Liquid fill level indicator

• US 4,997,013 A
• Filed: 05/20/1988
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arganius E. Peckels
• Original Assignee: Arganius E. Peckels
• Inventors: Peckels, Arganius E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cusick, Ernest G.
• Application Number:
  US07/196,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 141/94-96, 141/297-300, 141/331-345, 141/288, 141/368, 73/294, 73/305, 73/306, 73/314, 73/319, 73/322, 73/322.5, 116/108-110, 116/112, 116/227, 116/228, 116/264, 116/70
• US Class Current: 141/95
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 11/02 without discharge valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2011/40 comprising level indicating means

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for filling vessels with liquid has a non-electric fill indicator having an air passageway leading up and out of the vessel to an air flow indicator, air escaping during filling causes the indicator to whistle and when the whistle stops, the vessel is filled and the user stops filing; a funnel has an elongate air inlet port through a side wall to an adjustable height air inlet to the indicator, air flow is not stopped until the height level of opened air inlet port is covered by the vessel liquid.

Claims

1. A liquid funnel having structure for indicating when liquid in a liquid receiving vessel has reached a selected and preferred fill level, comprising

(a) a generally tubular funnel body having an inlet end and an outlet end;

(b) means adjacent the outlet end and adapted for generally sealing the funnel to a filling inlet of the liquid receiving vessel;

(c) a discrete air tube having an air inlet adjacent the body outlet end and an air outlet adjacent the body inlet end, said air tube being extended upright in said funnel and inside of said sealing means;

(d) indicator means on said air tube outlet for indicating air has stopped flowing through said tube upon the vessel being filled with liquid to the level of the air inlet, said air inlet being movable in said funnel body;

(e) moving means for vertically moving and positioning the air inlet up and down with respect to said funnel body in a plurality of fill levels which are spaced from the funnel outlet end;

(f) a first fill height scale extending upward from adjacent the outlet end of the funnel body;

(g) a second fill height scale extending downward from adjacent the inlet end of the funnel body; and

(h) means adjacent said air outlet and said second scale for locating said air inlet at a selected and preferred fill level.

2. The funnel of claim 1, including adjustment means on the outside of said funnel body and below said inlet end, said adjustment means being operatively connected to said air tube and said locating means for adjusting and locating the air inlet, at a selected and preferred level from outside of the funnel, when the funnel is at least partially in the vessel.

3. The funnel of claim 1, wherein said funnel body includes a generally frusto-conical tubular section adjacent said outlet end for sealing in and to a range of diameters of filling inlets;

and said sealing means comprising a toroidal seal ring sliding affixed and vertically adjustable on the outside of the funnel body frusto-conical tubular section adjacent the outlet end, said seal ring having

(a) a first downward facing face sealing surface for sealing engagement of an outer face of bayonet type vessel filling inlet; and

(b) a diametrically resilient inner radial seal sealing surface engagable with the outside of the funnel body along the frusto-conical tubular section adjacent the outlet end.

4. The funnel of claim 1, in which said first and second fill height scales are all on the outside of said funnel body.

5. An improved liquid funnel having structure for indicating when liquid in a liquid receiving vessel has reached a selected and preferred fill level, comprising

(a) a generally tubular funnel body having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an outside wall between said ends;

(b) a generally frusto-conical discharge pipe, having a tapered section of said outside wall which is divergent from the outlet end toward the inlet end and which is sized and shaped to fit within different diameters of liquid filler inlet apertures for the receiving vessel;

(c) a discrete and vertically movable air tube having a movable air inlet adjacent the body outlet end and an air outlet adjacent the body inlet end, said air tube being extended upright in said funnel and inside of said frusto-conical discharge pipe;

(d) indicator means on said air tube outlet end and positioned on the outside of said funnel body for indicating air has stopped flowing through said tube upon the vessel being filled to the level of the movable air inlet;

(e) a vertically elongate air inlet port in the discharge pipe, said air inlet port being extended upward from adjacent the funnel outlet end and being extended through the funnel body outside wall fluidly to said air tube inlet; and

(f) means adjacent the outlet end for effectively sealing the funnel and the vertically elongate air inlet port to the filling inlet of the liquid receiving vessel.

6. The funnel of claim 5, in which said sealing means comprises portions of said outside wall positioned inbetween vertically spaced apart portions of said vertically elongate air inlet port.

7. The funnel of claim 5, in which said air inlet port comprises a plurality of spaced apart apertures through said outer wall.

8. The funnel of claims 7, in which said plurality of apertures are in a straight line.

9. The funnel of claim 5, in which said tapered section is concave on the outside wall of the funnel body.