Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A device for monitoring the gas-permeability of a sheet material, comprising a first flow chamber having an inlet which, during operation of the device, is closed by the sheet material extending across said inlet, gas-measurement means operable to measure gas flow or gas pressure in said first flow chamber, and a second flow chamber having an outlet whereby a gaseous medium may be directed towards said sheet material, there being provided a gas-leakage path whereby a significantly greater proportion of the gas flow in said second flow chamber is permitted to leak to atmosphere than that proportion which passes through said sheet material into said first flow chamber, the first flow chamber being divided by a partition in the direction of flow and the parts of the divided chamber being connected to separate gas-measurements means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A device for monitoring the gas-permeability of a sheet material, comprising a first flow chamber having an inlet which, during operation of the device, is closed by the sheet material extending across said inlet, gas-measurement means operable to measure gas flow or gas pressure in said first flow chamber, and a second flow chamber having an outlet whereby a gaseous medium may be directed towards said sheet material, there being provided a gas-leakage path whereby a significantly greater proportion of the gas flow in said second flow chamber is permitted to leak to atmosphere than that proportion which passes through said sheet material into said first flow chamber, the first flow chamber being divided by a partition in the direction of flow and the parts of the divided chamber being connected to separate gas-measurements means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the gas-leakage path is provided by a space between the gas outlet of the second flow chamber and the position of the sheet material in which it extends across the gas inlet of the first flow chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet material is in the form of a web and web-advancing means is provided for feeding the web through the device across the gas inlet of the first flow chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the said flow chambers are of frusto conical form, the inlet of the first chamber being the wider, open, end of that chamber and the outlet of the second chamber being the wider, open, end of that chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas-measurement means comprises a pressure transducer connected across a low-impedance lamina-flow device.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for monitoring the gas permeability of a sheet material, wherein the said material is placed across an inlet of a first flow chamber to close said inlet, a gas flow is directed towards said sheet material from a second flow chamber, there being provided a gas-leakage path from said second flow chamber, whereby a significantly greater proportion of the gas flow in said second flow chamber is permitted to leak to atmosphere than that proportion which passes through said sheet material into said first flow chamber, and the gas flow or gas pressure in said first flow chamber is measured, the pressure in the first flow chamber being low enough to avoid liftoff of the sheet from the inlet of the first flow chamber, at a given speed of the sheet past said inlet.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for monitoring the gas permeability of a sheet material, wherein the said material is placed across an inlet of a first flow chamber to close said inlet, a gas flow is directed towards said sheet material from a second flow chamber, there being provided a gas-leakage path from said second flow chamber, whereby a significantly greater proportion of the gas flow in said second flow chamber is permitted to leak to atmosphere than that proportion which passes through said sheet material into said first flow chamber, and the gas flow or gas pressure in said first flow chamber is measured, the pressure in the first flow chamber being low enough to avoid liftoff of the sheet from the inlet of the first flow chamber, at a given speed of the sheet past said inlet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein, for a papersheet wrapping material used in the tobacco industry, the pressure in the first flow chamber is maintained at a value not substantially more than 5 mm water gauge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the pressure in the first flow chamber is maintained at a value of substantially 1 mm water gauge.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the pressure in the second flow chamber is substantially 8 mm water gauge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the proportion of the flow of gas which passes through the leakage path is at least 90% of the gas flow entering the second flow chamber.