Fluid pressure monitoring system

Claim 2

A transducing arrangement for measuring the pressure of fluid in a line comprising a housing member having first and second pairs of spaced apart arms and a bridging portion therebetween defining a unitary member, one of said pairs of arms defining a passage therebetween for receiving a line, coupling means carried by said one pair of arms for clamping said housing member to the line, a transducer, said transducer being supported between said other pair of arms, said transducer being effective to emit a signal indicative of deflection of said second pair of arms from a normal position upon expansion of a line in said coupling means in said first pair of arms.

Claim 3

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said arms are relatively stiff in relation to said bridging member.

Claim 4

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a line seating member carried on one of said one pair of arms having a seating surface complimentary to the engaged portion of the line.

Claim 5

The arrangement of claim 1 further including means for establishing a pre-load on said transducer when said mounting member is coupled to a line.

Claim 6

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said transducer is a piezoelectric element.

Claim 7

The arrangement of claim 5 wherein said piezoelectric element is in the shape of a disc having contact plates on either side thereof, and spacing members having a high coefficient of internal dampening disposed between said plates and said second pair of arms.

Claim 8

The arrangement of claim 6 further including a supporting member extending between said second pair of arms and secured to one of the arms of said second pair, said supporting member extending through said piezoelectric element, said plates, and said spacing elements.

Claim 9

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said transDucer is positioned between spacing elements having a high coefficient of internal dampening between said second pair of arms.

Claim 10

The arrangement of claim 8 wherein said transducer and said spacers are bonded together and bonded to said second pair of arms.

Claim 11

The arrangement of claim 1 further including a generally U-shaped cover member attached to said mounting member and enclosing said transducer.

Claim 12

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said coupling means includes a line contacting member carried by one of said one pair of arms, and preloading means positioned between said line contacting member and said one arm.

Claim 13

The arrangement of claim 8 further including resilient means disposed between said spacing elements and each of said second pair of arms.

Claim 14

The arrangement of claim 1 further including means disposed between said second pair of arms and said transducer for establishing a pressure preload on said transducer.

Claim 15

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said transducer is a capacitance.

Claim 16

The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said transducer is a variable differential transformer having a coil portion carried on one of said second pair of arms and a core portion carried on the other of said second pair of arms.

Claim 17

The arrangement of claim 1 further including means for detecting a signal of predetermined magnitude emitted by said transducer.

Claim 18

The arrangement of claim 16 further including a lamp and means for coupling the signal of predetermined magnitude to said lamp.

Claim 19

For use in combination with a fuel injection line of an internal combustion engine adapted to have fuel charges under pressure pass therethrough, a mounting member having first and second pairs of spaced apart arms and a bridging portion therebetween defining a unitary member, one of said pairs of arms defining a passage therethrough for receiving the line, and coupling means carried by said one pair of arms for clamping said mounting members to the line, a transducer supported between said other pairs of arms, said transducer being effective to emit a signal which varies as a function of deflection of said second pair of arms from a normal position upon expansion of the line in said coupling means in said first pair of arms.

Claim 20

For use in combination with a fuel injection line of an internal combustion engine adapted to have fuel charges under pressure pass therethrough, a mounting member having first and second pairs of spaced apart arms and a bridging portion therebetween defining a unitary member, one of said pairs of arms defining a passage therethrough for receiving the line, and coupling means carried by said one pair of arms for clamping said mounting members to the line, a transducer supported between said other pairs of arms, said transducer being effective to emit a signal which varies as a function of deflection of said second pair of arms from a normal position upon expansion of the line in said coupling means in said first pair of arms.

Claim 21

A transducing arrangement for measuring the pressure of fluid in a line comprising a mounting member having first and second pairs of spaced apart arms and a bridging portion therebetween defining a unitary member, one of said pairs of arms defining a passage therebetween for receiving a line, coupling means carried by said one pair of arms for clamping said housing to the line, a transducer supporting member extending between said other pair of arms and supporting a transducer thereon, said transducer being effective to emit a signal indicative of deflection of said second pair of arms upon expansion of a line in said coupling means in said first pair of arms.

Claim 22

A transducing arrangement for measuring the pressure of fluid in a line comprising a mounting member having first and second pairs of spaced apart arms and a bridging portion therebetween defining a unitary member, one of said pairs of arms defining a passage therebetween for receiving a line, coupling means carried by said one pair of arms for clamping said housing to the line, a transducer supporting member extending between said other pair of arms and supporting a transducer thereon, said transducer being effective to emit a signal indicative of deflection of said second pair of arms upon expansion of a line in said coupling means in said first pair of arms.

Claim 25

The system of claim 20 wherein the characteristic of the tubular line is wall thickness and said means for controlling comprises a voltage divider calibrated in accordance with varying wall thickness of the line.

Claim 26

The system of claim 21 wherein said housing member is arranged to receive a tubular line of predetermined outside dimension, and said voltage divider is calibrated in accordance with a plurality of possible inside dimensions.

Claim 27

The sYstem of claim 20 further including means for indicating the signal output of said amplifier.

Claim 28

The system of claim 20 further including means for detecting a predetermined value of the output signal of said amplifying means.

Claim 29

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line due to expansion thereof comprising a pair of spaced clamping arms, means joining said clamping arms intermediate the ends thereof for allowing movement of said arms toward and away from one another, readily releasable clamping means on said arms on one side of said joining means and including line engaging portions for clamping a line between said arms, said joining means being connected to both of said arms and constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line in said clamping means, said readily releasable clamping means enabling said line pressure measuring apparatus to be readily moved and positioned along said pipe, measuring means including mechanical movement to electrical signal transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said joining means and responsive to movement of said arms, and indicating means for indicating the pressure within said line connected with said transducing means.

Claim 30

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line due to expansion thereof comprising a pair of spaced clamping arms, means joining said clamping arms intermediate the ends thereof for allowing movement of said arms toward and away from one another, readily releasable clamping means on said arms on one side of said joining means and including line engaging portions for clamping a line between said arms, said joining means being connected to both of said arms and constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line in said clamping means, said readily releasable clamping means enabling said line pressure measuring apparatus to be readily moved and positioned along said pipe, measuring means including mechanical movement to electrical signal transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said joining means and responsive to movement of said arms, and indicating means for indicating the pressure within said line connected with said transducing means.

Claim 31

Apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said clamping arms extend substantially parallel with one another.

Claim 32

Apparatus as defined in claim 23 including adjusting means for adjusting a portion of the clamping means to adjust the amount of pressure applied.

Claim 33

Apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said means joining said arms comprises a connecting portion of reduced area compared with said clamping arms, said connecting portion being subjected to bending moments when said arms move away from one another.

Claim 34

Apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein the distance of said transducer from said joining means is greater than the distance of said line engaging portions from said joining means.

Claim 35

Apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein said clamping arms and said means joining said arms comprise a substantially H-shaped one-piece construction.

Claim 36

Apparatus as defined in claim 28 wherein said means joining said arms has a notch formed therein.

Claim 37

Apparatus as defined in claim 23 including removable inserts mounted in said arms for engaging an associated line.

Claim 38

Apparatus as defined in claim 32 wherein one of said inserts has curved surfaces adapted to fit against the outer surfaces of an associated line.

Claim 39

Apparatus for measuring fluid pressure in a tubular line comprising a unitary member having first and second pairs of arms extending in opposite directions from a bridging member therebetween, coupling means on one pair of said arms arranged to clamp said member to a line extending between said first pair of arms, a mechanical movement to electrical signal transducer carried between said other pair of arms, said bridging member being of lesser cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said arms.

Claim 40

Apparatus for measuring fluid pressure in a tubular line comprising a unitary member having first and second pairs of arms extending in opposite directions from a bridging member therebetween, coupling means on one pair of said arms arranged to clamp said member to a line extending between said first pair of arms, a mechanical movement to electrical signal transducer carried between said other pair of arms, said bridging member being of lesser cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said arms.

Claim 41

The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the distance from said bridging member to said coupling means is less than the distance of said transducer to said coupling means.

Claim 42

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line, comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a bridging member having opposite ends joined to and spacing said arms intermediate the ends of said arms, releasable clamping means carried on said arms on one side of said bridging member for clamping a line between said arms, said bridging member being constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line in said clamping means, transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said bridging means and responsive to deflection of said arms upon flexing of said bridging member to produce a signal which varies as a function of the expansion of a line in said coupling means.

Claim 43

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line, comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a bridging member having opposite ends joined to and spacing said arms intermediate the ends of said arms, releasable clamping means carried on said arms on one side of said bridging member for clamping a line between said arms, said bridging member being constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line in said clamping means, transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said bridging means and responsive to deflection of said arms upon flexing of said bridging member to produce a signal which varies as a function of the expansion of a line in said coupling means.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the cross-sectional area of said bridging means is less than the cross-sectional area of said arms.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the distance of said transducing means to said bridging member is greater than the distance of said bridging member to said clamping means.

Claim 46

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line by detecting expansion of the line comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a bridging member having opposite ends joined to and spacing said arms intermediate the ends of said arms, said arms on one side of said bridging member defining a passage therebetween for receiving a line therethrough, coupling means on said arms on said one side of said bridging member for releasably clamping said member to a line, said bridging member being constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line clamped in said passage, transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said bridging member and responsive to deflection of said arms upon flexing of said bridging member to produce a signal which varies as a function of expansion of a line in said coupling means.

Claim 47

Apparatus for measuring the pressure in a tubular line by detecting expansion of the line comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a bridging member having opposite ends joined to and spacing said arms intermediate the ends of said arms, said arms on one side of said bridging member defining a passage therebetween for receiving a line therethrough, coupling means on said arms on said one side of said bridging member for releasably clamping said member to a line, said bridging member being constructed and arranged to flex upon expansion of a line clamped in said passage, transducing means connected between said arms on the other side of said bridging member and responsive to deflection of said arms upon flexing of said bridging member to produce a signal which varies as a function of expansion of a line in said coupling means.