Magnetic float type liquid level gauges
First Claim
1. A liquid level indicator which comprises:
- an upright cylindrical tube of non-magnetic material, a cylindrical, permanent first magnet element aligned with, and movable coaxially within, the tube, a float, and an annular, permanent second magnet element aligned with, and movable coaxially outside, the tube, wherein said first and second magnet elements have magnetic fields in alignment with one another, and wherein one of said first and second magnet elements is carried by the float while another of said first and second magnet elements is not carried by the float, and wherein said first and second magnet elements are axially spaced relative to one another such that said one of said first and second magnet elements carried by the float supports by magnetic attraction said another of said first and second magnet elements not carried by the float.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Liquid level indicators include an upright cylindrical tube of non-magnetic material, a cylindrical, permanent first magnet element aligned with and movable coaxially within the tube, a float, and an annular, permanent second magnet element aligned with and movable coaxially outside the tube. The first and second magnet elements have magnetic fields in alignment with one another, with one of the first and second magnet elements being carried by the float. The first and second magnet elements are axially spaced relative to one another such that the one magnet element which is carried by the float supports by magnetic attraction the other magnet element which is not carried by the float.
54 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A liquid level indicator which comprises:
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an upright cylindrical tube of non-magnetic material, a cylindrical, permanent first magnet element aligned with, and movable coaxially within, the tube, a float, and an annular, permanent second magnet element aligned with, and movable coaxially outside, the tube, wherein said first and second magnet elements have magnetic fields in alignment with one another, and wherein one of said first and second magnet elements is carried by the float while another of said first and second magnet elements is not carried by the float, and wherein said first and second magnet elements are axially spaced relative to one another such that said one of said first and second magnet elements carried by the float supports by magnetic attraction said another of said first and second magnet elements not carried by the float. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
said first and second magnet elements are movable axially back and forth generally along an axis of the tube and are permanently magnetized to exhibit the same polarities in a field direction along and parallel with the tube axis, and wherein said pair of permanent magnets of said one of the first and second magnet elements are separated from one another by a fixed distance, and wherein said another of said first and second magnet elements is maintained generally coaxially with and, by magnetic repulsion, at a position between said separated pair of permanent magnets. -
4. An indicator according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid level indicator sleeve slidable along an exterior of the tube, wherein the first magnet element is carried by the float and the float is slidable within the tube, and wherein the second magnet element is attached to the liquid level indicator sleeve.
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5. Liquid level indicating gauge comprising:
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an upright cylindrical tube of non-magnetic material, a first magnet element having a cylindrical permanent disc or ring magnet movable axially within and along the tube, and a second magnet element having an annular shaped permanent magnet surrounding the tube and movable axially along the outside thereof, wherein both permanent magnets of said first and second magnet elements are magnetized and maintained in such orientation relative to each other and to the tube as to have the same polarities in field directions with their magnetic poles being aligned along an axis of the tube or in parallel therewith, and wherein the first magnet element is incorporated in a float that is adapted and arranged to float at the surface of a liquid, while the second magnet element is supported by magnetic repulsion at a level above that adopted by the floating permanent magnet, with said magnetic repulsion having both axial and radial components. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification