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US 4,392,032 AGranted
Rotating paddle bin level indicator
AssigneeBerwind Corporation
InventorDonald E. Roach, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeBerwind Corporation
InventorDonald E. Roach, II
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for indicating the level of flowable material in a storage bin comprising a motor rotatably suspended by a spring within a protective enclosure and a drive shaft coupled by a ball-and-detent clutch to a paddle disposed within the bin to engage material therein. When the material reaches the level of the paddle, the drag on the paddle causes the motor to rotate within the enclosure and thereby to activate a switch disposed within the enclosure and coupled to the motor. A spring returns the motor to the switch-deactivated position when the material level decreases and the consequent drag is removed from the paddle. Electronic circuitry disposed within the housing includes field-selectable fail-safe circuitry for indicating either a high or a low material condition in the event of a power failure or the like independently of actual material level.
Apparatus for indicating the level of material in a storage bin comprising a hollow enclosure including means for mounting said enclosure to a storage bin, motor means mounted for limited movement within said enclosure, a paddle operatively coupled to said motor means and adapted to be disposed for rotation within said bin, rotation of said paddle being retarded when material stored in said bin is at a level so as to stallably engage said paddle, means mounted within said enclosure for detecting limited movement of said motor means when rotation of said paddle is retarded by material stored in said bin, and fail safe means operatively connected to said means for detecting limited movement for indicating a preselected material level condition at said means for detecting limited movement in the event of failure at said apparatus independently of actual material level relative to said paddle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.