Rotating paddle bin level indicator
AssigneeBindicator Company
InventorRonald G. Brenton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for indicating the level of flowable material in a storage bin that includes a motor mounted within a protective enclosure and coupled by a shaft and clutch arrangement to a paddle disposed within the bin to engage material therewithin. When the material reaches the level of the paddle, drag on the paddle causes the motor to rotate within the enclosure against the force of an adjustable spring to activate switches disposed within the enclosure for indicating material level. The switches also remove power from the motor and apply power to an electrical resistance heater to warm the enclosure and help prevent condensation at low external ambient temperature. The paddle is constructed to enhance drag when used in conjunction with low-density materials.
Claims20
Apparatus for indicating 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 movement within said enclosure, a paddle, means operatively coupling said paddle to said motor means, said paddle being located within the bin when said enclosure is mounted thereto and rotation of said paddle being retarded when material stored in the bin is at a level stallably to engage said paddle, means mounted within said enclosure for detecting movement of said motor means within said enclosure when rotation of said paddle is retarded by material in the bin, and means coupled to said movement-detecting means for indicating level of material in the bin;
- characterized in that said means operatively coupling said paddle to said motor means comprises a clutch including a first clutch plate coupled to said motor means and a second clutch plate coupled to said paddle and disposed within said enclosure in opposition to said first clutch plate, a rib on one of said clutch plates and a channel on the other of said clutch plates of complementary geometry to said rib and opposed to said rib, a fixed support within said enclosure, and first spring means within said enclosure between said support and said motor means resiliently urging said motor means toward said paddle so as to urge said rib into nesting engagement with said channel.
Apparatus for indicating 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 movement within said enclosure, a paddle, means operatively coupling said paddle to said motor means, said paddle being located within the bin when said enclosure is mounted thereto and rotation of said paddle being retarded when material stored in the bin is at a level stallably to engage said paddle, means mounted within said enclosure for detecting movement of said motor within said enclosure when rotation of said paddle is retarded by material in the bin, and means coupled to said movement-detecting means for indicating level of material in the bin;
- characterized in that said paddle comprises an arcuate body coupled at one end to said operatively-coupling means and extending axially and radially therefrom, and a plurality of ribs spaced from each other lengthwise of said body and upstanding from said body in respective planes perpendicular to the lengthwise dimension of said body for increasing drag on rotation of said paddle upon engagement with material.
Apparatus for indicating 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 movement within said enclosure, a paddle, means operatively coupling said paddle to said motor means, said paddle being located within the bin when said enclosure is mounted thereto and rotation of said paddle being retarded when material stored in the bin is at a level stallably to engage said paddle, means mounted within said enclosure for detecting movement of said motor within said enclosure when rotation of said paddle is retarded by material in the bin, means coupled to said movement-detecting means for indicating level of material in the bin, a fixed support within said enclosure and spring means extending between said motor means and said support urging said motor means to a limit of angular travel within said enclosure, characterized in that said support includes means for selectively adjusting force of said spring means on said motor means comprising a plurality of spring anchor means disposed at differing fixed positions on said support means, said spring means being selectively anchored to one of said anchor means for varying force applied by said spring means to said motor means as a function of the anchor means to which said spring means is anchored.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.