Fluid flowmeter

Claim 3

A fluid flowmeter comprising: a meter body having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion; an upstream strut formed in the upstream end portion of the passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof, said upstream strut including a generally flat downstream face lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passageway and dimensioned to cause a zone of turbulence downstream of said upstream strut; a downstream strut formed in the downstream end portion of the passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof; a shaft having a first end and a second end and journaled in the center of the passageway coaxial therewith with the first end thereof rotatably supported by said upstream strut and with the second end thereof rotatably supported by said downstream strut; rotor means having a plurality of magnetic blades carried by said shaft and located in said turbulence zone for rotating in response to the fluid flow through the passageway; and magnetic pick-up means carried by said meter body adjacent to the magnetic blades of said rotor means for sensing the rotation of said rotor means.

Claim 4

A fluid flowmeter comprising: a meter body having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion; an upstream strut formed in the upstream end portion of the passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof, said upstream strut including a generally flat downstream face lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passageway and dimensioned to cause a zone of turbulence downstream of said upstream strut; a downstream strut formed in the downstream end portion of the passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof; a shaft having a first end and a second end and journaled in the center of the passageway coaxial therewith with the first end thereof rotatably supported by said upstream strut and with the second end thereof rotatably supported by said downstream strut; rotor means having a plurality of magnetic blades carried by said shaft and located in said turbulence zone for rotating in response to the fluid flow through the passageway; and magnetic pick-up means carried by said meter body adjacent to the magnetic blades of said rotor means for sensing the rotation of said rotor means.

Claim 5

The fluid flowmeter as defined in claim 2 wherein said rotor means is characterized further as having two magnetic blades.

Claim 6

The fluid flowmeter as defined in claim 3 wherein the longitudinal passageway through said meter body is cylindrically shaped and the width of the downstream face of said upstream strut is approximately 0.08 times the diameter of the cylindrically shaped longitudinal passageway.

Claim 7

A fluid flowmeter comprising: a meter body having a cylindrical bore formed therein and a transverse opening formed therein intersecting the cylindrical bore; a turbine cartridge having a substantially cylindrically shaped outer surface and slidably received within the cylindrical bore of said meter body, said cartridge having a longitudinal tubular passageway extending therethrough coaxial with the bore, the tubular passageway having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion and having a transverse opening formed therein intermediate the upstream and downstream end portions communicating between the tubular passageway and the outer surface thereof, said turbine cartridge being positioned within the cylindrical bore with the transverse opening therein in communication with the transverse opening in said meter body; an upstream strut formed in the upstream end portion of the Tubular passageway through said turbine cartridge and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof, said upstream strut including a generally flat downstream face lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular passageway and dimensioned to cause a zone of turbulence downstream from said upstream strut; a downstream strut formed in the downstream end portion of the tubular passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof; a shaft having a first end and a second end and journaled in the center of the tubular passageway coaxial therewith with the first end thereof rotatably supported by said upstream strut and with the second end thereof rotatably supported by said downstream strut; rotor means having a plurality of magnetic blades carried by said shaft and located in said turbulence zone for rotating in response to fluid flow through the tubular passageway and further located adjacent said communicating transverse openings; and magnetic pick-up means disposed through the transverse opening in said meter body and into the communicating transverse opening in said turbine cartridge for sensing the rotation of said rotor means.

Claim 8

A fluid flowmeter comprising: a meter body having a cylindrical bore formed therein and a transverse opening formed therein intersecting the cylindrical bore; a turbine cartridge having a substantially cylindrically shaped outer surface and slidably received within the cylindrical bore of said meter body, said cartridge having a longitudinal tubular passageway extending therethrough coaxial with the bore, the tubular passageway having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion and having a transverse opening formed therein intermediate the upstream and downstream end portions communicating between the tubular passageway and the outer surface thereof, said turbine cartridge being positioned within the cylindrical bore with the transverse opening therein in communication with the transverse opening in said meter body; an upstream strut formed in the upstream end portion of the Tubular passageway through said turbine cartridge and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof, said upstream strut including a generally flat downstream face lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular passageway and dimensioned to cause a zone of turbulence downstream from said upstream strut; a downstream strut formed in the downstream end portion of the tubular passageway and extending into the center of the passageway from the wall thereof; a shaft having a first end and a second end and journaled in the center of the tubular passageway coaxial therewith with the first end thereof rotatably supported by said upstream strut and with the second end thereof rotatably supported by said downstream strut; rotor means having a plurality of magnetic blades carried by said shaft and located in said turbulence zone for rotating in response to fluid flow through the tubular passageway and further located adjacent said communicating transverse openings; and magnetic pick-up means disposed through the transverse opening in said meter body and into the communicating transverse opening in said turbine cartridge for sensing the rotation of said rotor means.

Claim 9

The fluid flowmeter as defined in claim 5 wherein said rotor means is characterized further as having two magnetic blades.

Claim 10

The fluid flowmeter as defined in claim 6 wherein the tubular passageway through said turbine cartridge is cylindrically shaped and the width of the downstream face of said upstream strut is approximately 0.08 times the diameter of the cylindrically shaped tubular passageway.