An Electricity Counter.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1891-Accepted, 25th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Electricity Counter.
We, JULES RICHARD, FELIX RICHARD, and GEORGES RICHARD, all of
8 Impasse Fessart, Paris, France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to a counter of the number of watts of electrical energy
passing through the instrument in a given time.
It contains, in the first place, a spring clockwork arrangement which is kept
wound up by the action at intervals of the current on an electromagnet; secondly,
it contains a Watt meter which by means of the clockwork is at certain intervals
brought into circuit with the electric conductors to which the instrument is applied;
and, thirdly, it contains a totaliser which sums up and shews by indices on dials
the watts of energy indicated by the Watt meter at the successive periods when it
put in circuit.
is
The winding up of the clockwork is effected by an electro magnet the armature
of which, when attracted, moves a pawl in opposition to a spring and then opens
the circuit of its magnet; then the pawl being engaged with a ratchet wheel turns
it during a certain time which determines the intervals at which the Watt meter is
brought into circuit and retained in circuit.
The totaliser is connected to the Watt meter by the frictional contact of a finely
scored wheel on the axis of the Watt meter with a couple of padded arms on the
axis of the first wheel of the totaliser.
By means of an electro magnet these arms are withdrawn when the Watt meter
is in circuit so that its axis is free to take, in opposition to a weight or spring, the
position determined by the electric energy to which the meter is subjected.
When the meter is cut out of circuit this electromagnet is also cut out and then
the arms of the totaliser are pressed by a spring against the scored wheel of the
meter, and as the axis of the meter is brought back to its zero position, it
moves the totaliser an amount proportional to the energy which had acted on
the meter.
It is of advantage to apply a liquid brake to the index of the Watt meter to
damp oscillations. The combination of the Watt meter and the totaliser with the
means described of giving motion to the latter from the axis of the Watt meter
may be employed without the special clockwork arrangement when there are other
means of introducing the meter into the circuit at certain intervals, and maintaining
it in circuit for certain periods.
The intervals may conveniently be cach of 15 seconds, and the periods during
which the meter is kept in circuit may be each 5 seconds, but obviously these times
may be varied as desired.
Dated this 5th day of September 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: An Electricity Counter.
We, Jrles Richard, Felix Riensad, and GEORGES RICHARD, all of
8 Impasse Fessart. Paris, France, Engineers, 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 a counter of the number of watts of electrical energy
passing through the instrument in a given time.
It contains in the first place, a spring clockwork arrangement which is kept
wound up by the action at intervals of the current on an electro magnet; secondly,
it contains Watt meter which by means of the clockwork is at certain intervals
brought into eirenit with the electric conductors to which the instrument is applied;
and thirdly, it contains a totaliser which sums up and shews by indices on dials
the watts of energy indicated by the Watt meter at the successive periods when it
put
in circuit.
is
The winding up of the elɔckwork is effected by an electro maguet the armature
of which, when attrneted, moves in pawl in opposition to a spring and then opens
the circuit of its minguet ; then the pawl being engaged with a ratchet wheel turns
it during a certain time which determines the intervals at which the Watt meter is
brought into circuit and retained in circuit.
The totaliser is connected to the Watt meter by the frictional contact of a finely
scored wheel on the axis of the Watt meter with a couple of padded arms on the
axis of the first wheel of the totaliser.
By means of an electro magnet these arms are withdrawn when the Watt meter
is in cirenit so that its axis is free to take, in opposition to a weight or spring, the
position determined by the electric energy to which the meter is subjected.
When the meter is cut out of circuit this electro magnet is also cut out and
then the arms of the totaliser are pressed by a spring against the scored wheel of
the meter, and as the axis of the meter is brought back to its zero position, it moves
the totaliser an amount proportional to the energy which had acted on the meter.
It is of advantage to apply a liquid brake to the index of the Watt meter to
damp oscillations.
The intervals may conveniently be ench of 15 seconds, and the periods during
which the meter is kept in circuit may be each 5 seconds, but obviously these times
may be varied as desired.
Fig. 1 of the arcompanying drawings is a side view, Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3
is an end view of an electricity counter according to our invention.
Figs. 4 and 3 shew parts of the winding up mechanista in two different positions
and Figs 6. and 7 corresponding positions of the electro magnets.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew in front and side view the mechanism for engaging and
disengaging the totaliser.
Fig. 10 is a diagram plan showing the electrical connections.
A is the stationary part of the Watt meter consisting of a double bobbin of
thick wire connected to the terminals B (which are fixed insulated on the metal
base D. The moveable part of the meter is the bobbin E of fine wire having its
axis mounted in bearings at FF. This wire is connected at its one end by & to
the wire of A and at its other end to the bearing and by its support LI to the
base D. At F the axis has a knife edge a resting in a support I. At F' the axis
carries a piece through which passes an adjustable screw e having its point bearing
in a slight hollow on the top of II.
The index d which moves in front of the dial segment K (graduated for hundreds
of watts) and the wheel e which works the totaliser are fixed on the axis F

page_text: current.
The totaliser M arranged as an ordinary counter, is engaged at intervals with the
wheel e in the following manner. On the first arbor of the counter is fixed a
sleeve carrying a cross bar the ends of which faced at i with leather or
caoutchouc are caused to bear against the scored or striated border of the wheel e
by a spring, except when the sleeve g is drawn back by a fork attached to the
armature of an electro magnet N, the bobbin E being in that case free to take
its deflection without moving the totaliser.
When the current ceases, the armature m being no longer attracted, the totaliser
becomes re-engaged with the wheel e and is moved by the amount through which
the bobbin E has to return from its position of deflection.
The clockwork O is wound up once every 15 seconds by means of an electro
magnet P the armature n of which is fixed on a spindle o. This spindle on the
other side of the plate Q has fixed on it a lever R carrying a spring pawl p which
acts on a ratchet wheel r on the first arbor of the clockwork turning it partly
round when the electro magnet P ceases to attract its armature, a spring & then
drawing down the lever R. For exciting the magnet P, current comes by a branch
to screw S which is connected by wire t to the plate Q; on this plate there is a
contact pin on which bears a spring contact key T which is insulated from the plate
but connected to the coil of P through the screw v. From the coil of P the wire.c
carries the current to the main coil of A.
The lever R has an adjustable pin y which at rest nearly touches T and lifts it
when the armature n is attracted, whereupon a spring catch V advances to a
pin and coming under T holds it out of contact with u. An adjustable pin = in
the arm of the lever R pressing against V during the movement of the clockwork
which may be for 15 seconds or other predetermined interval, pushes V back
allowing T to descend and make contact again with a closing the circuit of P
whereupon the action is repeated.
The coil of the electro magnet N is connected to an insulated stud b₁ and pin
on the plate Q on which is pivotted a spring lever al having a bracket d' engaging
at e with the tail of the armature n. The lower end y² of the lever a bears
against a curved spring which ensures that when g² passes the summit of the
curve in either direction the lever a' shall make a complete and rapid stroke to
or from the pin i'. When the apparatus is at rest the key T bearing on u and
V being away from the coil of the magnet P is in circuit, so also is the coil
of N a being in contact with . On sending a current to the apparatus P attracts
its armature n, raising R, thereby lifting T out of contact with u and allowing V
to advance under it and raise it off the screw through which the current until
then continued to pass after T had left u. The circuit being now quite opened,
the spring draws R and p down turning the wheel r and driving the clockwork
until moves away V allowing T to desend on u and close the circuit again.
The movement of the armature n also moved a breaking contact with thus
cutting the magnet N and the bobbin E out of circuit until by the gradual
return of n away from P a little before the spring s has quite contracted, the
contact of a with is re-established, so that the current passes through the
coil of N, the support H the axis F' and the bobbin E to G. N consequently
attracts its armature releasing h from e and leaving the bobbin E free to take the
deflection due to the current. When T again comes in contact with the
magnet P is excited and the magnet N and bobbin E are cut out of circuit and h
engaging with e, the totaliser is moved by the bobbin E returning to its position of
repose to an extent equal to the amount by which E had been deflected.
Obviously, by inversion of parts of the mechanism, the totaliser could be moved
by E as it is deflected, also the intervals at which the successive deflections take
place and the period of time during which each deflection lasts may be varied,
and the oscillations of the bobbin may, if necessary, be damped by a suitable
dash pot.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined, we declare that we are aware
that it has been proposed to construct electricity counters by combining a Watt
meter and a totaliser with clockwork for the purpose of intermittently placing the
Watt meter in circuit, and we are also aware that in such arrangement it has been
proposed to connect the Watt meter and the totaliser so that the latter is moved
We therefore make
during the return motion of the deflected part of the meter.
no claim for such arrangement except when combined as above described and
illustrated, but what we claim is :-
1. An electricity counter substantially as herein described and as shewn on the
accompanying drawing.
2. In combination with the clockwork, an electro magnet having its armaturo
arranged when attracted to strain a spring, which, on contact being broken by the
movement of the armature, keeps the clockwork in motion for a certain time until
contact is re-established, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.