GAS BARRIER FOR INTERCONNECTING AND ISOLATING TWO ATMOSPHERES

摘要

A transition or isolation zone for accommodating continuous free flow of a tier of articles between two distinct and isolated atmospheres. The transition zone includes a series of alternate inlet and outlet compartments for a non-reactive gas wherein the compartments contain inlet and outlet openings interconnecting with each other and the indicated atmospheres. The cross sections of the openings are complementary to the cross section of the tier of articles to provide a restricted orifice-size clearance therebetween, whereby the orifice phenomena can be employed by correlation of pressures to control the flow of gas and conversely to substantially completely isolate the indicated atmospheres without any measurable cross-migration therebetween.