US1634427A

US1634427A - Depth-indicating device

Info

Publication number: US1634427A
Application number: US607658A
Authority: US
Inventors: Horace W King
Original assignee: King Seeley Corp
Current assignee: King Seeley Corp
Priority date: 1922-12-18
Filing date: 1922-12-18
Publication date: 1927-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1944-07-05

Description

H. W. KENG DEPTH INDICATING DEVICE Emm 5 1922:

Filed Dec. 18, 1922 lwveufoz ml'oz me 1:19

Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,634,427 PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE W. KING, OI ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 KING-SEELEY CORPORA- IION, 0] ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DEPTH-INDICATING DEVICE.

Application filed December 18, 1922. Serial No. 607,658.

The invention relates to depth indicating devices for liquids and refers particularly to that t e in which a column of liquid is displaced by air, the pressure of which is indicated upon a suitably aduated pressure gage. The main object 0 the invention is to provide a liquid depth indicating device with a relief passageway whereby the foreing or withdrawing of the indicating liquid from the pressure gage is avoided. Another object is to provide a relief tube in communication with the air chamber through which liquid may be forced at a lower pressure than that required to force the indicating liquid from the pressure gage. Further objects of the invention reside in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

The figure is a sectional elevation of a system including a liquid depth indicating device which embodies my invention.

In the present instance my liquid depth indicating device is associated with a gasoline tank and vacuum tank of a motor vehicle, although it is evident that the device has many other uses.

1 is the gasoline tank and 2 the vacuum tank. 3 is the air chamber of the depth indicating device and 4 low the air chamber and communicating therewith through the restricted opening 5 in the intermediate wall 6. 7 is the air tube opening into the feeding chamber near its lower end and extending above the level of the gasoline, the upper end of this air tube being open. 8 is the suction tube opening into the feeding chamber near its lower end and extending above the level of the gasoline and connected to the vacuum tank 2. 9 is the pressure tube opening into the air chamber at its u per end and extending above the level of t e gasoline and connected to the pressuregage 10. y

The air chamber 3 communicates with the gasoline within the tank 1 through the opening 11 in the intermediate wall 6, the air and feeding chambers being laterally offset. The feeding chamber 4 also communicates with the gasoline within the tank'through the opening 12 in the lower end of that portion of its side wall located below the air chamber. A suitable screen 13 is rovided for inclosing that space opposite t the feeding chamber be e feed.

ing chamber and below the air chamber so that sediment is prevented from entering the openings lland 12. The tubes 7 8 and 9 are fixedly secured to their respective chambers at their lower ends. and also to the cap plate 14 at their upper ends as by solder. The

tubes

8 and 9 are detachably connected to the vacuum tank and pressure gage respectively.

To draw air through the air tube 7 and into the feeding chamb'er4 and at the same time to draw gasoline through the opening 12 into the feeding chamber when the vacuum tank 2 is in operation, the relative cross sectional areas of the air tube 7, openings 12 and 5, and suction tube 8 are such that both air and gasoline are drawn in directly by suction. The opening 5 is restricted so that any gasoline drawn through this opening from the air chamber 3 is negligible, but this opening is sufliciently large to ermit of the upward dpassage of air WlllCl is trapped in the fee ing chamber upon the terilriiination of operation of the vacuum tan With this arrangement, a portion of the air drawn into the feeding chamber 4 during the operation of the vacuum tank passes out with the gasoline through the suction tube 8 and a portion remains trapped in the upper end of the feeding chamber. Upon the termination of operation of the vacuum tank, the entrapped air passes up'through the restricted opening v5 displacing any gasoline which may have collected in the air chamber 3, the surplus air gradually escaping through the opening 11.

With the construction as thus far described, the sudden filling of the tank 1 with gasoline causes an excess pressure within the tank. When there is excess pressure in the tank, an excessive amount of gasoline is forced through the holes 5 and 11 into the air chamber 3 and this excess gasoline produces an excessive pressure within the air chamber, which is liable to blow the indicating liquid out of the pressure gage. Also, the indicating liquid might be blown out of the pressure gage when compressed air is forced into the gasoline tankrto blow out A sediment or the like from the gasoline her and the vacuum tank continues eration.

