Apparatus for sensing and/or measuring changes in inclinations

Abstract

A sensor which presents a capacitance which is a function of its inclination comprises an elongated sealed chamber which is partially filled with a liquid dielectric, the remaining space being occupied by air or a suitable gas. The chamber is provided with a pair of electrodes which are arranged to lie generally one above and the other below the liquid/gas interface at a particular angle of inclination of the chamber whereby a change in this inclination produces a corresponding change in the capacitance between the electrodes. The chamber may be straight with the electrodes arranged at one end or arcuate with the electrodes arranged at the centre. The sensor may be used with a means for producing an indication of inclination and this means may comprise a capacitance bridge or a tuned base tuned collector oscillator with the sensor connected to decouple the emitter whereby a change in capacitance will vary the collector current, which in turn may be applied to control an indicating instrument, a digital read-out or an audible beat note.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.