Evacuate and backfill apparatus and method

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:865701

Oakley, David J ^[1]; Groves, Oliver J ^[2]

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1. Richland, WA
2. Seattle, WA

An apparatus and method for treatment of hollow articles by evacuating existing gas or gases therefrom and purging or backfilling the articles with a second gas such as helium. The apparatus includes a sealed enclosure having an article storage drum mounted therein. A multiplicity of such articles are fed singly into the enclosure and loaded into radial slots formed in the drum. The enclosure is successively evacuated and purged with helium to replace the existing gas in the articles with helium. The purged articles are then discharged singly from the drum and transported out of the enclosure.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE HANFORD CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76FF02170
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Secretary of (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4558982
• OSTI ID: 865701
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

evacuate
backfill
apparatus
method
treatment
hollow
articles
evacuating
existing
gas
gases
therefrom
purging
backfilling
helium
sealed
enclosure
article
storage
drum
mounted
therein
multiplicity
fed
singly
loaded
radial
slots
formed
successively
evacuated
purged
replace
discharged
transported
radial slots
mounted therein
sealed enclosure
slots formed
gases therefrom
hollow articles
slots form
/414/53/376/976/