Patent US3591312A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3591312A
Expired / Lapsed
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Liquid mercury flow control and measuring system
Assignee: Raytheon Co
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Filing: 1967-11-30
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Granted: 1971-07-06
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Expires: 1987-11-30
Abstract
Abstract The supply and discharge portions of liquid mercury are separated in their discharge conduit by an electrolyte. Mercury is electrolyzed through the electrolyte from the supply to the discharge. The electrolyzing action defines the amount of mercury delivered to the discharge. Control of the amount of electrolysis current, and thus the amount of mercury delivered from the supply to the discharge portions of this system is controlled by the mercury level in the discharge portion of the system. If a fixed pressure is required at the discharge point of the discharge portion of the system, a fixed head is maintained above the discharge point. If a fixed level of mercury is required at the discharge level, this is also controlled by the level of the mercury in the discharge portion of the system.
Inventors
- 👤 Wilfried O Eckhardt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:09
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D7/00; G05D7/06; G05D7/0617; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/0318; Y10T137/0324; Y10T137/7287; Y10T137/7306
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said conduit includes an inverted U-shaped electrolysis cell, said cell having first and second legs positioned so that liquid mercury and liQuid electrolyte are in liquid-to-liquid interface relationship in said legs, said second electrode being positioned in said second leg so that mercury electrolytically deposited upon said second electrode falls downward in second leg toward said second end of said conduit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said electrolytic cell and said first end of said conduit are connected together to a common gas source.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including a measuring chamber toward said second end of said conduit, mercury level detection means for detecting a level of liquid mercury in said measuring cell, said liquid-mercury-level-detecting means being connected to said means for passing electric current to control the flow of electrolysis current to maintain the liquid mercury level constant in said measuring chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said liquid-mercury-level-detecting means comprises a high-resistance electrode positioned to be partly submerged below liquid mercury level in said measuring chamber and a fourth electrode positioned in liquid mercury adjacent said second end of said conduit and a resistance-sensing circuit connected between said high-resistance electrode in said fourth electrode so that changes of mercury level in said measuring chamber cause changes in resistance which cause changes in electrolysis current.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second end of said conduit contains a porous plug and said porous plug is positioned below the mercury level in said measuring chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a pool chamber is connected to said second end of said conduit so that mercury moving out of the second end of said conduit forms a liquid mercury pool in said pool chamber with the top surface of the mercury in said pool chamber being even with the top surface of mercury in said measuring chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an electric-current-measuring instrument is connected in series with said first and second electrodes to indicate the amount of electrolysis current flowing between said first and second electrodes and thus the amount of mercury flow.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said instrument is an ammeter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said instrument is a watt-hour meter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
The process of moving liquid mercury from the first end of a conduit to the second end of the conduit wherein the conduit contains liquid mercury adjacent its first end and adjacent its second end with mercury-plating liquid electrolyte therebetween in liquid-to-liquid interface relationship therewith comprising the steps of: electrolyzing mercury through said electrolyte from the first end of said conduit toward the second end of said conduit; and maintaining the electrolyte in place along the length of the conduit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the step of maintaining the electrolyte in place includes positioning the electrolyte in the conduit so that it is gravitationally maintained in place.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process of claim 12 further including the step of measuring the liquid mercury level in the conduit adjacent the second end of the conduit to determine the relationship between the amount of mercury electrolyzed and the amount of mercury discharged out of the second end of the conduit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 13 further including the step of controlling the amount of electrolysis current from the level of liquid mercury adjacent the second end of the conduit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The process of claim 11 further including the step of measuring the amount of electrolysis current to measure the amount of mercury electrolyzed from adjacent the first end of the conduit to adjacent the second end of the conduit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-05 | 1975-01-04 | 1975-07-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-05 | 1979-01-04 | 1979-07-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-05 | 1983-01-04 | 1983-07-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |