Liquid level control system

Claim 2

A liquid level control system of the type having two motorized pumps for changing the level in a confined body of liquid, a plurality of electric probes at staggered heights for providing liquid level signals, and control circuit means for initiating a power signal to start one of said pumps after said first two probes have been successively activated and having alternator means for alternately energizing said pumps as the liquid level activates the probes, said pumps remaining energized until all probes are deactivated; the improvement wherein said control circuit means comprises electronic means controlled by said probes and connected to said alternator means for changing the state of said alternator means, said control circuit means providing a switching signal for alternate pump operation only after the first two probes have been successively activated and then deactivated by rise and fall of the liquid level to thereby insure pure 50 percent alternation.

Claim 3

A liquid level control system of the type having two motorized pumps for changing The level in a confined body of liquid, a plurality of electric probes at staggered heights for providing liquid level signals, and control circuit means for alternately energizing said pumps as the liquid level activates the probes, said pumps remaining energized until all probes are deactivated; the improvement wherein said control circuit means comprises memory circuit means connected to a first probe disposed for one extreme level condition and to an adjacent second probe, alternator circuit means connected to the output of said memory circuit means for providing switching signal outputs, logic circuit means connected to the outputs of both said memory circuit means and said alternator circuit means, and power signal circuit means connected to the output of said logic circuit means for starting and stopping said pumps, said logic circuit means initiating a power signal to start one of said pumps after said first two probes have been successively activated, said memory circuit means providing a switching signal to said alternator circuit means only after said first two probes have been successively activated and deactivated to thereby insure pure 50 percent pump alternation.

Claim 4

A liquid level control system of the type having two motorized pumps for changing The level in a confined body of liquid, a plurality of electric probes at staggered heights for providing liquid level signals, and control circuit means for alternately energizing said pumps as the liquid level activates the probes, said pumps remaining energized until all probes are deactivated; the improvement wherein said control circuit means comprises memory circuit means connected to a first probe disposed for one extreme level condition and to an adjacent second probe, alternator circuit means connected to the output of said memory circuit means for providing switching signal outputs, logic circuit means connected to the outputs of both said memory circuit means and said alternator circuit means, and power signal circuit means connected to the output of said logic circuit means for starting and stopping said pumps, said logic circuit means initiating a power signal to start one of said pumps after said first two probes have been successively activated, said memory circuit means providing a switching signal to said alternator circuit means only after said first two probes have been successively activated and deactivated to thereby insure pure 50 percent pump alternation.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2, wherein said memory circuit means comprises cross-connected gates with one gate connected to each probe to provide a bistable flip flop output.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3, wherein said alternator circuit means also comprises a bistable flip flop circuit with two mutually exclusive outputs and is responsive to only one of the two changes of state of said memory circuit flip flop output.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4, wherein said logic circuit means comprises a set of sequential gates for each pump with the memory and alternator outputs connected to one gate of each set and with the first probe connected to another gate of each set.

Claim 8

The system of claim 5 wherein a third probe is adjacent said second probe and is connected to another gate of each logic circuit set for turning on both pumps when the third probe is activated.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5, wherein said logic circuit means includes a circuit for latching the pumps in their energized condition until the first probe has been deactivated.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1, wherein said probes are connected as simple grounding elements via the liquid, said memory, alternator and logic circuit means are made up of solid state gate assemblies.

Claim 11

A liquid level control system of the type having two motorized pumps for changing the level in a confined body of liquid, a plurality of electric probes at staggered heights for providing liquid level signals, and a control circuit comprising means for initiating a power signal to start one of said pumps after said first two probes have been successively activated and an alternator for alternately energizing said pumps as the liquid level successively activates the probes, said pumps remaining energized until all probes are deactivated; the improvement wherein said alternator comprises a bistable, two output flip flop circuit connected to said first two probes, a two channel logic gate connected to said probes and to said alternator outputs for providing individual pump turn on signals, an oscillator circuit for each pump that can be turned on and off by one of said logic gates, and a D.C. controlled rectifier of A.C. power of each pump that is turned on and off by one of said oscillator circuits for providing pump on and off control signals, said oscillator circuit frequencies being several times higher than the frequency of said A.C. power.

Claim 12

A liquid level control system of the type having two motorized pumps for changing the level in a confined body of liquid, a plurality of electric probes at staggered heights for providing liquid level signals, and a control circuit comprising means for initiating a power signal to start one of said pumps after said first two probes have been successively activated and an alternator for alternately energizing said pumps as the liquid level successively activates the probes, said pumps remaining energized until all probes are deactivated; the improvement wherein said alternator comprises a bistable, two output flip flop circuit connected to said first two probes, a two channel logic gate connected to said probes and to said alternator outputs for providing individual pump turn on signals, an oscillator circuit for each pump that can be turned on and off by one of said logic gates, and a D.C. controlled rectifier of A.C. power of each pump that is turned on and off by one of said oscillator circuits for providing pump on and off control signals, said oscillator circuit frequencies being several times higher than the frequency of said A.C. power.