Photosensitive optical fluid stream direction indicator

Claim 1

A SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF A FLUID STREAM FLOWING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THEOUTER SURFACE OF A WALL, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED SENSOR ELEMENT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SENSOR AXIS AND AN AXIAL PIVOT POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH, AND HAVING AT ONE END OUTWARD OF THE PIVOT POINT A WORKING PORTION WITH AN EXTERNAL SURFACE THAT IS AXIALLY SYMMETRICAL WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MEANS MOUNTING THE SENSOR ELEMENT WITH SAID WORKING PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE WALL TRANSVERSELY OF THE FLUID STREAM, SAID MOUNTING MEANS DEFINING A NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS ESSENTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE WALL AND PERMITTING LIMITED UNIVERSAL SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE SENSOR ELEMENT ABOUT ITS PIVOT POINT FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION IN RESPONSE TO LATERAL PRESSURE OF THE FLUID STREAM UPON THE WORKING PORTION OF THE SENSOR, MEANS LIMITING THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SWINGING MOVEMENT TO A DEFINITE MAXIMUM ANGULAR DEFLECTION FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION, WHILE PERMITTING THAT DEFLECTION TO ASSUME A CONTINUOUS RANGE OF AZIMUTH ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO SAID NORMAL POSITION, OPTICAL MEANS COMPRISING AN OPTICALLY REFLECTIVE SURFACE MOUNTED ON THE SENSOR INWARDLY OF THE WALL SURFACE AND LYING IN A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION WITH RESPECT TO THE SENSOR AXIS, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A LIGHT BEAM DIRECTED PARALLEL TO THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS AND INCIDENT UPON THE OPTICAL MEANS, LIGHT RESPONSIVE TRANSDUCER MEANS OF ARCUATE FORM FIXEDLY MOUNTED COAXIALLY TO THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS IN POSITION TO RECEIVE LIGHT FROM THE OPTICAL MEANS AT SAID MAXIMUM DEFLECTION AND IN ANY AZIMUTH POSITION OF THE SENSOR WITHIN SAID RANGE, AND OUTPUT MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID TRANSDUCER MEANS FOR INDICATING THE AZIMUTH ANGLE OF THE SENSOR ELEMENT DEFLECTION.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF A FLUID STREAM FLOWING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THEOUTER SURFACE OF A WALL, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED SENSOR ELEMENT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SENSOR AXIS AND AN AXIAL PIVOT POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS LENGTH, AND HAVING AT ONE END OUTWARD OF THE PIVOT POINT A WORKING PORTION WITH AN EXTERNAL SURFACE THAT IS AXIALLY SYMMETRICAL WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MEANS MOUNTING THE SENSOR ELEMENT WITH SAID WORKING PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE WALL TRANSVERSELY OF THE FLUID STREAM, SAID MOUNTING MEANS DEFINING A NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS ESSENTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE WALL AND PERMITTING LIMITED UNIVERSAL SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE SENSOR ELEMENT ABOUT ITS PIVOT POINT FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION IN RESPONSE TO LATERAL PRESSURE OF THE FLUID STREAM UPON THE WORKING PORTION OF THE SENSOR, MEANS LIMITING THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SWINGING MOVEMENT TO A DEFINITE MAXIMUM ANGULAR DEFLECTION FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION, WHILE PERMITTING THAT DEFLECTION TO ASSUME A CONTINUOUS RANGE OF AZIMUTH ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO SAID NORMAL POSITION, OPTICAL MEANS COMPRISING AN OPTICALLY REFLECTIVE SURFACE MOUNTED ON THE SENSOR INWARDLY OF THE WALL SURFACE AND LYING IN A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION WITH RESPECT TO THE SENSOR AXIS, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A LIGHT BEAM DIRECTED PARALLEL TO THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS AND INCIDENT UPON THE OPTICAL MEANS, LIGHT RESPONSIVE TRANSDUCER MEANS OF ARCUATE FORM FIXEDLY MOUNTED COAXIALLY TO THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE SENSOR AXIS IN POSITION TO RECEIVE LIGHT FROM THE OPTICAL MEANS AT SAID MAXIMUM DEFLECTION AND IN ANY AZIMUTH POSITION OF THE SENSOR WITHIN SAID RANGE, AND OUTPUT MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID TRANSDUCER MEANS FOR INDICATING THE AZIMUTH ANGLE OF THE SENSOR ELEMENT DEFLECTION.