The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 1990
Filed:
Mar. 09, 1989
Phillip P Fleckenstein, Port Huron, MI (US);
Randall J Regentin, Deckerville, MI (US);
John T Knepler, Chatham, IL (US);
Berwind Corporation, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for indicating level of material comprises a cable vertically suspended so as to contact and be surrounded by the material. The cable is suspended from a cam follower mechanism that engages a cam coupled to a motor for selectively introducing slack in the cable, such that the upper portion of the cable unsupported by the material engages and is suspended from a load cell. Circuitry is responsive to cable weight measured by the load cell for indicating level of the material. The motor comprises a rotary electric motor having a horizontal axis of rotation perpendicular to the vertical cable. The cam comprises a cam plate coupled to the motor to rotate about the motor axis and having an asymmetric periphery surrounding the axis of rotation. The cam follower mechanism comprises an arm pivotally mounted in fixed position adjacent to the cam plate and supporting a roller that engages the cam plate periphery. The cable is suspended from the pivot-remote end of the arm, so that weight of the cable and the roller arm hold the roller in contact with the cam plate periphery. The level-indicating circuitry is microprocessor-based and includes facility for indicating level over a 4-20 ma current range, with automatic output correction for changeds in circuit characters.