Shortest-path mechanical wave depth gauge

Claim 1

MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE DEPTH OF FLUID IN A TANK COMPRISING: (A) TWO HIGH-FREQUECNY ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS MOUNTED A FIXED DISTANCE ABOVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FLUID IN THE TANK; (B) TWO NON-RESONANT ELONGATED SOLID WAVE CONDUCTORS EACH CONNECTED AT ONE END TO ONE OF SAID TRANSMITTERS FOR THE NON-RESONANT PROPAGATION OF MECHANICAL IMPUSES TO AND FROM THE RESPECTIVE TRANSDUCERS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF FREQUENCIES; (C) SAID WAVE CONDUCTORS EXTENDING IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP FROM ABOVE THE HIGHESTS LEVEL OF FLUID IN THE TANK INTO THE FLUID TO BE MEASURED; (D) MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY EXCITING ONE OF SAID TRANSDUCERS WITH A FIRST SIGNAL BRUST INCLUDING COMPONENTS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AT A VERY HIGH FREQUENCY, AND THEREBY TRANSMITTING A MECHANICAL SIGNAL ALONG THE WAVE CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO SAID ONE TRANSDUCER, FLOAT MEANS AT THE SURFACE OF FLUID IN SAID TANK FOR TRANSMITTING SAID MECHANICAL SIGNAL TO THE OTHER SOLID WAVE CONDUCTOR TO EXCITE ITS CONNECTED TRANSDUCER TO PRODUCE A RECEIVED ELECTRICAL SIGNAL THEREIN CONTAINING SAID HIGH-FREQUENCY COMPONENTS; (E) MEANS FOR RECTIFYING SAID HIGH-FREQUENCY COMPONENTS OF THE RECEIVED SIGNAL TO PRODUCE A RECEIVE SIGNAL HAVING A SHARP LEADING EDGE; (F) AND MEANS FOR MEASURING THE TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN SAID FIRST SIGNAL AND SAID RECEIVED SIGNAL AS AN INDICATION OF THE FLUID DEPTH IN THE TANK; (G) SAID FLOAT MEANS INCLUIDNG SOLID WAVE-CONDUCTIVE MEANS IN PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH BOTH OF SAID WAVE CONDUCTORS FOR TRANSMITTING SAID MECHANICAL SIGNALS FROM ONE OF SAID CONDUCTORS TO THE OTHER.