GB1595048A - Flowmeter for continuous measuring liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure - Google Patents

Description

(54) FLOWMETER FOR CONTINUOUS MEASURING LIQUIDS UNDER CONDI TIONS OF SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OR ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE (71) We, VYZKUMNY ÚSTAV ZEMEDELSKE TECHNIKY, a Czechoslovakian ~ corporation of Praha 6-Repy, Czechoslovakia, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a flowmeter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of sub-atmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure. The flowmeter may for example be applied to measure a quantity of milk milked from one milch cow or from a group of them.

Hitherto known devices for measuring a quantity of milked milk are based on the principle of a proportional separation of quantity by a graduated device or by a volume dosing or weight one. The device for a proportion separation of quantity passed is in principle a reduced measuring tank. The proportional separation may be designed in various ways, e.g. by providing the circumference of the collecting tank with calibrated holes, so that milk passes through one hole and flows into the respective graduated device. Another embodiment consists in separating a porportional quantity of milk by means of a Venturi pipe, in which the proportional quantity of flowing milk is caught into a graduated device.

A disadvantage of the mentioned devices and methods consists mainly in the fact, that it is not possible to record the sum value of milk quantity on a counter. The reading of measured values can only be carried out optically which takes much time.

Another device is a flowmeter based on the principle of two tiltable cups fitted to a shaft, the filling of which is carried out alternately, e.g. to 0.1 kg at each tilting of the cup and its emptying is mechanically recorded by a counter. This measuring method based on dosing does not make it possible to carry out a continuous measuring, which is its main disadvantage. The accuracy of measurements depends upon the quantity passed of milk or liquid; if the inflow is low, the error has a minus sign, if it is high, the error has a plus sign. Despite the fact that the plus-minus errors are related to the middle value for calibration reasons, the total error of measuring is higher than + 5%. That is why this method does not satisfy the technical requirements.

A measuring method of quantity passed carried out by dosing is based on the principle of volume measuring. The fact it is a dosing by filling and emptying individual chambers. The volume quantity is represented e.g. by setting-up the height of electrodes in the chamber, so that as soon as milk in one chamber reaches the preset level, the inlet valve closes and a drain valve opens, while the inlet valve of the other chamber opens and the drain valve closes.

This method however is not accurate, especially with respect to milk foaming. This device does not enable an automatic control of milking.

According to the present invention we provide a flow-meter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure, comprising an outer jacket closed by a bottom at its lower part and by a cover at its upper part, an inner jacket of an air separating chamber, the upper end of the inner jacket being fixed to the inner face of the cover, the lower end of the inner jacket being open; a measuring chamber mounted below the lower end of the inner jacket, said measuring chamber having a throttling outlet slot in the wall thereof, said measuring chamber being connected to a pullrod, the said pullrod passing through the cover and being connected to a tensometer sensor mounted on the cover, said cover having an inlet channel which passes through the cover and leads into the space just above a shield situated inside the air separating chamber and fixed to the inner face of the cover, said bottom being provided with a drain hole.

A flowmeter made in accordance with this invention can provide a continuous recording of weight of quantity passed of milk passing through the measuring chamber and through the throttling slot. The design of the flowmeter enables its easy connection to a milk line or between a milk line and milking machine. The values obtained may be transferred to a remote counter or simultaneously to a recording unit. The flowmeter according to this invention makes it possible to control the quantity passed of a liquid or to operate means to put out of operation a device delivering the liquid into the flowmeter. If it is applied e.g. in connection with a milking machine, a reduced quantity passed of milk, according to determined requirements may be signalled as well as putting the milking machine out of operation because of its automatic scanning.This is why this flowmeter is applied in a technological line as the main automation unit.

The flowmeter may be supplied for various tasks, such as for measuring milk gains from one cow or from a group of them. It can be applied for continuous measuring of the rate of milking.

The flowmeter can provide a precise recording of milked milk from individual milch cows which may serve as an indicator of their productivity. It may also be utilized as a basis for feed rationing and for inspecting the quality of work of milkers.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment thereof is, by way of example, hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The flowmeter consists of a main jacket 13 which is closed at the upper part by a cover 3 and at the lower part by a bottom 16. Inside the main jacket 13 there is an inner jacket 19 of an air separating chamber 12, one end of which is fixed to the inner face of the cover 3 and below the other end there is mounted a measuring chamber 7.

This measuring chamber 7 is fixed to a flange 20 of a pullrod 5 which passes through the cover 3 and which is fixed to a tensometer sensor 2 connected to the upper face of the cover 3. In the upper part of the air separating chamber 12, there is fixed a shield 4 which is attached to the lower face of the cover 3. An inlet channel 11 is formed in the cover 3 and it is disposed just above the shield 4 in the air separating chamber 12. The measuring chamber 7 is provided with a throttling slot 14. The jacket 19 of the air separating chamber 12 is provided with several guide arms 6 for locating the measuring chamber. Springs 15 are fixed to the arms 6 and to the flange 20 of the pullrod 5. A drain hole 17 and a hole 18 with a throttle screw 8 are provided in the bottom 16. A sampling jar 9 is fixed to the bottom 16 under the said hole 18.The upper part of the jacket 19 of the air separating chamber 12 is provided with air bleeding holes 21.

The tensometer sensor 2 is connected by means of a cable to an unillustrated power source which is provided with a holder 1 and shock absorber 22.

When measuring the quantity of milk milked by a machine, the connection of the flowmeter to the milking system depends upon the general layout; the flowmeter may be hung on the milk pipe or on the structure of the housing by means of a hook 1.

Simultaneously a power source is connected by means of the cable 10 to an integrating unit for recording the sum value of the quantity passed of milk. If required, it is possible for a recording instrument, for recording an instantaneous passage of milk, to be connected. When measuring, a milk hose of a milking unit is connected to the inlet channel 11, while the drain hole 17 is connected to the milk line. Milk flowing through the channel 11 into the air separating chamber 12 is mixed with air, which causes a speed increase of milk flowing in the milk line. This air is separated from milk in the air separating chamber 12; it escapes via air bleeding holes 21 into the space between the main jacket 13 and jacket 19 of the air separating chamber 12, where it is mixed with milk again and this mixture is drained through the drain hole 17 into the milk line.The shield 4 directs milk against the jacket 19 of the air separating chamber 12; milk flows over this jacket 19 into the measuring chamber 7 through the throttling outlet slot 14 to the bottom 16 of the flowmeter, from where it is drained through the drain hole 17 into the milk line. The load of milk contained in the measuring chamber 7 acts upon the pullrod 5 which transfers the force on the tensometer sensor 2, from where the force is transferred in the form of an electric signal to the integrating unit and to the recording instrument or to a letter punch for recording the value on the card.

The force represented by the weight of milk in the measuring chamber 7 affects through the pullrod 6 the tensometer sensor 2, and it is proportional to the quantity passed of milk. The higher is the inflow, the higher is the milk level in the measuring chamber 7, as the throttling outlet slot 14 limits the outflow. The milk level is therefore proportional to the passage weight.

The measuring chamber 7 and the pullrod 5 are centered by means of springs 15, which also damp their swings. Between the hook and the flowmeter there is arranged a shock absorber 22.

The sampling jar 9 fixed to the outer face of the bottom 16 serves for taking a proportion of the flow of milk.

The flowmeter according to the invention may be applied as a measuring and controlling automation unit wherever a liquid is transported by means of sub-atmospheric pressure or by means of gravity under atmospheric pressure. It may be utilized not only in milking systems for milking cows and sheep, but also in food industries and chemical industries, especially for continuous measuring doses of liquid components of various mixtures.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment, but it is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Hitherto known devices for measuring a quantity passed of liquids under conditions of sub-atmospheric pressure are based on a principle of a proportional separation of a dose into a measuring tank or on a principle of alternatingly tilting cups.

The flowmeter of liquids according to the present invention is based on a continuous measuring of weight of the passing liquid through a measuring chamber. To scan a weight of the flowing liquid, one may apply a tensometer sensor; its analogous signal may be delivered to a digital evaluating unit and if desired to a recording unit or to an integrating unit, which depends upon requirements and measuring reasons.

