Bin level indicator

An indicator for providing information to a person regarding the level of material located within a bin 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 on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a dark color,
• a light transparent member joined 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 bin, said mount device including
• an elongated bar adapted to be located within the bin and engageable with the inside of the side wall of the bin,
• a boss joined to the bar adapted to be extended through the hole in the side wall of the bin,
• a fastener cooperating with the boss for retaining the bar in engagement with the inside of the side wall of the bin,
• an actuator connected to the mount device locatable within the chamber of 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 flexible body,
• said flexible body comprising a flexible sheet member having opposite side portions adapted to extend toward the inside side wall of a top portion, a back wall and a bottom edge,
• said back wall of the sheet member including a tubular portion having a passage,
• a plate for holding the flexible sheet member on the bar,
• at least one fastener attaching the plate and flexible sheet member to the bar,
• a motion transmission apparatus connecting the actuator to the visual member,
• said motion transmission apparatus including a rod having a first rod section operatively associated with the visual member for rotating the visual member and a second rod section located in the passage of the tubular portion of the flexible sheet member,
• a torus mounted on the boss,
• said second rod section being extended through said torus with the torus in annular engagement with the second rod section thereby supporting the rod on the torus,
• an axle mounted on the housing rotatably supporting the visual member,
• a sleeve rotatably supported on the axle and connected to the visual member,
• a yoke having a stem, a first arm and a second arm,
• said first rod section being connected to the stem,
• said sleeve being located between said first and second arms,
• an endless flexible member having a middle portion wound around the sleeve, a first end portion retained on the first arm and a second end portion retained on the second arm whereby movement of the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moves the rod mounted on the torus, the yoke, and rotates the sleeve with the endless flexible member to rotate the visual member to position the bright color adjacent the transparent member or the dark color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the bright color or the dark 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 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,
• a first color on the first portions of the visual members,
• said second portions of the visual members having a second color,
• said first and second colors being visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member joined to the housing enclosing the visual members within the internal chamber of the housing,
• a boss adapted to be mounted on the upright wall of the bin,
• 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,
• a motion transmission apparatus connecting the actuator to the visual members,
• said motion transmission apparatus having
• a member for rotating the visual members,
• a rod having a first section connected to the member and
• a second section connected to the actuator,
• a torus mounted on the boss,
• said second section of the rod extending through the torus to movably support the rod on the torus whereby movement of the actuator from a first position to a second position moves the visual members to locate the first color 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 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.

An indicator for providing information to a person regarding the level of material located within a bin having an inside 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 on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a second color,
• said first color and second color being visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member joined 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 when engaged with material in the bin and from the second position to the first position when material in the bin does not engage the actuator,
• said actuator including a flexible body and extended downwardly into the chamber of the bin,
• said flexible body having a tubular member with a passage,
• a bar adapted to be located within the bin and engageable with the upright inside wall of the bin,
• a tubular boss connected to the bar,
• a fastener attached to the boss adapted to hold the boss and bar on the bin,
• a plate attached to the bar for securing the flexible body to the bar, and
• a motion transmission apparatus operably connecting the actuator to the visual member,
• said motion transmission apparatus including a rod mounted on the boss,
• said rod having a rod section located in the passage of the tubular member whereby movement of the flexible body moves the rod and the actuator between its first and second positions selectively moving the visual member to locate the first color adjacent the light transparent member or the second color second portion of the visual member adjacent the transparent member whereby the first color 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 information concerning the level of material in the bin.

An indicator for providing 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 on the first portion of the visual member,
• said second portion of the visual member having a second color,
• said first color and second color being visually contrasting colors,
• a light transparent member joined 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 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,
• said visual member being rotatably mounted on the axle,
• an endless flexible member,
• said flexible member including a middle portion thereof wound around the sleeve,
• a first end portion and a second end portion,
• a yoke having a first arm and a second arm located adjacent the sleeve,
• said first end portion of the flexible member being retained on the second arm,
• said second end portion of the endless flexible member being retained on the second arm,
• a member connecting the yoke to the actuator and
• said member, yoke and flexible member being movable in response to movement of the actuator to rotate the sleeve and visual member connected to the sleeve whereby the bright color 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.