Bin level inicator

A combined material storage bin and visual indicator for providing a person with information regarding the level of material located within the bin comprising:

• a material storage bin having a side wall surrounding a chamber for holding material,
• said side wall having at least one hole open to the inside and outside of the side wall,
• a visual indicator mounted on the side wall operable to provide a person located remote from the material storage bin with visual information regarding the level of material located within the material storage bin,
• said visual indicator comprising:
• a housing having an internal chamber,
• at least one visual member movably mounted on the housing, said visual member having a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion located in the internal chamber of the housing,
• a bright color member on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a dark color,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual member within the interior chamber of the housing,
• a mount device for connecting the housing to the side wall of the material storage bin, said mount device including
• an elongated bar located within the material storage bin engageable with the inside of the side wall of the material storage bin,
• a boss joined to the elongated bar extended through the hole in the side wall of the material storage bin, said boss having a chamber open to the internal chamber of the housing,
• a fastener cooperating with the boss to retain the elongated bar in engagement with the inside of the side wall of the material storage bin,
• said housing having a projection located within the chamber of the boss,
• said projection and boss having cooperating members operable to retain the projection on the boss thereby retaining the housing on the mount device,
• an actuator connected to the mount device locatable within the chamber of the material storage bin for movement from a first position to a second position and from the second position back to the first position,
• said actuator including a flexible body extended downwardly from the elongated bar into the chamber of the material storage bin,
• a plate for holding the body on the elongated bar,
• at least one fastener attaching the plate and body to the elongated bar,
• a motion transmission apparatus connecting the actuator to the visual member whereby movement of the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moves the visual member to locate the bright color member adjacent the transparent member or the dark color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the bright color member or the dark color second portion of the visual member is visible by a person located remote from the material storage bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the material storage bin.

A combined material storage bin and visual indicator for providing a person with information regarding the level of material located within the bin comprising:

• said material storage bin having a side wall surrounding a chamber for holding material,
• said side wall having at least one hole open to the inside and outside of the side wall,
• said visual indicator mounted on the side wall operable to provide a person located remote from the material storage bin with visual information regarding the level of material located within the material storage bin,
• said visual indicator comprising:
• a housing having an internal chamber,
• at least one visual member movably mounted on the housing, said visual member having a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion located in the internal chamber of the housing,
• a bright color member on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a dark color,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual member within the interior chamber of the housing,
• a mount device for connecting the housing to the side wall of the material storage bin, said mount device including
• an elongated bar located within the material storage bin engageable with the inside of the side wall of the material storage bin,
• a boss joined to the elongated bar extended through the hole in the side wall of the material storage bin,
• a fastener cooperating with the boss to retain the elongated bar in engagement with the inside of the side wall of the material storage bin,
• an actuator connected to the mount device locatable within the chamber of the material storage bin for movement from a first position to a second position and from the second position back to the first position,
• said actuator including a flexible body extended downwardly from the elongated bar into the chamber of the material storage bin,
• a plate for holding the body to the elongated bar,
• at least one fastener attaching the plate and body to the elongated bar,
• a motion transmission apparatus connecting the actuator to the visual member whereby movement of the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moves the visual member to located the bright color member adjacent the transparent member or the dark color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the bright color member or the dark color second portion of the visual member is visible by a person located remote from the material storage bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the material storage bin,
• the motion transmission apparatus includes:
• a first member located adjacent the flexible body,
• a second member extended into the chamber of the housing,
• a spherical ball connected to the first member to the second member,
• said elongated bar and said plate having segmented spherical surfaces providing a pocket for the spherical ball allowing the first and second members to move between said first and second positions in response to movement of the actuator.

An indicator for providing visual information to a person regarding the level of material located within a bin having an upright wall comprising:

