Patents by Inventor Charles E. Stapleton

Charles E. Stapleton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5085077
    Abstract: An ultrasonic liquid level detector mounted in a fill pipe cap. The ultrasonic detector mounted in a fill pipe cap (10) is used in determining a level and/or the volume of a liquid (5) stored in an underground storage tank (20). The fill pipe cap contains an ultrasonic ranging unit (50) that measures a time, T.sub.L, required for an ultrasonic pulse to travel round trip between an ultrasonic transducer/receiver (54) and the surface of the liquid in the tank. A reference reflector (25) disposed within a fill pipe (30) is used in determining a reference time, T.sub.R, that is included in a non-linear expression, e.sup..alpha. .multidot.T.sub.L.sup..beta..sbsp.1 .multidot.T.sub.R.sup..beta..sbsp.2, in order to compute the level of liquid in the storage tank. The terms e.sup..alpha., .beta..sub.1, and .beta..sub.2 comprise a correction for errors in the round-trip times T.sub.L and T.sub.R caused by a non-uniform vapor density of the liquid along the path traveled by the ultrasonic pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Capscan Sales Incorporate
    Inventors: Charles E. Stapleton, Jerauld T. Numata
  • Patent number: 4308755
    Abstract: A liquid volumetric flow measuring apparatus is disclosed wherein a turbine or vane, flow straighteners therefor, and a rotating shaft mounted therewith, and a magnetic sender are all mounted as an integral unit in a U-shaped pipe trap, and a volumetric calculator is mounted in conjunction therewith. By a specific mounting of the turbine in the trap there is a dampening action causing the calculator to cease recording the flow immediately upon this stopping of the motion of the liquid through the trap. This construction provides a guard against any air which is pumped through the pipe being recorded as liquid in contradistinction to a gaseous fluid. The magnetic sender has a reed switch and a magnet which are specifically mounted so as to provide low angular momentum and reliability, at both high and low flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1982
    Inventors: Robert J. Millar, Charles E. Stapleton, John M. Hauf