Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1888
Specification Accepted, 14th Sept., 1888
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 the class of apparatus employed for measuring electric
currents, and recording the amount of electrical energy consumed in any given circuit
or portion thereof.
The object of the invention is to provide an efficient meter for alternating electric
currents, which shall be reliable in its operation, and simple in its construction, which
inay be manufactured at a small expense and will not in itself consume an appreciable
amount of energy.
Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a record of the con-
sumption of the energy of electric currents. My correspondents have discovered a
method of converting such electrical energy into continuous mechanical motion, the
rate of which is directly proportional to the energy being consumed.
The principal elements employed in the construction of the meter are, first, an
armature of metal capable of rotation, second, an electric circuit which is so arranged
that when it is traversed by alternating electric currents, a field of force is induced
having a given polar line or axis with reference to the armature, and, third, a circuit
so related to the first circuit that currents are produced in such second circuit by the
action of those in the first, the phases of which succeed those of the currents in the
first circuit, and set up for the armature a second field of force, the axis of which inter-
sects that of the first. If desired, either or both conductors may be provided with a
....

page_text: soft iron core.
The armature may be built of soft iron, or of copper or other non-
magnetic metal, or it may be composed of a core of soft iron having a conducting
circuit of other material surrounding or applied to it. These and other well known
modifications of construction will be well understood by the skilled constructor.
In the accompanying drawing:
-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a meter embodying the features of the
invention, and,
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, illustrate modified forms of meter
apparatus and various modes of connecting the same in the circuit.
Referring to the Figures:
A represents a circular armature of metal. This may be a ring or disc or of other
shape, and may be of soft iron, or it may be of copper or other electric conducting
material. It is here shown as mounted upon a shaft a, and placed within a coil B of
insulated electric conducting wire. The coil is shown as formed in two sections b¹, b,
for convenience of construction, the shaft a passing between the two. Alternating
electric currents traversing this coil tend to establish a field of force whose polar line
or axis is approximately in the direction e, e¹.
A second conductor C is placed in inductive relation to the conductor B and arma-
ture A. This conductor is shown as closed upon itself. It is placed with its magnetic
axis at an inclination to that of the coil B. Alternating electric currents traversing
the conductor C establish a field of force for the armature, whose polar line or magnetic
axis is approximately in the direction f, f¹, that is to say, inclined with reference to
the polar line of the coil B.
It is found in practice that, when the coil B is traversed by alternating electric
currents, the armature will revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow a.
In order to produce a rate of rotation of the device proportional to the amount
of energy supplied to the circuit, it is necessary that some retarding force should
increase in its effect by the same law as that of the rotating effect produced by the
current. If, for example, the tendency to rotation increases as the square of the
current, then the retarding effect should increase as the square of the speed. Such a
definite law of increase of retardation is secured in the present instance by the
application of one or more fans or vanes N, N, to the shaft a. The resistance offered
by the air to the rotation of these vanes affords the required retardation. Any
suitable means may be employed for modifying this retarding effect of the fans, as
for instance, by modifying the shape of the enclosing chamber, which in practice will
surround the meter.
A meter constructed in this manner, is found to respond to the currents traversing
the coils B in precisely the manner required to obtain a reliable and accurate measure-
ment of the current, the number of revolutions performed in a given time being
directly proportional to the current consumed during that time.
The coil B is connected in the circuit in the proper manner to suit the requirements
of individual cases; thus in Figure 1 it is shown as connected in the circuit L of the
generator G in series with the work circuit W. It is evident, however, that various
other well understood ways of connecting it in circuit may be employed.
It is found in practice that the resistance of the coil B may be made very small,
and the current consumed in operating the meter itself quite insignificant.
A record of the revolutions of the movable element A is obtained by a counting or
registering train H. This is of any well known, convenient construction. It is
coupled with the shaft a by a worm h upon the shaft and the wheel h with which it
gears. The wheel h' is in turn geared with the registering train.
There are numerous other ways of constructing the meter which may be adopted
in practice, examples of which will here be given.
In Figure 2 the same general arrangement as shown in Figure 1 is employed, but
in addition to the series-coil B, there is employed a shunt coil connected across the
conductors leading to the work circuit. The meter is therefore driven by the resultant 5
effects due to the currents traversing these two coils in a mauner well understood.
When employed on a circuit of constant electro-motive force, the shunt-coil may

