Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
1, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London,
W.C, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to electrical measuring and recording apparatus whereby
certain advantages are obtained.
A known form of Coulomb meter comprises a device similar to a differential air
thermometer and consists of a U-shaped tube with two bulbs one at each extremity
and filled partly with a suitable liquid and partly with air or gas. This device is
Into the bulbs
pivoted so as to be capable of a vibratory or rocking motion.
conducting wires pass in an air-tight manner. A current of electricity is caused to
pass alternately through the conductors in the two bulbs. The effect of this is to
generate heat in the conductor which expanding the air in the bulb in which it is
situated drives some of the liquid into the other bulb. This latter becoming heavier
in consequence sinks and in doing so causes the electric current to be switched on to
the conductor in the bulb which is now at the lower position. The air is expanded in
this bulb and the liquid forced back into the first mentioned bulb which again becoming
heavier sinks, and so on. The device is thus caused to rock as long as the electric
current passes. The greater the current, the greater the heat developed and con-
sequently the more rapid are the oscillations and the greater the number of oscillations
which take place within a given time. These oscilations or vibrations are recorded
by electromagnetic means an electric contact being established at each oscillation,
and a current transmitted to actuate an electric counter.
My invention differs from the above in that instead of causing the oscillations to be
recorded electromagnetically I employ mechanical means for this purpose. Any
suitable known form of mechanical transmitting device, such for example as a ratchet
and pawl arrangement, used in connection with mechanical counters may be employed
for this purpose.

page_text: A drawback which exists in the above mentioned known form of coulomb meter
lies in the fact that it has to be started by hand or by some external device because it
naturally comes to rest in a position at which it cannot again start on the simple
passage of the electric current through it. This drawback I overcome by arranging.
that the device shall always come to rest in such a position that the electric current
when again transmitted shall pass through the conductor in one bulk only. This I
effect by weighting one of the bulbs or attaching a spring thereto; or I effect it by
means of an electric or mechanical gripping or detaining device, or au electric
releasing contrivance.
Dated this 17th day of December 1887

page_text: Improvements in Electrical Measuring and Recording Apparatus. '
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London,
W.C., Consulting Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to electrical measuring and recording apparatus, whereby
certain advantages are obtained.
A known form of Coulomb meter comprises a device similar to a differential air
thermometer, which consists of a U-shaped tube with two bulbs one at each extremity,
and filled partly with mercury or other suitable liquid and partly with air or gas. This
device is pivotted so as to be capable of a vibratory or rocking motion. Into the air
space in the bulbs conducting wires pass in an airtight manner. A current of
electricity is caused to pass alternately through the conductors in the two bulbs. The
effect of this is to generate heat in the conductor which expanding the air above the
liquid in the bulb in which it is situated drives some of the liquid into the other bulb.
This latter becoming heavier in consequence sinks and in doing so causes the electric
current to be switched on to the conductor in the bulb which is now at the lower
position. The air is expanded in this bulb and the liquid forced back into the first
mentioned bulb which again becoming heavier sinks, and so on. The device is thus
caused to rock as long as the electric current passes. The greater the current the
greater the heat developed and consequently the more rapid are the oscillations and
the greater the number of oscillations which take place within a given time. These
oscillations or vibrations are recorded by electromagnetic means an electric contact
being established at each oscillation, and a current. transmitted to actuate an electric
counter.
My invention differs from the above in that instead of causing the oscillations to be
recorded electro-magnetically, I employ mechanical means for this purpose. Any
suitable known form of mechanical transmitting device, such for example as a ratchet
and pawl arrangement used in connection with mechanical counters may be employed
for this purpose.
I shall now proceed to explain in detail one or more ways in which my invention
is to be or may be carried into effect and in order that this more detailed description
may be more readily understood I have annexed hereunto sheets of drawings
illustrative of my invention and have inserted in the same figures and letters of reference.
corresponding with those in the following description. In these drawings similar letters
of reference refer to similar parts.
In figure 1 the tube A ending in the bulbs B B¹ represents the U shaped tube or
device similar to a differential air thermometer which exists in the known form of
coulomb meter hereinbefore referred to. This tube is partly filled with mercury and
and above the space occupied by the mercury in the two bulbs air is enclosed and into
the air spaces thus formed pass the heating wires W W₁. To understand the action

page_text: of this device let us assume that an electric current passed through the heating
wire W. The effect will be to expand the air in the bulb B and so drive the mercury
along the tube into the bulb B¹ which latter becoming heavier will now descend and
in doing so will switch the current off from the heating wire W on to the heating
wire W so that the air in B¹ will now become expanded and the mercury driven back
to B so as to cause the latter bulb to descend and so on the action being repeated
and a continuous rocking motion produced. This rocking motion is transmitted to
the spindle Con which is mounted the first of the train of wheels constituting the
mechanical counter and it will be seen that at each oscillation of the tube A the
spindle will be driven in the same direction. For example when the bulb B¹ is
descending the pawl D¹ acting upon the ratchet wheel E to which is rigidly attached
the spur wheel F will cause the pinion G (fixed on the spindle C), which gears with F
to be rotated in the direction of the arrow. Similarly when the bulb B is descending
the pawl 1 acts upon the ratchet wheel E which is rigidly attached to the spur wheel F.
The spur wheel F gearing with F will cause the pinion G and spindle C to be rotated
in the same direction as before. It will be noticed that when the pawl D¹ is actuating
its ratchet wheel the pawl D will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel E and that
while the pawl D is actuating its ratchet wheel the movement will be transmitted to
the pinion G and spindle C through the spur wheels F and F¹ which gear into one
another the movement of the pinion G and therefore of the counter spindle taking
place always in the same direction so that each movement will be integrated and the
electricity be measured and recorded.
Figure 2 is a view in plan of the parts shown in elevation in figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a case where instead of each single vibration in one direction
causing a movement of the wheels of the mechanical counter each second vibration
causes a movement. I here speak of a vibration as a movement in one direction only.
In this figure it will be seen that each downward movement of the bulb B¹ produces
a definite movement of C whilst on its upward movement the pawl rides loose
over the ratchet wheel, backward movement of the ratchet wheel being prevented by
the click H.
I do not limit myself to the ratchet and pawl arrangement shown, as any
"convenient mechanical means of converting vibratory or rocking motion into rotary
motion may be employed. Nor do I limit myself to any particular form of mechanical
counter, though I prefer the form known as Harding's.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
•
The improvement in electrical measuring and recording apparatus consisting in the
combination with the device, hereinbefore referred to as a known device, of a mechanical
means of causing the oscillations or vibrations to be transmitted to and recorded
by the counter, substantially as set forth.
Dutad this 17th day of Outcher 1988