Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 13th Dec., 1883
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 18th May,
1889°
I, EMILE BATAULT, of 20 rue de Candolle in the City of Geneva, in Switzerland,
Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be us
follows:-
--
My invention relates to improvements in electricity meters, or coulomb meters, and
will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1, is a front view of the apparatus, the index or recorder having been
removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the left part of the apparatus, taken on the
line u u', of fig. 1.
The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
My apparatus consists 1st, of certain known parts which I will first describe
shortly.
A pendulum A B, suspended at A, moves from B¹ to B and B". This motion is
given to it by any means whatever. I have chosen, as seeming to me the most
practical, the electric force used according to the system employed by Hipp in his
clocks. For that purpose an electro magnet M is arranged in such a manner as to
directly attract an iron armature K fixed at the extremity of the pendulum. The
electric current is sent through this electro-magnet by means of a small tongue ?
(Fig. 2) fixed behind the rod of the pendulum which, at the right moment, (that
is to say when the oscillation begins to decrease, the armature K being at K') presses
two contact springs one against the other. The pendulum when at rest is hung in
the position A B by the spring R fixed on the pendulum. This spring, which is
then in the position R³, terminates in an inclined plano forming a hook which slides
under another similar hook r, fixed on the frame of the apparatus. When the
current passes in the way indicated by the dot and dash line it goes through the

page_text: electro mingnet Z and raises the spring r. (This arrangement is not absolute, it
may be a shunt instead of a direct current.) At this moment the pendulum is set
free and begins to oscillate. The spring remains raised so long as the current is
passing, and only falls when said current is cut off, so that at this time the pendulum
is hooked on again and is always ready to start working. I have therefore in the first
place an oscillating pendulum.
2nd. On the other hand I have an ampere meter, the one I use in the apparatus
now described is a solenoid S consisting of a vertical coil with a hollow centre in
which an iron tube or core (a tube being less heavy and more sensitive) is freely
suspended vertically by a spiral spring g.
The coil of the solenoid is wound with a
wire through which the current to be measured has to pass. It may be directly, as
in the drawing, or it may be a shunt.
I now come to the chief point of my invention which is to establish a connection
between the pendulum and the solenoid on the one hand, and the pendulum and the
index on the other.
For this purpose, I have devised the following arrangement. A bed plate supported
by four pillars P, P¹, P, P³ carries a click wheel D, placed in front of the pendulum,
parallel to its oscillating direction. The axis of this wheel is in connection with the
index fixed on the front part of the same bedplate; this index is illustrated at Y,
fig. 2. A bent lever I H F, supported by an axis 1, about which it, swings, can
move parallel to the click wheel D between this and the pendulum rod (this arrange-
mont is shewn in fig. 2). Near the extremity H, at O, is a click e, which rests on
the teeth of the wheel D. The teeth of this wheel D are so cut that when the
lever HF moves in the direction of the arrow, the click e takes into the teeth and
sets it in motion in the opposite direction to that of the hands of a clock. When the
bent lover IHF moves in the opposite direction, the click slides over the teeth and
the wheel remains stationary. To secure this immobility of the wheel I arrange on
the teeth a small catch p which fixes the wheel slightly.
The bent lever I H F is provided at its lower part with a weight N, which
brings it always backwards in the opposite direction to the arrow f, and that, more
or less, according to the intensity of the curront passing through the ampere meter,
as will now be seen. The lever HF brings always with it the small sliding rod m,
which is provided, at its extremity H, with a hole of elongated form (see fig. 3).