page_text: have a small constant effect sufficient to overcome the friction of the registering train,
or in the case of a variable electromotive force such a coil may be used in connection
with a series coil in a Watt meter, or with a constant current the series coil may be
small in effect to overcome friction, the rate of rotation being dependent on the electro-
motive force, that is, the number of devices operated on a series circuit included by the
shunt coil.
In Figure 3 the coil is included in the circuit of a converter K, the primary of
which is connected in shunt upon the work circuit W. The required difference of
phases is obtained by the conversion of the current.
In Figure 4 a similar organisation is shown with the exception that the converter K
is connected in series with the coil B instead of in shunt upon it.
In Figure 5 a modification is shown wherein a core e is employed, in place of the
coil C, for the coil B. This core projects beyond the coil so that its end is presented
to the armature in a different radial position from the end of the coil B. The magnetic
action of the core and coil here produces rotation of the armature.
Two coils B, C¹, may be employed as shown in Figure 6, each with a core and
placed side by side, but presenting their poles to the armature in different radial
positions. The coil B' is here connected in shunt upon the work circuit and the coil C¹
is connected in the secondary circuit of the converter K, the primary of which is
connected in series with the work circuit.
The converter K may have its primary connected in series with the work circuit W
and the coil B, and its secondary connected through the coils (as shown in Figure 7.
In this instance each coil is constructed with a core.
In Figure 8 the two coils B, C, are shown as in Figures 1 and 2, but the coils C
are connected in shunt upon the work circuit through a reactive coil M. which retards
the phases of the currents and causes them to succeed those traversing the coil B.
Figure 9 shows a similar organisation, but with the coil C at right angles to the
coil B so that it derives its entire current through the reactive coil.
In Figure 10, the coil B is connected as in Figure 1 and two self-induction coils C¹
and C2 are connected in series with each other, and in shunt upon the work circuit.*
These are placed diametrically opposite each other, and are so wound as to present
opposite poles to the armature.
In Figure 11 there are shown two electro-magnets or coils B, C, having different
amounts of self-induction. One of these coils, B', is here shown as connected in
series with the work circuit, and the other C₁ in shunt thereon. The different
self-inductive qualities of the two coils will secure the requisite difference of
phases.
In Figure 12 the coil C¹ shown in Figure 11 replaced by a coil B having little
self-induction, and having its terminals connected in shunt upon the coil B¹. They
are here shown as presenting their polar axes to the armature at right angles.
In Figure 13, the general plan shown in Figure 11 is adopted with the exception
that the electric condenser O is introduced in the conductor leading to the coil C¹.
The effect of this condenser, as is well known, is to change the phase of the current.
These coils may be either with or without iron cores as desired.
These various plans of connecting the coils and securing the required difference of
phases may be interchanged as found desirable, and the various plans of connecting
them in circuit with the translating devices may be made to suit the requirements of
the individual cases accordingly as it is desired to employ a meter upon circuits
where either the current or the difference of potential is constant, or where both are
variable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a rotating armature, an inducing circuit polarising said
armature when traversed by alternating electric impulses, a second inducing circuit
receiving currents from the first circuit and polarising said armature in a different

page_text: direction, and counting, registering or indicating device actuated by the movements
of the armature.
2. The combination of a rotating armature, an inducing circuit polarising said
armature when traversed by alternating electric impulses, a second inducing circuit
receiving currents by induction from the first circuit and polarising said armature in
a different direction, a retarding device applied to the armature, and a counting,
registering or indicating device actuated by the movements of the armature.
3. The combination of a rotating armature, an inducing circuit polarising said
armature when traversed by alternating electric impulses, a magnetic medium acted
upon by the same current and establishing a line of polarisation intersecting the first
line, and a counting, registering or indicating device actuated by the movements of
the armature.
4. The method of measuring alternating electric currents, which consists in
establishing by such currents two distinct lines of alternating polarisation of dis-
similar phases, presenting such lines of polarisation to a movable body from different
points, and registering or indicating the resultant movements.
5. The hereinbefore described method of measuring alternating electric currents,
which consists in establishing by such currents lines of magnetic force of varying
intensity, deriving from the said currents other currents the phases of which differ in
time therefrom, producing mechanical motion by the resultant attraction, and measuring
the amount of such motion.
6. The method of measuring alternating electric currents, which consists in pro-
ducing by such currents a line of polarisation traversing the movable element of an
electric meter, establishing by induction from the same current a second line of
polarisation at an angle to the first, thereby causing the movable element to revolve
by the attraction between the second line of polarisation and the portion of the first
contained in the movable element, and in registering the rotations of the movable
element.
Dated this 19th of At 1000