Rotary flowmeter

Claim 2

A fluid flowmeter comprising: a housing having a common inlet duct and a common outlet duct, said ducts carrying the entire fluid to be measured; two stator passages in said housing co-axially aligned and extending oppositely from said inlet duct; a seat borne by and co-axial with each stator passage; two further passages each leading from a respective stator passage to communicate with said outlet duct; a rotor driven to rotate by fluid flow and disposed in said stator passages; a sensor of rotor rotation; said rotor including a bearing head mounted on each end of the rotor for rotative cooperation with a respective seat, a fluid drive turbine co-axial and rigid with each head, and a spindle co-axial and rigid with and extending between said turbines and said heads for rotation therewith, said turbines being driven to rotate said spindle in the same direction, and the clearance between said heads in relation to said seats allowing either both said heads to be unseated or one said head to be seated whilst the other is unseated.

Claim 3

A flowmeter according to claim 1 in which said bearing heads are frusto-conical.

Claim 4

A flowmeter according to claim 1 in which said seats are frusto-conical.

Claim 5

A flowmeter according to claim 1 in which each of said heads is a disc and said seats are frusto-conical.

Claim 6

A flowmeter according to claim 2 in which said bearing heads are demountably secured to said spindle, and said seats are demountably secured to said stator passages.

Claim 7

A flowmeter according to claim 1 further including a flow-divider situated between said stator passages so as to divide and direct the fluid flow respectively thereinto, said flow-divider having a bore through which said spindle freely and rotatably extends.

Claim 8

A fluid flowmeter having; a housing; a bore extending through said housing; an inlet duct leading into said bore; an outlet duct leading from said bore and co-axial with said inlet duct; said ducts carrying the entire fluid to be measured and the axis of said ducts being at 90* to that of said bore; a fluid guide having an inlet passage in the wall thereof arranged within and dividing said bore into two sections said guide including a cylindrical passage extending through said guide means in the same axial direction as said bore, said inlet passage leading into said cylindrical passage; a cylindrical tube, having an inlet port in the wall thereof, arranged within and extending through the cylindrical passage of said guide means so that its inlet port fluidly communicates with said inlet duct via said inlet passage; a stator element defining a stator passage, arranged within and co-axial with each end of said tube which is adapted to receive said elements; a flow-dividing element situated within said tube in the vicinity of said inlet port and shaped so as to divide the fluid flow entering said tube from said inlet duct and to guide the divided flows separately through said tube towards each end thereof, the flow-dividing element having a hole extending therethrough co-axial with said tube; a rotor driven to rotate by fluid flow; a magnetic sensor of rotor rotation; a closure for each end of said bore situated so as to permit the divided flows to pass freely from said tube ends and into said respective bore sections; said rotor including a first turbine freely rotatable within a first stator passage, a second turbine freely rotatable within a second stator passage, a spindle rigid and co-axial with And extending between said turbines, freely and rotatably extending through said hole in said flow-dividing element, said turbines being driven by said divided flows and arranged so as to drive said spindle in the same direction, said guide means being shaped so as to guide each divided flow entering each bore section towards and into said outlet duct wherein said divided flows unite.

Claim 9

A fluid flowmeter having; a housing; a bore extending through said housing; an inlet duct leading into said bore; an outlet duct leading from said bore and co-axial with said inlet duct; said ducts carrying the entire fluid to be measured and the axis of said ducts being at 90* to that of said bore; a fluid guide having an inlet passage in the wall thereof arranged within and dividing said bore into two sections said guide including a cylindrical passage extending through said guide means in the same axial direction as said bore, said inlet passage leading into said cylindrical passage; a cylindrical tube, having an inlet port in the wall thereof, arranged within and extending through the cylindrical passage of said guide means so that its inlet port fluidly communicates with said inlet duct via said inlet passage; a stator element defining a stator passage, arranged within and co-axial with each end of said tube which is adapted to receive said elements; a flow-dividing element situated within said tube in the vicinity of said inlet port and shaped so as to divide the fluid flow entering said tube from said inlet duct and to guide the divided flows separately through said tube towards each end thereof, the flow-dividing element having a hole extending therethrough co-axial with said tube; a rotor driven to rotate by fluid flow; a magnetic sensor of rotor rotation; a closure for each end of said bore situated so as to permit the divided flows to pass freely from said tube ends and into said respective bore sections; said rotor including a first turbine freely rotatable within a first stator passage, a second turbine freely rotatable within a second stator passage, a spindle rigid and co-axial with And extending between said turbines, freely and rotatably extending through said hole in said flow-dividing element, said turbines being driven by said divided flows and arranged so as to drive said spindle in the same direction, said guide means being shaped so as to guide each divided flow entering each bore section towards and into said outlet duct wherein said divided flows unite.

Claim 10

A flowmeter according to claim 7 in which a portion of each said stator element comprises a seat, and in which said rotor further includes two bearing heads each for cooperation with a respective said seat so that a. when there is any measurable flow, said rotor is so supported by the fluid passing between each said head and its respective said seat as to have no mechanical contact with any static port, b. when one said bearing head is seated, the other is unseated, and c. when the rotor is supported by fluid flow, both said heads are unseated.

Claim 11

A flowmeter according to claim 8 in which said bearing heads are frusto-conical.

Claim 12

A flowmeter according to claim 8 in which said seats are frusto-conical.

Claim 13

A flowmeter according to claim 8 in which each said bearing head is a disc and each said seat is frusto-conical.

Claim 14

A flowmeter according to claim 1 in which said bearing heads and respective said seats are so arranged that when there is any measurable flow rate said rotor is so supported by the fluid as to have no mechanical contact with any static port.