Appeal No. 1997-3449 Page 4
Application No. 08/424,806
electronic circuit processes the signals and illuminates the
LEDs in a pattern corresponding to the tilt. Additional
circuitry stops the elevation.
Claim 10, which is representative for our purposes,
follows:
10. An apparatus for measuring side-to-side
tilt of a vehicle having a bin and means for
elevating one end of said bin to dump out contents
of said bin and displaying indicia showing the
amount of tilt present which comprises:
a curved transparent tube having two closed ends
and a center;
a liquid within said tube filling the tube
except for a single gas bubble;
means for mounting said tube on an axle of said
vehicle with said tube lying in a vertical plane
with said ends lowest so that said bubble will be at
about said tube center when said supporting means is
level, the distance along said tube between a bubble
location and said tube center indicating tilt in
said supporting means;
a series of light emitting means along a first
side of said tube;
a series of light detecting means along a second
side of said tube, each light detecting means
directly opposite a light emitting means;
electronic means for receiving signals from each
of said light detecting means indicative of whether
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Last modified: November 3, 2007