US2614572A

US2614572A - Instrument for determining relative levels

Info

Publication number: US2614572A
Application number: US81070A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wisney Joseph John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-03-12
Filing date: 1949-03-12
Publication date: 1952-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1969-10-21

Description

Oct. 21, 1952 J, wlSNEY 2,614,572

INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING RELATIVE LEVELS- Filed March 12, 1949 I 1 nc L -------q 10 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING 1 RELATIVE LEVELS Joseph John Wisney, Adrian, Mich. v Application March 12, 1949, Serial No. 81,070-

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to instruments for determining relative levels; and has amon its objects the provision of means for measuring the comparative levels or height of two surfaces. 7 Another object is mean by which the relative height of .two surfaces may-be ascertaineddirectly and accurately Whether they are adjacent each other. or more orless widely separated. 7

Another object is means by which such relative heights may be measured without reference to a base line orsurface. I

7 Still other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the units with parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the valved upper end of such unit.

Fig. 4 is a section on line l-' l of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 2.

As indicated in the drawing, the device con sists essentially of two substantially identical units connected. by a flexible conduit and containing a suitable quantity of a suitable liquid.

Each of these units consists of a transparent cylindrical vessel consisting of a transparent tube of glass or other suitable material mounted on a bottom member H provided witha downwardly opening socket HA in which fits a pin NB, the other end of which fits in a similar upwardly opening socket HC formed on a base member HD. Bottom member H is preferably square. v

The upper end of tube It isclosed by means of a suitable preferably square cap 12 having a central opening I2A, and on three sides of the square cap 52 and bottom member i i, plates A serve to protect the tube iii, which is preferably clamped between the two members by means of the longitudinally extending rods HJB passing through the corner portions.

The three plates HJA extend well above the cap 12 and these together with a fourth plate 0C provide for a chamber it above the cap l2, the upper wall of the chamber being the lower face of a plug member it fixed between the plates IDA and H and provided with a central axial opening or passage l lA.

The upper end of the plug it presents a curved surface MC flaring outward and upward from the axial opening MA, while a suitable cap plate l5 covers the upper ends of the plates MA and IOC and fixes the position of plug M by means of suitable screws E5A.fl lateifi isalsolprovided with a vent IEBQ Mountedin .thefaxial: opening; 141A of'plug i4 is a.plunger it, this being of such lengthaslto extend from the bottom iaceof the plugto the beginning of the flared surface MC. "This plunger i6 is, as shownlin Fig. 4, fluted. to provide. for the easy flow ofuair betweenchamb'er'it and the chamber between the plug M and plate 15, and is held in place by means of a pin or screw ISA extending through thefplug i4 and into a vertically arrangedivslot' IEB, theslot beingjof sufiicient length to permit a small vertical movement of the plunger l6.

Fixed to the bottom face of plug it around the opening MA is a cage member I! in whichlies a ball HA of a diameter somewhat larger than that of opening I 4A and adapted, when moved upwardly, to act as a valve therefor to close the same. Supporting the ball HA is a plurality of flat springs I B fixed to the cage 1 i and extending under the ball.

Loosely enclosed in chamber (3 is a float 20 and loosely enclosed in the chamber I5C above plug 14 is a second ball 21. This second ball should be of such Weight that when the float is resting on cap I2 and therefore not exertin an upwardly thrust on ball HA, the plunger it will be moved downwardly to move the ball "A away from the opening MA. These parts should also be so proportioned that inflow of liquid to chamber 53 through opening i2A will cause the float to lift ball HA, plunger 16 and ball 2 I, and close the opening MA.

Fixed to the bottom member II and extendin axially upward within tube H] to near the top is a suitable rod 30 provided with suitable graduations. Member H is also provided with a suitable passage 3i opening to the space within the tube In and extending to the outside and opening into asuitable valve or stopcock 32, to the other-side of which is attached the flexible conduit 33 extending to and connected with a similar valve 33 on the other unit. Both units are, as stated above, substantially identical.

In preparing the device for use, a suitable liquid will be put into the tubes I0 and conduit 33 in sufiicient quantity to fill the device to about half the height of rods 30 when the two units are standing upon the same level surface. When this has been done, if one unit is removed to a surface of a different height, the relative heights of the two surfaces may be determined directly from the graduations on the rods 30 since the liquid will fiow from the higher to the lower unit. If the two surfaces differ in height more than half the height or length of rods 30, the pin H B of the lower unit may have substituted for it another pin of known greater length so as to compensate for the limited movement of the liquid surface.

It is of course obvious that the common axis of pin 1 lB, rod 30 and tube 10 should be accurately perpendicular to the plane of the bottom face of base IID. It is also obvious that more than two units may b used if it is desired to determine the relative heights of more than two surfaces.

By providing a valve structure such as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, provision is made against loss of liquid due t elevating one unit too high or due to a units assuming a horizontal position through accident or otherwise.

When one unit is elevated sufficiently to cause the other to more than fill, such excess liquid causes the float 20 to rise and force the ball "A upwardly and close the opening MA. On the overflow of said liquid, said closure including a allow said spring means to close said valve, said float, upon admission of sufficient fluid to said chamber to lift it to its uppermost position, contacting said spring means and enabling the latter to close the valve.

JOSEPH JOHN WISN'EY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,389 Rohrer Mar. 5, 1872 397,294 Karr Feb. 5, 1889 1,247,855 Mapel Nov. 27, 1917 2,065,783 Woodbridg Dec. 29, 1936 2,113,454 Mitchell Apr. 5, 1938 2,232,279 Snyder Feb. 18, 1947 2,438,758 Leach Mar. 30, 1948 Wallace Nov. 30, 1948