This rod m is connected with the levor I H F by a small pivot screw which permits
the lever to carry away with it in its movements the rod m sliding between the four
small pillars n, n, n", n, which pillars ensure the horizontal position of the rod ;
the hole H in the rod m permitting by its elongated form the necessary play for the
difference of level of H in the different positions of the lever (Fig. 4 shews the
horizontal projection of m and the manner in which it is connected to H). This rod m
therefore slides horizontally and has a to and fro_motion imparted to it by the
bent lever 1H F. On the other hand the iron core V of the solenoid carries, at its
upper part, a notched piece C which may be a stepped cone, or a cone, or a simple
notched plate, said plate being parallel to the swinging plane of the pendulum in
the same direction as the asis of m. It is by this plate, or cone, that the
extremity of the rod m is stopped. This extremity may be straight, or
forked, according to the case, the straight extremity being for the cone, the fork
for the plate.
Therefore, the bent lever I H F which has, as before stated, a tendency to fall
always in the opposite direction to the arrow f, will move back more or less according
to the position of the plate Cand to the notch or degree of the notched plate by
which is stopped.
The current traversing the apparatus as stated, the core V of the solenoid sinks
down more or less according to the intensity of the current. so that, under such con-
ditions, when the current is stronger, the plate sinks more, and consequently the bent
lever Í HF moves further backward. For the same reason the click e will go back
on the click wheel for a number of teeth determined by the length of the movement
of the rod m, which movement will be greater for a stronger current, as stated. In

page_text: the position C, the backward motion of m is at the maximum, and in the position C¹
it is at the minimum.
Now it is necessary to move forward the click wheel for the number of teeth which
has been taken up by the click in its backward motion. For this purpose the
pendulum carries, on its front part, a small tongue L (figs. 1 and 2) which oscillates
about its axis y.
When the pendulum goes from B1 to B¹ the tongue L comes against the pin fixed
at F (figs. 1 and 2) and inclines itself in passing over it. When, on the contrary,
the pendulum goes from B' to B, the tongue L takes the pin F with it, and therefore
the lover IHF, the click e, and the rod m; then this tongue in that direction cannot
pass over the pin, being retained by the stop pin a. The point F is consequently
carried away from F to F¹ describing an arc of a circle. At F' the pendulum going
further on, the tongue becomes too short to move any further the pin F, which pin
describing, as aforesaid, an are of a circle round the point 1, does not remain on
the same level but dips a little; at this moment the pin becomes free and the bent
lever, brought back by its weight N, falls backward again on the solenoid. Each
time the pendulum oscillates from B1 to B" the core V of the solenoid becomes quite
free to obey the current and to take up its corresponding position. When the pendulum
arrives at the end of its oscillation near B the core V become fixed by the rod m
which falls upon it, and that until another oscillation from B' to B takes place to
register the intensity of the current, by turning the wheel D for a proportional
number of teeth, as before explained.
To ensure more exactly still the moment at which the click e ought to cease to turn
the wheel D, as this must always be exactly at the same spot at e, there is arranged
at Ta small inclined metallic plane over which the click will rise and become
disengaged from the teeth of the wheel, and a little later on the tongue will
leave the pin F as already described. The stepped plate, or cone, () is graduated
by experiment as the degrees or notches are not equal or proportional in
height, (with the solenoid as described), they must be equal in breadth, or very
nearly so, but this is only a matter of construction, the breadth having nothing to
do with the ampere meter, but being only dependent on the length of the teeth of
the click whoel D.
Each degree or notch must be equivalent in breadth to one tooth. As to the
height of each notch it may correspond to one ampere, to several, or to a fraction
of an ampere, but this does not matter when only each one represents the
same amount or quantity. The stepped plate, as shewn at C, is therefore simply
illustrative.
It is possible to put the stepped plate C directly or indirectly in connection with the
wheel D, or its axis a, by other means than by the bent lever 1 H F. For instance,
instead of employing the bent lever and its weight to give tho to and fro motion, the
horizontal rod m may be lengthened in the direction of the arrow f, and be furnished
with teeth on its lower part, like a rack, which would gear into a ratchet wheel D.
This wheel would be loose on its axis and revolve in the direction of the bands of a
watch, but would move the axis with itself when revolving in the other
direction. This rack m would have, by means of a spiral spring, a tendency
to move always towards the stepped plate or cone C, and in the other direction
would be moved by the tongue L during the oscillation of the pendulum
from B' to B¹¹.
By these means it will he easier to take a larger number of teeth and also fractions
of teeth.

page_text: Improvements in Electricity meters or Com LOTS.
I, EMILE BATAULT, of 20 rue de Candollo in the City of Geneva, in Switzerland,
Doctor of Medicine 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
in and by the following statement, that is to say :—
My invention relates to improvements in electricity meters or coulomb meters,
and will be readily understood on reference to the drawings filed with my Provisional
Specification, and to the sheet accompanying this my Complete Specification.
Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus, the index or recorder having been
removed, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the left part of the apparatus, taken on the
lino u u¹ of fig. 1.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
My apparatus consists, 1st of certain known parts which I will first describe
shortly.
A pendulum A B, suspended at A, moves from B¹ to B and B¹¹. This motion is
given to it by any means whatever. I have chosen, as seeming to me the most
practical, the electric force used according to the system employed by Hipp in his
clocks. For this purpose an electro-magnet M is arranged in such a manner_as
to directly attract an iron armature K fixed at the extremity of the pendulum. The
electric current is sent through this electro-magnet by means of a small tongue
(fig. 2) fixed behind the rod of the pendulum, which at the right moment (that is to
say when the oscillation begins to decrease, the armature K being at K¹) presses
two contact springs one against the other. The pendulum when at rest is hung in
the position A Bu, by the spring R fixed on the pendulum. This spring, which is then
in the position R¹, terminates in an inclined plane forming a hook which slides under
another similar hook r, fixed on the frame of the apparatus. When the current passes
in the way indicated by the dot and dash line it goes through the electro-magnet Z
and raises the spring. (This arrangement is not absolute, it may be a shunt instead
of a direct current.) At this moment the pendulum is set free and begins to oscillate.
The spring ? remains raised so long as the current is passing and only falls when said
current is cut off, so that at this time the pendulum is hooked on again and is
always ready to start working. I have therefore in the first place an oscillating
pendulum.
2nd. On the other hand, I have an ampere meter, the one I use in the apparatus
now described is a solenoid S consisting of a vertical coil with a hollow centre in
which an iron core or tube (a tube being less heavy and more sensitive) is freely
suspended vertically by a spiral spring g. Tho coil of the solenoid is wound with a
wire through which the current to be measured has to pass. It may be direct, as in
the drawing, or it may be a shunt.
For the purpose of establishing a connection between the pendulum and the
solenoid on the one hand, and the pendulum and the index on the other, I have

page_text: devised the following arrangement. A bed plate supported by four pillars P, P¹, P", P",
carries a click wheel D. paced in front of the pendulum, paralel to its oscillating
direction. The axis of this wheel is in connection with the index fixed on the
front part of the same bed plate; this index is diagramatically represented at Y fig. 2.
A bent lever IHF supported by an axis 1, about which it swings, can move parallely
to the click wheel D between this and the pen tulum rod (this arrangement is shown
in fig. 2.). Near the extremity H, at O, is a click e which rests on the teeth of the
wheel D. The teeth of this when D are so cut that when the lever I H F moves in
the direction of the arrow f the click e takes into the teeth and sets it in motion in the
opposite direction to that of the hands of clock. When the bent lever LHF moves
in the opposite direction the click slides over the teth and the whe remains
stationary. To secure this immobility of the wheel I arrange on the teeth a small
catch P which fixes the wheel slightly.
be seen.
The bent lever I H F is provided at its lower part with a weight N which
brings it always back in the opposite diretion to the arrow, and that, more or less,
according to the intensity of the current passing through the amperemeter as will now
The lever I HF brings always with it the small sliding rod m, which is
provided at its extremity Hwith a hole of elongated form (see fig. 3). This rod mis
connected with the lever IHF by a small pivot screw which permits the lever to carry
with it in its movements the rod in sliding between the four small pillars n, n¹, n",
2211
which pillars ensure the horizontal position of the rod; the hole H in said rod
permitting by its alongated form the necessary play for the difference of lovel. (Fig. 4
shews the horizontal projection of and the manner in which it is connected to H.
This rod m therefore slides horizontally and has a to and fro motion imparted to it by
the bent lever I H F. On the other hand the iron core V of the solenoid carries at
its upper part a notched piece O which may be a stepped cone, or a simple notched
plate, said plate being parallel to the swinging plane of the pendulum in the same
direction as the axis of m. It is by this plate or cone that the extremity of the rod m
is stopped. This extremity may be straight, or forked, according to the case, the
straight extremity being for the cone, and the forked for the plate.
Therefore, the bent lever 1H F which has, as before stated, a tendency to fall
always in the opposite direction to the arrow f will move back more or less according
to the position of the plate and to the notch or degree of the notched plate by
which is stopped.
The current traversing the apparatus as stated, the core V of the solenoid sinks
more or less according to the intensity of the current, so that under such conditions
when the current is stronger the plate sinks more, and consequently the bent
lever IHF moves further backward. For the same reason the click e will go back
on the click-wheel for a number of a teeth determined by the length of the movement
of the rod m, which movoment will be greater for a stronger current as explained.
In the position C the backward motion of m is at the maximum, and in the position (¹
it is at the minimum.
B
Now it is necessary to move forward the click-wheel for the number of teeth which
had been taken up by the click in its backward motion. For this purpose the pendulum
carries on its front part a small tongue L (figs. 1 and 2) which oscillates about
its axis y.
When the pendulum goes from B" to B₁ the tongue L comes against the pin fixed
at F (figs. 1 and 2) and inclines itself in passing over it. When, on the contrary, the
pendulum goes from B¹ to B" the tongue I takes the pin F with it and therefore the
lever IH, the click e and the rod m; then this tongue in that direction cannot pass
over the pin, being retained by the stop pin a. The point F is consequently carried
away from F to F, describing an are of a circle. At F the pendulum going further
on the tongue becomes too short to move the pin F any further, which pin describing,
as aforesaid, an are of a circle round the point I does not remain on the same level
but dips a little, at this moment the pin becomes free and the bent lever, brought back
by its weight N, falls backward again on the solenoid. Each time the pendulum
oscillates from B to B the core V of the solenoid becomes quite free to obey the

page_text: current and to take up its corresponding position. When the pendulum arrives at the
end of its oscillation near B" the core V becomes fixed by the rod m, which falls upon
it, and that until another oscillation from B¹ to B" takes place to register the intensity
of the current by turning the wheel D for a proportional number of teeth, as before
explained.
To still more exactly ensure the moment at which the click e ought to cease to turn
the wheel D, as this must always be exactly at the same spot at e, there is arranged
at T a small inclined metallic plane over which the click will rise and become
disengaged from the teeth of the wheel, and a little later on the tongue will leave the
pin Fas already described. The stepped plate or cone U is graduated by experiment,
as the degrees or notches are not equal or proportionate in height, (with the solenoid
as described) they must be equal in breadth, or very nearly so, but this is only a
matter of construction, the breadth having nothing to do with the ampere ineter but
being only dependent on the length of the teeth of the click-wheel D).
Each degree or notch must be equivalent in breadth to ono tooth. As to the
height of each notch, it may correspond to one ampere, to several, or to a fraction of
an ampere, but this does not matter when only each one represents the same amount
or quantity. The stepped plate as shewn at C is therefore simply illustrativo.
For
It is possible to put the stepped plate C directly or indirectly in connection with
the wheel D, or its axis a, by other means than by the bent lever IH F.
instance, instead of employing the bent lever and its weight to give the to and fro
motion, the horizontal rod m may be lengthened in the direction of the arrow f,
and be furnished with teeth on its lower part, like a rack, which would gear into
a ratchet wheel D. This wheel would be loose on its axis and revolve in the direction
of the hands of a watch, but would move the axis c, with itself when revolving in
the other direction. This rack m, would have, by means of a spiral spring, a tendency
to move always towards the stepped plate or cone C and, in the other direction,
would be moved by the tongue L during the oscillations of the pendulum from
B' to B¹¹.
By these means it will be easier to take a larger number of teeth and also fractions
of teeth.
In fig. 1 of the sheet of drawings annexed hereto, I have shown an arrangement
in which I have substituted for the stepped plate or cone C, described with reference
to fig. 1 of the drawings left with my Provisional Specification, an eccentric plate
or snail which is actuated by a rack c¹ and pinion d. This snail and its pinion d
are fixed on an independent axis and the rod m moves against the curve of the
eccentric instead of moving against the stepped plate or cone C. I may, however,
dispense with the rack, pinion, and spiral spring. and suspend the iron core of the
solenoid by a wire sliding over a pulley (fig. 2). This wire would be fixed to a
second pulley j¹ which would be fixed to the snail, and said snail would carry
a weight N.
The rod m instead of being moved forwards and backwards by the tongue L is
here moved by a spring s fixed on the pendulum. and the rod m, in its backward
motion accompanies this spring which never leaves the pin F. The rod m slides on
two rollers and acquires its tendency to move backward against the stepped
plate or snail from the spiral spring s', so that the bent lever IHF and its weight N,
shown in fig. 1 of the Provisional Specification, are here not necessary. The click e
does not, in this case, leave the click wheel D but is always retained at the sime
place by the screw *, and when the click is fixed the springs allows the pendulum
to complete its oscillation without stopping its motion too suddenly.
Instead of the arrangement of hooks Rand (fig. 1, Provisional Specification) to
cause the pendulum to be always ready to start, I may cause the pendulum to start
from its position of rest, that is to say from the vertical position, in the following
manner: By a combination of two small tongues and l' and springs w and w¹, instead
of by the simple system of one tongue and spring, as shewn in the drawings filed
with my Provisional Specification.
In the present instance the current can only pass through the electro magnet M

page_text: when both the tongues are pressing upon the springs w and w¹ by means of the
small notched pieces a' and a², the springs coming then into contact with the pillars (
and Q¹
Each system of tongue and spring just mentioned can be constructed indifferently
in two ways: the tongue may he carried by the pendulum and the small notched
piece by the spring, or on the other hand the tongue may be carried by the spring,
and the notched piece by the pendulum. In fig. 1, for the sake of convenience in the
arrangement, and a² are carried by the pendulum, and a and by the springs.
The pillars and Q are both insulated from the metallic frame of the apparatus.
A third pillar W, insulated also from the metallic frame, carries the two contact
springs and w; to carrying the metallic notched plate a¹, and w³ carrying the
metallic tongue P. The metallic tongue l is fixed to the pendulum rod but insulated
from it. is a notched plate made of an insulating material (ivory for instance) ani
fixed also to the pendulum rod.
The pillar Q carries two contact screws q and g¹. The screw 9 terminates in an
ivory point and consequently does not allow the current to pass when the spring w
presses upon it; but the screw q' is entirely metallic and establishes contact between
w and when said spring to presses upon the screw q¹ under the influence of the
tongue. The spring w' connects electrically the pillars W and Q when the tongue l
presses against the notched plate a².
