Space environmental work simulator with portions of space suit mounted to vacuum chamber wal

Simpson, W. G.

Walker, H. M.

English

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
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TO: 
FROM: 
uSI/Scientif i c  61 ~eichnical Inf omation Diviaioa 
Attention8 ~ i s e  Winnia M. Morganc 
~ ~ / 0 f f i c e  of Assi$tapt General C h s e l  for 
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19710009298 2020-03-17T02:43:30+00:00Z
Oct. 20, 1970 
SPACE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK SIMULATOR 
Filed Feb. 23, 1968 
3,534,485 United States Patent Ofice .=, ,, , 
apparatus and method for simulating the hard vacuum 3,534,485 
ENvIR(dNlbaENTAE WORK SmULAToW conditions of outer space in a terrestrial environment. G. Simpson, and Hill Walker, This and other objects will become more apparent when 
Guntersviliie, assignors to the united states of considering the detailed description of the invention which 
Amedca as represented by the Administrator of the 5 hereafter. 
National Aesonaatics and Space Administration 
Filed Feb. 23,1968, Ser. No. 707,495 BRIEF DESCRIPTION O F  DRAWING 
Int. C1. B64g 7/00 The drawing is a pictorial view, partially broken away, 
U.S. el. 35-12 1 Claim of an easy access vacuum chamber that is being used by 
an operator. 
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
A space that includes an easy access vacuum Referring now to the drawing which illustrates an oper- 
chamber adapted to have vacuum pump connected thereto ator in the of carrying Out an experiment in a 
for pulling a hard vacuum within the tank. One wall of 15 vacuum chamber defined by an Outer casing having 
the vacuum lank has a port formed therein that is shaped a cover 12 scoured thereto by suitable latch means (not 
so as to permit attachment of a portion of a space suit shown). The upper torso portion of a space suit; includ- 
to the wall. The space suit portion attached to the wall ing arms and head Or 20, and 
includes both arms and a portion of a transparent head body section 22, is mounted to the interior surface of 
enclosure. The space suit is mounted to the wall in such 20 'Over l2 by a riveted Or flange 24. That portion 
manner that an operator positioned outside the tank can of cover 12 outlined by flange 24 is of course removed 
perform manipulations within the tank by insertion of to provide a port for operator access to the space suit 
his arms the space suit arms. The operator can view attached to the cover. It  is necessary that the flange and 
space suit be securely sealed to the interior surface of his manipillations through the transparent head enclosure. 25 12 to avoid leakage of air into the chamber when 
it is evacuated. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The space suit employed is a rigid, artiodated structure that forms a pressure vessel able to withstand the pres- 
The invention described herein was made by employees sure differential between the outside of the tank and the 
of the United States Government and may be manufac- 30 interior of the chamber when a hard vacuum is drawn 
tured and used by or for the Government for govern- within the tank. Thc interior of the space suit arms will 
mental purposes without the payment of any royalties be at atmospheric pressure when the tank is evacuated 
thereon or therefor. since they open to the outside of the tank. Actually, in 
This invention relates in general to vacuum chambers effect the space forms part of the chamber wall. 
and more particularly it relates to a vacuum chamber in 35 The space suit portions are of a particular type having 
which experiments can be performed in a hard vacuum special joints formed by using constant volume techniques 
environment and thus facilitate the terrestrial develop- so as to not unduly hamper the movements of an operator 
ment and demonstration of processes in a simulated space using the chamber. A protective suit sufficiently strong 
environment. to withstand the pressure differential between a hard 
The National Space Program has progressed to a point 40 vacuum such as that encountered in outer space, and a 
wherein it will soon be necessary for astronauts to per- pressure near atmospheric such as is maintained within 
form experiments, maintenance and various other opera- the suit, will render the occupant of the suit substantially 
tions while in orbit about the earth or in space flight. immobile unless the suit is especially constructed. The 
Not only is it necessary that it be proven that man can intricacies of why the space or protective suit wearer is 
perform various operations in a vacuum environment, qj immobilized will not be discussed herein; suffice it to 
it is also necessary that the materials and apparatus in- say that rigid protective suits have been developed having 
tended for such use be evaluated in a hard vacuum. constant volume joints which do not drastically reduce 
Currently, operating techniques and material evaluation the metabolic effectiveness of the wearer. In other words, 
is performed in an atmospheric environment, or in a a person wearing the suit can still move readily even 
large vacuum chamber which must be man-rated and 50 though a considerable pressure differential exists between 
occupied by a space suited operator.  experimental func- the interior and exterior of the suit. 
tions performed under atmospheric conditions cannot Activities directed toward placing a man on the moon 
offer information on the effects a vacuum environment or in orbit about the earth for extended periods has 
has on the function and the performance of such func- generated a need to determine if certain processes and/or 
tions in a manned vacuum chamber is costly, time con. 35 operations can be carried out in a vacuum environment. 
suming, and more importantly, hazardous. It  is exp-cted that unforseen diffioulties could be en- 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION countered in a vacuum which would affect a process 
readily carried out on earth. Further, even if the mate- 
The invention is an easy access vacuum chamber which rials used in an operation or experiment permit its use 
makes it possible to simulate the carrying out of various G O  in a vacuum it is still necessary to know if an astronaut 
physical operations in a vacuum environment similar to wearing a protective suit in a vacuum maintains sufficient 
that encountered in outer space. This is made possible manual dexterity to perform the process or operation. 
by mounting portions of a space suit to the wall of a It will be noted from the drawing that the operator is 
vacuum chamber in such manner that an operator stand- performing a cleaning operation by scraping the surface 
ing outside the chamber can get into or put on the space 65 of a groove 26 formed in a piece of material 28. The 
suit and perform manipulations on or experiments with material rests on support surface 30 positioned in the 
materials that have been placed in the chamber. The chamber and the scraping is done by a tool 32 grasped 
invention provides an apparatus and method for con- by the operator. 
ducting experiments in a simulated space environment The operation and use of the invention is readily ap- 
that is relatively simple and very economical when com- 70 parent and need not be discussed in any length. The mate- 
pared to techniques employed heretofore. rials to be used in a desired experiment are placed in the 
Thus, an object of this invention is to provide a n  chamber by opening cover 12 or any other suitable ac- 
3 
cess means (not sllowrx) tl-i'ii X:iis been provided. The 
ciiarnber is tl~en closed and sealed and a hard vacliunl 
drawn in the chamber. The vacuum purrrpiilg eqrriyinerri 
is not shown herein since equipment capable of evacual- 
ing the chamber is well. known and available. The operator 
then inserts his arms and upper body, including his head, 5 
into the space suit portions mounted to the cover and 
conducts the experiment. 
This completes the detailed description of the inven- 
tion and while a preferred exemplary embodiment has 
been described herein there will be many changes aod 
nlodifications to the invention which can be made by 
one skilled in the art to which it pertains without depart- 
ing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined 
in the claim appended hereto. For example, the vacuum 15 
chamber could be modified and positioned such that the 
entire upper half of a space suit is mounted to a lower 
surface of a vacuum chamber. In this position the opera- 
tor could be provided with a support where he could 
sit in the upper half of the space suit and conduct his 20 
experiment in the vacuum chamber. 
What is claimed is: 
1. A space simulator for carrying out experiments in 
a simulated space environment comprising: 
a vacuum tank that includes access means for placing 25 
materials to be experimented with in said tank and 
4 
positioned outside said vacuum tank to place his 
arms into the space suit arms and conduct an experi- 
ment in the vacuum lank while viewing the experi- 
ment through the transpatent head enclosure portion; 
said space suit upper front torso portion forming a 
rigid articulated structure that forms in effect a por- 
tion of the vacuum tank wall capable of withstanding 
the pressure differential that exists between the in- 
terior and exterior of the tank when a hard vacuum 
is drawn within the tank and yet permits easy move- 
ment of the space suit arms when such pressure 
differential exists, whereby carrying out of experi- 
ments within the vacuum tank while it is evacuated 
is facilitated; and 
a flange member that secures the space suit portion to 
said one wall of said vacuum tank around the edges 
of said port formed therein. 
References Cited 
UNITED STATES PATENTS 
2,862,307 12/1958 Bloomer et al. ------ 128-1 X 
2,985,129 5/1961 Kirkpatrick ----------- 3 12-1 
3,073,040 1/1963 Schueller ------------- 35-12 
3,272,199 9/1966 Matthews ------------- 128-1 
3,439,966 4/1969 Perkins et al. ---------- 312-1 
means for evacuating the tank; 
an upper front torso portion of a space suit, including EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner 
both arms thereof-and a portion of a transparent p. V. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner 
head enclosure, attached to one wall of said vacuum 30 
tank and extending into said vacuum tank; U.S. C1. X.R. 
a port formed in said one wall of the vacuum tank that 312-1 is arranged and shaped so as to permit an operator 


Space environmental work simulator Patent

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