Abstract: An inertia force mass flowmeter comprises at least one conduit under a lateral reciprocating motion with its amplitude distributed along the center line of the conduit in a symmetric or antisymmetric mode about the center section of the conduit, two differential or absolute pressure sensors detecting the alternating transverse pressure gradient existing in the fluid contained in the conduit in directions parallel to the direction of the lateral reciprocating motion of the conduit respectively at two different sections of the conduit respectively included in the two opposite halves of the conduit, and data processing device that determines the mass flow rate of fluid moving through the conduit as a function of an electrical variable related to a phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively representing the alternating transverse pressure gradient detected respectively at the two different sections of the conduit by the two differential or absolute pressure sensors.

Abstract: A step-wise tracking electronic filter comprises a parallel bank of a plurality of band pass filters respectively having a plurality of electronic switches and respectively having different band widths, and a command signal generating device generating a command signal from the frequency of a primary alternating electrical signal being transmitted through the step-wise tracking electronic filter and being conditioned thereby or from an auxiliary alternating electrical signal obtained for the sole purpose of generating the command signal therefrom; wherein the command signal closes one of the plurality of electronic switches belonging to one of the plurality of band pass filters having a band width substantially including the frequency of the primary alternating electrical signal and opens the electronic switch when the band width of the band pass filter substantially excludes the frequency of the primary alternating electrical signal in an operating mode wherein only one electronic switch is closed at a time,

Abstract: An inertia force flowmeter comprises at least one conduit (1), an electromagnetic vibrator (11) generating a transverse reciprocating motion of the conduit (1) and a pair of differential pressure sensors (12 and 13) detecting the fluid pressure gradient in directions parallel to the directions of the transverse reciprocating motion of the conduit (1) respectively at two different sections of the conduit (1), wherein the mass flow rate is determined as a function of phase difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively provided by the two differential pressure sensors (12 and 13).

Abstract: A position sensor comprises a pair of electrically conducting elongated members having a high ohmic resistance per unit length thereof disposed parallel to one another in a direction defined by the line of displacement of a target member, and a capacitively coupling member disposed adjacent to the pair of electrically conducting elongated members and moving with the target member in the direction of displacement, which capacitively coupling member transmits an alternating electrical signal between the pair of electrically conducting elongated members by a capacitive electrical interaction therebetween, wherein an alternating electrical signal is supplied to the two opposite extremities of one of the pair of electrically conducting elongated members and a phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively taken off from the two opposite extremities of the other of the pair of electrically conducting elongated members is measured, and the position of the target member is determined a

Abstract: A inertia force flowmeter comprises a conduit under a lateral reciprocating motion in directions perpendicular to a reference plane defined by the center line of the conduit, and a pair of differential pressure sensors respectively measuring two fluctuating differential fluid pressures resulting from the lateral reciprocating motion of the conduit at two different sections of the conduit, and a motion sensor detecting an amplitude of the reciprocating velocity of the lateral reciprocating motion of the conduit, wherein the mass flow rate of fluid media moving through the conduit is determined from a product of the ratio of the amplitude of the fluctuating differential pressure to the amplitude of the lateral reciprocating velocity of the conduit and a function of the phase angle difference between the two fluctuating differential fluid pressures.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring distance between two interfaces comprises a first electrically conductive planar member defining the first of the two interfaces, a second electrically conductive planar member defining the second of the two interfaces, an alternating electrical signal generator supplying an input alternating electrical signal to the first electrically conductive planar member through a first electrical conductor having a high value of ohmic resistance, and a phase difference measuring device measuring a phase angle difference between a first output alternating electrical signal taken off from one extremity of the second electrically conductive planar member through a second electrical conductor having a high value of ohmic resistance and a second output alternating electrical signal taken off from the other extremity of the second electrically conductive planar member or from the alternating electrical signal generator; wherein the distance between the two interfaces is determined as a function of

Abstract: An electronic filter for conditioning a primary flow signal including alternating electrical signals generated in a flowmeter comprises a parallel bank of low frequency bandpass filters and high frequency bandpass filters, wherein the switching on or off of the individual low frequency bandpass filter is controlled by a command signal generated from an auxiliary flow signal provided by an accessory flowmeter supplying a crude but stable signal representing the level of fluid flow, and the switching on and off of the individual high frequency bandpass filters is controlled by a command signal generated from the frequency of the primary flow signal providing a highly accurate and extremely sensitive signal that represents the time rate of fluid flow.

Abstract: A method for determining mass flow rate of media moving through at least one conduit under a flexural vibration comprises analyzing two alternating electrical signals respectively representing the flexural vibration of the conduit at two different sections of the conduit, and determining the mass flow rate as a function of an independent variable generated by a ratio between two groups of various combinations of the two alternating electrical signals, which method also provides a method for determining phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals without actually measuring the lead time or lag time between the two alternating electrical signals in the time domain.

Abstract: A phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals is determined as a function of a ratio of a differential combination of two different numbers of pulse counts to an additive combination of the two different numbers of pulse counts, wherein the first of the two different numbers of pulse counts is obtained by counting a series of electric pulses generated by an electrical pulse generator in a time interval between an occurrence of zero value of the leading signal of the two alternating electrical signal and (i-1)th occurrence of zero value of the trailing signal of the two alternating electrical signals occurring after the occurrence of zero value of the leading signal, and the second of the two different numbers of pulse counts is obtained by counting the pulses in an time interval between an occurrence of zero value of the trailing signal and the (j)th occurrence of zero value of the leading signal occurring after the occurrence of zero value of the trailing signal, wherein (i) and (j) are

Abstract: A mass flowmeter comprises at least one conduit supported by a frame structure in a relationship allowing an enhanced pivotal vibration about two mutually orthogonal pivot axes, an electromagnetic vibrator generating a primary pivotal vibration of the conduit about one of the two mutually orthogonal pivot axes, and a pair of vibration sensors respectively included in two opposite halves of the conduit respectively located on two opposite sides of a plane including the other of the two mutually orthogonal pivot axes; wherein the mass flow rate of media moving through the conduit is determined as a function of an electrical variable such as the phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively generated by the pair of vibration sensors, which electrical variable represents the ratio of the amplitude of the secondary pivotal vibration to the amplitude of the primary pivotal vibration.

Abstract: A position sensor comprises a pair of electrically conducting elongated members having a high ohmic resistance per unit length thereof disposed parallel to one another in a direction defined by the line of displacement of a target member, and a capacitively coupling member disposed adjacent to the pair of electrically conducting elongated members and moving with the target member in the direction of displacement, which capacitively coupling member transmits an alternating electrical signal between the pair of electrically conducting elongated members by a capacitive electrical interaction therebetween, wherein an alternating electrical signal is supplied to the two opposite extremities of one of the pair of electrically conducting elongated members and a phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively taken off from the two opposite extremities of the other of the pair of electrically conducting elongated members is measured, and the position of the target member is determined a

Abstract: A torsional vortex sensor comprises an extended member disposed across a flow passage extending through a flowmeter body and experiencing a fluctuating fluid dynamic force associated with vortex shedding occurring in a stream of fluid moving through the flow passage wherein the extended member is supported by the flowmeter body in a relationship allowing at least a minute amount of pivotal movement of the extended member about a pivot axis perpendicular to the center line of the flow passage and offset from the geometrical center line of the extended member defined by a line connecting the geometrical center of every cross section of the extended member taken parallel to a plane including the center line of the flow passage, and at least one lateral extension member disposed exteriorly to the flow passage and extending from the extended member wherein the lateral extension member is connected to two force transmitting members respectively extending from two piezo electric transducers disposed respectively on

Abstract: An electronic data processing method for determining mass flow rate of media moving through a conduit under flexural vibration comprises measuring of a first value of the first electrical signal generated by a first motion sensor located at a section of the conduit, which measurement is made at an instant determined by a triggering device activated by a zero value of the second electrical signal generated by a second motion sensor located at another section of the conduit, and measuring of a second value of the first electrical signal at another instant determined by a triggering device activated by a peak value of the second electrical signal; and determining mass flow rate of the media as a function of ratio between the first and second values of the first electrical signal by using an empirically obtained mathematical relationship that includes a term cancelling out an error introduced by a delay between the cueing of the measurement of the first electrical signal by the second electrical signal and the me

