Tilt indication apparatus

Claim 2

In a liquid level apparatus having a tiltable receptacle, an electrically conductive liquid in the receptacle, a first electrical contact mounted to the receptacle for contact with the electrically conductive liquid throughout a number of positions of said receptacle, and a plurality of secondary electrical contacts mounted to the receptacle and spaced from said primary contact so that the electrically conductive lIquid will touch both said primary contact and one or another of said secondary contacts according to the direction of tilt of said receptacle, the improvement comprising a set of tertiary electrical contacts fixed to said receptacle and spaced from said primary contact by a distance greater than the distance between said primary contact and said secondary contacts, so that said tertiary contacts are not touched by said liquid when said receptacle experiences a first magnitude of tilt sufficient to cause the liquid to contact at least one of said secondary contacts, and whereby at least one contact of said set of tertiary contacts and said primary contact are touched by said electrically conductive liquid when said receptacle experiences tilt of a second magnitude that is greater than said first magnitude.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of primary indicators respectively connected in circuit with said secondary contacts, and further including at least one secondary indicator connected to at least one of said tertiary contacts in a circuit independent of said secondary contacts and independent of said primary indicators.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 including a source of electrical power and a plurality of primary indicators, each of said indicators being individually connected in circuit with respectively individual one of said secondary contacts and said source of electrical power, said primary contact being connected to said source of electrical power, whereby when said liquid touches said primary contact and one of said secondary contacts a circuit is completed to activate a specific one of said indicators to thereby indicate tilt of said receptacle in a predetermined direction, said set of tertiary contacts being spaced about said primary contact, said apparatus further including a secondary indicator connected to said source of electrical power, and means for connecting at least one of said tertiary contacts to said secondary indicator, whereby said secondary indicator will be activated when said receptacle experiences said second larger magnitude of tilt and said electrically conductive liquid touches both said primary contact and said one tertiary contact.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 including a wheeled vehicle having wheels positioned in a rectangular configuration, means fixedly mounting said receptacle on said vehicle, said secondary contacts being positioned at the corners of a rectangle centered on said primary contact and having the same orientation as the rectangular configuration of the wheels of said vehicle.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said indicators are lights, all mounted on a common indicator panel and including means for attaching said indicator panel within the operators compartment of said vehicle.

Claim 7

Level measuring apparatus for a recreational vehicle comprising a receptacle adapted to be fixedly mounted to a vehicle, said receptacle comprising a closed chamber having a concave lower surface, a pool of mercury within said chamber, a primary contact projecting through said surface at a central portion of the surface into said chamber, a plurality of secondary contacts equally spaced from said primary contacts by a first distance and projecting through said surface into said chamber, a plurality of tertiary contacts projecting through said surface into said chamber and equally spaced from said primary contact by a second distance that is greater than said first distance, an electrical power supply, a plurality of primary indicators, each individually connected in series circuit with said primary contact, said power supply, and a respectively individual one of said secondary contacts, and a secondary indicator connected to at least one of said tertiary contacts and series connected with said primary contact and said power supply in a circuit that is independent of said secondary contacts and primary indicators, whEreby when said receptacle and the vehicle to which it is mounted experience a first magnitude of tilt in a given direction sufficient to cause said mercury pool to touch both said primary contact and at least one of said secondary contacts, at least one of said primary indicators will be energized to thereupon indicate a relatively low degree of tilt and the direction of said tilt, and whereby when said receptacle and the vehicle to which it is mounted experience a second magnitude of tilt greater than said first magnitude so that said mercury pool touches said primary contact, at least one of said secondary contacts and one of said tertiary contacts, at least one of said primary indicators will be energized to indicate direction of tilt and said secondary indicator will be concomitantly energized to indicate a relatively high degree of tilt.

Claim 8

Level measuring apparatus for a recreational vehicle comprising a receptacle adapted to be fixedly mounted to a vehicle, said receptacle comprising a closed chamber having a concave lower surface, a pool of mercury within said chamber, a primary contact projecting through said surface at a central portion of the surface into said chamber, a plurality of secondary contacts equally spaced from said primary contacts by a first distance and projecting through said surface into said chamber, a plurality of tertiary contacts projecting through said surface into said chamber and equally spaced from said primary contact by a second distance that is greater than said first distance, an electrical power supply, a plurality of primary indicators, each individually connected in series circuit with said primary contact, said power supply, and a respectively individual one of said secondary contacts, and a secondary indicator connected to at least one of said tertiary contacts and series connected with said primary contact and said power supply in a circuit that is independent of said secondary contacts and primary indicators, whEreby when said receptacle and the vehicle to which it is mounted experience a first magnitude of tilt in a given direction sufficient to cause said mercury pool to touch both said primary contact and at least one of said secondary contacts, at least one of said primary indicators will be energized to thereupon indicate a relatively low degree of tilt and the direction of said tilt, and whereby when said receptacle and the vehicle to which it is mounted experience a second magnitude of tilt greater than said first magnitude so that said mercury pool touches said primary contact, at least one of said secondary contacts and one of said tertiary contacts, at least one of said primary indicators will be energized to indicate direction of tilt and said secondary indicator will be concomitantly energized to indicate a relatively high degree of tilt.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said secondary contacts are positioned at the corners of a first rectangle centered on said primary contact and having the same orientation as a rectangle that has its corners at the vehicle wheels, and wherein said tertiary contacts are positioned at the corners of a second rectangle centered on said primary contact and oriented at about 45* relative to said first rectangle.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said primary indicators are positioned in a configuration having an orientation related to the vehicle wheels so that each indicator may be readily visually correlated with a predetermined corner of the vehicle.