US 4,063,459 AGranted

Variable-span pressure gauge

OwnerGeorge A. Prellinventor

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Abstract

A variable-span pressure gauge adapted to be calibrated over a wide pressure range, depending upon particular installation requirements relating to the size of the tank and type of liquid to be stored therein, and wherein the pressure to be measured is introduced through a pressure fitting to a pressure chamber defined by a diaphragm having a force bar mounted thereto, the force bar being arranged to engage a flexible lever so as to be moved with the movement of the diaphragm. A second spring lever is caused to flex with the first lever in an adjusting ratio by means of an adjustable span-slider bar and screw member disposed therebetween, through which the gauge pointer is calibrated. The movement of the second lever causes the rotation of a motion shaft which, in turn, operates a gear train operably inter-disposed between the motion shaft and the pointer, wherein the shaft of the pointer has attached thereto a hairspring to keep the motion amplification loaded against backlash or lost motion, the end result thereof being a pointer rotation which is directly proportional to the applied pressure.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A variable-span pressure gauge adapted to be employed in conjunction with non-mechanical, liquid-level indicators having a pressure-responsive system, wherein said gauge comprises:

a housing having a dial-indicator plate removably mounted therein;
means for attaching said pressure-responsive system to said gauge;
means forming a pressure-responsive chamber to receiver pressure from said pressure-response system;
a first, flexible, spring-lever member arranged to be actuated by said pressure-responsive chamber;
a second, flexible, spring-lever member spaced apart and positioned above said first, flexible, spring-lever member in a substantially parallel relationship to one another;
variable adjusting means interposed between said spaced-apart, flexible, spring-lever member to control the movement ratio therebetween;
a motion shaft rotationally supported in said housing;
coupling means mounted between said second spring-lever member and said motion shaft to transfer linear motion of said second spring lever into rotational motion of said motion shaft;
a gear train operably arranged to be driven by the movement of said motion shaft;
drive means mounted to said motion shaft and operably engaging said gear train;
a pointer having a pointer shaft connected to said gear train to actuate said pointer in an arcuate movement;
and
biasing means arranged with said gear train and said pointer to control movement of said pointer.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.