For the purpose of preventing the blowing of the indicating liquid from the pressure gage when rapidly filling the tank 1 with gasoline or blowing out the gasoline pipe line, as well as preventing the drawing of the indicating liquid from the pressure gage when the air chamber is above the level of the gasoline in the tank and the vacuum tank is still in operation, I have provided the relief tube 15 having an open lower end in communication with the air chamber 3 near its lower end and laterally offset from the restricted opening 5. This relief tube is fixedly secured to the top of the air chamber as by solder and extends upwardly through the cap platela and is fixedly secured thereto as in op.-

. by solder. The upper end of the relief tube has the plurality of openings 16 located above the cap plate 14 and also has the small opening 17 located below the cap plate to place the interior of the tank in communication with the atmosphere. A suitable cap 18 is secured to the top of the relief tube and has a depending annular flange surrounding and spaced from the wall of the safety tube and terminating at a point below the plurality of openings 16 to protect these openings and prevent the entrance of dirt, water, etc., into the safety tube.

\Vhen the liquid depth indicating device is provided with the relief tube 15, there will always be a small amount of gasoline in the bottom' of the air chamber 3 sufficient to seal the end of the relief tube. With this construction when air bubbles up through the hole 5 this air will force an e ual volume of gasoline out through the iole 11. The surface of the asoline in the safety tube must always be tie same level as in the tank, since each is subjected to atmospheric pressure, and the bottom of the relief tube communicates with the gasoline in the tank.

When the liquid depth indicating device is provided with the relief tube and upon the sudden filling of the gasoline tank, an excessive amount of gasoline is forced into the air chamber, thereby increasing the pressure therewithin. However, when the pres sure has become suflicient, the excess gasoline will escape through the relief tube 15. The maximum pressure whichwill occur in the air chamber is that required to force gasoline out of the top of the relief tube and is less than that required to blow the indicating liquid from the pressure gage so that as a consequence, the operativeness of the pressure gage is not affected, although a very small amount of gasoline is lost. Also, this arrangement permits of forcing air under pressure into the tank to blow out any sediment or the like from the gasoline pipe line without forcing the indicating liquid from the pressure gage.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a depth indicating device for liquids, the combination with an air chamber closed at its upper end and having an opening communicating with the liquid to be measured, of means for automatically introducing air into' said chamber, said air introducing meanscommunicating with said chamber at sub-; stantially the same level as said chamber communicates with the liquid, a pressure" gage, means whereby said gage is connected with said chamber and communicates with the air contained therewithin, and means 7/ forming a relief passageway communicating with said chamber at substantially the same level as said chamber communicates with the liquid and extending from the chamber to above the level of the liquid. I 2. In a depth indicating device for liquids, the combination with an air chamber, a gauge, and a connection between said gauge and air chamber, said air chamber havin an opening communicating with the liquid to be measured, of means for automatically introducing air into said chamber, and a tube extending into said chamber, said tube having a portion above the level of the liquid to be measured open to the atmosphere and its lower end extending into the air chamber I and provided with an opening at a point below the communication of the air chamber with the gauge, said tube having its outlet to the atmosphere sufficiently greater than the inlet opening for the liquid into said chamber to prevent a change of pressure in the air chamber sufficient to transmit damaging'pressure to the gauge. 4

3. In a depth indicating device for liquids,

the combination witlr an air chamber, a gauge containing an indicating liquid, and a connection between said gauge and air cham her, said air chamber having an opening communicating with the liquid to be meas'- ured, of means for automatically introducing air into said chantber and a tube extending into said chamber, said tube having a portion above the level of the liquid to be meas 'ured open to the atmosphere and its lower end extendinginto the air chamber and pro-: vided with an opening at a point below a the communication of the air chamber with the gauge, said tube serving as a relief tube for the air chamber through which liquid may be forced at a lower pressure than that required to force the indicating liquid from the gauge. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HORACE W. KING.