Fluid level detection system for ink in a printing press
AssigneeGoss Graphic Systems, Inc.
InventorsThaddeus A. Niemiro, Frederick J. Whiting, John W. Manser, Joseph Vucko, Frank R. Czajka
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Abstract
A fluid level detection system (50) for ink in a printing press (10) having a vessel (58) having walls (60) defining a chamber (62), an elongated rotatable shaft (64) in the chamber (62), a motor (66) for rotating the shaft (64), an elongated flexible blade (68) affixed to the shaft 64 such that the motor (66) rotates the blade (68), and a proximity sensor (72) adjacent the walls (60) of the vessel (58) to detect the rotating blade (68) in the absence of ink at the level of the blade (68), with the blade (68) flexing in the presence of ink such that the sensor (72) does not detect the blade (68).
Claims11
A fluid level detection system for ink in a printing press, comprising:
- a vessel having a wall defining a chamber;
- an elongated rotatable shaft in the chamber;
- means for rotating the shaft;
- an elongated flexible blade affixed to the shaft and having an outer end remote from the shaft such that the rotating means rotates the blade to cause the outer end to rotate relative to the wall of the vessel;
- and
- a proximity sensor associated with the wall of the vessel to detect the rotating blade at a point along the path of travel of the outer end of the blade, the blade flexing in the presence of ink to position the outer end at a first distance from the proximity sensor where the proximity sensor cannot detect the blade, the blade being straight in the absence of ink to position the outer end at a second, closer distance from the proximity sensor where the proximity sensor detects the blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.