An Improved Indicating and Recording Apparatus for use in Connection with Electric Meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Indicating and Recording Apparatus for use in
Connection with Electric Meters.
I, GILBERT CECIL PILLINGER, Church Lane, Merton Park, Surrey, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved indicating and recording apparatus for use in connection with
electric meters consists in the employment of two separate trains of wheels and
indicating dials, one set for recording the supply of current passing through
the meter when the demand is a minimum one or below a certain amount, and
the other when the demand is a maximum one or above a certain amount, the
reading on the two sets of dials indicating the total current consumed.
In carrying out my invention I mount, suspend or otherwise arrange each train
of wheels and dials at or about the ends of an arm or carrier which is balanced
or pivotted at or about its centre and provided with suitable screws or means
whereby the position of each set of wheels and dials can be varied relatively to
the centre or pivot of this supporting arm or carrier. This adjustment is so
regulated that when no current is passing, the operating mechanism of the
meter engages with that train of wheels employed for recording the supply of
current when the demand is a minimum one or below a certain amount. A
solenoid is arranged in connection with this train of wheels so that when the
current is passing through the meter it passes through the winding on the sole-
noid and exerts a pull on the core proportional to the amount of current passing.
When the pull is sufficient to overcome the force required to raise the end of
the balanced arm or carrier this set of wheels and dials is raised and thrown
out of gear with the driving spindle or mechanism of the meter which in turn
is thrown into gear with and engages the other set of wheels and dials employed
for recording the supply of current when the demand is above a certain amount.
The apparatus is automatic in action, each train of wheels being engaged in
turn and operated by the driving spindle of the meter according to the amount
of current passing through the meter.
Dated this 10th day of May 1898.
An Improved Indicating and Recording Apparatus for use in
Connection with Electric Meters.
I, GILBERT CECIL PILLINGER, of Church Lane, Merton Park, in the County of
Surrey, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
Price 8d1

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to indicating and recording apparatus for use in connec-
tion with electric meters, and has for its object to provide a simple apparatus
which will enable a suitable rebate to be allowed to large consumers of electric
current.
My invention consists in separating the record of current supply in a meter
into two parts by means of two recording trains brought into gear alternately
by an electro magnet in such a manner that when the rate of supply of current
is below a certain limit all current is recorded on one train, and when that
limit is exceeded all current is recorded on the other train. .
In carrying out my invention, I mount, suspend or otherwise arrange each
train of wheels and dials at or about the ends of an arm or carrier, which is
balanced or pivoted at or about its centres, and provided with suitable screws
or means whereby the position of each set of wheels and dials can be varied
relatively to the centre or pivot of this supporting arm or carrier. This adjust-
ment is so regulated that when no current is passing, the operating mechanism
of the meter engages with that train of wheels employed for recording the
supply of current when the demand is a minimum one or below a certain amount.
A solenoid is arranged in connection with this train of wheels, so that when
the current is passing through the meter it passes through the winding of the
solenoid, and exerts a pull on the core, proportional to the amount of current
passing. When the pull is sufficient to overcome the force required to raise the
end of the balanced arm or carrier, this set of wheels and dials is raised and
thrown out of gear with the driving spindle or mechanism of the meter, which
in turn is thrown into gear with and engages the other set of wheels and dials
employed for recording the supply of current when the demand is above a certain
amount.
The apparatus is automatic in its action, each train of wheels being engaged
in turn and operated by the driving spindle of the meter, according to the
amount of current passing through the meter.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, which illustrate one method
of carrying my invention into effect;-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus;
Figure 2 is an end elevation,
Figure 3 a plan of the same, and
Figure 4 shows a modified form of my invention.
I provide a beam or arm A having a slot A¹ to carry the pivot A³ which
is adjusted by means of a screw nut and washer along the beam or arm A. At
each end of the beam I rigidly support the recording trains B1 and B2, which are
of any ordinary type. The beam is so adjusted, by setting the position of the
pivot A2, that under the action of gravity one of the recording trains B¹ is in
gear with the spindle C of a meter, say a motor meter for example.
A solenoid D is provided whose core D is suspended from one end of a lever
arm E.
The other end of the latter engages with the beam A, through a
screw E. The solenoid D may consist of a few turns of thick wire in series,
and therefore carry the whole current which is being measured, or it may be
wound and connected in any other manner, such that the current in D is pro-
portional to the whole current being measured at any time.
Stop screws F may be provided to limit the travel of the beam A.
When the current is below, say five ampéres in a ten ampére meter, it is all
being recorded on the train B₁, but when the current exceeds five ampéres, the
core D is attracted, thereby raising the screw E and the beam A and causing
the train B to pass out of gear with the meter spindle C and the train B2 to pass
into gear with the same.
A modified arrangement may be provided, to prevent the possibility of the
meter spindle being for any appreciable time out of gear with both of the record-

page_text: ing trains, such as is shown in Figure 4. A blade spring G is fixed to the meter
frame at G1, and presses against an arm H fixed to one part E2 of the lever E.
This lever E is made in two parts E³ and E2, both pivoted at the centre J, but
each capable of a certain amount of motion independently of one another. A
pin 3 is fixed in the part E, and the other part E is provided with a forked
end E A slot I is provided in the beam A in which works the end of the
arm E
The arrangement is shown in Figure 4 in the position it would be in when the
recording train B2 is in gear, that is, when the current is in excess of the fixed
limit. When the current falls below that limit, the core of the solenoid rises
and with it-the arm H. This arm H is operated by the spring G as soon as it
passes the centre and it then quickly pulls down the beam A and changes the
recording train.
With this arrangement of solenoid and levers the beam A should be in neutral
equilibrium, or should be somewhat frictional, so that it does not move till it
is moved by the spring G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In electricity meters separating the record of current supply into two parts
by means of two recording trains brought into gear alternately by an electro-
magnet so that all current below a certain rate of supply is recorded on one
train, and all current above that rate on the other, substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for separating the record of current supply into two parts,
all substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dateu UITIS TUTIL lil UL
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, alanchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, alanchester, Agents.