Liquid flow detector system

Claim 1

In an apparatus for moving a liquid with some electrical conductivity from a supply of such liquid simultaneously through a plurality of feeder conduits and out through a plurality of downwardly open nozzles; a liquid flow detector system for detecting and indicating to an operator of the apparatus, individually as to each of the nozzles, the absence of flow through that nozzle, wherein: (a) a primary feeder tube forms a part of each feeder conduit, each primary feeder tube having at least one point of minimum cross-sectional area along its length and having an outlet portion situated vertically higher than the nozzle; (b) a secondary feeder tube forms a part of each feeder conduit, each secondary feeder tube being open between the outlet portion of one of the primary feeder tubes and an upper inlet portion of its nozzle, each secondary feeder tube having an inner cross-sectional area throughout its length of substantially uniform dimension greater than the minimum inner cross-sectional area of its primary feeder tube, and each secondary feeder tube extending from the outlet portion of its primary feeder tube generally downwardly toward its nozzle; (c) each feeder conduit is so configured as to form an upwardly extending feeder conduit loop, the primary feeder tube forming a substantial part of an upward run of that loop, the secondary feeder tube forming a substantial part of a downward run of that loop, the primary and secondary feeder tubes being joined to each other near the top of the loop; (d) a pair of adjacent, spaced-apart flow detector electrodes extend through an upper portion of each secondary feeder tube in position near the top of the feeder conduit loop and on the downward run of the loop, each electrode being electrically insulated from the other, and each terminating in adjacent relation to an opposite lowermost portion of the secondary feeder tube; (e) a separate indicating means for each conduit is positioned to be readily discernible by an operator of the apparatus; and (f) electrical means is provided for monitoring the flow of electrons between each of pair of flow detector electrodes, said electrical means being operative upon cessation of electron flow between any pair of electrodes, to trigger the indicating means associated with that conduit.