US1866843A - Means for indicating the height of a liquid in a tank - Google Patents

Description

y 12, 1932- w. P. DALRYMPLE 1,866,843

MEANS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF A LIQUID IN A TANK Filed Jan. 6, 1923 )lIll/IlIIllIlIlIIIlIIIlIIII/II Patented july 12, 1932 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "WILLIAM P. DALRYMPLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENDIX STROMBERG i J: CARBURETORCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS MEANS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF A LIQUID IN A TANK Application filed January 6, 1923.

This invention relates to improved means for indicating the height of a body of liquid in a tank from which a supply is being drawn for consumption, as for example in connection with the gasoline tank carried by an auto mobile. Ithasparticularly to do with improvements adapted for use in connection with such apparatus as make use of a vacuum system for intermittently drawing up a quantity of the liquid fuel from a supply tank for transference to a carburetor. The object of the invention is to provide improved means, controlled by the action 'of such'vacuum system in intermittently creating and destroying a vacuum in the usual vacuum chamber, to indicate on a suitable pressure gauge the height of the liquid in the supply tank. I accomplish this object by the means shown in the drawing and hereinafter particularly described, and while the construction shown is well adapted for the carrying out of'my invention it is to be understood that]: do not intend to herein be restricted to such an embodiment, as the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts may be varied in many particulars. What I believe to be new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawing the figure, which is largely diagrammatic, shows my invention in connection with a well-known form of intermittently-operating vacuum-creating apparatus that isemployed in connection with the feeding of gasoline to the carburetor of an automobile engine, most of the parts being shown in section and some arts being broken away.

In said draw1ng5 and 6 indicate,- respectively, the outer and inner chambers of a well-known type of vacuum fuel feed system designed for automobile use, there being in the head 7 that hermetically closes the upper ends of both such chambers the usual passage 8 through which gasoline is admitted to the interior of the chamber 6, the passage 9 through which air, from the inner chamber 6 is exhausted and the passage 10 open to the atmosphere. The passage 8 has heretofore been connected with a pipe that led directly to the interior of the supply tank Abut, as here shown in connection with my improvements, there is substituted for such direct- Serial No. 611,002.

which vacuum or suction is also established in the inner chamber 6 that is connected with the manifold by the pipe 11. The usual pipe for the admission of atmospheric pressure to the inner chamber 6 through the passage 10 is shown at 13. The passages or ports 9 and 10 are controlled by the usual valves that respectively move upwardly and downwardly to seating or closing positions, which valves are operated by means of lever and spring devices that are interposed between such valves and the usual float 14. At the lower end of the inner chamber 6 is the ordinary nozzle 15 through which the gasoline may flow into the outer chamber 5, the nozzle being provided with a check valve 16 that will be held closed when the vacuum exists in the inner chamber. A pipe 17 connects the chamber 5 with the carburetor 18 as usual. The construction and arrangement of all the parts so far briefly described, and referred to by reference numerals, is so well understood that I do not deem it necessary to more particularly describe them. Furthermore, my invention is not limited to employment in connection with the particular vacuumproducing means shown but may be advantageously used with other forms of such apparatus that will intermittently produce a vacuum in a chamber so that the liquid fuel from a supply tank is thereby caused to be drawn into it and fed therefrom.

