Measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube

Abstract

A measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube, including a reel, means for driving said the in forward and backward directions, a cable wound onto the reel and having a free end, a sensor mounted on the free end of the cable, the sensor including a particle contact portion, and trigger means responsive to the particle contact portion's contacting the particles in the tube.

1 . A measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube, comprising:
 a reel;   means for driving said reel in forward and backward directions;   a cable wound onto said reel and having a free end;   a sensor mounted on the free end of said cable, said sensor including a particle contact portion; and   trigger means responsive to said particle contact portion's contacting the particles in the tube.   
     
     
         2 . A measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said trigger means includes a particle contact portion displaceable from a first position where it is in electrical isolation, to a second position where it is in electrical continuity with a second portion of said sensor. 
     
     
         3 . A measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said driving means is a motor and further comprising an encoder including means for quantifying the length of said cable that has played out as said sensor is lowered into a tube in order to know the position of the sensor at all times. 
     
     
         4 . A measurement device for measuring the elevation of particles in a vertical tube as recited in  claim 3 , and further comprising a central controller and an automated loading device which loads particles into the vertical tube, wherein the central controller receives data from said encoder and uses that data to automatically control the automated loading device to fill the vertical tube to a desired elevation.