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US 4,996,888 AGranted
Fluid flowmeter
AssigneeFlowdata, Inc.
InventorsCharles D. Foran, Jr., William J. LoPresti
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFlowdata, Inc.
InventorsCharles D. Foran, Jr., William J. LoPresti
Estimating the term…
A fluid volumetric flowmeter has a wall plate forming a chamber and a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. Two rotors positioned within the chamber have intermeshing lobes and valleys for turning in the chamber as fluid flows from the inlet through the chamber to the outlet. At least one of the rotors has a radial recess for receiving a magnet. A shaft mount is connected to the wall plate. A response shaft is rotationally mounted in the shaft mount, and an indicator rotates with the shaft. A first magnetic coupling is mounted in the rotor recess. A second magnetic coupling is mounted on the shaft within the rotor hub and within the first magnetic coupling for rotating the second magnetic coupling, the shaft, and the indicator in response to rotation of the rotors. First paired coin-shaped magnets are aligned on magnetic axes extending diametrically through the rotor axis. Second grouped coin-shaped magnets are aligned on the single magnetic axis within the rotor hub.
A fluid meter comprises a casing having a chamber and a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet communicating with the chamber;
A fluid meter comprises a casing having a chamber and a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet communicating with the chamber;
The fluid flow measuring method comprising mounting first magnets in radial recesses in a first rotor, flowing fluid into a chamber through the chamber and out of the chamber, and rotating rotors within the chamber with the fluid flow and intermeshing lobes and valleys on the rotors as they rotate, rotating a first magnetic coupling with one of the first rotor, mounting an indicator shaft in an external wall of the chamber and mounting a second magnetic coupling on a proximal end of the indicator shaft within the first coupling on the first rotor such that magnetic axes of the first coupling and the second coupling are perpendicular to rotational axis of the shaft, rotating the indicator shaft with the second magnetic coupling as the first rotor and first magnetic coupling rotate, and rotating an indicator connected to a distal end of the shaft.
The fluid flow measuring method comprising mounting first magnets in radial recesses in a rotor, flowing fluid into a chamber through the chamber and out of the chamber, and rotating rotors within the chamber with the fluid flow and intermeshing lobes and valleys on the rotors as they rotate, rotating a first magnetic coupling with one of the rotors, mounting an indicator shaft in an external wall of the chamber and mounting a second magnetic coupling on a proximal end of the indicator shaft within the first coupling on the rotor, rotating the indicator shaft with the second magnetic coupling as the rotor and first magnetic coupling rotate, and rotating an indicator connected to a distal end of the shaft, wherein mounting the second magnetic coupling comprises mounting coin-shaped magnets as a second bar magnet and aligning a magnetic axis of the second bar magnet radially on the proximal end of the indicator shaft and inserting the indicator shaft in a support bushing on the wall and positioning the second magnetic coupling in a recess extending into the chamber within an axle of the rotor when positioning the indicator shaft in the support bushing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.