Float operated signal device

Claim 1

IN A FLOAT-OPERATED SIGNAL DEVICE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A ROD ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT THE RELATIVE VERTICAL POSITION OF A FLOAT MEMBER; AN ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT DETACHABLY SURROUNDING SAID ROD CIRCUMFERENTIALLY IN COMPRESSED ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH WHEREBY TO ACT AS BOTH A SEAL FOR SAID ROD AND A PIVOT THEREFOR; AND A MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR RECEIVING SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT AND PRESERVING THE COMPRESSION THEREOF; SAID MOUNTING STRUCTURE INCLUDING WALL MEANS PERFORATED TO PASS SAID ROD THERETHROUGH AND HAVING AN ANNULAR SURFACE CONFRONTING SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT AT ONE SIDE THEREOF AND SAID MOUNTING STRUCTURE FURTHER INCLUDING SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A SURFACE GENERALLY CONFRONTING SAID ANNULAR SURFACE AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT TO PROVIDE A GROOVE RECEIVING SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT, SAID WALL MEANS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT AND SAID SUPPORT MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT BEING SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID ROD FOR CLEARANCE, SAID ROD HAVING GROOVE MEANS IN MATING RELATIONSHIP TO THE GROOVE PROVIDED BY SAID SURFACES AND IN WHICH THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT IS DISPOSED, AND FASTENING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID WALL MEANS FOR URGING SAID SURFACES TOWARD EACH OTHER AND COMPRESSING SAID ELASTOMERIC ELEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND INTO THE GROOVE MEANS IN SAID ROD TO SEAL THE ROD AND SUPPORT THE SAME FOR PERMISSIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID CLEARANCE WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTING SLIDING AND ROTATING MOVEMENT OF THE ROD.