Motion and orientation sensor

A motion and orientation sensor and measuring device has an electric circuit contact actuated by a body of conductive fluid on disturbance of the conductive fluid by gravity, vibration or otherwise. A ball and socket joint adjustably mounts a disk-shaped container for the fluid through attachment of the ball to a support which may be structure of the object guarded by the sensor. A releasable internal-expansion locking mechanism in the ball and actuable from above laterally contacts the socket and fixes the angular relation of ball-to-socket as desired, and numerical measurement features are provided.

DESCRIPTION 
This invention relates generally to motion and orientation sensors and 
specifically to fluid actuable motion and orientation sensors and 
measuring devices. 
In the prior art various devices have been provided, none of which has disk 
geometry fluid switches, none of which is a measuring device, and it is 
believed that none provides the sensitivity, flexibility, and other 
advantages of the present invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,646 issued Nov. 13, 1973 to E. A. Keith et al discloses 
a mercury switch for detecting changes in inclination, a movable ball 
supported by a groove in the switch mount being employed together with an 
external locking mechanism acting on the ball, in contrast with fixed ball 
and internal locking provisions of the present invention, which differs 
also in other important respects. In particular, a basic geometrical 
difference greatly increases the flexibility, sensitivity and accuracy of 
the present invention. Specifically, the Keiths' sensing element is a tube 
as distinguished from a hollow disk in the present invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,706 issued Feb. 9, 1971 to B. D. Mason discloses a 
spring-suspended plumb type device held in normally spaced relation to an 
external ring, in contrast with the present invention. 
Principal objects of the invention are to provide an extreme sensitivity 
motion and orientation sensor, monitor and measuring device with feasible 
and precise alarm level control which is universal in operation and quick, 
convenient and reliable in adjustment. 
Further objects are to provide a motion and orientation sensor and 
measuring device as described which is durable and economical and which is 
adaptable for most applications. 
In brief summary given for purposes of cursive description only, the 
invention includes a ball-and-socket suspended disk-shaped container 
holding conductive fluid having electrical polarity opposite that of the 
disk top.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment 10 of the invention. 
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment 200 similar to embodiment 10 except that 
the disk-shaped bottom structure shown is larger in diameter in proportion 
to the structure above it. 
Since like numerals indicate like parts, FIGS. 1 and 2 will now be 
described together in terms of embodiment 10. Embodiment 10 includes a 
ball 20, means such as upwardly extending screw 22 and nut 24 for fixing 
the ball to supporting structure, a pendulously balanced socket 26 
supported by means of structure defining a spherical cavity 28 in it 
freely surrounding a great circle of the ball, a cylindrical opening 29 
from the cavity downward through the socket, wedge-lock assembly 30 for 
fixing the angular relation of the ball and socket, wafer-shaped container 
or disk 32 the same diameter as the lower end of the socket and having the 
annular wall 34 of electrically insulative material, is supported by the 
lower end of the socket by welding, cementing, screwing in place or by 
other suitable means, a quantity of mercury 36 insufficient to fill the 
disk contained within the disk by a screw adjustable bottom 38 sustained 
by threads 34' and calibrated for reading void depth (h), a first 
electrode 40 extending centrally down through the disk top 42 and 
contacting the mercury, a second electrode 44 contacting the disk top 42, 
an electrically conductive material, respective electric circuit leads 46, 
48 passing up from the electrodes through the tubular lower end of the 
socket and exiting through a portion of the lock assembly held in stepped 
bore 50 which extends coaxially through the ball and screw. 
The wedge-lock assembly comprises a tube 52 having at the lower end an 
external conical taper 52' downwardly increasing in size, and opposed 
brake rods 54, 56 extending outwardly from the stepped bore in respective 
radial portions of a diametral passage 58 in the ball at right angles to 
the stepped bore. Said passage may be positioned south of the ball's 
equator. 
Counterbore 60 extends upward past the diametral passage, exposing the 
inboard ends of the brake rods to the tapered portion of the tube. The 
outboard ends of the brake rods bear on the socket spherical cavity, 
effectively comprising expansion of a portion of the ball in the socket. 
The taper may be of the self-holding type. A greater number of brake rods 
may be employed if desired. 
Supporting structure such as an object to be guarded is shown at "G" in the 
second Figure. 
FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment 300 of the invention generally 
similar to that of the first two Figures except that the wedge-lock 
assembly 330 flexibly expands the ball to lock, and the disk 332 is the 
same diameter as the socket 326. 
Wedge-lock tube 352 has a similar downwardly enlarging external taper 352' 
on the lower end which engages a corresponding tapered portion 360 of the 
bore 350 in the ball. The ball is vertically split into four equal 
quadrants 320' (one quadrant removed for clarity in the drawing) except at 
the top where the screw 322 joins the quadrants. This juncture may be 
welded. 
For illustrative purposes, a flexible coaxial cable 362 may be used to 
actuate the wedge-lock assembly, the electric leads passing out to the 
side through appropriate apertures. 
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment 400, similar to those described except 
that a flex-lock system 430 is employed for adjustably affixing the 
relative angular position of the ball and socket, 420, 426. The electric 
leads 446, 448 exit from the top 442 of the disk outboard of the socket, 
and a counterbalance 464 is provided to compensate the offset portion of 
the electric leads. 
