Viscosimeter

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MEASUREING THE VISCOSITY OF A FLUID COMPRISING INCOMBINATIN, A TUBE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID TUBE IN A PERPENDICULARLY DISPOSED POSITION, SAID TUBE BEING DESIGNED TO RECEIVE THE FLUID TO BE MEASURED, A BALL FEEDER SECURED TO AND CLOSING TH UPPER END OF SAID TUBE, SAID BALL FEEDER HAVING HOPPER-LIKE OPENINGS THEREIN FOR HOLDIG A PLURALITY OF METALLIC BALLS, MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS DISPOSED INSAID BALL FEEDER ADJACENT SAID HOPPER-LIKE OPENINGS TO SELECTEIVELYRECEIVE AN INDIVIDUAL BALL FROM SAID HOPPER-LIKE OPENINGS, SAID MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS BEING MOVABLE TO A PREDETERMINED BALL RELEASE POSITION, SAID BALL RELEASE POSITION BEING OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE COLUMN OF FLUID IN SAID TUBE SO THAT AST HE BALL IS DROPPED INTO THE FLUID THE RELATIVE FLOW OF THE FLUID PAST THE BALL DURING THE DOWNWARD PASSAGE OF THE BALL THROUGH THE COLUMN OF FLUID WILLB E THROUGH AN ANNULAR APERTURE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AREA AS DEFINED BY THE SIZE OF THE BALL AND THE INSIDE DIMENSION OF THE TUBE, ELECTRICAL SENSING HEADS MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO DETECT THE PASSAGE OF A BALL PST THE RESPECTIVE SENSING HEADS, SAID ELECTIRCAL SENSING HEADS BEING CNNECTED THROUGH AMPLIFIER MEANS TO RELAY MEANS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO INITIATE AND TERMINATE THE OPERATION OF TIMING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO SIGNALS PRODUCED BY THE PASSAGE OF SAID BALL PAST AN ADJACENT PAIR OF SAID ELECTRICAL SENSING HEADS.