Patent ID: 7994927

Claim:
A fluid meter with an automatic emergency shutdown feature, the fluid meter comprising: a fluid-in chamber ( 1 ), a fluid-out chamber ( 19 ), and a valve ( 21 ) movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein said valve is positioned to permit the flow of fluid from the fluid-in chamber ( 1 ), through the meter, and out the fluid-out chamber ( 19 ) when the valve ( 21 ) is open, and wherein said valve ( 21 ) includes a trip mechanism for causing the valve seal to move to its closed position, thereby blocking the flow through the meter; a turbine ( 3 ) rotatably mounted in the fluid-in chamber ( 1 ) such that the turbine ( 3 ) rotates when fluid flows through the meter; a magnet ( 6 ) mounted within the meter so as to be rotated by the turbine ( 3 ); and a single run register ( 8 ) including: (i) a self clutching mechanism which engages automatically when flow starts and disconnects automatically when flow stops; (ii) a recording mechanism driven by rotation of the magnet ( 6 ) when fluid is flowing through said meter and said self clutching mechanism is engaged, to record the amount of fluid which passes through the meter, beginning at a zero value, and to activate said trip mechanism, to stop the flow of fluid, if the quantity of fluid which has passed through the meter exceeds a preset target; and a spring member which, upon disengagement of said self clutching mechanism, resets the recording mechanism to a zero value; wherein said valve is disposed outside of said single run register and said trip mechanism includes a tripping magnet, and wherein said recording mechanism comprises a limit gear having a limit gear magnet ( 16 ) inside said single run register which engages the tripping magnet magnetically when flow exceeds the preset target, to actuate the trip mechanism; wherein said recording mechanism further comprises a drive gear ( 13 ), and wherein said self clutching mechanism comprises a clutching gear ( 15 ) and a clutching arm ( 14 ) which moves said gear ( 15 ) into and out of engagement with said drive gear for selectively connecting and disconnecting said clutching gear and said drive gear.