The flowmeter applied for milking makes possible an automatic control of milking with respect to milk relieving, as well as a recording of its quantity onto the respective card of a milch cow. When applying a digital evaluating unit and recording one, one may find out all effects affecting milking productivity and in this way one may obviate a premature stop of milking. A rise of mastitis may be caused by a bad milking technique.

The measuring accuracy of the flowmeter in laboratory tests is 1 3%.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A flowmeter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of sub atmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure, comprising an outer jacket closed by a bottom at its lower part and by a cover at its upper part, an inner jacket of an air separating chamber, the upper end of the inner jacket being fixed to the inner face of the cover, the lower end of the inner jacket being open; a measuring chamber mounted below the lower end of the inner jacket, said measuring chamber having a throttling outlet slot in the wall thereof, said measuring chamber being connected to a pullrod, the said pullrod passing through the cover and being connected to a tensometer sensor mounted on the cover, said cover having an inlet channel which passes through the cover and leads into the space just above a shield situated inside the air separating chamber and fixed to the inner face of the cover, said bottom being provided with a drain hole.

2. A flowmeter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner jacket is provided with guide arms for guiding the measuring chamber and with springs that are anchored in a flange on the pullrod.

3. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the inner jacket is provided with air bleeding holes.

4. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the bottom is provided with a hole with a throttle screw, and a sampling jar is fixed to the bottom below this hole.

5. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the tensometer sensor is provided with a shock absorber and with a holder.

6. A flowmeter for continuous measuring of liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A flowmeter as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. absorber 22. The sampling jar 9 fixed to the outer face of the bottom 16 serves for taking a proportion of the flow of milk. The flowmeter according to the invention may be applied as a measuring and controlling automation unit wherever a liquid is transported by means of sub-atmospheric pressure or by means of gravity under atmospheric pressure. It may be utilized not only in milking systems for milking cows and sheep, but also in food industries and chemical industries, especially for continuous measuring doses of liquid components of various mixtures. Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment, but it is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Hitherto known devices for measuring a quantity passed of liquids under conditions of sub-atmospheric pressure are based on a principle of a proportional separation of a dose into a measuring tank or on a principle of alternatingly tilting cups. The flowmeter of liquids according to the present invention is based on a continuous measuring of weight of the passing liquid through a measuring chamber. To scan a weight of the flowing liquid, one may apply a tensometer sensor; its analogous signal may be delivered to a digital evaluating unit and if desired to a recording unit or to an integrating unit, which depends upon requirements and measuring reasons. The flowmeter applied for milking makes possible an automatic control of milking with respect to milk relieving, as well as a recording of its quantity onto the respective card of a milch cow. When applying a digital evaluating unit and recording one, one may find out all effects affecting milking productivity and in this way one may obviate a premature stop of milking. A rise of mastitis may be caused by a bad milking technique. The measuring accuracy of the flowmeter in laboratory tests is 1 3%. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A flowmeter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of sub atmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure, comprising an outer jacket closed by a bottom at its lower part and by a cover at its upper part, an inner jacket of an air separating chamber, the upper end of the inner jacket being fixed to the inner face of the cover, the lower end of the inner jacket being open; a measuring chamber mounted below the lower end of the inner jacket, said measuring chamber having a throttling outlet slot in the wall thereof, said measuring chamber being connected to a pullrod, the said pullrod passing through the cover and being connected to a tensometer sensor mounted on the cover, said cover having an inlet channel which passes through the cover and leads into the space just above a shield situated inside the air separating chamber and fixed to the inner face of the cover, said bottom being provided with a drain hole.

2. A flowmeter for continuously measuring liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner jacket is provided with guide arms for guiding the measuring chamber and with springs that are anchored in a flange on the pullrod.

3. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the inner jacket is provided with air bleeding holes.

4. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the bottom is provided with a hole with a throttle screw, and a sampling jar is fixed to the bottom below this hole.

5. A flowmeter as in claim 1, wherein the tensometer sensor is provided with a shock absorber and with a holder.

6. A flowmeter for continuous measuring of liquids under conditions of subatmospheric pressure or atmospheric pressure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A flowmeter as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.