Electric Meters.
Year: 1891

page_text: e of Application, 30th June, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electric Meters.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me from Herbert Morris Pilkington and Roger Sherman
White, both residing in the City of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State
of New York, one of the United States of America, Inventors, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to mechanically registering electric meters" wherein an
electrically operating device determines the application of a source of motion to
the register in accordance with variations in the electric current being measured,
and the object is to produce an apparatus of this general character which will be
accurate and efficient in use and not liable to get out of order.
The invention consists in the various novel devices and combinations as will be
fully hereinafter explained.
In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a face view
of a meter, part of the front being broken away.
Figure 2 is a section on line XX of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the
arrow.
Figure 3 is a view of the revolving ribbed body developed.
Figure 4 is a view of a modification of the apparatus, and Figures 5 and 6 are
end and side views respectively of a further modification hereafter described.
In Figure 1, 1 is a solenoid adapted to be connected directly to an electrical
circuit, 2 is the core or armature of the solenoid or an extension thereof, which is
supported on.a suitable pivot at 3. This armature extension also may if desired
carry a pointer 4, which is movable over the graduated dial 5. Pivotted to the
extension, or to a standard 6 carried thereby, is an arm 7, the lower end of which
terminates adjacent to the revolving body S. The arm 7 is not flexible, but is
rigid, so that when it is struck by ribs 20, hereafter described, it will move bodily
on its pivot but will not bend to snap by said ribs. The upper end of said lever
carries a pawl 9, and is movable back and forth between guides 10. On each side
of the pawl is a depending leg or extension 11 for holding the pawl in place on
the ratchet wheel 12. 13 is a pawl to prevent reverse motion of the ratchet wheel.
The arm 7 may be reciprocated by the revolving body, instead of being turned on
a pivot to operate the ratchet. 14 is the back of a case enclosing the mechanism
of any ordinary or suitable registering mechanism, the details of which need not
be illustrated since they are well known. The register used is supposed to have
several indicating hands or pointers 15, separately and successively moved over
graduated dials 16 in the ordinary manner.
Motion is transmitted to the registering
mechanism from the ratchet wheel 12 by means of the spindle 17. 18 is a slide
carrying at its rear end a hook 19, which, when forward in the position shown,
locks the armature lever 2 and prevents it swinging. When the apparatus is to be
used, this lever is moved to the position indicated in dotted lines.
Below the arm 7 is a revolving body 8, on the surface of which are several
projecting ribs 20, the contact surface of the ribs being curved on an arc of a
circle, the centre of which is at or near the pivot of lever 2 as shown. These ribs
vary in length, the longest occupying nearly the whole length of the body 8, while
the shortest rib occupies a small portion thereof only. The several intermediate
ribs decrease in length regularly as shown in Figure 3. This body 8 is revolved
by means of a clockwork or other suitable motor 21, having a regulated motion,
and may be adjusted to turn body 8 any desired number of times per hour, in
practice we have found nine times an hour to be a convenient and satisfactory

