Liquid level gauge
First Claim
1. A liquid level gauge for a tank, which comprises:
- liquid-level sensing means;
a housing, that in the use of the gauge is mounted at a top opening of the tank, said housing having;
a horizontal bottom wall with an opening that is in alignment with the top opening of the tank when said gauge is mounted for use;
side wall; and
a top wall,said housing having no other opening through which any moving component of said gauge extends so that a dynamic seal would be required;
a magnetic drive having a drive magnet and a driven magnet;
a first shaft mounted in said housing and having said driven magnet fixed mounted on it closely spaced from the inside surface one of said side walls and top wall;
a second shaft mounted outside said housing and having said drive magnet mounted on it for rotation closely spaced from the outside surface of said one wall to provide turning of said driven magnet upon turning of said drive magnet;
means, that is outside said housing, connected to said drive magnet to rotate it;
means connected to and supporting said liquid-level sensing means and extending upwardly through said opening in said bottom wall of said housing;
means in said housing connected to said first shaft and to said support means connected to said liquid-level sensing means, said means connected to said first shaft and said means supporting said liquid-level sensing means being constructed to provide vertical movement of said liquid-level sensing means upon rotation of said first shaft;
means responsive to the rotation of said first shaft to indicate the position of said level-sensing means relative to a reference position, said responsive means having a component in said housing and a component outside said housing and constructed so that said inside component operates said outside component without a connection through said housing that requires a dynamic seal; and
means connected to and constructed to be responsive to the operation of said liquid-level sensing means, when it senses the liquid level at the liquid-level sensing means during relative vertical movement of the liquid level and the liquid-level sensing means, to indicate the operation of said liquid-level sensing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid level gauge for a tank, especially a pressurized railway tank car, has a housing with a bottom opening mounted at a top opening of the tank. A horizontal shaft is rotatably mounted in the housing between opposed walls having parallel flat vertical inner surfaces. A sprocket is fixedly mounted on the central part of the shaft, on each end of which is fixedly mounted a ring magnet spaced from one of these walls. Complementary ring magnets are rotatably mounted outside but adjacent these opposed walls. The four ring magnets constitute a pair of magnetic drives. A track and cable guide assembly, supported in the tank, extends from the bottom portion of the tank. A perforated tape is trained over the sprocket on the shaft and another sprocket rotatably mounted in the bottom portion of the tank so that the tape is under tension. A probe assembly connected to the tape moves vertically when the sprocket in the housing is rotated. The probe assembly senses a liquid-vapor interface and rides in the track and cable guide assembly. An electric cable connected to the probe extends up to the housing. Pulleys and cables keep the electrical cable under tension. One magnetic drive is rotated to move the tape and operate the other magnetic drive that has its complementary ring magnet connected to a device to indicate the position of the probe.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A liquid level gauge for a tank, which comprises:
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liquid-level sensing means; a housing, that in the use of the gauge is mounted at a top opening of the tank, said housing having; a horizontal bottom wall with an opening that is in alignment with the top opening of the tank when said gauge is mounted for use; side wall; and a top wall, said housing having no other opening through which any moving component of said gauge extends so that a dynamic seal would be required; a magnetic drive having a drive magnet and a driven magnet; a first shaft mounted in said housing and having said driven magnet fixed mounted on it closely spaced from the inside surface one of said side walls and top wall; a second shaft mounted outside said housing and having said drive magnet mounted on it for rotation closely spaced from the outside surface of said one wall to provide turning of said driven magnet upon turning of said drive magnet; means, that is outside said housing, connected to said drive magnet to rotate it; means connected to and supporting said liquid-level sensing means and extending upwardly through said opening in said bottom wall of said housing; means in said housing connected to said first shaft and to said support means connected to said liquid-level sensing means, said means connected to said first shaft and said means supporting said liquid-level sensing means being constructed to provide vertical movement of said liquid-level sensing means upon rotation of said first shaft; means responsive to the rotation of said first shaft to indicate the position of said level-sensing means relative to a reference position, said responsive means having a component in said housing and a component outside said housing and constructed so that said inside component operates said outside component without a connection through said housing that requires a dynamic seal; and means connected to and constructed to be responsive to the operation of said liquid-level sensing means, when it senses the liquid level at the liquid-level sensing means during relative vertical movement of the liquid level and the liquid-level sensing means, to indicate the operation of said liquid-level sensing means.
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2. A liquid level gauge for a tank, which comprises:
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liquid-level sensing means; a housing, that in the use of the gauge is mounted at a top opening of the tank, said housing having; a horizontal base plate with an opening that is in alignment with the top opening of the tank when said gauge is mounted for use; a pair of opposed vertical side walls, each having a portion has parallel vertical inner and outer flat surfaces; and a top plate mounted on the side walls of and enclosing the top end of the housing; a first horizontal shaft in said housing; a first shaft support means mounted in said housing and rotatable mounting said first shaft so that a central portion of said shaft extends over said opening in said base plate and said shaft extends toward and normal to said opposed side walls of said housing; means connected to and supporting said liquid-level sensing means and extending upwardly through said opening in said base plate into said housing; means in said housing connected to said central portion of said first shaft and to said support means connected to said liquid-level sensing means, said means connected to said central portion of said first shaft and said means supporting said liquid-level sensing means being constructed to provide vertical movement of said liquid-level sensing means upon rotation of said first shaft; a first magnetic drive having a drive ring magnet and a driven ring magnet, said driven ring magnet being fixedly mounted on one end of said first shaft within said housing and closely spaced from said flat inner surface portion of one of said opposed side walls of said housing; a second horizontal shaft having mounted on one end of it said drive ring magnet of said first magnetic drive; a second shaft support means mounted outside said housing and adjacent said one side wall of said pair of opposed side walls, said second shaft support means mounting said second shaft normal to said flat outer surface portion of said one side wall of said opposed side walls with said drive ring magnet of said first magnetic drive closely spaced from said outer surface portion of said one of said pair of opposed walls and essentially in alignment with said driven ring magnet of said first magnetic drive; means connected to said drive ring magnet of said first magnetic drive to rotate that ring magnet; a second magnetic drive having a drive ring magnet and a driven ring magnet, said drive ring magnet being fixedly mounted on the other end of said first shaft within said housing and closely spaced from said flat inner surface portion of the other of said opposed side walls of said housing; a third horizontal shaft having mounted on one end of it said driven ring magnet of said second magnetic drive; a third shaft support means mounted outside said housing and adjacent said other side wall of said pair of opposed side walls, said third shaft support means mounting said third shaft normal to said flat outer surface portion of said other side of said opposed side walls with said driven ring magnet of said second magnetic drive closely spaced from said outer surface portion of said other of said pair of opposed walls and essentially in alignment with said drive ring magnet of said second magnetic drive; means connected to said third shaft and constructed to provide by the rotation of said third shaft an indication of the vertical position of said liquid-level sensing means; and means connected to and constructed to be responsive to the operation of said liquid-level sensing means, when it senses the liquid level at the liquid-level sensing means during the relative vertical movement of the liquid level and the liquid-level sensing means, to indicate the operation of said liquid-level sensing means, said means including electric cable means extending through one of said top and side walls of said housing, through said opening in said bottom wall of said housing, and connected to said liquid-level sensing means. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification