US1817676A - Indicator for cooling systems of automobiles - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1931. H. E. CHRISTIE ET AL INDICATOR FOR COOLING SYSTEMS OF AUTOMOBILES Filed Sept. 23, 1926 m 5 9 0 J H 3 d f x i.. 5 Mi 7 lill Patented Aug. 4, 1931 um'raos'ra'ras PATENT OFFICE HOWARD E. CHRISTIE AND KIBBE'Y W. COUSE, OF .BROINX NEW YORK INDICATOR IOR COOLING SYSTEMS OF AUTOMOBILES Application filed September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,278.

This invention relates to an indicator for the cooling system of automobiles or otherwise, the same being in the nature of an imgrovement upon our' pending application erial No. 122,783 filed July 16th, 1926.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved device for indicating the extent to which the water or other fluid in the cooling system is immune from freezing, as by visually indicating the specific gravity of the fluid at all times.

A more detailed object of the present improvement is to provide a more etficient means by which to maintain an artificial fluid level for the proper functioning of the hydrometer element employed. I

A further and more specific object is to provide a device which may be tapped into the motor cooling system at any convenient point and which will furnish an artificial level for the operation of the hydrometer element, and to provide manually operable means whereby the fluid level may be conveniently and quickly restored to its normal position in the event of any deviation therefrom.

Other obj ects and aims of. the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, there is'illustrated a vertical sectional view through an indicator device constructed in accordance with this invention, said device being connected with the cooling system of an automobile engine.

Referring to the drawing for describing in detail the structure therein shown, the reference character L indicates a part of the cooling system of the engine as for instance the flexible connecting pipe which is usually employed extending between the upper part of the engine and the upper part of the radiator, as more fully described in the co-pend- 1ng application referred to.

The indicator device comprises a base mom ber G, a cap member H, a length of trans arent glass tube 1 extending between the use and cap, and suitable clamp rods as 2 and 3 also extending between said base and cap to hold the same in clamp connection with the opposlte end portions of the glass tube.

The lower end of the glass tube is received within a suitable seat 4 provided within base G and lts lower annular edge portion rests upona rubber gasket 5 arranged within said seat, 1n engagement with a shoulder 6 thereof, to complete a water tight joint between' the tube and the base. Within the upper end portion of the tube 1s arranged a partition member 7 which tightly engages against the walls of the tube and thereby positively and completely separates the extreme upper end portion of the tube from the lower portion of the tube except that a passageway as 8 is provided through said partition into which is fitted a small tube 9 extending downwardly from the passage8 to a suitable point as 10 below the level of the partition.

The base G is hollow and provides an open passage as 11 therethrough communicating between the interior of tube 1 and the interior of the pipe L so that the water, or other cooling fluid, within the pipe L, will move freely upwardly into the glass tube 1. As the water rises in the tube 1 the air above it within said tubewill flow outwardly through the small tube 9 until the level, as 12, of the fluid reaches a point where the outflow of air is out 01f by the fluid closing the lower end of the small tube. The fluid will rise within the small tube but the main level 12 will be forced to stand at approximately the level of the lower end of the small tube.

Within the main tube 1 is a hydrometer element 13 readable at the level 12 which level it will now be understood may be correctly referred to as an artificial level, that is a level artificially created below the main level of the cooling fluid within pipe L. By reading the hydrometer at the level 12 definite information may be secured by the user' as to the roportions of non-freezing ingredient to t e whole quantity -of cooling fluid in the system, and the user will thus be able to maintain a pro or proportion. The gradnation's upon the ydrometer may if desired be marked to indicate by figures, or otherwise, the exact strength required for a replenishing supply. For instance at a given height the hydrometer may call for one ounce of non-freezing ingredient to each quart of water added to the system. At another hei ht it may call for two ouncesof the nonreezin ingredient, and so on, as more fully set orth in the co-pending application referred to.

