De Laval Turbine Inc.

Albert J Bachman

The invention contemplates remotely operable lifting mechanism for selectively displacing a liquid-level float in a sealed tank, to permit checking of the operational status of the float throughout its displaceable range, and to permit check-out of magnetically operated electrical means actuated by the float at a predetermined float level within its displaceable range. The lifting force is coupled magnetically to the float without interference with the path of float movement and without interference with the magnetically operated electrical means.

Float-level switch with lifting mechanism

The invention contemplates position-indicating means particularly applicable to producing an electrical indication of liquid level and employing one or more magnetic-reed switches at a selected one or more fixed positions or levels to be monitored. The switches may be in longitudinally spaced array within a single elongate housing, for proximity response to the field of a magnetized actuator element as it assumes various longitudinal positions external to and along the housing. At each switch station, a magnetic-latch element, which is the means of magnetically actuating the switch contacts, has limited freedom of longitudinal displacement into and out of its region of switch actuation. At each station passage, the external actuator element is operative upon the adjacent magnetic-latch element to draw the latter through its limited displacement, and magnetic means are employed to retain the thus-displaced position of each latch element, whereby the closed or open conditions of the switch contacts remains, regardless of the extent to which the external actuator element is moved beyond its region of influence upon a particular latch element.

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Bristol, CT, United States of America

Albert J Bachman