Regulatable flow meter unit for intravenous fluids

Claim 1

A REGULATABLE FLOW METER FOR INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS COMPRISING: A UNITARY, TRANSPARENT PLASTIC BODY MEANS PROVIDED WITH END PORTIONS, ONE END PORTION HAVING AN INLET CONNECTOR FOR ASSOCIATION WITH A CONTAINER OF INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS FOR GRAVITY FLOW OF FLUID INTO THE BODY MEANS; SAID BODY MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH CHAMBER MEANS INCLUDING AN INLET CHAMBER DISPOSED ALONG THE AXIS OF THE BODY MEANS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INLET CONNECTOR, ONE OR MORE SETS OF METERING AND OUTLET CHAMBERS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE INLET CHAMBER; SAID BODY MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING THE INLET CHAMBER WITH THE METERING CHAMBER AT THE OTHER END PORTION, AND A PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING THE METERING CHAMBER TO THE OUTLET CHAMBER AT SAID ONE END PORTION; FLOW INDICATING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH METERING CHAMBER; AND VALVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE BODY MEANS, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR EMBOSSMENT HAVING AN AXIALLY DIRECTED FACE PROVIDED WITH A DISCHARGE PORT IN COMMON WITH EACH OUTLET CHAMBER, A VALVE MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER END PORTION AND HAVING A VALVE PORT SELECTIVELY COOPERABLY POSITIONABLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH DISCHARGE PORT, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING AN EMBOSSMENT WITH A FACE IN SEALING, SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID AXIALLY DIRECTED FACE ON SAID ANNULAR EMBOSSMENT, SAID AXIALLY DIRECTED EMBOSSMENT FACE HAVING A VALVE GROOVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH ASSOCIATED DISCHARGE PORT AND PROGRESSIVELY DIMINISHING IN FLOW AREA IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID DISCHARGE PORT WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID VALVE MEMBER POSITIONS SAID VALVE PORT WITH RESPECT TO AN ASSOCIATED VALVE GROOVE FOR REGULATING DISCHARGE OF FLUID FROM SAID VALVE MEANS.