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US 4,848,164 AGranted
Liquid flow meter
AssigneeGraco Inc.
InventorsVernon Quarve, Dennis McCormick, Robert A. Kimber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid flow meter of the type having a positive displacement rotatable member responsive to liquid flow, with a permanent magnet affixed to the rotatable member. A magnetically-operable reed switch is located proximate the reed switch, but outside the liquid flow housing, and battery-operated circuits accumulate counts of reed switch closures, and display the counts in units representative of liquid flow volumes.
Claims18
A liquid flow meter comprising
- (a) a non-magnetic housing having a liquid inlet and outlet, and an intermediate chamber, connected to permit liquid flow from said inlet through said chamber to said outlet;
- (b) a positive displacement member and non-magnetic shaft rotatably mounted in said chamber, and configured relative to said chamber so as to cause rotation of said displacement member and shaft in direct correspondence with volume flow of liquid through said chamber;
- (c) a permanent magnet diametrically embedded in said non-magnetic shaft, proximate an end thereof;
- (d) a magnetically-operable reed switch mounted outside said housing in close proximity to said shaft end embedding said permanent magnet, said reed switch undergoing two switch closures for each revolution of said shaft;
- (e) a first circuit means for converting said reed switch operations into an electrical numerical representation of liquid flow;
- (f) second circuit means connected to said first circuit means, for counting and totalizing said numerical representations;
- and
- (g) means for displaying said numerical representations.
5 more elements
A liquid flow meter comprising
- (a) a first housing adapted for insertion into a liquid flow line, said housing having an inlet and outlet means for serially coupling into said flow line, and a flow-through chamber;
- (b) a positive displacement rotational member affixed to a shaft constructed of non-magnetic material, said shaft being bearing-mounted in said first housing with said rotational member interposed in the liquid flow path through said flow-through chamber, whereby liquid volume flow through said chamber causes corresponding positive rotational displacement of said rotational member and said shaft;
- (c) a permanent magnet diametrically embedded in said shaft, proximate an end thereof, said reed switch undergoing two switch closures for each revolution of said shaft;
- (d) a magnetically-operable reed switch mounted outside said first housing in close proximity to said shaft end embedding said permanent magnet;
- (e) first circuit means for converting said reed switch operations into electrical signals;
- (f) second circuit means connected to said first circuit means for converting, for counting and totalizing said electrical signals;
- (g) means for displaying a numerical representation of said counted and totalized electrical signals;
- (h) a second housing outside and attached to said first housing, and a circuit board attached to said second housing, said circuit board having affixed thereto said reed switch, said first circuit means for converting, said second circuit means, and said means for displaying;
- and
- (i) a battery power source contained in said second housing, said battery power source coupled to said reed switch, said first circuit means, said second circuit means, and said means for displaying.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.