Improvements in Electric Counters or Apparatus for Ascertaining and Registering the Duration of the Passage of an Electric Current.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 17th May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Counters or Apparatus for Ascertaining
and Registering the Duration of the Passage of an Electric
Current.
I, JEAN JAQUES AUGUSTE AUBERT of Lausanne, Switzerland, 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 has for its object the construction of an apparatus capable of
ascertaining and registering the duration of the passage of an electric current in an
electric machine, lamp, conductor or other apparatus. .
I obtain this result by means of a clockwork movement the pendulum of which is
governed by an electro magnet or a solenoid which is in communication with the
conductor of electricity. When the current passes, the clockwork movement is put in
motion, but when the current is interrupted the pendulum encounters an obstacle
which stops the clock work. If the face of the clockwork is provided with a suitable
scale and pointers, the exact time during which an electric current has passed wilt
thus be registered.
In the annexed drawing I have shown a solenoid made as hereinafter described
and which in itself constitutes an important feature in the construction of this class
of apparatus.
This solenoid shown at A Figure 1 consists of a bobbin of wood, brass, or other
material, wound with insulated wire in which the current passes. In the interior of
the bobbin AI arrange a fixed core B and a moveable core B¹ suspended by the small
arm of the detent lever C.
When the current passes into the bobbin the movable core B' is polarised and tends
to thrust itself into the bobbin. The induction produced by the current passing round
the movable core B'is very feeble and is not sufficient to overcome the resistance offered
by the detent lever C and its spring R, but I have found in the addition of the fixed
core, a means of increasing the energy of the solenoid sufficiently to dispense with
an electro magnet over which it has the advantage of working just as well with
alternating as with continuous currents.
The employment of electro magnets is rendered impossible with alternating
currents by the fact that the armature vibrates strongly at each alternation of the
current.
Now the addition of a fixed core placed in the lower portion of the bobbin of a
solenoid forms a peculiarly constructed electro magnet the armature of which is the
movable core B'. If this core were solid or consisted of a single piece of soft iron
the inconvenience of vibrating just as in an electro magnet of ordinary construction.
I have succeeded in completely preventing this vibration by making the movable
core B' of a bundle of iron wires securely bound together by metal wire or preferably
by silk thread or any non-conducting material to prevent Foucault currents. The
lower end of this bundle is pointed, whilst the upper end of the fixed core B is
hollowed out. When the current is passing the pointed end of the movable iron
wire core B' will descend into the hollow portion of the soft iron core B and remain
there until the current has ceased to pass notwithstanding the change of direction
of the current and whatever may be the number of periods in an alternating current
machine.
To oblige the core B₁ to always remain in the centre of the bobbin, I fix in the
middle of the bundle of iron wire a brass rod or pin, the end of which slides freely
in a hole pierced in the upper portion of the fixed core B. This arrangement has
therefore the advantage of working with alternating or continuous currents, I may

page_text: however make the movable core B' of solid soft iron or other material to work with
continuous currents in order to facilitate its construction.
The clockwork movement I employ is the long pendulum movement called "lick
lack" or preferably an anchor. or cylinder escapement provided with a balance wheel
thus allowing the use of the counter in all positions.
As seen in Figure 1 of the annexed drawing I place the cylinder escapement upon
a plate D screwed to the plate behind the clockwork movement or in any other suitable
place according to circumstances. Between the two plates containing the clockwork
mechanism arrange the electro magnet or solenoid which I fix by means of two.
screws which serve also to support a plate of fibrine or any other insulating material.
Upon this plate I place two strong brass screws under the heads of which the ends
of the insulated wire wound round the bobbin are bound and also the wires leading
the current coming from the outside. These wires enter into the counter box by two
holes pierced in the side and insulated by means of two small ebonite collars.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
:-
When the current passes the core B' is attracted by the current which surrounds
it and by the fixed core B. It therefore displaces the detent lever Cmounted on the
end of the axis c as seen in plan at Figure 2. The axis c is attached to the core B
by means of the connecting rod c¹. The detent lever C, thus raised, allows the balance:
wheel H to continue its oscilations and work the meter.
As soon as the current is interrupted the core B is lightly raised by. the action:
of the spring. R and the lever C is lowered. This lever carries a spring against
which a stop fixed on the balance wheel H hits. This by means of its inertia
raises the spring which allows the pin h to pass, but when the balance. wheel having
completed its semi-oscillation wishes to return to its starting point prevents it being.
backed up by the arm of the detent lever. C. The escapement being slightly out of
equilibrium the balance wheel will be always ready to start as soon as a slight
current passes and again attracts the movable solenoid B¹ and lifts, the detent
lever (
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
If+
1. In an electric counter. the. combination with a clockwork movement of a solenoid
or electro magnet to stop, and put in motion the clockwork movement.
2. An electro magnet or solenoid composed of a bobbin having in the interior a
fixed core and a moveable, core. formed of a bundle of iron wires or, a solid soft iron
core..
3. The arrangement for stopping the clockwork movement consisting of a detent
lever Cmounted on the axis cand of the spring R. All substantially as described
and shown in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 24th day of February 1890.