Patent GB-190507732-A (GB)
Title: New or Improved Means for Electrically Indicating and Recording at a Distance Changes in Level of Liquid in Reservoirs and for Giving Warning of any Pre-arranged Maximum or Minimum Level.
Inventor: VAUDREY PAUL VIRGILE
Filed: 1905-04-11
Granted: 1906-04-11
Abstract: 7732. Vaudrey, P. V. April 11, 1904, [date applied for under Patents Act, 1901]. Switches.-The rise and fall of level of a liquid is registered by means of a float and pulley actuating a transmitter placed in communication, by a relay, with the receiver and recording-instruments. Fig. 8 shows a diagrammatic view of the whole arrangement. Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of the transmitter, Figs. 4 and 5 the elevation and plan of the relay, and Fig. 6 an elevation of the recording-instrument. The pulley 2 revolves in the usual way as a float rises and falls, and on the same axle 1 is fixed a disk 3 faced with pins 4. These engage with a bevel-ended lever 5, which is pivoted at 6 and actuates the lever 14, free to move about the point 15, by means of rods 9, 10 slotted at their ends. The lever 5 is retained in the vertical position when at rest by the action of the extended spring c. The revolution of the pulley in either direction causes, by the action of one of the pins upon the end of the lever 5, the lever 14 to extend the spring. On an inclined plane 18 pivoted at 19 and between guides 20 is placed a ball 17, which rests against the lower end of the lever 14. When the rod 5 is released by the pin, the spring forces the rod 14 to impel the ball 17 up the incline, which thereupon bends over under its weight, and so causes the axle 21 to revolve owing to its connexion by the crank 22. To this shaft 21 are fixed two rods 23, 24 bearing at their extremities needles which can dip into mercury in the cups 28, 29, 53, 54. A commutator consisting of two arms 34, 35 provided with contact needles and cups 40, 41, 42, 43 is pivoted on a shaft 33, and can be oscillated by the action of a rod fixed to the lever 5 and engaging with one or other of two pins fixed to the commutator. As shown in Fig. 8, the transmitter, connected with the battery 44, is placed in connexion with the earth 46 and by the single wire 45 with the relay. The latter consists of a coil of wire surrounding two soft-iron plates 61, 62, each of which is in the field of a pole of the permanent magnet 71, and at its lower end is connected with the screw 64. The relay causes a current from the local battery 56 to pass through an indicating and alarm arrangement The action ia as follows: When the inclined plane 18 has tilted, the rods 23, 24 are in contact with the cups 28, 29, and, if the pulley has been revolved counterclockwise, the commutator arms are in contact with the cups 40,42. The current passes from the battery 44 through the parts 34, 40, 28, 23, to the line 45, returning by the earth and through the parts 29, 42, 35, &c. If the pulley is revolved in the opposite sense, the current passes in the opposite direction in the wire 45, since the commutator is in contact with the cups 41, 43 instead of the cups 40, 42. When the current passes around the solenoid 59 in one direction, it weakens, say, the pole 69 of the magnet, and the piece 61 is attracted by the pole 70 and so makes contact with the screw 65, the piece 62 not moving; The current from the battery 56 therefore passes, causing the needle of the indicator to move in a certain direction. When, however, the current in the wire 45 passes in the reverse direction, the piece 62 is actuated instead of the piece 61, and connects up the battery 56, so that the needle moves in the opposite direction.