Morrison Bros. Company

Other

Michael D Lattner

Adam J Koehler

Charles D Glab

Daniel T McDonell

A gauge assembly for use in measuring the level of a liquid in a storage tank is disclosed. The assembly includes a housing having an interior and having a lower opening communicating with that interior. A flanged spool is rotatably mounted within the housing and has wound thereabout a filament extending through the opening with its free end attached to a float element within the tank. A spring is connected to the spool and exerts a rotating force for winding the filament under the spool, and a removable strip of adhesive tape has opposite end portions adhering to the housing and a central portion adhering to the spool for locking for releasably securing the spool against rotation. A second strip of adhesive tape may also be used for detachably securing the filament to the housing.

Liquid level gauge and spool lock therefor

Manhole cover

A float for a liquid level gauge mechanism is disclosed, along with the mechanism with which such float is used. The float takes the form of an elongated hollow body of approximately the same weight or lighter than the weight of an equal volume of the liquid involved. The elongated body has first and second ends with the first end being heavier than the second and being the end to which the filament of a spring-operated reel is connected. In a preferred embodiment, the difference in weight between the first and second ends approximates the retraction force exerted upon the filament by the spring-operated reel.

Liquid level gauge and improved float construction therefor

An improved overfill shut-off system for a liquid storage tank includes a passage having an inlet end and an outlet end, a valve seat in the passage, a plunger that is movable within the passage for the purpose of engaging the valve seat to impede flow of liquid in the passage, and a guide member for guiding movement of the plunger. The plunger and the guide member are sealed with respect to each other and together define a control space. A first port is defined in the plunger for communicating the control space with an upstream end of the passage, and a second port is defined in the guide member for communicating the control space with a downstream end of the passage. A valve is provided for selectively impeding fluid flow through the second port in response to the level of a float member within the storage tank. When liquid level in the storage tank reaches a predetermined maximum, liquid flowing through the passage will be permitted through the first port, but not through the second port. This creates a hydraulic effect that will expand the control space and extend the plunger to engage the valve seat, thereby preventing overfill of the storage tank.

Overfill shut-off system for liquid storage tanks

A gauge assembly for measuring the level of a liquid product in a storage tank includes a float member that is constructed and arranged to float on the liquid product in the storage tank, a housing that is constructed and arranged to be mounted on an exterior of the storage tank and a drum that is mounted inside the housing for rotation about an axis. A filament is wound about the drum, and extends through an opening defined in the housing to an attachment with a float member. A spring is provided for biasing the drum in a first rotary direction that will wind the filament onto the drum, whereby the drum will tend to pull the float member toward the housing, keeping the filament taut. A clock-type face is mounted on the housing, and has distance indicia marked there around that is in a base-twelve numbering system to represent feet and inches, rather than hours and minutes. A small hand is mounted to traverse the clock face to represent feet, and is connected to the drum via a gear train. A large hand is mounted to traverse the clock face to represent inches, and is also connected to the gear train. A novel alarm system for indicating when the storage tank is filled to a predetermined maximum level includes an alarm indicator mounted on the clock face to indicate a level of the float member at which the alarm will sound. The alarm indicator is ordinarily connected to the gear train, but may be adjusted with respect to the gear train, whereby a user will be able to manually adjust the level at which the alarm system will be actuated to correspond to a selected level in the storage tank.

Growing community of inventors

Dubuque, IA, United States of America

Michael D Lattner