Fluid indicator assemblies for sight flow apparatus

A sight flow apparatus, comprising:

• a body attached within a fluid line, said body having an interior cavity and at least one transparent window for visual inspection of fluid flow through said interior cavity,
• a fluid indicator assembly rotatably attached to said body within the cavity of said body, said fluid indicator assembly including a blade rotatable into predetermined orientations depending on the fluid flow through the body, and at least one indicator cap attached to said blade and rotatable therewith into said predetermined orientations, said at least one indicator cap being located between an end of said blade and said at least one window for facilitating visual inspection of the orientation of said blade within the body.

A sight flow apparatus, comprising:

• a body attached within a fluid line, said body having an interior cavity and at least one transparent window for visual inspection of fluid flow through said interior cavity,
• a fluid indicator assembly rotatably attached to said body within the cavity of said body, said fluid indicator assembly including a flapper assembly rotatable into predetermined orientations depending on the fluid flow through the body, a counterweight and means to attach said counterweight to said flapper assembly in a first orientation with respect to said flapper assembly, said counterweight in said first orientation normally biasing said flapper assembly into a first direction when the fluid flow approaches zero in said body, and allowing said flapper assembly to move into the direction of fluid flow through said body when fluid flow is present in said body.

A sight flow apparatus, comprising:

• an outer body attached within a fluid line, said body having an interior cavity and at least one transparent window for visual inspection of fluid flow through said interior cavity,
• a fluid indicator assembly rotatably attached to said body within the cavity of said body, said fluid indicator assembly including a plurality of substantially planar blades interconnected in offset relation to each other and rotatable when fluid flows in the body, and
• at least one indicator cap attached to an end of said plurality of blades to maintain said blades in fixed relationship with one another, said indicator cap including an aperture for receiving an axle, said axle rotatably mounting said fluid indicator assembly within said body.

A method for assembling a fluid indicator assembly within a sight flow apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• forming a plurality of blades with axially extending slots extending inwardly from the edges of the blades, interconnecting the blades into a fluid indicator assembly such that each slot from each blade interconnects a slot from at least one adjacent blade,
• coupling an indicator cap to at least one end of the fluid indicator assembly such that said indicator cap locks the blades on the fluid indicator assembly in fixed relation to each other, and
• mounting the fluid indicator assembly on an axle supported in the sight flow apparatus such that the fluid indicator assembly can rotate on the axle.

A method for assembling a fluid indicator device within a sight flow apparatus having an axle support therein, comprising the steps of:

• coupling each of two ends of a blade to a fluid indicator cap, said fluid indicator cap having an aperture therein,
• inserting an axle through each of said apertures in each of said fluid indicator caps, and
• installing said axle on axle support so that each fluid indicator cap is located proximate to a window in the sight flow apparatus to facilitate inspecting the rotation of the blade within the sight flow apparatus.