Indicating means

Claim 2

An indicating device comprising a housing means having a viewable end means and a substantially tubular body portion leading to said viewable end means, and an expandible element disposed in said housing means and having a fixed end and a movable end with a substantially tubular body portion interconnecting together said fixed and movable ends, said movable end normally tending to be spaced from said viewable end means of said housing means so as to be in a nonindicating position thereof and said tubular body portion of said expandible element being longitudinally disposed in said tubular body portion of said housing means while being inwardly spaced therefrom throughout the length thereof, said device having means for causing a pressure differential to act across said movable end of said expandible element to longitudinally expand said element and cause said movable end to longitudinally move into said viewable end means so as to be in an indicating position thereof, said movable end of said expandible element not only longitudinally moving into said viewable end means of said housing means by said pressure differential, but also said movable end radially expanding by said pressure differential acting across said movable end to fill said viewable end means of said housing means while said body portion of said expandible element reMains inwardly spaced from said body portion of said housing means throughout substantially the entire length of said body portion of said expandible element.

Claim 3

An indicating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said viewable end means of said housing means is three dimensional so that said movable end can be viewed at an angle when in its indicating position.

Claim 4

An indicating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing means has a plurality of chambers therein, said expandible element being in one of said chambers and being influenced only by said pressure differential in said one chamber, and another expandible element being disposed in another chamber and being influenced only by a pressure differential in said other chamber.

Claim 5

An indicating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for causing said pressure differential to act across said movable end of said expandible element comprises passage-defining means in said housing means leading to the interior of said expandible element through the fixed end thereof.

Claim 6

An indicating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for causing said pressure differential to act across said movable end of said expandible element comprises passage-defining means in said housing means leading to the exterior of said expandible element.

Claim 7

An indicating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said expandible element comprises a flexible tubular member having a closed end defining said movable end thereof and an opposed open end defining the fixed end thereof.

Claim 8

In a pneumatic control system having a pneumatic source and pneumatically operated means controlled by said source, the improvement comprising a pneumatically operated indicating device having a housing means provided with a viewable end means and a substantially tubular body portion leading to said viewable end means, said housing means having an expandible element disposed therein, said expandible element having an end fixed to said housing means and a movable end movable relative to said housing means with a substantially tubular body portion interconnecting together said fixed and movable ends, said movable end normally tending to be spaced from said viewable end means of said housing means so as to be in a nonindicating position thereof and said tubular body portion of said expandible element being longitudinally disposed in said tubular body portion of said housing means while being inwardly spaced therefrom throughout the length thereof, and means for directing said source to said device when said source is operating said pneumatically operated means whereby a resulting pressure differential is created across said movable end of said expandible element to longitudinally expand said element and cause said movable end to longitudinally move into said viewable end means so as to indicate that said pneumatically operated means is operating, said movable end of said expandible element not only longitudinally moving into said viewable end means of said housing means by said pressure differential, but also said movable end being radially expanded by said pressure differential acting across said movable end to fill said viewable end means of said housing means while said body portion of said expandible element remains inwardly spaced from said body portion of said housing means throughout substantially the entire length of said body portion of said expandible element.

Claim 9

In a pneumatic control system having a pneumatic source and pneumatically operated means controlled by said source, the improvement comprising a pneumatically operated indicating device having a housing means provided with a viewable end means and a substantially tubular body portion leading to said viewable end means, said housing means having an expandible element disposed therein, said expandible element having an end fixed to said housing means and a movable end movable relative to said housing means with a substantially tubular body portion interconnecting together said fixed and movable ends, said movable end normally tending to be spaced from said viewable end means of said housing means so as to be in a nonindicating position thereof and said tubular body portion of said expandible element being longitudinally disposed in said tubular body portion of said housing means while being inwardly spaced therefrom throughout the length thereof, and means for directing said source to said device when said source is operating said pneumatically operated means whereby a resulting pressure differential is created across said movable end of said expandible element to longitudinally expand said element and cause said movable end to longitudinally move into said viewable end means so as to indicate that said pneumatically operated means is operating, said movable end of said expandible element not only longitudinally moving into said viewable end means of said housing means by said pressure differential, but also said movable end being radially expanded by said pressure differential acting across said movable end to fill said viewable end means of said housing means while said body portion of said expandible element remains inwardly spaced from said body portion of said housing means throughout substantially the entire length of said body portion of said expandible element.

Claim 10

In a pneumatic control system as set forth in claim 7, the further improvement wherein said viewable end means is three dimensional so that said movable end can be viewed at an angle when in its indicating position.

Claim 11

In a pneumatic control system as set forth in claim 7, the further improvement wherein said housing means has a plurality of chambers therein, said expandible element being in one of said chambers and being influenced only by said pressure differential in said one chamber, and another expandible element disposed in another chamber and being influenced only By a pressure differential in said other chamber.

Claim 12

In a pneumatic control system as set forth in claim 7, the further improvement wherein said means for directing said source to said device comprises means for directing said source to the interior of said expandible element through the fixed end thereof.

Claim 13

In a pneumatic control system as set forth in claim 7, the further improvement wherein said means for directing said source to said device comprises means for directing said source adjacent the exterior of said expandible element.

Claim 14

In a pneumatic control system as set forth in claim 7, the further improvement wherein said expandible element comprises a flexible tubular member having a closed end defining said movable end thereof and an open end defining said fixed end thereof.