The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-11-12
How the Electric Light Meter
Works.

Most OF us look upon the electric
light meter with suspicion and dis
trust. How little this delicate mechan
ism deserves such adverse criticism
and calumny Is best shown by the re
cent reports OF the New York Public
Service Commission. which found onl,
very few mete = running too fast
ont OF several hundred examined. anc
not a few running tar too slow.
An electric light meter lis fully a.
delicate as a fine watch. The princi
pal moving parts run on jewel bearings
and the greatest care is used in their
manufactures Before shipment they
are all carefully tested and at best
their life is short one for even the
finest of them will begin to wear after
few years constant work.
I Few people understand the mechan-
ism of an electric meter. Briefly. il
is nothing more than small metal
box containing tiny electric motor
which in turn drives series Of gears
operate the dial hands which regis
ter the kilowatt hours OF electrical on
ergy consumed. Only small fraction
OF the electricity passing throukn the
meter is used to run the little motor
this tiny percentage of energy being
''shunted through the meter from
the copper bar carrying the current to
the lights OF course the more current
passing through the bar-from extra
lamps turned on-the greater the cur
rent in proportion passing through the
meter, which speeds 1t up, turning the
dial hands the faster. When only one
light 10 Burning the meter barely
turns. but when a great number are
burning it whirls pretty fast and the
bills pile up accordingly. The amount
of current shunted through the meter
is calibrated by the gear wheels SO
that it will accurately register tue a.
mount passing through the lighting
circuit.
The longer meter is used the--slower
it runs II common steel bearings
were used they would wear out in a
littls time and the friction would slow
up the meter and consequently the con.
sumner would be paying for only
small fraction OF the electrical energy
really used In order that the meter
shall be- accurate there must be prac
tically no friction in the bearings.
therefore the main bearings are all
made Of diamonds and sapphires The
diamond is the hardest substance in
the world and the sapphire is a close
second. Bearings made of these pre-.
cious stones have very long lite and
although they originally cost more
they are the cheapest in the long rnu.
The work of preparing the precious
stones is very delicate and requires the
services Of the most skilled workmen.
Each workman is given 100 stones to |
polish and cup and each bearing cup
must be absolutely perfect 40 AS to a.
void all friction.
The largest manufacturer of electric |
meters. the General Electric Company,
ioes handsome trade in precious
stone, albeit none OF the stone have
my great value although in the agure-
rate they amount to thousands Of dol
ars yearly. 1t takes but small tube
IN inch long to hold 5000 worth of me
er jewels in the rough The diamonds
ire being constantly shipped from
3razil, Paris London. Holland and
New Zealand. The sapphires come
ewn in heavy canvass sacks from tar
lwsy Ceylon.
The tiny gear wheels for the meter
ire all made by automatic machinery
which turns them out in rapid success
ion as nearly perfect as human ingen-
iity can devise.
Nearly every householder stands
'eady to convict the meter of dishon-
'sty without fair hearing. and il
must be said in Ia defense that the
meter is Just as honest as it can be
made and when in the course of time
he bearings begin to. wear and the
friction begins to retard the tiny met
'r the consumer really gets more cleo.
ricity than he is paying for.