Patent ID: 6883388

Claim:
A flow meter, comprising: a flow meter body having a through-bore for fluid flow therethrough; a float rod positioned within said through-bore; a float having a through-bore, said float rod extending through the float through-bore enabling the float to move freely along said float rod to a position therealong which is determined by flow rate of a fluid passing therethrough; an interior periphery of the float and an exterior periphery of the float rod having different cross-sections so that the cross-sections of the float rod and float limit surface contact therebetween and further permit fluid flow through gap regions between points of surface contact to provide a self-cleaning function; the exterior periphery of the float rod having a first constant cross-section measured in a longitudinal direction and the interior periphery of the float having a second constant cross-second measured in a longitudinal direction to thereby maintain the self-cleaning function.