Patent US3798960A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3798960A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Automatic viscometer with multiple capillary viscometer tube
Assignee: Mobil Oil AS
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Filing: 1972-06-19
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Granted: 1974-03-26
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Expires: 1992-06-19
Abstract
Abstract An automatic viscometer featuring the use of a multiple capillary viscometer tube whereby capillary tubes of varying sizes are connected one to another in series and into which a sample liquid is drawn by controlled vacuum. In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention the viscometer utilizes a supply turntable and heated sample jackets for preheating liquid samples, a temperature bath to bring the sample being measured to controlled equilibrium, a series of automatic meniscus sensors to detect the flow of oil, and means for automatically computing viscosity from the sensor output. Thermistors are used as meniscus sensors.
Inventors
- 👤 J Glass
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 16:56
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N11/00; G01N11/02; G01N11/04; G01N11/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
A viscometer capable of measuring liquids of a wide range of viscosities comprising: a viscometer tube including a series of interconnected vertically disposed capillaries of varying sizes with the lowermost capillary being the coarsest and each successively higher capillary being finer than the lower preceding one, and further including an open-ended tip below the lowermost capillary for immersion into a liquid sample; means for causing a sample of liquid to ascend and then descend within said viscometer tube; and timing means for obtaining the descending time of travel between two points along said tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
A viscometer capable of measuring liquids of a wide range of viscosities comprising: a viscometer tube including a series of interconnected vertically disposed capillaries of varying sizes with the lowermost capillary being the coarsest and each successively higher capillary being finer than the lower preceding one, and further including an open-ended tip below the lowermost capillary for immersion into a liquid sample; means for causing a sample of liquid to ascend and then descend within said viscometer tube; and timing means for obtaining the descending time of travel between two points along said tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The viscometer of claim 1 wherein said timing means includes means for detecting the ascending flow as well as the descending flow of said sample through said capillaries.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The viscometer of claim 2 wherein said timing means includes means to determine the ascending rate of flow and by predetermined rates determine which capillary is of size suitable to allow laminar descending flow, the minimum kinetic energy effect, and accurate timing for the range of liquids within which said sample falls.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The viscometer of claim 3 wherein said timing means includes means to detect and time the descending flow of said sample within a section of the viscometer tube which corresponds to the descending flow of said sample through the capillary determined to be of suitable size.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The viscometer of claim 4 wherein said means for causing said sample to ascend and descend within said tube functions with said detecting means to prevent said sample from rising into a capillary that is too fine to permit a determination in a reasonable time for the range of liquids within which said sample falls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The viscometer of claim 5 wherein said means for detecting ascending and descending sample flow comprises a pair of meniscus sensors for each capillary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
The viscometer of claim 6 including means responsive to said meniscus sensors in which the upper of each said pair of sensors detects the ascending flow and is connected to said means for causing said sample to ascend and descend for preventing said sample from rising above the proper measuring capillary and both of said sensors for each capillary cooperate with said timing means to time the descending flow in determination of viscosity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The viscometer of claim 7 wherein each of said capillaries has an efflux bulb directly above said capillary and the upper meniscus sensor for each capillary is placed above the efflux tube and the lower sensor for each capillary is placed below it, said sample being allowed to ascend to cover the upper meniscus sensor for the capillary determined to be of suitable size in which to perform the measurement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
The viscometer of claim 7 wherein said means for causing the sample to ascend and descend comprises a pressure manifold for admission of both positive and negative pressure so that said sample may first be drawn into said capillaries by negative pressure and then released from said capillaries after application of positive pressure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The viscometer of claim 9 wherein an overflow bulb is placed above each said efflux bulb to safeguard against the sample rising into the next succeeding capillary and in the case of the upermost efflux tube to safeguard against the sample rising into said pressure manifold.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The viscometer of claim 10 including means to adjust the height of said sample meniscus so that the uppermost meniscus sensor of a series is covered prior to initiating sample descent yet assuring that said sample is not drawn up past the overflow bulb and into the next succeeding capillary.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A viscometer tube comprising a series of interconnected vertically disposed capillary tubes of varying sizes with said lowermost capillary tube being the coarest and each successively higher capillary tube being finer than the lower preceding one.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A viscometer tube comprising a series of interconnected vertically disposed capillary tubes of varying sizes with said lowermost capillary tube being the coarest and each successively higher capillary tube being finer than the lower preceding one.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The viscometer tube of claim 12 wherein an efflux bulb is positioned between each of said interconnected capillary tubes and above said uppermost capillary tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The viscometer tube of claim 13 wherein means for measuring sample menisci are positioned respectively above and below each of said efflux bulbs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The viscometer tube of claim 14 wherein an overflow bulb is placed above each of said efflux bulbs.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