Turning now to the means connected with a suitable vacuum-producing agency, and with which my invention is particularly concerned, the conduit which connects the vacuum chamber with the supply tank A and through which the liquid is drawn intermittently by the suction produced therein by reason ofthe production of the vacuum, is constituted ashere shown of a plurality of pipe sections and a plurality of receptacles into which receptacles the open ends of the pipe sections extend. One of such pipe sections has been heretofore referred toviz., the pipe at that is secured to the head 7 of the vacuum chambers and communicates with the passage 8 therein. The upper end portion of this pipe at extends through a wall of a closed receptacle 6 with its open upper end positioned near the upper wall of such receptacle. Another pipe section is indicated by 0. Its upper end portion projects into the receptacle 6 with its open upper end also positioned near the upper wall of the receptacle. Through the portion within the receptacle but close to the bottom wall of the receptacle this pipe section 6 is provided with one or more openings (1, each of which is preferably quite a small one, as indicated, and the object of which will be hereinafter described. This pipe section 0 has its lower end portion projecting into a second closed receptacle or pressure chamber 6 with its open lower end, in the construction shown, close to the bottom of said receptacle. From the upper part of this receptacle 6 leads another pipe section f that passes into the supply tank A and has its open lower end closely adjacent to the bottom of the tank. From the drawing it will be seen that the parts 0, e and 7 together constitute a conduit through which liquid from the tank A will be drawn by suction into the receptacle 6, the pipe a, and the chamber 6 whenever a vacuum is created in the usual manner in such chamber, the conduit parts a, e, and f, the pipe at and the receptacle together comprising a complete conduit means through which liquid flows from the supply tank to the vacuumtank during the normal feeding operation of the latter.

Communicating with the upper portion of the receptacle 6 is a pipe 9 whose other end communicates, in the construction shown, with an indicator comprising a chamber k in the upper portion of a casing h, said casing having a lower chamberh adapted to contain a suitable heavy liquid such as is commonly used in indicating devices of the manometer type. Thechamber k communicates with a sight tube h so that theliquid may flow freely back and forth according to the pressure exerted upon it, the upper end of the sighttube having an opening for the passage of atmospheric air as usual. A float It in the chamber 7L2 controls a valve k adapted to close an opening in a wall 72, that divides the casing it into the two chambers mentioned. Any other type of indicating device adapted to be afllected by air pressures, as for example those employing a yielding diaphragm maybe substituted, if desired, for the type of indicator here shown and briefly described.

lVith a vacuum-creating mechanism pro videdwith a conduit substantially as shown and described interposed between it and the supply tank and having connected with such conduit at a point between its two members 0 and f a suitable indicating member that will be sensitive to variations in the air pressure in the conduit, the operation will be as follows: When a' vacuum is created in the chamber 6 the air will necessarily be exhausted from the conduit and liquid from the tank A will be drawn up therethrough to and into said chamber 6. After the vacuum has been destroyed by reason of the movement of the float 14 that causes the closing of the valve that controls the passage 9 and the opening of the valve that controls the passage 10, in the usual manner, the liquid that is in the pipe section f will flow back into the tank A, and the liquid in pipe section 0 will flow down into the receptacle 6 and be there trapped or retained. B reason of the suction induced by the down ow of liquid in the pipe sections 0 and fatmospheric air will be drawn from the vacuum chamber 6 and will then pass through the pipe a, receptacle 6 and down through the pipe 0 and up through the liquid in the'receptacle e where it is trapped and into both the conduit pipe section f and the pipe 1 that communicate with the indicator. The liquid that has been trapped in the uppermost receptacle 6 will slowly escape therefrom through the opening or openings cl and pass down the pipe section 0. The recessional flow of liquid in pipes f and 0 draws air through pipe a, chamber 1), pipe 0 and chamber a into pipe 7. Pipe 0 merely empties its liquid into chamber e. The subsequent flow of liquid from chamber 6 through small hole d in pipe 0 does two things, namely, it causes air to be entrained with liquid flowing down said tube 0 into chamber 0 where it is disentrained and it causes the level of liquid in said chamber e to be raised, thereby compressing whatever air is contained therein and whatever air is released thereinto by the mixture of liquid and air flowing down said tube 0 into chamber e. The admission of this liquid to the pipe section 0 establishes a head therein which operates to increase the air pressure in the receptacle 6 and'pipe sections f and g corresponding with the hydrostatic pressure at the lower end of the plpe 7 which, as has been explained, is adjacent to the bottom of the tank A. Obviously, the air pressure cannot go beyond that point as any excess pressure would cause the air to pass down through the pipe f and escape into the tank A. This air pressure is transmitted through pipe section 9 to the chamber h at the upper end of the casing 71., and is applied to the upper surface of the liquid in the chamber A thereof so that by the extent tov which the liquid in the indicator rises in the sight tube h thereof the observer will be apprised of the height of the liquid in the supply tank. Of course a corresponding indication would be effected by -such air pressure when exerted upon a mechanical movable member in other typesfof indicating devices, as will be understood.

'When'the charge ofgasoline that has been drawn into the vacuum chamber has been discharged therefrom thelvacuum will again be reestablished in the usual manner through the movement of the float 14 and another charge drawn up through the described conduit by suction and fed into the chamber 6, as already described. Asthis filling operation takes place the air is also exhausted, of course, from the pipe 9 and the chamber k in the indicator casing, with the result that the column of liquid in the sight-tube it falls underthe influence of the atmospheric pressure as air is admitted through the hole in the upper end of such tube. The exhaustion of air from pipe 9 raises the liq uid level in the lower chamber b so that the float h causes the valve h to close the opening in the wall it. Thus the entire suction of the vacuum apparatus is available to draw liquid from the tank A and none'is lost through the indicating gauge. The result is, therefore, that the indicator is then non-effective for showing the height of the contents of the supply tank during the time that the chamber 6 of the vacuum apparatus is filled or being filled with liquid. This failure to indicate is of little importance though, because at all othertimes the indicator will properly function, and as suchother times occur frequently and continue for a very appreciable length of time depending of course upon how fast the engine is running and the gasoline is being consumedthe observer has ample opportunity for determining from the indicator as to the height'of the gasoline inhis supply tank.

Unlike other devices that have employed air pressure means in connection with the fuel-supply tank and an indicator or gauge my invention does not require the use of manually-operated means for replenishing the air-supply, but, as will be understood from the description hereinabove given, the air to be held under ressure between the supply tank and the in icating mechanism is always supplied automatically, which is, of course, a great advantage. Furthermore, such prior devices have been objectionable in that they have required separate connections with the supply tank, whereas with my invention no special fitting or connection is re- 5 quired to be made to the supply tank inasmuch as the one conduit that is required for connecting the tank and the vacuum chamber serves also as the air-conducting and confining means.

While my invention has been designed for use particularly in connection with automobiles, it may be advantageously employed in other situations where a vacuum-producing apparatus is employed for intermittently 35 ralsing liquid from a tank and Where an indicator or gauge is desirable for showing the height of the liquid in the receptacle from which the supplyis being drawn.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isa l.'In an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination with a supply tank, of a receptacle at a higher lever than said tank, a vacuum chamber communicating with the upper portion of said receptacle, means for intermittently creating a vacuum in said chamber, a conduit for conducting liquid from said tank to said chamber under the influence of suction, said conduit comprising an air pressure chamber, a pipe connecting the upper portion of said pressure chamber with the lower portion of said tank, and a pipe connecting the lower portion of said pressure chamber with the upper portion of said receptacle, and a draining connectionbetween the lower portion 'of said receptacle and the latter pipe, whereby recessional flow of liquid through said conduit will entrain and conduct air to said pressure chamber to establish a hydrostatic pressure in said pressure chamber corresponding with the hydrostatic pressure at theibottom ofsaid tank, an air a pressure controlled indicator and means whereby said indicator is connected with said pressure chamber.

2. In an apparatus of theclass' described, the combination with a supply tank, of a receptacle at a higher level than said tank, means communicating with the upper portion of said receptacle for intermittently creating a vacuum therein, a conduit for conducting liquid from said tank to said receptacle under the influence of suction, said conduit C0111? prising a pressure'chamber above the supply tank, a pipe communicating with the lower portion of said tank and with the upper portion of said pressure chamber, and a pipe com-- municating with the lower portion of'said pressure chamber and having ports communicating with the upper and lower portionsof said receptacle, a pressure responsive indicator, and means whereby said indicator is connected with said pressure chamber; at a point above'said lower ports.

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

thecombinatio'n' with a sup ly tank, of-a receptacle at a higher level t an said tank-,"a vacuumchamber connected with the upper portion of said receptacle, means for intermittently creating a vacuum in said chamber, conduit. means connected with the upper portion of said receptacle and with the lower portion of said tank for conducting liquid from said tank to said chamber "under-the influence of suction, said-conduit means comprising means for causing the recessional flow of liquid from said vacuum chamber to said supply tank to entrain airin said conduit .to a pressureicorresponding substan:

tially with the hydrostaticpressure at the bot tom of said tank, means above the supply tank to trap said entrained air, an indicator, and means wherebysaidindicator is controlled by the air pressure injsaid conduit means whereby said indicator'is adapted to indicate the head of liquid in thezsupply tankand the-operation ofth'e vacuum creating means in drawing liquid from the supply tank to said vacuum chamber; v a 1' I 4. In combination, a main tank, a chamber providing an air trap, conduit means placing'said air .trap in commmunication with the liquid of the'tank at the-depth to be measured, said chamber lying above they bottom of said tank, a suction .pipe communicating with the liquid in .the tank. through said chamber and conduit means, means for drawingliqui'd in .said pipe to apoint above the level of liquid in the tank and permitting it to recede to the tank, and means cooperating with said suction pipe for introducing air into said receding column, said suction pipe and said conduit means opening into said air trap so as to retain some of the entrained air in said trap.

- -5. In combination, a main supply tank, an air trap, means placing. the upper portion of the air trap in communication with the lower part of the main tank, said airtrap lying above the liquid in the supply tank, a pressureactuated indicator connected to the air spaceof the trap, a liquid trap above the air trap, a vacuum tank and means connecting the same to the top of the li'quidtrap, a connection from the liquid trap to the'bottom of the air trap, an'dmeans for discharging air into said connection and thereby into the air space of the air trap bythe falling column of liquid from the liquid trap to the air trap.

6. In combination, a tank for liquid, conduit means including a conduit extending downwardly "to a point adjacent the bottom draining connection with the lower portion :ofvsaidreceptacle, an indicator, and means whereby said indicator is controlled by the pressure insaid pressure chamber.

8. The method of indicating the quantity of liquid in a tank, which comprises raising a vcolumn of liquid .by suction from the lower portion of the tank, permitting said column of liquid to fall, introducing air into one portion of'said column while the same is moving, separating out theair at substantially atmospheric pressure and trapping the same, increasing the pressure of said trapped air by subjecting it to the hydrostatichead of a portion of said column of liquid until the pressure is equal to the hydrostatic head of the liquid in the tank, and measuring the pressure of said trapped air.

9. The method of indicating the quantity of liquid in a tank, which comprises raising a column of liquid by suction from the lower portion of the tank, permitting said column of liquid to fall, introducing air into said column while the same is falling, separating out the air 'fromeach air-containing portion of'said liquid column during the retrograde movement of that portion toward the tank, trapping the air so separated, increasing the pressure. of said trapped air by subjecting it to the hydrostatic head of at least a part of said column-of liquid until the pressure is equal to the hydrostatic head of the liquid in the :tank, and-measuring the pressure of said trapped air; i

" WILLIAM P. DALRYMPLE.

of the tank and having an o en communication'with the liquid at said point, an air trap communicating above the bottom thereof with said conduit ata point above the lower end of the latter, a suction pipe extending from a point near the bottom of the trap to a point above the trap, and'a chamber having a suction-connection to the top thereof, said suction pipe at its'upper end having commu-.

the combination with a supply tank, of a receptacle at a higher level than said "tank, a vacuum tank, means whereby said vacuum tank is connected to the upper portion of said receptacle, for intermittently creating a vacuum in said receptacle, an air pressure chamber' at a lower level than said receptacle, 1 7 means conneotingthe upper portion of, said

Images