Flowmeter having photo-diode registration of gas flow

Claim 1

IN A FLUID FLOW RATE MEASURING DEVICE OF THE TYPE HAVING A CALIBRATED FLOW TUBE WITH A FLOAT MEANS THEREIN POSITIONABLE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WITHIN THE TUBE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RATE OF FLOW OF FLUID THERETHROUGH, APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERING THE RATE OF FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID DEVICE WITH RESPECT TO A SELECTED RATE OF FLOW, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A FIRST CIRCUIT, (B) A SECOND CIRCUIT, (C) MEANS CONTROLLED ACCORDINGLY AS SAID FIRST OR SECOND CIRCUITS ARE SELECTIVELY ENERGIZED TO REGISTER A RATE OF FLOW RELATIVE TO A SELECTED RATE, (D) A BI-STABLE AMPLIFIER MEANS HAVING A FIRST STABLE CONDITION IN WHICH IT EFFECTS ENERGIZATION OF SAID FIRST CIRCUIT AND A SECOND STABLE CONDITION IN WHICH IT EFFECTS ENERGIZATION OF SAID SECOND CIRCUIT, (E) A SOURCE OF BEAMED LIGHT THE RAYS OF WHICH PASS THROUGH THE CALIBRATED FLOW TUBE OF THE MEASURING DEVICE SIMULTANEOUSLY AT FIRST AND SECOND CLOSELY SPACED LOCATIONS RESPECTIVELY INDICATIVE OF A FIRST RATE OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE FLOW TUBE, AND A SECOND RATE OF FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE FLOW TUBE GREATER THAN SAID FIRST RATE, (F) PHOTOELECTRIC MEANS OPERATIVELY RESPONSIVE TO THE RAYS OF SAID BEAMED LIGHT PASSING THROUGH THE FLOW TUBE AT SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOCATIONS, SAID RAYS OF BEAMED LIGHT BEING SUBJECT TO INTERRUPTION OF IMPINGEMENT ON SAID PHOTOELECTRIC MEANS AT EITHER ONE OF SAID LOCATIONS BY THE FLOAT MEANS AS IT MOVES WITHIN SAID FLOW TUBE, AND (G) TRANSISTOR MEANS OPERATIVE COOPERATIVELY WITH SAID PHOTOELECTRIC MEANS AS THE FLOAT MEANS MOVES UP TO AND IN SAID FIRST LOCATION IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH A RATE OF FLUID FLOW UP TO AND INCLUDING SAID FIRST SELECTED RATE OF FLOW, TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS IN SAID FIRST STABLE CONDITION, AND OPERATIVELY COOPERATIVELY WITH PHOTOELECTRIC MEANS AS THE FLOAT MEANS MOVES IN AND ABOVE SAID SECOND LOCATION IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH A RATE OF FLUID FLOW EQUAL TO AND GREATER THAN SAID SECOND SELECTED RATE OF FLOW, TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID AMPLIFIER MEANS IN SAID SECOND STABLE CONDITION.