The flex-lock system includes at least one and preferably a plurality of 
flexible wires 454 in respective downwardly divergent arcuate passageways 
458 leading through the ball from north pole to south of equator. A 
plunger 452 slidably held in the counterbore 450 of a boss 422 fixed at 
the top of the ball unites the upper ends of the flexible wires and a 
setscrew 466 through the side of the boss holds the plunger in any 
preselected position. 
FIG. 5 illustrates details of an embodiment 500 differing from the 
embodiments previously described in that the top of the disk is detachably 
attached to the socket by an adhesive layer 568 such as rubber-based 
adhesive for servicing purposes. The top 542 of the disk is isolated from 
the bottom 538 of the disk by a sidewall 534 made of plastic or other 
dielectric material so that the top itself is the second electrode through 
its connection with an appropriate electrical lead 548. The first 
electrode 540 may have an enlarged lower end 540' soldered to the disk 
bottom 538. A filler plug 570 in the bottom is used with the instrument 
inverted. An insulative grommet 572 prevents leakage of mercury around the 
first electrode. 
FIG. 6 shows details of embodiment 600 again similar to other embodiments 
herein described except that a depressed area or sump 674 coaxial with the 
disk is provided in the insulative disk bottom 638 and into this sump the 
first electrode's enlarged end 640' projects and is press fitted in place, 
better assuring contact with the mercury under severe agitation, and in 
addition the disk is detachably secured to the socket by fingers 668 on 
the disk which snap over and secure to corresponding lugs 668' projecting 
interiorly from the socket. A top filler 670 is provided outboard of the 
socket. An electrical junction 641 is located at the top face of the disk 
to facilitate servicing. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of an embodiment 700 having external thread 
734' on the disk insulative wall 734 coacting with internal threads 738' 
on the insulative bottom 738. A nylon setscrew 776 through the thread of 
the disk bottom may be employed to fix the screw adjustment of mercury 
level. 
FIG. 8 ilustrates details of embodiment 800 which provide a threaded 
periphery on the top 842 of the disk coacting with internal threads 838' 
on the sidewall of the one-piece insulative bottom 838. 
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment 900 having the first electrode 940 protruding 
into a small conical-cusp shaped sump 974. A key 978 in a slot 980 in tube 
952 limits travel of the tube vertically and prevents rotation. Threads on 
the upper end of the tube permit drawing the tube upward using a knurled 
nut 924. Electric leads 946, 948 emerge from the side of the tube at slot 
982 and can be connected from that point in any desired manner. Box-like 
or can-shaped housing 984 supports ball 920 at the underside of the top 
984' of the housing exemplifying means of support both protecting the 
assembly and enabling it to rest stably upon a surface or be attached to a 
surface of arbitrary orientation by means of suitable brackets. 
FIG. 10 is a top plan view in section showing disk bottom 1038. The disk is 
similar to that in the first Figure except that the first electrode 1040 
extends centrally down through the disk top and contacts the mercury via a 
ring-shaped electrode 1044 fixed coaxially in the disk bottom 1038, a 
non-adjustable (non-screw thread) configuration of plastic or other 
suitable dielectric material. A single piece of dielectric material forms 
the disk wall 1034 and disk bottom 1038. 
FIG. 11 diagrams a y-gauge arrangement adapting the sensor of this 
invention for numerical determination of the degree of levelness or 
verticality. 
Provided as before is ball 1120, means for fixing the ball to other 
structure as before described, preferably in the form of integral stepped 
screw 1122; the lower part of this in the present embodiment has external 
micrometer threads 1192 on which a complementarily threaded micrometer 
collar 1190 fits. The lower end of the collar is square with the axis for 
measurement purposes, being adapted to descend and touch the upper surface 
of socket 1126 which surface is made parallel to the mercury surface 1136 
in the level position. Details not shown may be those of any of the other 
embodiments. 
In operation, as will be seen, the angle between the axis of the disk and 
the axis of the micrometer arrangement is ascertainable by noting the 
displacement of the micrometer collar from a fiducial or initial position 
to a position which produces contact between it and the socket. Contact 
may be indicated by disturbance of the mercury resulting in a signal. 
Fiducial marks 1194 and 1196, on the screw-related parts respectively, 
diagrammatically represent a means of establishing measure of 
displacement. 
By means of a micrometer screw disk bottom and/or disk wall calibration or 
otherwise in various embodiments of the device, threshold components of 
the object's acceleration and threshold values of its angular speed are 
ascertainable in the horizontal plane when signal occurs by noting disk 
void depth (h) in the level position. Similarly, body bending with respect 
to the vertical and threshold vibration levels of the object can be 
ascertained. 
It will be appreciated that conventional means of assembling the device may 
be employed, including as convenient casting the ball or portions thereof 
in place as by the lost-wax process, or assembling the socket around the 
ball. Materials may be stainless steel or other suitable material for the 
metallic parts and thermoplastic for the insulative parts. Joining may be 
by welding, brazing or cementing, as appropriate by conventional practice.