Specific gravity meter for aircraft de-icing equipment
OwnerWalter E. Thornton-Trumpinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus is disclosed for determining the proportion of ethylene glycol in an aqueous solution that is used to remove as well as prevent the accumulation of ice and snow on commercial aircraft, the apparatus being used in de-icing equipment of the type which has a self-propelled vehicle, a large capacity heater which heats water carried on the vehicle, a proportioning system for mixing the water and ethylene glycol and pumping means for pumping the solution containing the desired proportion of ethylene glycol under high pressure through a nozzle which is directed toward the aircraft. The apparatus can determine the percentage of ethylene glycol that is contained in the aqueous solution at any time during the operation of the de-icing equipment.
Claims13
Apparatus for use in aircraft de-icing equipment of the type which has means for pumping an aqueous de-icing solution through a nozzle onto an aircraft or the like to remove ice and snow therefrom and to prevent the accumulation thereof on the aircraft, said apparatus providing a measurement of the proportion of ethylene glycol in the aqueous solution that is flowing through the nozzle, and comprising:
- means connected upstream of the nozzle for communicating the solution to and from a reservoir means;
- means defining a reservoir for receiving the solution, the reservoir means having a transparent face portion through which indicator means can be viewed;
- pointer means pivotally mounted within said reservoir means and being adapted to reach a vertical position that varies in direct proportion to the amount of ethylene glycol that is present in the solution;
- and,
- indicating means adjacent said pointer means for providing accurate graduated increments of the proportion of ethylene glycol in the solution and thereby enable an observer to view the pointer means and indicating means and obtain an accurate measurement of the proportion of ethylene glycol in the solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.