Orifice plate transfer apparatus

Claim 1

IN A FLOW MEASURING ORIFICE PLATE TRANSFER DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF: A PAIR OF BODY MEMBERS HAVING WALLS COOPERATING TO DEFINE A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, A PLATE CARRIER IN THE CHAMBER, MEANS INCLUDING A ROTARY SHAFT PROJECTED THROUGH A WALL OF ONE OF THE BODY MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING AND TURNING THE PLATE CARRIER ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS, SAID PLATE CARRIER HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SPACED OPENINGS FOR RECEPTION IN EACH OF SAID OPENINGS OF AN ORIFICE PLATE ASSEMBLY, EACH BODY MEMBER HAVING A PIPE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH WITH AN END PROJECTING INTO SAID CHAMBER AT A LOCATION OFFSET FROM THE SHAFT AXIS, THE PIPES BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED AND HAVING A GAP BETWEEN ADJACENT ENDS, THE PLATE CARRIER EXTENDING INTO SAID GAP TO POSITION ONE OF THE ORIFICE PLATE ASSEMBLIES BETWEEN THE PIPE ENDS, AND MEANS POSITIONED EXTERIORLY OF THE CHAMBER FOR TURNING THE SHAFT BY INCREMENTS TO BRING ANY ONE OF THE ORIFICE PLATE ASSEMBLIES INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE PIPE ENDS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A RATCHET WHEEL CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT, AN ARM ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT ADJACENT THE RATCHET WHEEL, A PAWL CARRIED BY THE ARM AND EFFECTIVELY ENGAGING THE RATCHET WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION FOR ROTATING THE RATCHET WHEEL IN SAID ONE DIRECTION ONLY, A SPRING-PRESSED STOP MEMBER YIELDINGLY URGED AGAINST THE RATCHET WHEEL PROVIDING A POSITIVE STOP THEREOF, A CAM ADJACENT THE STOP MEMBER, MEANS ON THE CAM ENGAGING THE STOP MEMBER FOR MOVING THE STOP MEMBER AWAY FROM AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RATCHET WHEEL UPON ACTUATION OF THE CAM, A CAM ROLLER SECURED TO THE ARM AND ARRANGED TO ENGAGE THE CAM UPON MOVEMENT OF THE ARM IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID ONE DIRECTION THEREBY FREEING THE RATCHET WHEEL FOR ROTATION BY THE PAWL OF THE RATCHET WHEEL ON MOVEMENT OF THE ARM IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE ARM.