• a housing having an internal chamber,
• a pair of generally cylindrical visual members having first portions and second portions spaced from the first portions,
• first color members on the first portions of the visual members,
• said second portions of the visual members having a second color,
• said first and second colors are visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual members within the internal chamber of the housing,
• an actuator adapted to be located within the bin for movement from a first position to a second position and from the second position back to the first position,
• said actuator including a generally flexible body extended downwardly into the bin,
• a bar adapted to be located within the bin and engageable with the upright wall of the bin,
• a member securing the flexible body of the actuator to the bar and locating the flexible body downwardly from the bar into the bin,
• a motion transmission apparatus connecting the actuator to the visual members whereby movement of the actuator from a first position to a second position moves the visual members to locate the first color members adjacent the transparent member and movement of the actuator from the second position to the first position moves the visual members to locate the second color of the visual members adjacent the transparent member whereby the first color members and second color of the visual members are separate, visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with information regarding the level of material in the bin,
• said motion transmission apparatus comprising:
• a first member located adjacent the flexible body,
• a second member extended into the chamber of the housing,
• a spherical ball connecting the first member to the second member,
• a third member attached to the second member, said third member having first and second arcuate segments of teeth and an arcuate slot generally concentric with the first and second arcuate segments of teeth,
• a boss connected to the bar,
• a fastener attached to the boss for holding the bar in engagement with the upright wall of the bin,
• said bar and said third member securing the body to the actuator having segmented spherical surfaces providing a pocket for the spherical ball allowing the first and second members to move between first and second positions,
• a first spur gear joined to one visual member engageable with the first arcuate segment of teeth,
• a second spur gear joined to another visual member engageable with the second arcuate segment of teeth,
• an axle mounted on the housing and extended through the slot in the third member, and
• said visual members and first and second spur gears being rotatably mounted on the axle whereby in response to movement of the motion transmission apparatus by the actuator the bright color members and dark color second portion of the visual members are selectively located adjacent the transparent member and visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the bin.

An indicator for providing visual information to a person regarding the level of material located within a bin having a side wall and a chamber for holding the material comprising:

• a housing having an internal chamber,
• at least one visual member movably mounted on the housing,
• said visual member having a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion located in the internal chamber of the housing,
• a first color member on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a second color,
• said first color member and second color are visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual member within the chamber of the housing,
• an actuator locatable within the chamber of the bin for movement from a first position to a second position by material in the bin and from the second position to the first position,
• said actuator including a flexible body and extended downwardly into the chamber of the bin,
• a bar adapted to be located within the bin and engageable with the upright wall of the bin,
• a member connecting the flexible member to the bar,
• a boss connected to the bar,
• said boss having a chamber,
• a fastener attached to the boss adapted to hold the boss and bar in engagement with the side wall of the bin,
• said housing having a projection located within the chamber of the boss,
• said projection and boss having cooperating members operable to retain the projection on the boss thereby retaining the housing on the boss, and
• a motion transmission apparatus operably connecting the actuator to the visual member whereby movement of the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moves the visual member to locate the first color member adjacent the transparent member or the second color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the first color member or the second color second portion of the visual member is visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the bin.

An indicator for providing visual information to a person regarding the level of material located within a bin having a side wall and a chamber for holding the material comprising:

• a housing having an internal chamber,
• at least one visual member movably mounted on the housing,
• said visual member having a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion located in the internal chamber of the housing,
• a first color member on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a second color,
• said first color member and second color are visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual member within the chamber of the housing,
• an actuator locatable within the chamber of the bin for movement from a first position to a second position by material in the bin and from the second position to the first position,
• said actuator including a flexible body and extended downwardly into the chamber of the bin,
• a bar adapted to be located within the bin and engageable with the upright wall of the bin,
• a boss connected to the bar,
• a fastener attached to the boss adapted to hold the boss and bar on the side wall of the bin, and
• a motion transmission apparatus operably connecting the actuator to the visual member whereby movement of the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moves the visual member to locate the first color member adjacent the transparent member or the second color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the first color member or the second color second portion of the visual member is visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the bin,
• the motion transmission apparatus includes:
• a first member located adjacent the flexible body,
• a second member extended into the chamber of the housing,
• a spherical ball connecting the first member to the second member,
• said bar including segmented spherical surfaces providing a pocket for the spherical ball allowing the first and second members to move between said first and second positions.

An indicator for providing visual information regarding the level of material located in a bin having a side wall and a chamber for holding the material comprising:

• a housing having an internal chamber,
• at least one visual member located within the internal chamber of the housing,
• said visual member having a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion,
• a first color member on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a second color,
• said first color member and second color are visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual member within the chamber of the housing,
• an actuator locatable within the chamber of the bin for movement from a first position to a second position by material in the bin and from the second position to the first position,
• a motion transmission apparatus operably connecting the actuator to the visual member operable to rotate the visual member in response to movement of the actuator by material in the bin,
• said motion transmission apparatus including,
• a sleeve having an axial passage connected to the visual member,
• an axle mounted on the housing extended through the passage of the sleeve for rotatably mounting the sleeve on the axle,
• a flexible member,
• said flexible member including a portion thereof wound around the sleeve,
• said flexible member being moveable to rotate the sleeve and visual member connected to the sleeve whereby the bright color member and dark color second portion of the visual member are selectively located adjacent the transparent member and visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the bin.