The viscometer tube of claim 15 wherein a liquid heating bath surrounds said viscometer tube, said liquid heating bath having an innerchamber and an outerchamber designed to enable heating liquid to flow into the innerchamber next to said capillary tube and return through said outerchamber to be recirculated after reheating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The viscometer tube of claim 14 in which said means for measuring comprises thermistors forming meniscus sensors which penetrate into two spaced regions of each of said capillary tubes.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having in series multiple capillaries of different sizes flow-connected one above the other with decreasing size of each capillary disposed above the one below it; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillarY for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is a function of the viscosity.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having in series multiple capillaries of different sizes flow-connected one above the other with decreasing size of each capillary disposed above the one below it; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillarY for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is a function of the viscosity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 18 in which the step of timing the incoming flow further comprises: detecting the liquid meniscus after flow through a particular capillary to provide the upward flow time through that capillary; comparing the upward flow time with known flow times to determine whether that particular capillary is suitable in size to be used to measure the sample liquid; and repeating the detecting and comparing steps for additional capillaries until a capillary suitable in size is reached.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 18 in which the step of timing the outgoing flow further comprises: detecting the outgoing meniscus by means of a first detector which was also used to time the incoming flow; and by means of a second detector determining the viscosity from the time which the sample took to flow between the first and second detectors.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the step of stopping the incoming flow of liquid further comprises a programmed vacuum sequence comprising the steps of: bringing the incoming flow of liquid to the approximate level of a leveling sensor by means of a large vacuum pulse providing a fast vacuum flow; and covering the leveling sensor with liquid by means of a small vacuum pulse providing a slow vacuum flow.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; detecting the liquid meniscus after flow through a particular capillary to provide the inward flow time through that capillary; comparing the inward flow time with known flow times to select that particular capillary suitable in size to be used to measure the viscosity of the sample liquid; repeating the detecting and comparing steps for additional capillaries until a capillary suitable in size is reached; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillary for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the selected capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is a function of the viscosity.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; detecting the liquid meniscus after flow through a particular capillary to provide the inward flow time through that capillary; comparing the inward flow time with known flow times to select that particular capillary suitable in size to be used to measure the viscosity of the sample liquid; repeating the detecting and comparing steps for additional capillaries until a capillary suitable in size is reached; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillary for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the selected capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is a function of the viscosity.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary by means of a first detector in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillary for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; detecting the outgoing meniscus by means of said first detector which was used to time the incoming flow; and by means of a second detector determining the viscosity from the time which the sample takes to flow from the first detector to said second detector.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary by means of a first detector in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid after said selection of said capillary for said measurement; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; detecting the outgoing meniscus by means of said first detector which was used to time the incoming flow; and by means of a second detector determining the viscosity from the time which the sample takes to flow from the first detector to said second detector.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid by a programmed vacuum sequence comprising the steps of: bringing the incoming flow of liquid to the approximate level of a leveling sensor by means of a large vacuum pulse providing a fast vacuum flow; and covering the leveling sensor with liquid by means of a small vacuum pulse providing a slow vacuum flow; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is the function of the viscosity.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of measuring viscosity comprising the steps of: drawing a sample liquid into a viscometer having multiple capillaries of different sizes; timing the incoming flow of the liquid through each said capillary in selection of which capillary should be used for conducting the measurement; stopping the incoming flow of liquid by a programmed vacuum sequence comprising the steps of: bringing the incoming flow of liquid to the approximate level of a leveling sensor by means of a large vacuum pulse providing a fast vacuum flow; and covering the leveling sensor with liquid by means of a small vacuum pulse providing a slow vacuum flow; releasing the liquid to allow it to flow out of the capillary; and timing the outgoing flow to obtain a time interval which is the function of the viscosity.
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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) | 1977-03-25 | 1977-09-24 | 1978-03-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-25 | 1981-09-24 | 1982-03-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-25 | 1985-09-24 | 1986-03-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |