Bellows are made of a chamber having an inlet opening with a valve and an outlet nozzle to dispense the air from the chamber in a controlled and focused manner. They are designed to allow inflow of air only through the inlet and outflow of air only through the outlet.
Bellows in Industrial Applications
*double action piston bellows are used by blacksmiths to forge metal by supplying a near continuous stream of air.
*coupling bellows or isolation bellows are used in piping expansion joints to absorb vibrations in piping systems.
* Pressure reducing valves work like bellows in maintaining air or gas pressure at a specific level.
Bellows in Domestic Applications
* Fireplace bellows deliver air toward the fire to increase the rate of combustion and start the fire quickly. A fireplace bellow consists of a leather bag with pleated sides fixed to two handles. The bag has an inlet with a valve and an outlet nozzle so that the air enters through the inlet when the handles are expanded and leaves through the outlet when the handles are compressed.
*inflatable kayak. A dome valve used to deflate an airbed also works on the same principle.
* Bellows are found in musical instruments to direct flow of air to create the required sound and in folding cameras to shut out unwanted light.
Tips for Buying Bellows
* You can choose a bellow based on the leather.
* Care should be taken to check the valves and the sealing of the chamber so that air does not enter or leave other than through the inlet or outlet respectively.
* It is better to buy hand and foot pumps with universal valves that can be fitted into any inflatable object.
