Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Measuring and Recording Electric Currents.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Measuring and
Recording Electric Currents.
We, HERMANN ARON, of No. 6, Lutzowstrasse, Berlin, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, in the Empire of Germany, Dr. Philos. and Professor, and ARON
ELECTRICITY METER LIMITED, of 46, Upper Thames Street, London, E.C., Manu-
facturers, 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus for measuring and recording electric cur-
rents, of the kind which enables different rates to be charged for the current
consumed during different predetermined periods of a day, for instance, during
night and during day. According to this improved apparatus the amount of
current delivered is automatically recorded on two separate dials, one for each
rate to be charged, say one dial for night and one for day, and the recording
motion is caused to automatically change between the two dials exactly at pre-
determined times.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of that part of the measuring and recording
apparatus, which contains the improvements of this invention, Figure 1, is a
plan of lever s; Figure 1" is a side-elevation of part of the apparatus, as seen
in the direction of the arrow 1, in Figure 1. Figure 1º is a horizontal section
through the clutch changing motion from one dial to the other. Figure 2 is a
section drawn to line Z-Z of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a front view of the two
dials of the apparatus.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a is the dial-plate of an apparatus for recording
the amount of electricity delivered; at the side of this dial-plate a, another
dial-plate is arranged, belonging to a clock-work driven by the shaft c, carry-
ing the hour-wheel d, which, by means of intermediate gear-wheels ce¹, and ff
transmits motion to wheels y and g¹, the speed of said gear-wheels ggl being.
but half the speed of wheel c, and accordingly the said wheels g, and g¹, make
but one revolution during 24 hours. The said two wheels g and g' are mounted
loosely on their respective studs hand h¹ which are screwed to the dial-plate
and on which the said wheels g and g¹ have a sliding motion in the longitudinal
direction. Into the nave of said wheels gg' annular grooves i are cut into
which engage levers pivoted as at rr, as clearly shown in Figure 1". Into
the face of said naves kk notches mm¹ are cut, one side of which is inclined,
as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The said notches are designed to be engaged by
catches projecting from the collars of pointers oo' carried by the studs h h¹.
Springs p¹, coiled around said studs hh¹ tend to force the wheels gg towards
the said catches n n'.
Supposing, now, that the wheel 9 be turned by shaft c in the direction of the
arrow 2, Figure 2, the notch m, owing to the pressure of spring p, will at length
come opposite the catch and engage the same: the wheel g, accordingly, will:
be shifted in the direction of arrow 4, Figure 2, and, accordingly, the lever 1,

page_text: engaged within the groove i will be turned in the direction of arrow 3, Figure 1",
thereby causing a three-armed levers, Figure 1, to turn on its pivot t. The
said levers by means of a fork u formed on its arm u engages the end of a
lever w, secured on a shaft v, on which is secured another lever a, pivotally
connected to a rod or link y, which connects the clock-work to the recording
train and which, through the medium of said lever is shifted in the direction
of its length.
On the side of the recording apparatus, the said connection rod y, acts by
means of a stud A and a spring B on a frame D tilting on its axis C; the said
frame carries gear-wheels E, F, G, to which motion is imparted from the count-
ing gear by means of wheels H and I. According to the position of the rod y,
in either of its extreme positions, the wheels F, E, are thrown into gear with the
intermediate wheel J, driving the train for recording the amount of electricity
delivered by day, or the wheels F, G, are thrown into gear with the intermediate
wheel K, driving the train for recording the electricity delivered by night.
The stud A of the connecting-rod is engaged by the fork P of a lever L,
which, by means of a bolt M is secured to a finger N. Now, as the rod ig
shifted in one or the other direction, thereby coupling the driving mechanism
of the counting apparatus with the recording train for delivery by day, or with
the recording train for delivery by night, the said finger N, will always indicate
on the dial-plate w, which one of the two recording-trains is working, as clearly
shown by Figure 3.
Supposing the electric current delivered during the period from 7 o'clock in
the morning up to 7 o'clock of night is to be charged at a lower rate, than that
delivered between 7 o'clock of night until 7 o'clock of morning, the finger o is
adjusted on 7 o'clock of morning on the dial 0 of 24 hours, while the other
finger is adjusted on 7 o'clock of night on the dial 0 of 24 hours. To better
mark the difference of the hours of day and the hours of night on the two dials O,
and 0, the said dials may conveniently be divided into a half field in black
and a half field in white, as indicated in Figure 3.
Owing to the circumstance, that the wheels gg make but one revolution
within 24 hours, and that the naves and have but one notch mm it will
be seen that but once within 24 hours the said notches mm² will be engaged by
the corresponding catches n when coming opposite said notches. The finger o
being adjusted to 7 o'clock of morning on dial 0, the notch m will be engaged
by the catch when the main dial Q shows 7 o'clock of morning, and the rod y
will be shifted to throw the day recording train into gear with the counting
gear. At 7 o'clock of night, then, the notch m¹ will be engaged by the corre-
sponding catch and the rod y will be reversed, thereby throwing the day-
recording gear out of connection with the counting gear, and simultaneously
throwing the night-recording train into gear.
The notch m, being engaged by the catch n, and the notch m¹ being engaged
by the catch n', disengage, as the said notches slide along the inclined face of
the corresponding catch, and by disengaging, the naves of wheels g and g are
pushed back by the levers and l, and the springs p¹ are again compressed
and ready for use. The levers on being pushed back do not affect the lever s,
but leave it in its place, to be struck by the next forward motion of either of
the levers 111.
As indicated in Figure 3, a smaller dial R is arranged to show, whether the
main dial Q indicates the hours of day or of night, and a further dial S marks
the seconds.
The number of dials to record the electric current delivered, and the number
of shifting devices, to throw the said recording dials into and out of gear,
might be still increased, if more than two rates are to be charged for different
periods of a day; but two recording dials and two shifting devices, at least, are
required.
By the same means, which effect the shifting of the rod y, mechanism of

page_text: other kind could be actuated. For instance, driving wheels of different diameter
could be coupled or uncoupled, to make the counting-apparatus go at an accele-
rated or retarded rate of speed; or contacts could be closed, or electrical resistances
be connected or disconnected at the exact, predetermined times, to work such
changes of speed, to obtain the effect desired, rir. to charge the electric current
delivered at different rates during different periods of a day.
We are aware that apparatus for measuring and recording electric currents
according to different rates during different periods of a day, are known, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The improvement in apparatus for measuring and recording electric currents,
of the kind in which clockwork is employed to automatically change the rate
during different periods of a day, which consists in providing the clockwork
with two or more wheels adapted to be slid or displaced longitudinally on their
axes by said clockwork at predetermined times, and with mechanism. for trans-
mitting said sliding motion of the wheels to the recording apparatus for the
purpose of changing the rate of recording the current, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. In apparatus of the kind described for measuring and recording electric
currents, the provision of two or more separate dials for recording the electricity
delivered during different predetermined periods of a day, said dials having
separate recording trains adapted to be thrown into and out of gear with the
counting gear by suitable mechanism actuated by the clockwork in such a way
that each dial records at a different period substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for measuring and recording electric currents, having two
independent recording trains for the purpose described, the means for throwing
said trains alternately into gear with the counting gear, which consists of a
frame adapted to be tilted by the clockwork at predetermined times, said tilting
frame carrying three gear wheels all in gear one with another, of which the
central wheel is constantly in gear with the counting gear, whilst the other
two wheels are alternately thrown into gear, the one with the one recording
train, and the other with the other recording train according as the frame is
tilted to one side or the other substantially as described
The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole form-
ing the improved recording mechanism for apparatus for measuring electric
currents substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this 5th day of Auril 1899
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.