Patent ID: 8359918

Claim:
A rain gauge with a particulate separator, comprising: a housing having an open upper end and a closed lower end; a funnel mounted in the upper end of said housing, the funnel having a central nozzle; first and second receptacles for receiving rain, each of the receptacles being pivotally mounted within the housing beneath the central nozzle, the first and second receptacles being counterbalanced with respect to one another so that upon filling of the first receptacle with a predetermined volume of rain, the first receptacle pivoting to discharge the collected rain and the second receptacle pivoting to receive rain to be collected, the first and second receptacles providing oscillatory pivotal motion with respect to the housing; to means for measuring rainfall based upon the oscillatory pivotal motion of the first and second receptacles; a primary particulate separator mounted beneath the central nozzle and above the first and second receptacles, the primary particulate separator being a substantially spherical body defining at least one open space formed between the primary particulate separator and the housing; a secondary particulate separator mounted beneath the primary particulate separator and above the first and second receptacles, the secondary particulate separator being substantially frustoconical and having a central channel formed therethrough; and at least one vent formed through the housing, the vent being aligned with an upper outer edge of the secondary particulate separator; whereby liquid flowing through the central nozzle clings to an outer surface of the primary particulate separator and flows through the central channel formed through the secondary particulate separator to alternately fill the first and second receptacles, and particulate matter flowing through the central nozzle is deflected by the outer surface of the primary particulate separator to strike an inclined upper surface of the frustoconical secondary particulate separator to fall through the at least one vent, exiting the housing.