pump operably connected to said first air outlet for maintaining subatmospheric pressure in said housing and for drawing a stream of air inwardly through said first air inlet via said bubble gauge into said housing and out said first air outlet in a safe manner; at least one glove port formed in a side of said housing; a flexible relatively gas impermeable glove connected to said glove port, wherein said glove extends in said housing to enable objects to be handled therein; and a sealed bellows operably connected to said air exchange port and which provides for changes in air volume within said housing due to glove movement within said housing when under subatmospheric pressure, wherein said bellows includes a bottom being weighted such that when a predetermined negative pressure is created by said pump in said enclosure said bellows operates to partially collapse to an extent proportional to volume change and smaller pressure change in said housing and is disposed in manner to be readily visible when viewing and operating said evacuatable enclosure from said side of said housing to provide a visual indication of pressure change, remaining bellows volume and safe environment.