Ultrasonic inclination meter

Claim 1

INCLINATION METERING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, ELECTRICAL PULSE DRIVING, RECEIVING AND RECORDING EQUIPMENT AND AN ULTRASONIC INCLINATION METER, SAID METER COMPRISING A CASING, A PIVOT MOUNTED WITHIN THE CASING, A PENDULUM SUSPENDED FROM THE PIVOT TO FREELY ROTATE ABOUT SAID PIVOT IN ONE PLANE OF ROTATION, A TRANSDUCER MOUNTED ON SAID PENDULUM AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE EQUIPMENT, A REFLECTING PLATE MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CASING, AND A LIQUID FILLING SAID CASING AND IMMERSING THE PENDULUM TRANSDUCER AND REFLECTING SURFACE, WHEREIN THE TRANSDUCER IS DRIVEN TO PROPAGATE ULTRASONIC PULSES TOWARD, AND RECEIVE REFLECTED PULSES FROM, THE REFLECTING PLATE, WHEREIN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSDUCER AND THE REFLECTING PLATE CHANGES IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE CHANGE IN THE INCLINATION ANGLE FROM THE VERTICAL OF THE METER IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF THE PENDULUM, WHEREIN THE PROPAGATED AND REFLECTED PULSES ARE RECORDED ON THE PULSE RECORDING EQUIPMENT, AND WHEREIN THE TIME ELAPSE BETWEEN THE PROPAGATED AND REFLECTED PULSES PROVIDES A DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF SAID INCLINATION ANGLE.