Light to electrical energy transforming apparatus for continuously indicating the index of refraction

Claim 1

A LIGHT TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY TRANSFORMING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY INDICATING THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF A FLUID STREAM, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A SOLID, TRANSPARENT, LIGHT TRANSMITTING ROD, A LIGHT EMITTING OPTICAL MEANS, A LIGHT RESPONSIVE MEANS AND AN INDEX OF REFRACTION INDICATOR OPERABLY CONNECTED TO THE RESPONSIVE MEANS, SAID ROD BEING COMPRISED OF A FLAT COATED LIGHT REFLECTING SURFACE AT ONE END THEREOF, AN INCLOSURE FORMING A FLUID TIGHT CHAMBER ABOUT THE COATED END OF THE ROD, A LIGHT EMITTING FLAT END SURFACE PORTION AND A CHAMFERED SURFACE PORTION FORMING AN OPPOSITE END OF THE ROD, SAID LIGHT RESPONSIVE MEANS BEING POSITIONED TO COVER THE ENTIRE LIGHT EMITTING FLAT END SURFACE PORTION OF THE ROD TO RECEIVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE LIGHT EMITTED THERETHROUGH, THE LIGHT EMITTING OPTICAL MEANS COMPRISING A LIGHT SOURCE, LENSES AND AN APERTURE FORMED BY THE SURFACE OF A BEVELEDSHAPED WALL OPERABLY POSITIONED TO FOCUS LIGHT RAYS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE FORM OF AN ELLIPTICAL-SHAPED BUNDLE AGAINST SAID CHAMFERED SURFACE INTO THE ROD AND THENCE AT A PRESELECTED CRITICAL ANGLE OF INCIDENCE AGAINST PERIPHERAL SIDE WALL PORTIONS THEREOF THAT FORM AN INTERFACE WITH SAID FLUID STREAM, SAID LIGHT TRANSMITTING ROD STRUCTURE AFFORDING SUBSTANTIALLY NO REFRACTION OF LIGHT FROM SAID ROD TO SAIDE FLUID STREAM WHEN THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF SAID FLUID STREAM IS AT A VALUE WHICH IS GREATER THAN SAID PRESELECTED VALUE, SAID STRUCTURE FURTHER AFFORDING A PARTIAL LOSS IN LIGHT REFRACTED THROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF SAID ROD TO THE FLUID STREAM WHEN THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF THE FLUID STREAM IS AT A VALUE WHICH IS GREATER THAN SAID PRESELECTED VALUE, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS CONNECTING THE LIGHT RESPONSIVE MEANS IN CIRCUIT WITH THE INDEX OF REFRACTION INDICATOR FOR TRANSMITTING THERETO AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL THAT IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE INDEX OF REFRACTION OF THE FLUID STREAM.