The partition member 7 is preferably made of rubber or like resilient material having a central cavity as 14 in its under side intowhich the upper'end portion as 15 of the hydrometer extends, the side wall parts as 16 of said partition member thus serving as a cushion against which the portion 15 may strike without injury at any time as for instance during the rough movements of an automobile or'the like to which the device may be connected. The lower, or bulbous portion of the hydrometer is provided with small projections 17 thereon arranged to 811- gage against the side walls of the tube 1 but being normally so near to said walls as to revent any forceful or injurious blows being struck. By these means the life of the hydrometer device is practically insured.

At the u per end ofthe main tube 1, and interposed between the upper end edge thereof and the bottom surface ofcap H is a clo sure member 18 made preferably of rubber s'o that it comprises a gasket between the tube 1 and ca H and prevents injury to the tube he rods 2 and 3 are tight. Centrally of this closure member 18 is a passageway 19.

I Concentrically of this passage-way at the under side of the closure 18 is an annular rib constituting a valve seat 20 which is prefer- 1y upwardly into the passage 19 and serving ereby to maintain the valve 21 in proper co-operative relation with its seat 20.

Below the valve 21 and adapted to rest upon the upper surface as 23 of the partition member 7 1s a float member 24, of cork or other appropriate material. a

The closure 18 is preferably provided with an annular skirt portion 25 arranged to enclose the valve 21 and float 24. to thereby obscure these parts from external view and thus improve the outward appearance of the finishedarticle, and the upper surface 23 of being such that when the rods 2 an the partition 7 is preferably slightly rounded so as to reduce the power of capillary attraction as between said surface andthe float.

It will be ap arent from this construction that all air rising through the small tube 9 during the time while the fluid is moving upwardly-toward tube 9, as during the initial at its normal position at the lower. end of tube 9 is of course dependent upon the presence of a given amount of air pressure within the cavity as 24, between the level 12 and the under side of the partition 7. It has been found in practice that the pressure oflair within this cavity however gradually dimin ishes with the passing of time, due to causes which at present seem to be unavoidable, and that the level 12 raises accordingly.

To meet this situationthe present invention includes the provision of a sim le pump device 25 by which a new supply 0 air may at any time be manually forced into the cavity 24. This pump device consists of a soft rubber inverted cup shaped member arranged over the upper side of the closure 18 and providing an air chamber 26 between itself and said closure. 1 Its central portion projects upwardly through an opening 27 provided concentr cally through capH, and it is provided with an annular flange portion 28 disposed between the under side of cap H and the upper side of closure 18, the arran ement 3 are tightened the caprH serves to seal the joint between the marginal parts of the 'pump member and closure 18. The top wall as 29 of the pump member is slightly convexed, and centrally thereof is a small opening 30.

Any air moving outwardly through the passage 19, as heretofore described, is normally free to move through the opening 30.

To pump, air downwardly into the cavity-24 however it is simply necessary for an operator to place his finger upon the upper surface of the pump member, thereby closing opening 30-, and then, by flexing the wall 29 downwardly a portion of the air within the chamber 26 will be forced downwardly past the valve.21 and through the tube 9 into the fluid within the tube 1 whereupon it will immediately rise .into the cavity 24 and force the level 12 downwardly in accordance with the volume of the air thus injected. By repeating this operation of depressing the .top portion of the pump member a suitable number of times a suflicient quantity of air may be quickly'injected into the cavity 24 to restore the level 12 to the desired position. Any excess of air which may be. pumped into the cavity 24 may temporarily depress the level 12 beyond the bottom end of tube 9 but as soon as the pumping action is stopped the fluid will of course again rise to the bottom 3 of the tube 9 as in the first instance.

If desired a suitable rubber cushion member 31 may be arranged within the base G to receive the lower end of the hydrometer member when at any time the level of the fluid should drop to a point below the. floating level of the hydrometer.

As a convenient means of attaching the base G to the pipe L the drawing herewlth shows said base to be fitted with a threaded extension 32 which may be conveniently thrust through a suitable opening 33 provided to receive it through the pipe L at an appropriate locality, it being noted in-this connection that in automobile construction said pipe L usually consists of a piece of rubber tubing. Opposing washers as 34 and 35 and a clamp nut 36 may be provided by which the base member may be easily clamped mto sealing engagement with the pipe.

While the device disclosed herein is particularly intended for indicatingthe degree to which the cooling fluid of an automobile engine is immune'to freezing, it will be understood however that it may be employed with equal advantage wherever an artificial fluid level is required for the operation of an indicator device. And in fact that the means here shown'for creating and maintaining an artificial fluid level for any purpose may be I, used to advantage in many relations either with or without an indicator element.

As many changes could bemade in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be inter-' preted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

It is to be particularly noted that during the action of the pump 25 the consequent sudden injection of a stream, or streams, of air downwardly into the fluid closely adjacent to the hydrdmeter element will serve to sufliciently agitate said element to cause it i to become freely loosened from any capillary or other attractive force whichmight at the time be holding it against standing in true registering position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is V 1. An indicator device for a cooling system of the type set forth, said indicator device comprising a transparent tube adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, a hydrometer device arranged within said tube to float in said liquid, means to create an artificial liquid level within said tube for the operation of said air pump havingan opening to the atmosphere and being manually operable to pump air through said opening into the device for thereby forcing down said liquid level.

2. An indicator device for a cooling system of the typeset forth, said indicator device comprising a transparent tube adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, a hydrometer device arranged within said tube to float in said liquid, said tube being open at: its lower end to receive the liquid thereinto, a closure at the upper end of said tube providing an air passage therethrough for permitting the egress of air from said tubeand the consequent rise of liquid within the tube, 'a valve arranged to prevent the egress of liquid from the tube while permitting the egress of air, means by which to interfere with the egress of air and the consequent rise of the main body of liquid to thereby create an artificial liquid level within the tube below said closure, and a manually operable pump arranged to inject air past said valve and into the tube at will.

3. The combination with a cooling system of the type set forth having a quantity of liquid therein, of an indicator device comprising means by which to create an artificial liquid level at a point below the level of the liquid in the system, and air injector means manually operableto maintain said artificial level.

4. The combination with a cooling system of the type set forth having a quantity of liquid therein, of an indicator device comprising a transparent tube, means by which said tube is connected in the system to receive liquid thereinto, a hydrometer device carried within said tube to float in the liquid therein, means to establish an artificial level of liquid within the tube below the level of liquid in the system for operation of the hydrometer device below the level of liquid in the system, said artificial level being however subject to'variation, and means to correct said variation at will comprising a manually operable air pump.

5.'An indicator device for a cooling system of the type set forth, said indicator de- .vice comprising a transparent tube adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, a hydrometer device arranged within said tube to float in said liquid, said tube being open at its lower end to receive liquid thereinto, and a closure at the upper end of the tube having anair passage therethrough and having a projection extending downwardly therefrom into the tube, said extension being hollow and providing a passage-way lon itudinally therethrough in continuation the mentioned air passage whereby to permit egress of air from the tube and the consequent rise 5 of liquid'within the tube to-the level of the lower end of said extension to thus create an artificial liquid level within the tube spaced below the closure. 1 T

6. 'An indicator device for a cooling system of the type set forth, said indicator device comprising a transparent tube adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, '21 hydrometer device arranged within said tube to float in said liquid, said tube being open at its lower end to receive liquid thereinto, and a closure at the upper end of the tube having an air passage therethrough and having a projection extending downwardly therefrom into the tube, said extension being hollow and providing a passage-way longitudinally therethrough in continuation of the mentioned air passage whereby to permit egress of air from the tube and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube to the level of the lower end of said extension to thus create an artificial liquid level within the tube spaced below the closure, together with means arranged above the closure efi'ective to permit discharge of air from said passageway into the atmosphere but to prevent passage of liquid through said passage-way into the atmosphere. v

7. An indicator device for a cooling system of the type set forth, said indicator device comprising a transparent tube adapted to contain a quantity of liquid, a hydrometer device arranged within said tube to float in said liquid, saidtube being open at its lower end to receive liquid thereinto, and a closure at the upper end of the tube having an air passage therethrough and'having a projection extendin i into the tube, said extension being hollow and providing a passage-way longitudinally therethrough in continuation of the mentioned air passage whereby to permit egress ofair from the tube and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube to the level of the lower end of said extension to thus create an artificial li uid level within the tube spaced below the c losure, together-with a manually o erable pump carried by the tube above the c osure by which to force air downwardly through said passage-way into the tube at will.

8. An indicator device for a cooling system of the type set forth comprising a base member, a transparent tube, the base member having a seat provided therein into which the lower end of the transparent tube engages, a closure for the upper end of the transparent tube overlying the upper edge surface of said tube, means interengaging between said closure and said base member by which to clamp the closure against the transdownwardly therefrom parent tube and in consequence to clamp the lower end of the transparent tube against said seat in the base member, the base member adapted to be inserted through the wall of a liquid-carrying part of the cooling system and having an opening therethrough communicating with the lower end of the transparent tube whereby liquid from the cooling system may move into the transparent tube, the mentioned closure at the upper end of the transparent tube having an air passage therethrough for permitting egress of air from the tube and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube, means automatically operable to establish a liquid level within the tube at a point spaced below the closure, and a hydrometer device arranged within said tube readable at said liquid level.

9. An indicator device for a cooling sys tem of the type set forth, comprising a base member, a transparent tube, the base member having a seat therein into which the lower end of the transparent tube engages, a closure for the upper end of the transparent tube overlying the upper edge s ur face of said tube, means interengaging between said closure and said base member by which to clamp the closure against the transparent tube, and in consequence to clamp the lower end of the transparent tube against said seat in the base member, the base member adapted to be inserted through the wall of a liquid-carrying part of the cooling system and having an opening therethrough communicating with the lower end of the transparent tube whereby liquid from the cooling system may move .into the transparent tube, the mentioned closure at the upper end of the transparent tube having an air passage permitting egress of air from the tubeand the consequent rise of liquid within the tube, a second closure Within the tube spaced below the first closure to provide a compartment between itself and the first closure, the second closure having an opening therethrough, the second closure having a hollow extension projecting downwardly therefrom providing a passage-way longitudinally therethrough in continuation of the mentioned opening through the second closure whereby to permit egress of air from the tube to the air passage of the first closure and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube to the level of the lower end of said extension to thus create an artificial liquid level within the tube spaced below the her having a seat therein into which the lower end of the transparent tube engages, a closure for the upper end of the transparent tube overlying the upper edge surface of said tube, means interengaging between said closure and said base member by which to clamp the closure against the trans )arent tube and in consequence to clamp the ower end of the transparent tube against said seat in the base member, the base member adapted to be inserted through the wall of a liquid carrying part of the cooling system and having an opening therethrough communicating with the lower end of the transparent tube whereby liquid from the cooling system may move into the transparent tube, the mentioned closure at the upper end of the transparent tube having an air passage permitting egress of air from the tube and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube, a second closure within the tube spaced below the first closure to provide a compartment between itself and the first closure, the second closure having an opening therethrough, the second closure having a hollow extension projecting downwardly therefrom providing a passage-way in continuation of the mentioned opening through the second closure whereby to permit egress of air from the tube to the air passage of the first closure and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube to the level of the lower end of said extension to thus create an artificial liquid level within the tube spaced below the second closure, a hydrometer device arranged within said tube readable at said level, and a float valve arranged in said mentioned compartment for controllin the air passage of the first closure, together with means roviding a manually operable air pump a ove the first mentioned closure whereby air may be forced at will downwardly through both closures into said transparent tube.

11. The combination with a cooling system of the type set forth having a quantity of liquid therein, of an indicator device comprising a transparent tube arranged in the system to receive liquid thereinto, a closure for the upper end of the transparent tube having an air passage permitting egress of air from the tube and the consequent rise of tube spaced'below the second closure and below the level of the liquid in the system, a

tures.

HOWARD E. CHRISTIE. KIBBEY W. COUSE.

liquid within the tube, a second closure within the tube spaced below the first closure to rovide a com artment between itself and the rst closure, t e second closure having a hollow opening therethrough, "the second closure having an extension projecting downwardly therefrom providing a passage-way in continuation of the mentioned opening through the second closure whereby to permit egress of air from the tube to the air passage of-the first closure and the consequent rise of liquid within the tube to the level of the lower end-of said extension to thus create an artificial liquid level within the

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