Magnetic control device having a magnetic force focusing means

Claim 1

IN A MAGNETIC SWITCH MECHANISM HAVING A FLOAT RESPONSIVE TO CONTROL LIQUID LEVEL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING NONMAGNETIC TUBE MEANS, A STATIONARY PERMANENT MAGNET ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE, MAGNETIC FORCE FOCUSING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF POLE SHOES MOUNTED ADJACENT OPPOSITE POLES OF SAID PERMANENT MAGNET FOR CONCENTRATING A PORTION OF THE MAGNETIC FLUX EMANATING FROM SAID MAGNET, EACH OF SAID POLE SHOES HAVING A FLANGE PORTION EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS RESPECTIVELY IN A COMMON PLANE AWAY FROM SAID MAGNET AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID TUBE, AN ARMATURE PIVOTED ON ONE OF SAID FLANGE PORTIONS AND MOVABLE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND CONTROLLING POSITIONS IN RESPONSE TO A CONDITION OF SAID MAGNETIC FORCE MEANS, MEANS DEFINING AN ADJUSTABLE AIR GAP BETWEEN SAID ARMATURE AND SAID FLANGE PORTION, SAID MAGNETIC FORCE FOCUSING MEANS CONCENTRATING A PORTION OF THE MAGNETIC FORCE IN SAID GAP FOR ACTUATING SAID ARMATURE TO ONE OF SAID POSITIONS, RESILIENT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ARMATURE FOR URGING SAID ARMATURE TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS, MAGNETIC SHUNT MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID NONMAGNETIC TUBE AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FLOAT FOR SHUNTING A PORTION OF SAID CONCENTRATED MAGNETIC FORCE AWAY FROM SAID AIR GAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH A LIQUID LEVEL CONDITION WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID ARMATURE TO MOVE BETWEEN POSITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TENSION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS AND THE DEGREE OF CONCENTRATION OF SAID MAGNETIC FORCE IN SAID AIR GAP, AND ACTUATOR MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ARMATURE FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH TO CONTROL SAID LIQUID LEVEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POSITION OF SAID ARMATURE.