Tank gauge apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF GAUGING THE PROPORTION OF OIL AND WATER IN A TANK WHICH IS FILLED REPEATEDLY WITH A MIXTURE OF OIL AND WATER WHICH MAY SETTLE IN THE TANK IN LAYERS OF FREE OIL, AN EMULSION OF OIL AND WATER AND FREE WATER COMPRISING A CYCLE OF OPERATION INCLUDING THE SEQUENTIAL STEPS OF FILLING THE TANK TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL WITH THE MIXTURE OF OIL AND WATER TO BE GAUGED, CONNECTING TO THE TANK A VERTICALLY EXTENDING TUBE CONTAINING A GAUGING LIQUID THEREIN, SAID CONNECTION PROVIDING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF THE TUBE AND THE TANK AT A LEVEL SO THAT THE GAUGING LIQUID IS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE HEAD OF THE WATER IN SAID TANK WHEREBY THE PRESSURE HEAD CONDITION OF THE GAUGING LIQUID IS INDICATIVE OF THE PROPORTION OF OIL AND WATER IN THE TANK, SENSING SAID CONDITION OF SAID GAUGING LIQUID TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF THE HEAD FOR MAKING A RECORD OF SAID OIL-WATER PROPORTION AND DRAINING THE OIL-WATER MIXTURE FROM THE TANK, AND REPEATING SAID CYCLE FOR SUCCESSIVE TANK FILLINGS OF OIL-WATER MIXTURES WHEREBY THE AMOUNT OF OIL THAT IS DELIVERED FROM THE TANK MAY BE DETERMINED.