Positive displacement piston flow meter with internal valve
First Claim
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1. A piston flow meter for measuring fluid flow through the flow meter comprising:
- (a) a hollow flowtube having a top end and a bottom end;
(b) a piston disposed in said flowtube for movement between a bottom position, adjacent said bottom end, and an elevated position relative to said top end;
(c) stop means located at said top end and said bottom end of said flowtube respectively;
(d) means for connecting said flowtube to an external pump for directing a fluid through said flow meter at a flow rate to be measured by said flowmeter;
(e) a valve assembly integrated in said piston for movement in concert therewith, with said valve assembly having a valve open and valve closed position, said valve assembly comprising;
a valve body, at least one valve passageway for providing fluid access through said piston in the valve open position, a valve head, a movable valve stem slidable within said valve body and connected to said valve head and latching means for holding said valve in one of said valve positions until said valve stem strikes said stop means, said latching means having a permanent magnet member and a steel member with one member connected to said valve stem and the other member connected to said valve body such that upon reaching said top end said permanent magnet is forcibly released from said steel member allowing said piston to reverse direction and to descend by gravity to said bottom end and upon reaching said bottom end said piston is caused to reverse direction and ascend back to said top end with said permanent magnet reengaged to said steel member; and
(f) photoelectric sensor means arranged at different positions along said flowtube, relative to said bottom position and elevated position, for detecting the presence of said piston at each position.
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Abstract
A piston flow meter for measuring gas flow through the flow meter comprising a hollow precision bore flowtube in a vertical orientation, with a movable piston containing a valve assembly for movement in concert with the piston between opposite ends of the flowtube. The valve assembly contains a latching mechanism, preferably a magnetic latch, to provide a positive seal across the piston. The magnetic latch is opened when the piston strikes a spring-loaded stop at the top end of the piston stroke, and is closed at the bottom end of the piston stroke.
28 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A piston flow meter for measuring fluid flow through the flow meter comprising:
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(a) a hollow flowtube having a top end and a bottom end; (b) a piston disposed in said flowtube for movement between a bottom position, adjacent said bottom end, and an elevated position relative to said top end; (c) stop means located at said top end and said bottom end of said flowtube respectively; (d) means for connecting said flowtube to an external pump for directing a fluid through said flow meter at a flow rate to be measured by said flowmeter; (e) a valve assembly integrated in said piston for movement in concert therewith, with said valve assembly having a valve open and valve closed position, said valve assembly comprising;
a valve body, at least one valve passageway for providing fluid access through said piston in the valve open position, a valve head, a movable valve stem slidable within said valve body and connected to said valve head and latching means for holding said valve in one of said valve positions until said valve stem strikes said stop means, said latching means having a permanent magnet member and a steel member with one member connected to said valve stem and the other member connected to said valve body such that upon reaching said top end said permanent magnet is forcibly released from said steel member allowing said piston to reverse direction and to descend by gravity to said bottom end and upon reaching said bottom end said piston is caused to reverse direction and ascend back to said top end with said permanent magnet reengaged to said steel member; and(f) photoelectric sensor means arranged at different positions along said flowtube, relative to said bottom position and elevated position, for detecting the presence of said piston at each position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification