Patent US1416355A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3751185A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Manometer control
Assignee: FLOMATCHER CO Inc
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Filing: 1971-10-04
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Granted: 1973-08-07
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Expires: 1991-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A liquid manometer control has a reservoir connected to a source of air pressure and to a bubbler tube, the lower end of which projects into the liquid within a wet well. A vented float tube extends upwardly from an open lower end within the reservoir and contains a float which moves upon fluctuations in liquid level within the float tube as determined by changes in the level of liquid in the wet well. A counterweighted chain connected to the float translates float movement via sprockets and chain to rotary motion of a cam wheel or drum having cam-type actuators on its periphery. These cams actuate switches or potentiometers which in turn provide pilot signals for starting and stopping pumps, controlling the speed of pumps, opening and closing valves and operating other devices as desired, as a function of the liquid level in the wet well. In an illustrated embodiment, the liquid level in the wet well determines the level of liquid in the float tube, which in turn controls the starting and stopping of a pair of pumps and the level of liquid in a liquid rheostat to determine the speed of one of such pumps. The pumps in turn control the level of liquid in the wet well.
Inventors
- 👤 M Gottliebson
- 👤 C Faes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:13
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L9/00; G01L9/0091; F; F04; F04B; F04B49/00; F04B49/007; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/14; G01F23/16; G01F23/165; G01F23/168; G05; G05D; G05D9/00; G05D9/12; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7287; Y10T137/7313; Y10T137/7339
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
293 words
In a control system for controlling multiple operating functions of a controlled system including at least one variable operating function, a wet well having a fluctuating liquid level, a liquid manometer control including a float tube and a fLoat movable within said tube upon changes in the level of liquid within said tube, pneumatic controller means operably interconnecting said wet well and said manometer control in a manner so as to provide changes in the level of liquid in said float tube proportional to fluctuations in the liquid level in said wet well, rotatable control wheel means, drive means operably interconnecting said float and said control wheel means and providing predictable rotative movement of said control wheel means upon movement of said float within said tube, multiple actuator means on the periphery of said control wheel means, multiple control signal producing means positioned adjacent said wheel means, each of said multiple actuator means being positioned on said wheel means for engagement with and actuation of a preselected one of said control signal producing means during a predetermined rotative position of said wheel means, a plurality of controlled functions controlled by signals from said multiple signal producing means, at least one of said controlled functions comprising a variable controlled function, at least one of said control signal producing means being operable to produce a variable control signal for controlling said variable controlled function, and at least one of said actuator means comprising a variable surface cam-type actuator for engaging and moving a variable position operating means of said variable control signal producing means and thereby producing a variable control signal, whereby the variable operating characteristics of said variable controlled function are controlled by the surface configuration and position of said variable surface cam actuator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
293 words
In a control system for controlling multiple operating functions of a controlled system including at least one variable operating function, a wet well having a fluctuating liquid level, a liquid manometer control including a float tube and a fLoat movable within said tube upon changes in the level of liquid within said tube, pneumatic controller means operably interconnecting said wet well and said manometer control in a manner so as to provide changes in the level of liquid in said float tube proportional to fluctuations in the liquid level in said wet well, rotatable control wheel means, drive means operably interconnecting said float and said control wheel means and providing predictable rotative movement of said control wheel means upon movement of said float within said tube, multiple actuator means on the periphery of said control wheel means, multiple control signal producing means positioned adjacent said wheel means, each of said multiple actuator means being positioned on said wheel means for engagement with and actuation of a preselected one of said control signal producing means during a predetermined rotative position of said wheel means, a plurality of controlled functions controlled by signals from said multiple signal producing means, at least one of said controlled functions comprising a variable controlled function, at least one of said control signal producing means being operable to produce a variable control signal for controlling said variable controlled function, and at least one of said actuator means comprising a variable surface cam-type actuator for engaging and moving a variable position operating means of said variable control signal producing means and thereby producing a variable control signal, whereby the variable operating characteristics of said variable controlled function are controlled by the surface configuration and position of said variable surface cam actuator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A control according to claim 1 wherein said wheel means comprises a series of separate wheel members mounted on a common shaft, each said wheel member including at least one said actuating means mounted on the rim of said wheel member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A control system according to claim 1 wherein said variable controlled function comprises the variable speed of a variable speed motor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A control system according to claim 1 wherein said variable controlled function comprises the variable speed of a variable speed electric motor and said variable control signal-producing means comprises a potentiometer means operable to produce a variable current in an electrical control circuit for said motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A control system according to claim 4 wherein one of said signal-producing means comprises switch means for controlling the on-off function of said variable speed electric motor, said switch means including a switch-operating means engageable with one of said actuator means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A control system according to claim 4 including pump means for pumping water from said wet well, said variable speed electric motor being operable to drive said pump means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
125 words
A control system according to claim 1 wherein said variable controlled function comprises the variable resistance of a rheostat means, a wound rotor electric motor having secondary windings operably connected to said variable resistance of said rheostat means so that changes in said variable resistance causes a corresponding change in the speed of said electric motor, rheostat operating means for changing said variable resistance of said rheostat means in response to changes in a variable condition, means for activating and deactivating said rheostat operating means in response to variable signals from said variable control signal-producing means as actuated by said variable surface cam actuator, whereby the speed of said electric motor is determined directly by said manometer control and only indirectly by said variable condition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
181 words
A control system according to claim 7 wherein said rheostat means comprises a liquid rheostat, said variable condition comprises the variable liquid level in said wet well, said rheostat operating means comprises a pneumatic controller means operably interconnecting said liquid rheostat and sAid wet well, said means for activating and deactivating said operating means comprises electrically operated valve means in an air passage of said pneumatic controller means, said variable control signal producing means comprises a potentiometer means operable to produce a variable current in a meter relay circuit means including a meter relay operable to open and close said electrically operated valve means in response to changes in current in said meter relay circuit means, and a tach generator means in said meter relay circuit means operably connected to said electric motor to produce current changes in said circuit means in response to speed changes in said motor, whereby fluctuations in the liquid level of said wet well within the operating range of said manometer control and liquid rheostat result in incremental changes in the speed of said electric motor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
290 words
A liquid manometer control comprising: an elongate upstanding control housing, an airtight manometer reservoir within a lower end of said housing including means for filling said reservoir with a manometer liquid, a vertical float tube extending upwardly within said housing from an open lower end within said reservoir to an upper end opening above said reservoir, a float movable vertically within said float tube upon changes in the level of manometer liquid within said tube, a float wheel fixed to a first rotatable shaft within said housing above the upper end of said float tube, flexible motion-transmitting line means trained about said float wheel and connected at one end to said float and at its opposite end to a counterweight outside said tube in a manner to rotate said float wheel and first shaft upon vertical movement of said float, a second shaft rotatably mounted within said housing parallel to and below said first shaft, and means drivingly interconnecting said first and second shafts, a plurality of control wheels removably mounted in side-by-side relationship on said second shaft for rotation therewith, plural cam-type actuator means mounted to the rims of said control wheels so as to project radially outwardly from said rims, plural control signal-producing means mounted on a control mounting means confronting the rims of said control wheels, each of said control signal-producing means being positioned on said mounting means for engagement with a selected one of said cam-type actuator means on one of said rims at a predetermined level of liquid within said float tube, an air tube extending within said housing and into said reservoir at a position displaced from said float tube, said air tube being adapted for connection to a source of variable air pressure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
290 words
A liquid manometer control comprising: an elongate upstanding control housing, an airtight manometer reservoir within a lower end of said housing including means for filling said reservoir with a manometer liquid, a vertical float tube extending upwardly within said housing from an open lower end within said reservoir to an upper end opening above said reservoir, a float movable vertically within said float tube upon changes in the level of manometer liquid within said tube, a float wheel fixed to a first rotatable shaft within said housing above the upper end of said float tube, flexible motion-transmitting line means trained about said float wheel and connected at one end to said float and at its opposite end to a counterweight outside said tube in a manner to rotate said float wheel and first shaft upon vertical movement of said float, a second shaft rotatably mounted within said housing parallel to and below said first shaft, and means drivingly interconnecting said first and second shafts, a plurality of control wheels removably mounted in side-by-side relationship on said second shaft for rotation therewith, plural cam-type actuator means mounted to the rims of said control wheels so as to project radially outwardly from said rims, plural control signal-producing means mounted on a control mounting means confronting the rims of said control wheels, each of said control signal-producing means being positioned on said mounting means for engagement with a selected one of said cam-type actuator means on one of said rims at a predetermined level of liquid within said float tube, an air tube extending within said housing and into said reservoir at a position displaced from said float tube, said air tube being adapted for connection to a source of variable air pressure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
A manometer control according to claim 9 wherein said plural cam-type actuator means includes at least one inclined plane cam actuator on a rim of one said control wheel for variable engagement with one of said signal-producing means comprising a variable signal-producing means, whereby the variable engagement of said inclined plane cam actuator with said variable signal-producing means can produce a varying output signal for variable control of a remote variable-function device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
69 words
A manometer control according to claim 9 including normally open valve means in said air tube means and operable under an abnormally high upstream air pressure from said variable source to close said air tube and thereby prevent the overflow of liquid from said float tube and operable upon return of said upstream air pressure to a normal range to reopen communication between said air tube and said reservoir.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
A manometer control according to claim 9 wherein said cam-type actuator means are adjustable to different actuating positions along the circumference of said rims.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
A manometer control according to claim 9 wherein said means drivingly interconnecting said first and second shafts is interchangeable to provide different drive ratios between said shafts and therefore different arcs of rotation oF said control wheels for a given change of liquid level in said float tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A control according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means are circumferentially adjustable to different actuating positions.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-06 | 1977-02-05 | 1977-08-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-06 | 1981-02-05 | 1981-08-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-06 | 1985-02-05 | 1985-08-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |