Year: 1899

page_text: A communication from abroad by HECTOR ALAN MACDONALD, at present residing
in Paris, in the Republic of France, Painter in Water Colours.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E., of Norfolk House, Norfolk
Street, London, W.C., in the County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad)
to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is an instrument which will charge or register or
indicate or give the data for charging a price for the current supplied which will
vary with the average load on the supply station. The instrument may at the
same time indicate at a window or the like as for example by a pointer on a
scale the charge or rate which is being registered against the consumer at any
given moment.
I shall now describe one manner of carrying the invention into effect.
I take the daily twenty-four hour load curves of the supply station for a year and
I separate these into four groups, each group containing the load curves of one
of the four quarters of the year. I then take say the daily load curves for the
first quarter and I obtain the average load curve of these. This may be done for
example by plotting out the daily load curves of the quarter on a single sheet
of paper and drawing in the mean curve. I have thus obtained the average load
curve for the quarter in question.
I then take a cylinder of metal whose circumference is equal to the length of
By
the curve and whose length is slightly greater than the depth of the curve.
the depth of the curve I mean the vertical distance between the top of the peak
and the bottom of the lowest depression. I then place the paper upon which the
curve is marked upon the cylinder and transfer the curve to the cylinder after
which I cut away the part marked upon the cylinder and thus obtain a groove
which corresponds with the average load curve and which is cut to a sufficient
depth in the metal of the cylinder. In this groove travels one end or other part
of a rod or shaft (which may be furnished with a pin and roller or the like for
the purpose) and at the other end of the said rod or shaft, I have a wheel set edge
on to the surface of a rotating disc (the said wheel and disc constituting a well
known form of integrating device), and so that the said wheel may be pushed
towards or from the centre of rotation of the disc in a radial direction.
1 connect the grooved cylinder with a twenty-four hour clock in such manner
that the cylinder will make one revolution in twenty-four hours and I arrange
that the position of the load curve shall correspond with the time upon the clock,

page_text: that is to say so that the peak of the curve shall be in a given position when the
clock indicates the time when the peak has been reached in practice at the average
time during the quarter in question. In other words if during the quarter the
average time at which the peak was reached was seven o'clock I arrange that at
seven o'clock the peak on the cylinder groove is in the given position referred to.
This given position is that in which the end of the rod rests and the rod is so
set that as the cylinder revolves under the action of the clock the integrating
disc at the end of the said rod or shaft is moved towards or from the centre of the
integrating disc. In this form of integrating device it is known that the speed
of the integrating wheel will vary with its position upon the integrating disc.
Thus when that part of the groove corresponding with the lower part of the load
curve comes under the end of the rod or shaft the integrating wheel is brought
closer to the centre of the integrating disc and, vice versa, when the higher part
of the load curve is presented the integrating wheel is brought closer to the peri-
phery of the disc and further from its centre of rotation. The nearer the integrat-
ing wheel is to the centre of the integrating disc the lower the speed of the rod
or shaft and the further it is from the said centre of rotation the higher is the
speed of the said rod or shaft.
If now the rotations of the rod or shaft or of the integrating wheel be integrated
by counting mechanism it is obvious that the charge to the consumer may be
made to vary with the load curve.
The integrating disc is driven by the meter proper which may be of any con-
venient type such for example as one of the motor type in which case it is
obvious that the angular speed of the integrating disc will vary with the current
or with the energy to be measured.
I have spoken of grooves corresponding with the average load for a quarter of
the year in which case it is contemplated that a different grooved cylinder would
be placed in the instrument for each quarter of the year; but it is obvious that
the less expensive plan might be adopted of taking an average load curve and
cutting an average groove on a cylinder for a whole year instead of for a quarter.
Or, an average curve and groove may be obtained for any other desired period.
Arrangements may be made for the ready replacement of one cylinder by another.
The tendency would be to flatten out the load curve and this is a result which
the invention is intended to produce and it is obvious that as the curve becomes
gradually altered by flattening and levelling up towards the top of the peak the
ratio of charge might be varied.
By suitably connecting the rod or shaft or a separate rod with a needle or
pointer this pointer can be made to move over a fixed scale so that at any time
the consumer may see exactly at what price or rate he is being charged at the
time. The result of this will be that he would naturally be induced to increase
his own load at the time when the lowest rate was being charged. The same
taking place with all consumers it is obvious that the tendency would be not to
merely flatten the load curve but also to raise its level. In other words flattening
would be obtained not so much by raising the depressions and lowering the eleva-
tions as by raising the depressions. This is what is desired at a central station
where mere flattening is of course not so advantageous as the elevation of the
mean of the curve. For this purpose the combination with the instrument of the
device which shows the customer the rate at which he is being charged at the
time being is looked upon as very valuable.
Dated this 1st day of September 1899

page_text: A communication from abroad by HECTOR ALAN MACDONALD, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Painter in Water Colours.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E., of Norfolk House, Norfolk
Street, London, W.C., in the County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
The object of this invention is an instrument which will charge or register or
indicate or give the data for charging a price for the current supplied which will
vary with the average load on the supply station. The instrument may at the
same time indicate at a window or the like as for example by a pointer on a
scale the charge or rate which is being registered against the consumer at any
given moment.
I shall now describe one manner of carrying the invention into effect.
I take the daily twenty-four hour load curves of the supply station for a year and
I separate these into four groups, each group containing the load curves of one
of the four quarters of the year. I then take say the daily load curves for the
first quarter and I obtain the average load curve of these. This may be done for
example by plotting out the daily load curves of the quarter on a single sheet
of paper and drawing in the mean curve. I thus obtain the average load curve
for the quarter in question. By proceeding in a similar manner with the other
three groups I obtain the average load curves for the other three quarters of the
year.
I then take a cylinder of metal whose circumference is equal to the length
of the curve and whose length is slightly greater than the depth of the curve.
By the depth of the curve I mean the vertical distance between the top of the
highest peak and the bottom of the lowest depression. I then place the paper
upon which the average curvé is marked upon the cylinder, and transfer (by a
tracing or other process) the curve to the cylinder, after which I cut away the part
marked upon the cylinder, and thus obtain a groove which corresponds with the
average load curve and which is cut to a sufficient depth in the metal of the
cylinder. In this groove, when the cylinder has been placed in operative posi-
tion in the instrument, travels one end or other part of a rod or shaft (which may
he furnished with a pin and roller or the like for the purpose of diminishing
friction) and at the other end of the said rod or shaft I have a wheel set edge
on to the surface of a rotating disc (the said wheel and disc constituting a well
known form of integrating device) and so that the said wheel may be moved
towards or from the centre of rotation of the disc in a radial direction.
I connect the grooved cylinder with a twenty-four hour clock in such manner that
the cylinder will make one revolution in twenty-four hours and I arrange that
the position of the load curve shall correspond with the time upon the clock, that
is to say so that the peak of the curve shall be in a given position when the clock
indicates the time when the peak has been reached in practice, at the average
time during the quarter in question. In other words, if during the said quarter
the average time at which the peak was reached was seven o'clock in the evening,
I arrange that at seven o'clock the peak on the cylinder groove is in the given
position referred to. This given position is that in which the end of the rod
rests in the groove; and the rod is so set that as the cylinder revolves under the

page_text: action of the clock the wheel at the other end of the said rod or shaft is moved
towards or from the centre of the disc. In this form of disc and wheel device it
is known that the speed of the wheel will vary with its position upon the disc.
Thus when that part of the groove corresponding with the lower part of the load
curve comes under the end of the rod or shaft the wheel is brought closer to the
centre of the disc and, vice versa, when the higher part of the load curve is pre-
sented the wheel is brought closer to the periphery of the disc and further from its
centre of rotation. The nearer the wheel is to the centre of the disc the lower the
speed of the rod or shaft, and the further it is from the said centre of rotation
the higher is the speed of the said rod or shaft.
If now the rotations of the rod or shaft or of the wheel be integrated by count-
ing mechanism it is obvious that the charge to the consumer may be inade to
vary with the load curve.
The disc is driven by the meter proper which may be of any convenient type
such for example as one of the motor type in which case it is obvious that the
angular speed of the said disc will vary with the current or with the energy to be
measured according as a current or an energy meter is employed.
By suitably connecting the rod or shaft or a separate rod with a needle or
pointer this pointer can be made to move over a fixed scale so that at any time
the consumer may see exactly at what price or rate he is being charged at the time.
Having thus described the invention in general terms I shall now proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings which show two forms
of the invention which, in order to clearly illustrate the invention, are made
somewhat more diagrammatic in parts than actual meters. The precise details of
construction are however comparatively unimportant.
In the said drawings,
Figure I is a front elevation of one form of the invention.
Figure II is a plan thereof with the counting mechanism removed.
Figure III is a side elevation.
Figure IV is a plan of the scale and index showing the rate at which the meter
is integrating against the consumer at the time being.
Figure Vis a side elevation and part section of a modified form of the invention.
Figure VI is a plan thereof showing the containing case but with the top
removed.
Figure VII is an end view of certain parts of the same.
Figure VIII is a front view of a part of the case shown in Figure VI but
showing in addition to the parts illustrated in Figure VI a dial showing the true
units, in this case Board of Trade units, recorded by the meter proper.
In the figures similar numerals indicate similar or equivalent parts.
Referring now to Figures I to IV, 1 is the meter proper which in this case may
be assumed to be a motor meter of any convenient type and 2 is the spindle of
same. pon the said spindle is mounted the horizontal disc 3 upon the surface
of which runs the wheel 4 mounted fast upon the spindle 5. 6 is the cylinder
upon which is cut the curve groove 7 corresponding with the average load curve
as hereinbefore mentioned. 8 is the pin which travels in the groove 7 as the
cylinder 6 rotates. Said pin is mounted on a boss 9 at the fore end of spindle 5.
This boss is bored so as to serve as a bearing for the fore end of spindle 5 and is
arranged in such manner that whilst spindle 5 can rotate freely within it the said
boss is prevented from travelling longitudinally upon said spindle, so that when
the said boss moves forwards and backwards on rotation of the grooved cylinder
it moves spindle 5 and wheel 4 backwards and forwards with it. Spindle 5 is
also supported in the bearing a attached to any convenient fixed part of the instru-
ment or its case. That part of spindle 5 which is between boss 9 and wheel 4
is squared so that on rotation it may drive spur-wheel 10. In other words, spur-
wheel 10 is mounted upon the squared part of the spindle so that whilst the spindle
can slide longitudinally through its centre it cannot turn therein but must turn
said spur wheel with it. This spur-wheel 10 serves to drive the counting mechan

page_text: ism 11 contained within the case 12. To prevent any backward and forward move-
ment of spur-wheel 10 and so keep it always in gear it is placed between the
two collars 13, 14 attached together by the U-piece 15, collar 13 forming part of
the slotted plate 16 hereinafter mentioned. Cylinder 6 is driven by a clock as
hereinbefore mentioned which clock may be assumed to be within said cylinder
and so out of sight. As said cylinder revolves, which it does once in twenty-four
hours, pin 8 is moved backwards and forwards pulling with it the wheel 4. Said
pin may move anywhere between the limits shown by the dotted lines 8 and 8b,
and wheel 4 between the limits 4 and 4b. In the drawings, see Figures II and
III, pin 8 is shown in the position which it occupies between the hours of 11.0 p.m.
and midnight, the direction of rotation of the cylinder being shown by the
arrows The peak of the curve is shown at 17 upon the cylinder and is represented
as being reached at 7.0 p.m. and it will be seen that the nearer the pin 8 is to
the peak, in other words the further forward it is, the nearer wheel 4 is to the
position 4b or in other words the nearer to the periphery of the disc 3, and the
further back the pin 8 is or the nearer to the lowest depression of the curve, the
nearer is the wheel 4 to the position 4* or the centre of the disc 3. Thus the
higher the load at the central station the faster does the wheel rotate for a given
angular speed of the disc and the smaller the load at the supply station the
slower is the rotation of the wheel as compared with that of the disc.
If we now assume that the meter proper arranged to give readings in terms
of true units, that is to say if it be arranged so that the disc rotates in proportion
to the current or energy as the case may be passing through the said meter
proper, it will be seen that the readings given on the counter 11 are not true units
but are units expressed in terms of the rate at which the supply station is willing
to sell electricity to the consumer in accordance with its load curve. Thus assum-
ing that at the peak at seven o'clock the supply station requires payment at its
maximum rate, say sixpence or eightpence or whatever it may be per Board of
Trade unit, and that it is willing to give a reduction in price in accordance with
the reduction of its load from what it is at seven o'clock, then counter 11 will
give the record desired. In the case of a central station requiring say sixpence
at its peak and a penny at its lowest depression, say in the early forenoon, then the
parts are so arranged that when the load at the peak wheel 4 is at the periphery
of disc 3 whilst when the load is at the lowest depression wheel 4 is not far from
the centre of said disc. In this way the indications given by the counting
mechanism give the charge to be made to the consumer on the basis of the law
originally enunciated by Dr. Hopkinson which was to the effect that the lower
the load at the central station the lower the price at which electricity could
economically be charged, and vice versa. If it be desired to record true units
then a separate counting mechanism should be attached to the meter proper 1:
and a convenient way of doing this is to cut teeth on the edge of the disc 3 and
cause this to gear with a pinion gearing with the said separate counting mechan-
ism. By this means the instrument will show on the latter of the said counters
true units and upon the counter 11 the empirical units which for convenience
may be termed "charged units or priced units.
"
The lower the load at the central station the more advantageous is it to get
consumers at that time to switch on their motors or otherwise take current from
their supply mains and it is therefore desirable that the consumer should be able
to see at any time what it would cost him if he switched on his current at that
time. For this purpose I may when desired employ the needle or pointer travers-
ing a fixed scale herein before referred to. One way of doing this is shown in
Figures I to IV where a pin 18 projects upwards from the boss 9 through the
slot 19 in the plate 16 and bears at its upper end the index head 20. It will be
seen that this head travels with the boss and therefore with the wheel 4 and that
its position will vary with the position of the said wheel or in other words with
the rate at which current is being charged against the consumer. A convenient
means of showing this is seen in Figures III and IV where 21 is a scale marked

page_text: upon a glass plate 22 placed over the slotted plate 16. A glance at the position
of the index head 20 under this scale, see Figure IV, would show the consumer
at what price he was being charged at that moment for his supply. It will be seen
also that by occasionally looking at the said index he will see whether or not it
still pays him to take supply. Thus if he saw the index approaching say the
price at which it would no longer pay him to take current for some specific pur-
pose he would then know to switch off his current. In the scale shown in
Figure IV the scale goes no higher than fourpence but of course it may go to
any figure desired.
In Figures V to VIII a modified form of instrument is shown. The main
difference in this case is one of arrangement to suit a convenient form of case
and to give a long range of indication of the rate at which the consumer is being
charged at the time. In this case the wheel + is mounted upon a sleeve 23 capable
of rotating upon and of moving along the rod 24. Sleeve 23 has longitudinal
teeth cut upon it so as to constitute an elongated spur-wheel and it is conveniently
made from a length of pinion rod. It gears with the pinion 25 fast on the arbor 26,
running on fixed centres at each end as shown, which arbor bears a worm 27
meshing with the under part of the worm wheel 28 mounted upon shaft 29
extending to the counter 11. Here it will be seen that counter 11 being connected
with wheel 4 in a manner equivalent to that shown in Figures I to III, counter 1
will give empirical readings as in the former case. Another difference in the two
cases is that pin 18 instead of itself bearing an index head extends to within a
slot 30 at the end of a lever 31 centred at 32, the other end of said lever being
articulated at 33 to a link 34 which at its other end 35 is articulated to the rear
end of an index needle 36 centred at the pivot 37. The free end of said index
needle 36 traverses the long curved scale 38 placed just within the curved front
of the case of the instrument. Here it will be seen that longitudinal movement
of the wheel causes movement of the pointer 36 over its scale, the said pointer 36
showing, see Figure VIII, the price at which electricity is being charged against
the consumer at the time being.
In Figure VIII a third counter 39 is shown, this being placed below the
empirical counter 11. Said counter 39 is driven from the disc 3 or from the
spindle 2 of the meter proper by any convenient transmitting mechanism, such
mechanism in fact as is usually employed in ordinary motor meters. A meter
constructed under this invention and thus furnished has, as will be seen, three
dials, one, termed the "indicating dial" or "indicator," giving the rate at which
the consumer is being charged at a given time, another, being the dial of coun-
ter 11. showing empirical units or readings and termed the "empirical unit dial,"
and a third, being the dial of the counter giving true units or readings, and
termed the "true unit dial." In practice the use of a counter and dial showing
true units in addition to the one showing empirical units will be not only useful
to the meter reader employed by the supply company but it will be useful to the
consumer as showing the saving which he can effect by observation of the indicat-
ing dial, and by taking his current at such times as the said indicating dial shows
to be most economical.
I have spoken of grooves corresponding with the average load for a quarter of
the year in which case it is contemplated that a different grooved cylinder would
be placed in the instrument for each quarter of the year; but it is obvious that
the less expensive plan might be adopted of taking an average load curve and
cutting an average groove on a cylinder for a whole year instead of for a quarter.
Or, an average curve and groove may be obtained for any desired period. Arrange-
ments such as are well known may be made for the ready replacement of one
cylinder by another.
I have bereinbefore specified how the groove may be cut upon the cylinder;
but it will of course be understood that that is the method employed for the first
cylinder from which the other cylinders to be actually used in the meters are to
be reproduced. Such reproduction may be effected by any of the well known

page_text: cheap processes such for example as are employed in electrotyping and stereo-
typing. In the case of quarterly load curves it is contemplated that at each
quarterly reading a new cylinder will be inserted for the next quarter and similarly
in the case of yearly load curves the cylinders will be replaced yearly. The question
as to whether quarterly or yearly load curves will be employed will be mainly one
of cost and it is contemplated that in the case where current is employed chiefly for
motors or for electro-chemical purposes a yearly load curve will be employed.
The tendency would be to flatten out the load curve and this is a result which
the invention is intended to produce; and it is obvious that as the curve becomes
gradually altered by flattening and levelling up towards the top of the peak the
ratio of charge might be varied.
The result of using the pointer and scale (or equivalent) showing the rate at
which the consumer is being charged for his supply will be that he would natur-
ally be induced to increase his own load at the time when the lowest rate was
being charged. The same taking place with all consumers it is obvious that the
tendency would be not to merely flatten the load curve but also to raise its level.
In other words the flattening would be obtained not so much by raising the
depressions and lowering the elevations as by raising the depressions. This is
what is desired at a central station where mere flattening is of course not so
advantageous as the elevation of the mean of the curve. For this purpose the
combination with the instrument of the device which shows the customer the rate
at which he is being charged at the time being is looked upon as very valuable.
It will be seen that by the term "variable rate meter" I mean the complete
instrument whether it includes all the parts referred to or not. By the term
"meter proper" I mean the device marked 1 in the drawings and which is
usually either a current meter or an energy meter.
When the said meter proper
drives a disc the most convenient form is one of the motor type and I find that
current or energy meters such as one can readily obtain in the market, say of the
mercury motor type or of the Foucault brake motor type, suitable for my purpose.
It is not necessary that the meter proper should be a rotating one, although that
is preferable, as one of the rocking or reciprocating type will answer my purpose:
but in such cases, and when I use a disc and wheel device, I employ one of the
well known devices for converting reciprocating or rocking into circular motion,
so as to obtain rotation of the disc.
The combination of disc and wheel herein before described is a known device for
varving the relative speeds of two shafts or other parts and it is to be understood
that no claim is here made for such device per se. It is to be understood also that
the invention is not limited to the said device as it is obvious that any convenient
equivalent of the said disc and wheel device might be employed in its place.
I have hereinbefore referred to a curve groove upon a cylinder; but it is
obvious that an equivalent curve might be cut upon a disc driven by the clock
through one revolution in twenty-four hours. It is also obvious that instead of a
groove a ridge corresponding with the average load curve could be employed, in
which case the end of the pin instead of being merely rounded off or furnished
with a ball or roller would be forked so as to straddle the said ridge.
I have herein before referred to the curve cylinder as being driven by a twenty-
four hour clock but it is obvious that so long as the clock drives the cylinder
through one revolution in twenty-four hours it is immaterial whether the clock
be a twenty-four hour clock or otherwise. It is to be understood that the clock
is kept continuously going so that the cylinder shall rotate whether the current be
passing or not. It will frequently be convenient to use a clock with an electric
self-winding attachment.
It is to be noted that in the variable rate meter constituting the subject of this
invention the meter proper gives and is intended to give a true reading, that is
to say its speed or the amount of its angular movement in unit of time varies
with the current or with the energy according as it is a current meter or an energy
meter. This is an important distinctive feature of the present invention.

page_text: It will be seen that where I have used the term "meter proper" I have done
so in the sense which does not include in that term the actual mechanical counter
or its equivalent which usually forms part of the meter and which indeed is an
essential feature thereof. I have for convenience of description spoken of the
counter as something apart from the meter and I have looked upon the meter
proper as consisting of that which determines the reading as apart from that
which merely records what has been determined. To express it in a different
way, call that which determines the reading (or the number of units) the meter
proper and that which records what has been so determined (or the number of
units) the counter.
"L
I exclude from the term "variable rate meter" such instruments as are some
times called time switches" that is to say instruments driven by clocks which
merely switch the current at given hours of the day from one instrument or device
to another, or which merely put one counting device or another in connection with
the meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
-
1. The herein described method of varying the rate at which electricity is
charged against a consumer in accordance with variations of the average load.
2. In a variable rate meter the means for varying the rate at which electricity
is charged against a consumer in accordance with variations of the average load
substantially as set forth.
3. In a variable rate meter the use of a disc and wheel device or its equivalent
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a variable rate meter the combination of a meter proper, an empirical unit
counter and means connecting the two whereby the true readings, rates or deter-
minations of the meter proper are converted into empirical ones.
5. In a variable rate meter, the use of an indicator showing the rate at which
electricity is being charged against the consumer at the time being.
6. In a variable rate meter, the use of an indicator showing the rate at which
electricity is being charged against the consumer at the time being in conjunction
with a counter recording empirical units, both actuated substantially as set forth.
7. In a variable rate meter, the use of an indicator showing the rate at which
electricity is being charged against the consumer at the time being, in conjunction
with two counters, one recording empirical units, and the other recording true
units, the said indicator and the said counters being all three actuated substan-
tially as set forth.
8. In a variable rate meter, the use of a meter proper, determining true read-
ings or numbers of units at all times, whilst current is passing through it, acting
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or its
equivalent driven by the said clock, a meter proper and mechanism actuated by
the meter proper and controlled by the curve groove or its equivalent for giving
a variable reading or record substantially as set forth.
10. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or
its equivalent driven by the said clock, a meter proper, and a disc and wheel
device and counting mechanism for giving a variable reading or record substan-
tially as set forth.
11. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or
its equivalent, a meter proper, a disc and wheel device or its equivalent, and an
empirical unit counter substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or
its equivalent, a meter proper, a disc and wheel device or its equivalent, an
empirical unit counter, and an indicator, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.

page_text: 13. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or
its equivalent, a meter proper, a disc and wheel device or its equivalent, an
empirical unit counter, and a true unit counter, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
14. In a variable rate meter, the combination of a clock, a groove cylinder or
its equivalent, a meter proper, a disc and wheel device or its equivalent, an
empirical unit counter, a true unit counter, and an indicator, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
15. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures I to IV.
16. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures V, VI and VII.
Dad thin 1st day of June 1900
J. G. LORRAIN,
Communicatee.