Patent ID: 7871198

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a thermocouple, comprising: forming a thermocouple junction between a first thermoelement wire and a second thermoelement wire formed from thermoelectrically dissimilar materials by swaging a metallic tube onto a first end of the first thermoelement wire and a first end of the second thermoelement wire; threading the first thermoelement wire through a first longitudinal passageway formed in a first electrical insulating material and threading the second thermoelement wire through a second longitudinal passageway formed in the first electrical insulating material; disposing the first electrical insulating material, a second electrical insulating material, and a third electrical insulating material having a different density than the first electrical insulating material and the second electrical insulating material in a sheath, comprising: interfacing the third electrical insulating material with the second electrical insulating material; and positioning the thermocouple junction within a void formed in the first electrical insulating material and another void formed in the second electrical insulating material; swaging the sheath so that the first electrical insulating material and the second electrical insulating material contact the first thermoelement wire, the second thermoelement wire, and the thermocouple junction; determining a location of the interface between the second electrical insulating material and the third electrical insulating material; cutting the thermocouple between the thermocouple junction and the interface between the second electrical insulating material and the third electrical insulating material to form a sheath end; and capping the sheath end with an end plug.