page_text: number. It is also preferable to have a motor which will not need winding oftener
than once a month, or to have a self winding clock or motor.
The instrument shown in Figure 4 is similar to that already described. I is
the solenoid adapted for connection in the circuit, 2, the armature lever, 7, the arm
connected to said lever by means of a loop or cyc 71 and having an extension 711
pivotted at 7, and carrying a gear or a friction wheel 22, which, when raised,
connects the wheel 23, which is regularly revolved by the motor 21, (which also
revolves body 8) with the wheel 24, which, through the spindle 17, operates the
register as already described.
Below the arm 7 is the revolving body 8, having on its surface a raised portion.20!,
which is curved in the arc-of a-circle, the centre of which is at or near the pivot
of the lever 2, which is narrow at the left end of the body 8 and grows wider
regularly toward the right. This raised mechanical contact surface corresponds to
the discontinuous contact surface formed by the ribs or pins of Figures 1 and 6.
The body 8 is regularly and constantly turned by the motor 21.
The armature
lever 2 is pivotted independently of the arm 7.
In Figures 5 and 6, the revolving body or structure 8, instead of being a body
with a projecting rib or ribs as in the other figures, is composed of a disc with pro-
jecting pius 2011 of varying lengths, as already described in connection with the
ribs of Figure 1. These pins may be curved, as described for the ribs, if desired.
It is obvious that this device might be constructed also in numerous other ways
involving the same general principles. So, too, instead of using a curved solenoid,
any other suitable electrically operated device might be substituted and different
means might be used for transferring motion from the revolving device 8 to the
registering mechanism.
The operation of the apparatus will now be described, considering first the form
of the apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. When no current is passing through
the solenoid or other electrically operated device, the pointer will be at the extreme
left of the dial and the revolving body, which is supposed to turn, for example, nine
times an hour, will not strike any of the ribs, pins, or other projections. But if a
current of ene half ampere passes through the said device, the pointer will be moved
toward the right on the dial, and the arm 7 will be moved along the body 8, for
example, to the position shown in Figure 1, at which point the arm will be struck
once for each revolution of the body 8. Each time that one of said ribs or pro-
jections strikes the arm 7, it moves the arm on its pivot, moving the pawl forward
and turning the ratchet wheel 12 and the register one space. If the apparatus is in
operation one hour therefore, the register will show nine movements, which will
indicate one half ampere hour.
Suppose again, that a current of ten amperes were passing through the solenoid,
the pointer would be moved along on the dial and the armi 7 over the body 8 to a
position where it would be in the path of movement of, say, twenty of the ribs or
projections. For each hour in the revolution of 8 therefore, the pawl would be
advanced one hundred and eighty times, and the register would indicate ten ampere
hours. The operation would be the same for all currents from one half ampere up
to the limit of the apparatus.
The operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 4 differs from that already
described, in that the registering device is not advanced by a step by step motion,
but is intermittently moved for a certain time, which time depends on the position
occupied by the arm 7 in respect to the raised surface 20¹, since the wheel 22
transmits motion from 23 to 24 as long as it is held against them by reason of its
lower end bearing on the said raised contact portion, as will be evident without
further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a coil or magnet adapted for connection in an electrical

page_text: circuit, an armature moved thereby, an arm moved by the armature in one
direction, a propelling pawl carried by the arm, a register moved by the pawl, and
means for moving said arm in a second direction to advance the pawl, and through
the pawl, the register, substantially as described.
2. The combination, in an electric meter, of a coil or magnet adapted to be
connected in a circuit, an armature therefor, the position of which is controlled by
the current passing through the coil, a lever moved by said armature, a propelling
pawl at one end of said lever, a register operated thereby, and a body, having an
operative surface of varying extent and having a regular motion, supported adjacent
to the opposite end of the lever, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a body having an operative surface of varying extent and
moved regularly by a motor, a register, a propelling wheel therefor, an operating
device for said whcel supported at one end of an arm or lever, the opposite end of
which arm is actuated by the surface of a movable body, and an armature, the
position of which is controlled by the current in the circuit, connected with and
moving said arm, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a register, of a moveable body having an operative
surface of varying extent, a rigid arm, the position of which in relation to said
surface, is controlled by the current to be measured, moved by said body, and a
mechanical actuating device for such register carried by said rigid arm, substantially
as described.
5. The combination of a coil or magnet adapted for connection in an electrical
circuit, an armature moved thereby, a pivotted arm carried by the armature and
moved thereby in one direction, a propelling pawl carried by the arm, said pawl
having legs extending over the side of a ratchet wheel to hold the pawl in place
thereon, and a guide or steadying device for the arm, a register moved by the pawl,
and means for moving said arm in a second direction to advance the pawl and
through the pawl the register, substantially as described.
Trated this SULA AAV Anne LO
ALOⱭ this SUED AVALE LONI
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.