An Improved Automatic Liquid Level Indicator.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Liquid Level Indicator.
I, FREDERIC AUGUSTUS MORSE of 159 School Street, in the City of Pawtucket,
County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of America,
Bookbinder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The purpose of my invention is to provide a device by which the height of liquid
in closed vessels may be at any time readily ascertained by simple inspection and
this object I accomplish by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings
in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the revolving wheel which forms a portion of my.
invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are views of the same wheel edgewise, looked at from the side
and top respectively; and
Figure 4 is a view of a lamp showing a section of the lamp body containing my
device fixed in its proper position.
The same letters are used to designate the same parts throughout the various
figures.
My invention consists substantially of a wheel suitably mounted upon an axis
and having attached to its rim a float by which the wheel is made to revolve by the
rise or fall of the liquid in the containing vessel and a transparent eye-piece in the
top or side of the containing vessel in close proximity to the rim of the revolving
wheel; and the object of my invention is to enable the observer to learn the height
of the liquid by means of figures on the rim of the wheel which are easily seen
through the eye-piece.
In the drawing "A" is the rim of the revolving wheel, and "a" the tubular top.
of the supporting arm carrying the axis on which "A" revolves. Attached to the
rim "A is the float "e" made preferably from cork or some equivalent material
which will float readily, and by the rise and fall of which through the rise and fall
of the liquid in the vessel, the wheel "A" is caused to revolve.
Attached to the spokes of the wheel "A" are the stops "d-d" which by striking
against the downwardly projecting arm of "a," prevent the wheel "A" from getting
caught upon a dead center.
The tubular portion of "a" contains a transparent eye-piece "6" which may be
either plane glass or in the form of a lens.
The rim of "A" is marked as shown with suitable marks or figures to indicate
the degree of fulness in the lamp or other containing vessel.
"B" is a section of a lamp to which my invention is applied showing the various.
parts in their proper position.
It will be readily seen that as the liquid rises in the vessel the float "C" will
cause the wheel to revolve bringing the figures on the rim consecutively in range
of the eye-piece "," thus enabling the observer to accurately mark the relative
fulness of the vessel, or its relative emptiness as the liquid is withdrawn.
Although shown only in a lamp, my invention niay be applied to any vessel
which is capable of holding liquids, and where vessels of known capacity are thus
provided, the rim may be marked with figures of capacity, such as quarts or gallons,
thus showing at all times the quantity of liquid in the vessel, and also serving as a
means for determining how much is drawn out at a given time.

page_text: When used in a lamp, the running over of oil while filling may be easily avoided,
as the exact height of the oil can be easily seen through the eye-piece "b."
In order to render the height of the oil more readily discernible, I have some-
times divided the rim of my wheel into segments having different colors, thus
catching the eye more quickly, but this is only a modification of the general
principle upon which the success of my invention depends.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. An automatic liquid indicator consisting of a properly mounted wheel having
attached to its rim a float causing the wheel to revolve by the rise and fall of the
surrounding liquid, said wheel being provided with stops for preventing the same
from catching on a dead center, and having a rim marked with suitable characters,
substantially as described for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination in an automatic liquid indicator of a wheel capable of
revolving by the rise and fall of the surrounding liquid by means of a float attached
to the rim thereof, said rim being marked with suitable characters representing
quantity and said wheel having stops to prevent dead-centering; with a containing
vessel having fixed in the wall thereof a transparent eye-piece in close proximity
to the rim of said. wheel, all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 27th day of April 1896.
FREDERIC A. MORSE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.