| 主权项 |
1. A combined material storage bin and visual indicator for providing a person with information regarding the level of material located within the bin comprising:
a bin having a side wall surrounding a chamber for holding material, said side wall having at least one hole open to the inside and outside of the side wall, an indicator mounted on side wall adjacent the hole operable to provide a person located remote from the bin visual information regarding the level of material located within the bin, said indicator comprising: a housing having an internal chamber, a pair of generally cylindrical visual members having first portions and second portions spaced from the first portions located within the internal chamber of the housing, a bright color member on the first portions of the visual members, said second portions of the visual members each having a dark color, a light transparent member attached to the housing enclosing the visual members within the interior chamber of the housing, a mount device connecting the housing to the side wall of the bin, said mount device including a horizontal bar engageable with the inside of the side wall of the bin, a boss joined to the bar extended through the hole in the side wall of the bin, a fastener cooperating with the boss to retain the bar in engagement with the inside of the side wall of the bin, an actuator connected to the mount device located in the bin adjacent the hole in the side wall of the bin for movement from a first position to a second position and from the second position back to the first position, said actuator including a flexible body having a top portion and the remainder portion of the body extended downward into the chamber of the bin, a plate engageable with the top portion of the body, at least one fastener attaching the plate and top portion of the body to the bar to hold the top portion of the body on the bar, a motion transmission apparatus operatively connecting the actuator to the visual members whereby movement of the actuator moves the visual members to locate the bright color member adjacent the transparent member whereby the bright color member is visible by a person remote from the bin to provide the person with information regarding the level of material in the bin, said motion transmission apparatus comprising: a first member located adjacent the body of the actuator, a second member extended into the chamber of the housing, a spherical ball connected to the first member and to the second member, a third member attached to the second member having first and second arcuate segments of teeth and an arcuate slot generally concentric with the first and second arcuate segments of teeth, said bar and said plate having segmented spherical surfaces providing a pocket for the spherical ball allowing the first and second rods to move between the first and second positions, a first spur gear joined to one visual member engageable with the first arcuate segment of teeth, a second spur gear joined to another visual member engageable with the second arcuate segment of teeth, a linear axle mounted on the housing and extended through the slot in the member, and said visual members and first and second spur gears being rotatably mounted on the axle whereby in response to movement of the motion transmission apparatus by the actuator the bright color members and dark color second portion of the visual markers are selectively located adjacent the transparent member and visible by a person located remote from the bin to provide the person with visual information concerning the level of material in the bin. |