When at rest both tongues press upon their respective springs, so that if a current
is sent through the apparatus it will pass through M which is a shunt magnet (this
shunt is cut out whenever one of the tongues does not press on its corresponding
spring). The armature K is therefore attracted and the pendulum inclines to K¹
(fig. 1 of Complete Specification drawing). At that moment the contact at Q is
broken and the notched plate a² leaves the tonque . The current being thus broken
the armature K of the pendulum moves from K' in the direction of B"; in this
movement the tongue cannot leave the piece a¹, and the tongue which had left the
piece a can only slide on it without pressing upon it. When the pendulum is at
the end of its oscillation it moves again in the direction from B" to B; in this
movement both the tongues will again press together against their respective springs
and the electro magnet M attracting the armature K the amplitude of the oscillation
will increase. As has already been seen the tongue in this movement will again
leave the piece a so that at the next motion from B to B the tongue will slide
and not press upon the piece a². In this manner the amplitude of the escillation will
gradually increase to its normal length, which is determined by the moment at which
the tongue will leave the notched piece a¹ when the pendulum is at B. From that
moment forward the oscillation cannot increase, then when the tongue leaves the
piece a it slides upon it in the next oscillation from B¹ to B" without pressing upon
the springs so that no impulse will be given to the pendulum by the electro magnet
till the oscillation has become too small to permit the tongue l to leave the piece a¹
any more.
If now the current be cut off from the apparatus the pendulum will slowly come
to rest, and when its oscillations are smaller than K¹ both the tongues will press
again on the springs and will keep 50 at complete rest, to allow a fresh starting
when the current is switched on again.
I stated that the electro magnet M was a shunt taken on the main wires of
distribution, before the lamps for instance, therefore the pendulum would always
oscillate (indeed without registering anything when there would be no current passing
through the amperemeter) if there were not a general cut out before the meter. To
avoid this unnecessary wearing out of the apparatus or the inconvenience of the
cut out, I use a very simple arrangement to cut out the shunt when there is no current
passing through the ampere meter.
A magnetic hand or rod X placed in front of the solenoid S and very near to it
carries at each of its extremities two small metallic contact springs z and . At rest,
that is to say when no current is passing through the coil S, the rod is horizontal and
the contacts are cut out. As soon as the current passes through the ampere meter

page_text: the magnetic hand or ro: becomes inclined and sends the current through the shant
electro magnet M and the pendulum begins to move as before explained. In cases
where the corresponding springs should not establish contact at the same moment,
because of a difference in their elasticity, or because of the weakness of the current
passing through the solenoid I allow the shunt current to pass if necessary, through
the axis of the magnetic band or rod by placing a connecting wire between the
pillars X and X"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the sume is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination of a notched plate or piece, or of a stepped cone, or of a cone,
with the core of a solenoid, or with an ampere ineter, said plate or cone being divided
in its height into divisions corresponding to degrees of equal electrical intensity and
in the direction of its base into parts of equal length, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a rod, to which a to and fro motion is given, with the above
mentioned notched plate, pieco, or cone, in one direction, and with a wheel, or its
axis, in the other, so that the angular motion of the wheel is proportionate to the
length of the backward motion of the rod, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a pendulum with the said rod to give to it the impulses at
equal intervals of time, substantially as described.
4. The combination of a pendulum, of a rod moving to and fro, of a cone or plate
whose profile is a curve or a notched line, (said cone or plate being used to stop the
motion of the above mentioned rod) and of an ampere meter, or of a solenoid, whose
hand or rod (V) moves the cone or the notched plate in order to limit the length of
the motion of the to and fro moving rod, proportionately to the greater or less intensity
of the current to be measured, as described and shown.
5. The combination of a pendulum, of a rod moving to and fro, of a snail pivoting
on an indepondent axis and stopping in one direction the said rod, and of an ampero
meter, or of a solenoid whose hand or rod moves the snail in order to limit the length
of the motion of the to and fro moving rod proportionately to the greater or less
intensity of the current to be measured, as described and shewn.
6. The combination of the springs w and w¹, of the tongues and l', of the pieces a¹
and awith the pendulum on the one hand and the pillars Q and Q on the other, as
described and shewn and for the purpose sot forth.
7. The combination of the solenoid S with the magnetic hand or rod X carrying
the springs 2 and 21, as described and for the purpose set forth.
8. Electricity meters or Coulomb meters substantially as described and illustrated
by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 81st day of January 1889.
ERNEST DE PASS, Fel. Inst. P.A.,
68, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicant.