Apparatus for indicating the level of a material in a container

An apparatus for indicating a level of a material in a container having a moveable member indicative of the level of the material therein, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of electromagnetic wave guides, said plurality of wave guides comprising a multi-strand fiber optic cable having a predetermined number of fiber optic strands, said wave guides having respective first and second ends, wherein said first ends of said plurality of electromagnetic wave guides are disposed for receiving energy from an electromagnetic wave source and said second ends of said plurality of electromagnetic wave guides are disposed for indicating the presence of energy received by respective ones of said first ends;
• and
• interrupting means disposed external to the container and operably disposed between the electromagnetic wave source and said first ends, said interrupting means comprising an interrupter disposed external to the container, said interrupter having moving means, said moving means operatively engageable with the moveable member for moving said interrupter in a predetermined direction in relation to the level of the material in the container and for interrupting the transmission of energy from the electromagnetic wave source to one or more of said plurality of electromagnetic waves guides dependent on said level of material in said container, said electromagnetic wave source comprising a light source in accordance with the amount of movement by said moving means whereby the number of said second ends of said electromagnetic wave guides uninterrupted by said interrupter indicates the level of the material in the container.

An apparatus for indicating a level of a material in a container having a moveable member indicative of the level of the material therein, said apparatus comprising:

• a first plurality of fiber optic strands having respective first and second ends, wherein said first ends of said first plurality of fiber optic strands are disposed for receiving light from a light source for transmission of the light to said respective second ends of said first plurality of fiber optic strands;
• a second plurality of fiber optic strands having first and second ends, wherein said first ends of said second plurality of fiber optic strands are disposed for receiving light from respective ones of said second ends of said first plurality of fiber optic strands and said second ends of said second plurality of fiber optic strands are disposed for indicating the presence of light received by respective ones of said first ends of said second plurality of fiber optic strands;
• detecting means operatively connected to the moveable member for detecting the amount of movement of the moveable member which is indicative of the level of the material in the container;
• an interrupter disposed between said second ends of said first plurality of fiber optic strands and said first ends of said second plurality of fiber optic strands for interrupting the transmission of light between one or more of said first and second plurality of fiber optic strands dependent on the level of material in said container;
• and
• rotating means operatively connected to said detecting means and said interrupter for winding and unwinding said interrupter thereabout in relation to the amount of movement of the movable member which is indicative of the level of the material detected by said detecting means such that the number of said first and second plurality of fiber optic strands interrupted by said interrupter is indicative of the level of material in said container, whereby the number of illuminated or non-illuminated second ends of said second plurality of fiber indicates the level of the material in the container.