Abstract: A pivotable vane flowmeter comprises at least one pivotable vane disposed pivotably about a pivot axis parallel to the the direction of fluid flow and experiencing a fluid dynamic torque created by the fluid flow, a bias spring or counter-weight providing a bias torque counter-acting the fluid dynamic torque, and a rotary position sensor detecting the rotary position of the pivotable vane about the pivot axis, wherein the dynamic pressure of the fluid flow is determined as a function of the rotary position of the pivotable vane about the pivot axis, and the time rate of the fluid flow is determined from a combination of the dynamic pressure of the fluid flow and the known or measured value of the fluid density, or from another combination of the dynamic pressure of the fluid flow and the frequency of rotation of a rotating turbine or propeller installed in conjunction with the pivotable vane flowmeter.

Abstract: A method for determining velocity of a target object comprises transmitting a propagating wave emitted from a wave transmitter and detecting a reflected wave reflected back by the target object by using a wave receiver, and determining of a phase angle difference between two alternating electrical signals respectively representing the transmitted wave departing the wave transmitter and the reflected wave arriving at the wave receiver, wherein the velocity of the target object is determined as a function of the time rate of change of the phase angle difference between the two alternating electrical signals.

Abstract: A turbine flowmeter employs a capacitive rotary speed sensor comprising an electrically conductive member with a sizable surface area kinematically coupled to the rotating motion of the turbine, and a pair of stationary electrically conductive members with a sizable area disposed in a side-by-side electrically nonconducting relationship therebetween on a plane closely adjacent to a plane defined by the sizable surface area of the electrically conductive member kinematically coupled to the rotating motion of the turbine, wherein a first alternating electrical signal is supplied to one of the pair of stationary electrically conductive members and a second alternating electrical signal is taken off from the other of the pair of stationary electrically conductive members, and the flow rate of fluid is determined as a function of the frequency of fluctuation of an envelope of the second alternating electrical signal.

Abstract: An electronic filter for conditioning a primary flow signal including alternating electrical signals generated in a flowmeter comprises a parallel bank of low frequency bandpass filters and high frequency bandpass filters, wherein the switching on or off of the individual low frequency bandpass filters is controlled by a command signal generated from an auxiliary flow signal provided by an accessory flowmeter supplying a crude but stable signal representing the level of fluid flow, and the switching on and off of the individual high frequency bandpass filters is controlled by a command signal generated from the frequency of the primary flow signal providing a highly accurate and extremely sensitive signal that represents the time rate of fluid flow.

Abstract: A flowmeter comprises an output cut-off circuit controlled by a command signal generated by a flow switch, wherein the flow switch generates a command signal switching on the transmission of an electrical signal representing the flow rate of media to an output terminal, when the flow rate of media being measured by the flowmeter is greater than a preset threshold value, and switches off the transmission of the electrical signal representing the flow rate of media to the output terminal, when the flow rate of media is less than the preset threshold value.

Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter provides a first alternating electrical signal with at least a portion thereof comprising a first electromotive force generated by an electromagnetic interaction between an alternating magnetic field and the velocity of an electrically conductive fluid moving transversely across the alternating magnetic field, wherein the first electromotive force varies as a function of the velocity of the electrically conductive fluid, and a second alternating electrical signal with at least a portion thereof comprising a second electromotive force generated by an electromagnetic induction from the alternating magnetic field and other ambient electromagnetic field, wherein the second electromotive force is independent of the velocity of the electrically conductive fluid, and determines the velocity of the electrically conductive fluid as a function of a phase angle difference between the first and second alternating electrical signals.

Abstract: A gasket seal comprises a hollow metallic annular member with hollow interior filled with a thermally expanding material and exterior surface surface thereof lined with a resilient layer of sealing material; wherein the contact pressure between the resilient layer of sealing material and metallic surfaces sealed by the gasket seal, that is imposed by the fastening employed in joining the metallic surfaces, provides the sealing under normal conditions, while the additional contact pressure exerted by the thermal expansion of the thermally expanding material contained in the hollow metallic annular member as a result of an elevated temperature provides the sealing in case of fire.