Direct-reading gasoline meter with bob and float control of measuring tape

Claim 2

A direct-reading meter for measuring the quantity of liquid in a tank having a vertical conduit extending up from the interior of the tank, comprising a housing fixed on the upper end of said conduit and having a window, a take-up spool rotatably mounted in said housing, a flexible tape wound on said spool and having one end fixed to said spool and the other end extending down through said conduit into the tank, a float on said other end of said tape, a guide roller engaging said tape to guide it into the upper end of said conduit, said tape having indicia on the outer surface thereof viewable through said window, a reel of smaller diameter than said spool fixed coaxially on one end of said spool and rotatably therewith, a flexible tension line wound on said reel and having one end fixed to said reel, the other end extending down into said conduit, a weight disposed in said conduit and attached to said other end of said tension line, said weight acting through said tension line and said reel on said spool to tend to turn said spool in a direction to wind said tape thereon, said float floating on liquid in said tank and exerting a force on said tape to unwind said tape from said spool an amount depending on the level of liquid in the tank and thereby move said weight up or down, said weight being guided in its movement by said conduit to avoid fouling of said tape by said tension line, and the amount of liquid in the tank being indicated by said indicia on said tape viewed through said window, said guide roller engaging the outer surface of said tape and having a periphery that is circumferentially recessed so as to engage only edge portions of said tape and not said indicia.

Claim 3

A direct-reading meter according to claim 1, in which a second guide roller engaging the inner surface of said tape is disposed with its periphery at approximately the same level as the periphery of said spool to provide an approximately horizontal run of said tape between said spool and second guide roller in position to be viewed through said window.

Claim 4

A direct-reading meter according to claim 1, in which said tension line is a link chain.

Claim 5

A direct-reading meter for measuring the quantity of liquid in a tank having a vertical conduit extending up from the interior of the tank, comprising a housing fixed on the upper end of said conduit and having a window, a take-up spool rotatably mounted in said housing, a flexible tape wound on said spool and having one end fixed to said spool and the other end extending down through said conduit into the tank, a float on said other end of said tape, said tape having indicia on its outer surface, a first guide roller engaging the inner surface of said tape and disposed with its periphery at approximately the same level as the periphery of said spool to provide an approximately horizontal run of said tape between said spool and said guide roller in position for indicia on said tape to be viewed through said window, a second guide roller engaging said tape to guide it into the upper end of said conduit, a reel of smaller diameter than said spool fixed coaxially on one end of said spool and rotatable therewith, a flexible tension line wound on said reel and having one end fixed to said reel, the other end extending down into said conduit, a weight disposed in said conduit and attached to said other end of said tension line, said weight acting through said tension line and said reel on saId spool to tend to turn said spool in a direction to wind said tape thereon, said float floating on liquid in said tank and exerting a force on said tape to unwind said tape from said spool an amount depending on the level of liquid in the tank and thereby move said weight up or down, said weight being guided in its movement by said conduit to avoid fouling of said tape by said tension line, and the amount of liquid in the tank being indicated by said indicia on said tape viewed through said window.

Claim 6

A direct-reading meter for measuring the quantity of liquid in a tank having a vertical conduit extending up from the interior of the tank, comprising a housing fixed on the upper end of said conduit and having a window, a take-up spool rotatably mounted in said housing, a flexible tape wound on said spool and having one end fixed to said spool and the other end extending down through said conduit into the tank, a float on said other end of said tape, said tape having indicia on its outer surface, a first guide roller engaging the inner surface of said tape and disposed with its periphery at approximately the same level as the periphery of said spool to provide an approximately horizontal run of said tape between said spool and said guide roller in position for indicia on said tape to be viewed through said window, a second guide roller engaging said tape to guide it into the upper end of said conduit, a reel of smaller diameter than said spool fixed coaxially on one end of said spool and rotatable therewith, a flexible tension line wound on said reel and having one end fixed to said reel, the other end extending down into said conduit, a weight disposed in said conduit and attached to said other end of said tension line, said weight acting through said tension line and said reel on saId spool to tend to turn said spool in a direction to wind said tape thereon, said float floating on liquid in said tank and exerting a force on said tape to unwind said tape from said spool an amount depending on the level of liquid in the tank and thereby move said weight up or down, said weight being guided in its movement by said conduit to avoid fouling of said tape by said tension line, and the amount of liquid in the tank being indicated by said indicia on said tape viewed through said window.