Vapor probe for soil gas vapor sampler

• US 5,150,622 A
• Filed: 02/19/1991
• Issued: 09/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arthur R. Vollweiler
• Original Assignee: Arthur R. Vollweiler
• Inventors: Vollweiler, Arthur R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wisnia, Howard
• Application Number:
  US07/657,669
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 73/864.74, 73/863.23, 175/58, 175/59, 175/20, 175/21
• US Class Current: 73/864.74
• CPC Class Codes: B09C 1/00 Reclamation of contaminated soil
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/082 Screens comprising porous materials, e.g. prepacked screens
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/084 with means for conveying samples through pipe to surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2294 Sampling soil gases or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/241 for hydrocarbon content drilling mud G01N33/2823; drilling per se E21B; prospecting G01V

Abstract

A device for sampling gas vapor underground has a probe tip designed to be driven into the ground. The probe tip has a removable sheath that covers a tube having an enlarged conical tip with the tube having multiplicity of apertures in the tube to gather soil gas vapors through the apertures and conduct them through a flexible plastic tube attached to the probe up to the surface of the ground to be monitored. The probe has a flexible disc attached thereto above the apertures to protect the apertures from being filled with earth from above. The apertures also have a screen around them to prevent earth from entering the apertures to plug them. After the probe is in place in the earth, the removable sheath is pulled above ground, leaving the probe to gather gas samples for collection and evaluation at a collection point above ground.

Claims

1. A soil gas sampling probe for obtaining soil gas samples in the earth, comprising in combination:

a. an elongate cylindrical sampling tube provided with an upper and a lower end and having a multiplicity of gas intake apertures on a surface of the tube;

b. a conically shaped probe tip attached to the lower end of said elongate sampling tube for penetrating the earth as the probe is inserted into the earth to a predetermined depth, said tip having a circumference larger than said cylindrical tube and having a circumferential shelf therein;

c. screening means surrounding the apertures in said cylindrical sampling tube;

d. a flexible disc attached to the upper section of said sampling tube for preventing soil from falling downwardly into a void surrounding said sampling tube and its apertures;

e. flexible tubing attached to the upper end of said sampling tube for transporting gas samples collected through the sampling tube upwardly to the earth'"'"'s surface; and

f. a removable rigid driving tube surrounding said cylindrical sampling tube and flexible disc for driving said sampling tube into the earth to a predetermined depth;

said driving tube being adapted to rest on the circumferential shelf of said conical probe tip while the tip is driven into the earth, and to be removed when the predetermined depth is reached.

2. A soil gas sampling probe as set forth in claim 1, including a hammerable surface at the upper end of said driving tube for driving said driving tube into the earth.

3. A soil gas sampling probe to set forth in claim 1, wherein said sampling tube is constructed of rigid material.

4. A soil gas sampling probe as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flexible disc is constructed of a thermo-plastic material.

5. A soil gas sampling probe as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sampling tube has fluted retaining surfaces at its upper end to fixedly retain flexible tubing attached thereto.