Liquid monitor

Claim 1

Apparatus for measuring a liquid comprising: a conduit having an inlet for receiving the liquid and having an outlet; a pivotally mounted bistable receptacle assembly having first and second open ended liquid-receiving recesses, spaced from one another; said bistable receptacle assembly having first and second stable positions wherein said first and second recesses are respectively positioned beneath the outlet of said conduit; the recess positioned beneath said outlet being retained in the liquid receiving position by the recess displaced from said outlet until a predetermined quantity of liquid is collected therein and having a configuration which moves the receptacle to position the recess displaced from said outlet to the position beneath said outlet and displace the recess presently containing liquid away from said outlet when the quantity of liquid surpasses said predetermined level, whereby the last-mentioned recess dispenses its contents, each of said recesses having a first portion for initially receiving liquid which first portion is shaped to locate the center of gravity of the liquid filling said first portion to be coincident with an imaginary vertical line passing through the pivotal mounting of said bistable receptacle assembly, so that the liquid filling said first portion is prevented from tilting the bistable receptacle as the first portion of the recess is being filled and regardless of the weight of its contents; each of said recesses further having a second portion for receiving liquid once the first portion thereof is filled, said second portion being shaped to displace the center of gravity of the liquid away from said imaginary line as said second portion is being filled to permit the bistable receptacle to tilt and thereby move the recess being filled away from said outlet.