Methods of and/or means for indicating the levels of liquids

Abstract

A wire wound resistor is vertically disposed in a vessel. The resistor has a former of between 20 mm and 45 mm diameter and resistance wire of a resistance of between 1 and 4 ohms per turn connected in the circuit of an A.C. bridge-circuit. Impedance change is indicated on a display unit calibrated to indicate the change in level of liquid e.g. milk in the vessel. The resistance wire is laid on the former by applying ultrasonic sound energy to soften the former which is of polysulfone or polycarbonate and the wire embedded in the softened former material. The vessel is shaped at the lower end to assist in giving linear readings when the level of liquid is low.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 
     
       1. A method of indicating the level of an electrically conducting liquid milk in a vessel which contains a vertically disposed rod type resistor having adjacent lengths having an average cross sectional dimension between twenty and forty-five mm and a resistance of between three and thirty-two ohms per mm of length of the resistor, said method comprising the steps of (a) allowing the liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.to rise in the vessel in a manner such that the liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.interconnects the adjacent lengths of the resistor thus changing the impedance of the resistor appearing at the terminals thereof, (b) measuring .[.that.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.change of impedance and (c) converting .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.change of impedance into a display which indicates change of level of liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.in the vessel, whereby said dimension enables the total area of the resistor in contact with the .Iadd.liquid .Iaddend.milk to be sufficiently great to allow a good resistance connection to the .Iadd.liquid .Iaddend.milk in contact with it and enables extremely small changes of impedance to be measured in step (b). 
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step (a) is carried out by using a wire wound resistor having between three and eight turns per mm and a resistance of between one and four ohms per turn of resistance wire and so that the liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.interconnects adjacent turns of the resistor. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the change of impedance in step (b) is measured by applying an alternating current to the terminals of the resistor and measuring the change in alternating current flowing through the resistor. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus for indicating the level of an electrically conducting liquid milk in a vessel, said apparatus comprising (a) a rod type resistor .Iadd.including a former having resistance wire wound thereon and .Iaddend.disposed vertically in use in said vessel, said resistor having an average cross sectional dimension between twenty and forty-five mm and a .[.resistor.]. .Iadd.resistance .Iaddend.of between three and thirty-two ohms per mm of length of the resistor, the resistor being arranged so that increase in the level of liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.in the vessel causes some of the liquid in the vessel to interconnect adjacent lengths of the resistor to change the impedance thereof, (b) means for measuring .[.such.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.change in impedance and (c) display means on which change in level of liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.in the vessel is indicated.Iadd., whereby said resistance and said dimension enable the total area of the resistor in contact with the liquid milk to be sufficiently great to allow a good resistance connection to the liquid milk in contact with it and enables extremely small changes of impedance to be measured by said means for measuring.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said resistor is a former wound with wire having between three and eight turns per mm and a resistance of between one and four ohms per turn and being arranged so that increase in the level of liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.in the vessel causes some of the liquid .Iadd.milk .Iaddend.to interconnect adjacent turns of said wire. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus for indicating the level of an electrically conducting liquid in a vessel, said vessel comprising (a) a rod type resistor disposed vertically in use in said vessel, said resistor having an average cross sectional dimension between twenty and forty-five mm and a resistance of between three and thirty-two ohms per mm of length of the resistor, the resistor being arranged so that increase in the level of liquid in the vessel causes some of the liquid in the vessel to interconnect adjacent lengths of the resistor to change the impedance thereof, (b) means for measuring .[.such.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.change in impedance and (c) display means on which change in level of liquid in the vessel is indicated, wherein said resistor is a former wound with wire having between three and eight turns per mm and a resistance of between one and four ohms per turn and being arranged so that increase in the level of liquid in the vessel causes some of the liquid to interconnect adjacent turns of said wire, wherein said former is made of a softenable material such as polysulfone or polycarbonate and said resistance wire is embedded in said softenable material of the former with only a portion thereof exposed, whereby said dimension enables the total area of the wire in contact with the liquid to be sufficiently great to allow a good resistance connection to the liquid in contact with it and enables extremely small changes of impedance to be measured. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein separately spaced studs or terminals are provided on said former and whereby the conductance of the liquid the level of which is being measured, can be measured by a conductance measuring device. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said vessel is provided with a plurality of frusta of cones at the lower end thereof, the lowermost of said plurality having a lesser slope than the next frustum for the purpose of assisting in giving a linear scale during the commencement of filling of the vessel. .Iadd. 
     
     
       9.  A method of indicating the level of an electrically conducting liquid in a vessel, said method comprising the steps of (a) allowing the liquid to rise in the vessel which contains a vertically disposed resistor having a conducting surface on an insulating former rod having an average perimeter in excess of approximately 63 mm, the resistor having a resistance between three and thirty-two ohms per mm of height of the resistor and comprising a wire wound resistor having in excess of three turns per mm and a resistance of between one and four ohms per turn of resistance wire and so that the liquid interconnects adjacent turns of the resistor which are immersed in the liquid, the liquid rising in the vessel in a manner such that the interaction of the liquid and the resistor reduces the impedance of the resistor appearing at the terminal thereof, (b) measuring said reduction of impedance at said terminals, and (c) converting the reduction of impedance into a display which indicates rise of level in liquid in the vessel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (a) is carried out by using a resistor having an average perimeter of less than 140 mm. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (a) is carried out by using a resistor 
     
     
        having up to 8 turns per mm. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  A method as claimed in claims 9, 10 or 11, wherein the reduction of impedance is measured in step (b) by applying an alternating current to the terminals of the resistor and measuring the change in alternating current flowing through the resistor. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. Apparatus for indicating the level of an electrically conducting liquid such as milk in a vessel said apparatus comprising said vessel, a resistor having a conducting surface on an insulating former rod disposed vertically in use in said vessel, said resistor having an average perimeter in excess of approximately 63 mm and a resistance between three and thirty-two ohms per mm of length of the resistor, wherein said former rod is wound with wire having at least three turns per mm and a resistance of between one and four ohms per turn and being arranged so that increase in the level of liquid in the vessel causes some of the liquid to interconnect adjacent turns of said wire which are immersed in the liquid and so that increase in the level of liquid in the vessel causes interaction of the liquid in the vessel with the resistor to reduce the impedance thereof, means for measuring said reduction in impedance, and display means responsive to changes in impedance and on which change in level of liquid in the vessel is indicated. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said resistor has an average perimeter of less than 140 mm. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.15.  Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said former rod is made of a softenable material such as polysulfone or polycarbonate and said resistance wire is embedded in said softenable material of the former with only a portion thereof exposed. .Iaddend.