Air quality sampler

• US 3,921,456 A
• Filed: 01/14/1974
• Issued: 11/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gilbert S. Newcomb Jr, Leon V. Langan Jr
• Original Assignee: Gilbert S. Newcomb Jr, Leon V. Langan Jr
• Inventors: Newcomb, Gilbert S. Jr., Langan, Leon V. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Queisser, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Appleman, John S.
• Application Number:
  US05/433,273
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 55/DIG.41 73/28,17R,421.5R,422GC,422R,422TC 200/61.6 239/69,70 307/38
• US Class Current: 73/863.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence

Abstract

A gas sampler is described for automatically collecting a plurality of different samples of a gas, such as from the atmosphere, at different time intervals. Such sampler includes a plurality of containers and associated pumps for collecting and retaining the samples. It further includes programmable control instrumentation for governing when a gas sample is collected into each of the containers. Each pump provides an average flow rate into its associated container by periodically starting and stopping operation during such period.

Claims

1. A gas sampler comprising a plurality of gas sample containers;

a plurality of generally constant flow pumps, the output of each one of which is communicably connected with an associated one of said containers for respectively directing a quantity of the gas to be sampled into each of the containers; and

control means connectable with said pumps for governing when each of said pumps direects a gas sample into its associated container, said control means activating each of said pumps to direct a gas sample into its associated container during a discrete time interval selected especially for said container and including flow rate selection means for determining the rate of flow of gas into said containers, said flow rate selection means being adapted to operate each of said pumps intermittently at its generally constant operating flow rate during the full time interval selected for each of said containers to thereby provide an average flow rate over the full time interval which is less than the continuous operating flow rate of said pump while still obtaining a gas sample representative of the gas over said full time interval; and

said flow rate selection means being adjustable to vary the period of said intermittent operation of said pumping means during the time interval selected for each of said containers and thereby provide a selected one of a plurality of differing average flow rates for said pumping means.

2. A gas sampler comprising a plurality of gas sample containers;

a plurality of generally constant flow pumps, the output of each one of which is communicably connected with an associated one of said containers for respectively directing a quantity of the gas to be sampled into each of tHe containers;

control means connectable with said pumps for governing when each of said pumps directs a gas sample into its associated container, said control means activating each of said pumps to direct a gas sample into its associated container during a discrete time interval selected especially for said container and including flow rate selection means for determining the rate of flow of gas into said containers, said flow rate selection means being adapted to operate each of said pumps intermittently at its generally constant operating flow rate during the full time interval selected for each of said containers to thereby provide an average flow rate over the full time interval which is less than the continuous operating flow rate of said pump while still obtaining a gas sample representative of the gas over said full time interval; and

a battery power source for operating said pumps.

3. A gas sampler comprising a plurality of gas sample containers;

a plurality of pumps, the output of each one of which is communicably connected with an associated one of said containers for respectively directing a quantity of the gas to be sampled into each of said containers; and

control means connectable with said pumps for activating each of said pumps to direct a gas sample into its associated container during a discrete time interval selected especially for said container, said control means including programming means permitting the discrete time interval during which said pumping means directs a gas sample into each of said containers to be changed, which programming means includes a plurality of control output connections, each one of which is associated with one of said discrete time intervals and said control means further includes timing means for generating an output representative of the passage of time, time decoding means for receiving said output from said timing means and sequentially activating said control output connections during the time intervals represented thereby, and means for selectively connecting each of said control output connections respectively with a selected pump to provide an energization signal to said pump for operation thereof to direct a gas sample into its associated container during the time interval represented by the control output connection so connected with said pump.

4. The gas sampler of claim 3 wherein said control means further includes time setting means for synchronizing the sequential activation of said control output connections with an external time source.

5. The gas sampler of claim 3 wherein said timing means of said control means includes an oscillator, a timing processor for receiving the output of said oscillator and providing an output representative of hour and minute time divisions, and a memory for holding each of the hour divisions of said timing processor for the duration of the hour represented thereby.

6. The gas sampler of claim 5 further including time display means for displaying hour and minute time division from the outputs of said time processor.

7. The gas sampler of claim 3 wherein said time decoding means includes a plurality of dual input gates, the output of each providing a respective one of said control output connections and the inputs thereto representing the digits of the hour associated therewith.

8. The gas sampler of claim 3 wherein said pumps are constant flow pumps;

and said contol means includes flow rate selection means for determining the flow of gas into each respective one of said containers by periodically stopping operation of the pump associated therewith during the time interval selected for said container, and a plurality of gates having at least two input terminals, the output terminal of each respective one of said gates being connected to the power input of means for driving an associated one of said pumps, with one of the inputs being connectable to any one of said control output connections, whereby the output of each of said gates and consequently The operation of the pump associated therewith can only be enabled upon the simultaneous activation of said means for driving said pump by said flow rate selection means and the control output connection connected therewith.

9. The gas sampler of claim 8 wherein said control means further includes time cycle control means for initiating operation of each of said pumps only during a selected time cycle, and one of said gate inputs is connectable to the output of said time cycle control means to enable initiation of each of said pumps only during a selected time cycle.

10. A gas sampler comprising a plurality of gas sample containers, pumping means for directing a quantity of the gas to be sampled into each of said containers, and control means connectable with said pumping means for governing when said pumping means directs a gas sample into each of said containers, said control means including programming means permitting the selected time interval during which said pumping means directs a gas sample into each of said containers to be changed, which programming means includes a plurality of control output connections, each one of which is associated with one of said discrete time intervals, and said control means further includes timing means for generating output representative of the passage of time and time decoding means for receiving said output from said timing means and sequentially activating said control output connections during the time intervals represented thereby, and said control means further including time cycle control means for initiating operation of said pumping means during a selected time cycle and terminating the application of power to said pumping means upon completion of a selected time cycle.