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US 2008/0184791 A1Published application
Instruments for flow meters
AssigneeDresser, Inc. (Flow Control)
InventorEDWARD THOMPSON CROTTIE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments of an instrument for a flow meter can automatically adjust in response to the rotational direction of the drive shaft of the flow meter, thereby permitting the instrument device to perform its intended function regardless of the fluid flow direction through the flow meter. In one example, the instrument may comprise a corrector instrument that includes a counter.
Claims28
An instrument for a flow meter, the instrument comprising:
- an input shaft that is driven to rotate in a first direction or in a second opposite direction by a flow meter when the input shaft is coupled to the flow meter;
- an output shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the input shaft, the rotation of the output shaft causing a data device to collect information related to the flow meter;
- and
- a gear system that couples the input shaft to the output shaft, said gear system to automatically adjust and thereby direct the output shaft in a forward rotational direction in response to both rotation of the input shaft in the first direction and rotation of the input shaft in the second opposite directions
- wherein the gear system comprises an input gear coupled to the input shaft, an output gear coupled to the output shaft, and an idler gear assembly that translates rotational motion from the input gear to the output gear, the idler gear assembly including first and second idler gears collectively mounted to a movable body that, in response to rotation of the input gear in the first direction, shifts the arrangement of the first and second idler gears so that at least one of the first and second idler gears disengages the output gear.
2 more elements
A method for mounting an instrument to a flow meter, the method comprising:
- identifying a flow meter installed in a fluid flow system such that fluid passes through the flow meter in a first flow direction or a second opposite flow direction;
- and
- mounting an instrument to the flow meter without manually adjusting an internal gear of the instrument to account for the flow direction through the flow meter, the instrument comprising a counter device that provides information related to the fluid flow through the flow meter,
- wherein the step of mounting the instrument causes the instrument to automatically adjust so that the counter device counts in positive increments independent of whether fluid passes through the flow meter in the first flow direction or in the second opposite flow direction.
1 more element
A corrector instrument for a flow meter, the instrument comprising:
- an input shaft that is driven to rotate in a first direction or in a second opposite direction by an instrument drive device of a flow meter when the input shaft is coupled to the instrument drive device of the flow meter;
- an output shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the input shaft, the rotation of the output shaft causing a magnet coupled to the output shaft to rotate;
- an electronic data device arranged proximate to the magnet to detect the rotation of the magnet and generate information related to an amount of fluid flow through the flow meter, the electronic data device generating a corrected value of fluid flow through the flow meter, the corrected value being at least one of a temperature-corrected value and a pressure-corrected value;
- a mechanical counter device that is driven by the output shaft to indicate information related to an amount of fluid flow through the flow meter;
- and
- a gear system that couples the input shaft to the output shaft, said gear system to automatically adjust and thereby direct the output shaft in a forward rotational direction in response to both rotation of the input shaft in the first direction and rotation of the input shaft in the second opposite direction.
3 more elements
An instrument drive device for a flow meter, the instrument drive device comprising:
- an input shaft that is driven to rotate in a first direction or in a second opposite direction by a flow meter when the input shaft is coupled to the flow meter;
- a mounting platform to receive an accessory instrument for coupling with the flow meter;
- a drive shaft that extends from the mounting platform and rotates in response to rotation of the input shaft, the drive shaft arranged to drive the accessory instrument when the instrument attached to the mounting platform and is coupled to the drive shaft;
- and
- a gear system that couples the input shaft to the output shaft, said gear system to automatically adjust and thereby direct the drive shaft in a forward rotational direction in response to both rotation of the input shaft in the first direction and rotation of the input shaft in the second opposite direction.
2 more elements
An index instrument for a flow meter, the index device comprising:
- a mechanical counter device that provides information related to the fluid flow through a flow meter;
- an input shaft that is driven to rotate in a first direction or in a second opposite direction by a flow meter when the input shaft is coupled to the flow meter;
- an output shaft that rotates in response to rotation of the input shaft, the rotation of the output shaft causing a mechanical counter device to operate;
- and
- a gear system that couples the input shaft to the output shaft, said gear system to automatically adjust so that the mechanical counter device counts in positive increments in response to both rotation of the input shaft in the first direction and rotation of the input shaft in the second opposite directions
- wherein the gear system comprises an input gear coupled to the input shaft, an output gear coupled to the output shaft, and an idler gear assembly that translates rotational motion from the input gear to the output gear, the idler gear assembly being movable from a first orientation in which a first idler gear directly engages the both the input gear and the output gear to a second orientation in which the first idler gear directly engages only one of the input gear and the output gear.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.