IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Siemens of 81 Kensington Garden Square
London, Joseph Gordon of Queen Anne's Mansions Westminster and John
Wreford Budd of N° 20 Austin Friars in the City of London Executors of
William Siemens of N° 12 Queen Anne's Gate Westminster in the County
of Middlesex Knight deceased for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ELECTRICAL ENERGY communicated to him from
abroad by Dr. Ernst Werner Siemens of Berlin in German empire.
">
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Siemens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1883.
WILLIAM SIEMENS of N° 12 Queen Anne's Gate Westminster in the County of
Middlesex Knight "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ELECTRICAL
ENERGY" [communicated to him from abroad by Dr. Ernst Werner Siemens of
Berlin in German empire.]
According to the present invention a ring forming the polar extension of an
electromagnet, and consequently having the magnetism of the pole uniformly
distributed throughout its mass, has mounted loose upon it one or more coils or
bobbins through the wires of which the current to be measured is made to pass.
This coil or bobbin is thus made to travel with uniform force round the ring in a
certain direction. If the magnetism of the magnet and ring is sufficiently below
the maximum of magnetisation, it will always be proportional to the strength of
current in the coils of the electromagnet, and the force which tends to move the
coil or bobbin along the ring will therefore be proportional to the product of the
strengths of the currents in the coils of the electromagnet and in the moving
bobbins.
Apparatus of this kind can therefore readily be employed for measuring and
registering electrical energy, or the product Electromotive force × Intensity, in
the following manner. Two bobbins are mounted free on the annular pole of the
electromagnet through the coils of which a shunt current is led from the part of
[Price Rd l

page_text: the circuit of which the consumption of energy is to be measured, while through
the coils of the bobbins is led a branch current from the main circuit. The
bobbins are carried by arms from a central axis, which is urged by a spring to
turn in the direction opposite to that in which the bobbins tend to move on the
ring, so that when the current of the electromagnet or of the bobbins, is
interrupted, so that the tendency of the bobbins to travel on the ring ceases, the
spring causes the axis to turn back again. The interruption of the currents being
effected automatically at regular intervals, a continuously oscillating motion of the
coils and axis is maintained, and this is imparted to any suitable counter or
registering mechanism. Obviously a single bobbin, or more than two bobbins may
be employed. The axis carrying the bobbins is preferably suspended by two
helical springs, insulated from each other, which serve to connect the bobbin coils
with the circuit, and to effect the return motion of the bobbins. The axis carrying
the bobbins is made of soft iron so as to be magnetised either by the polar ring, or,
by preference, by a coil of wire in the circuit of the bobbins, the magnetic action
of the polar ring being in this case counteracted by a second coil of wire in the
circuit of the electromagnet coil. The axis being thus rendered magnetic when
the current is passing, attracts a clutch, and keeps it out of gear with the counter
mechanism, but on the interruption of the current and cessation of the magnetism,
the clutch drops into gear and the return motion of the axis is imparted to the
counter. This regular alternation of the closing and opening of the circuit can be
effected by any clockwork mechanisin which can be set in motion by the current
itself. It is however preferred to use for this purpose a description of mercury
clock. This consists of a glass tube, drawn out at its middle to a capillary channel,
which tube is half filled with mercury and then exhausted and sealed and is
mounted on pivots at its middle. As the tube is inclined in the one direction or
the other the mercury runs into the one or the other part of it, occupying a certain
time for its flow. This alternate inclination is effected by an electromagnet which
draws the tube down to one side when a current is passing through the coils of the
electromagnet, in opposition to a spring which inclines the tube in the contrary
direction when the current is interrupted. The closing and interruption of the
current is effected by the mercury in the tube which establishes contact between
platinum terminals of the circuit embedded in one end of the tube. Instead of a
spring, a second electromagnet may be used to incline the tube, a set of wire
terminals being in this case arranged at each end of the tube.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Siemens, Joseph Gordon, and John Wreford Budd,
Executors of the late William Siemens, deceased, in the Patent Office on the
16th April 1884.
ALEXANDER SIEMENS of 81 Kensington Garden Square London, JOSEPH GORDON
of Queen Anne's Mansions Westminster and JOHN WREFORD BUDD of N° 20 Austin
Friars in the City of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING
ELECTRICAL ENERGY A communication from Abroad by Dr Ernst Werner
Siemens of Berlin in the German Empire
"
According to the present invention a ring forming the polar extension of an
electro-magnet, and consequently having the magnetism of the pole uniformly
distributed throughout its mass, has mounted loose upon it one or more coils or
bobbins through the wires of which the current to be measured is made to pass.
This coil or bobbin is thus made to travel with uniform force round the ring in a
certain direction. If the magnetism of the magnet and ring is sufficiently below
the maximum of magnetisation, it will always be proportional to the strength of
current in the coils of the electro-magnet, and the force which tends to move the
coil or bobbin along the ring will therefore be proportional to the product of the
strengths of the currents in the coils of the electro-magnet and in the moving
bobbins.
Apparatus of this kind can therefore readily be employed for measuring and
registering electrical energy or the product Electromotive force × Intensity, in
the following manner. Two bobbins are mounted free on the annular pole of the
electro-magnet through the coils of which a shunt current is led from the part of
the circuit of which the consumption of energy is to be measured, while through
the coils of the bobbins is led a branch current from the main circuit. The
bobbins are carried by arms from a central axis, which is urged by a spring to
turn in the direction opposite to that in which the bobbins tend to move on the
ring, so that when the current of the electro-magnet or of the bobbins is interrupted,
so that the tendency of the bobbins to travel on the ring ceases, the spring causes
the axis to turn back again. The interruption of the currents being effected
automatically at regular intervals, a continuously oscillating motion of the coils
and axis is maintained, and this is imparted to any suitable counter or registering
mechanism. Obviously a single bobbin, or more than two bobbins may be
employed. The axis carrying the bobbins is. preferably suspended by two helical
springs, insulated from each other, which serve to connect the bobbin coils with the
circuit, and to effect the return motion of the bobbins. The axis carrying the
bobbins is made of soft iron so as to be magnetised either by the polar ring, or,
by preference, by a coil of wire in the circuit of the bobbins, the magnetic action
of the polar ring being in this case counteracted by a second coil of wire in the
circuit of the electromagnet coil. The axis being thus rendered magnetic when
the current is passing, attracts a clutch, and keeps it out of gear with the counter
mechanism, but on the interruption of the current and cessation of the magnetism,
the clutch drops into gear and the return motion of the axis is imparted to the
counter. This regular alternation of the closing and opening of the circuit can be
effected by any clockwork mechanism which can be set in motion by the current
itself. It is however preferred to use for this purpose a description of mercury.
clock. This consists of a glass tube, drawn out at its middle to a capillary channel,
which tube is half filled with mercury and then exhausted and sealed and is.
mounted on pivots at its middle. As the tube is inclined in the one direction or;

page_text: time for its flow. This alternate inclination is elected by an electromagne
which draws the tube down to one side when a current is passing through the coils
of the electro-magnet, in opposition to a spring which inclines the tube in the
contrary direction when the current is interrupted. The closing and interruption
of the current is effected by the mercury in the tube which establishes contact
between platinum terminals of the circuit imbedded in one end of the tube.
Instead of a spring, a second electro-magnet may be used to incline the tube, a set
of wire terminals being in this case arranged at each end of the tube.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a side elevation partly in section of
the construction of the before described apparatus employed by preference; Fig. 2
shews a vertical section of the same, and Fig 3 shews a sectional plan.
A is an electro-magnet, through whose coils a shunt current is led from the part
of the circuit of which the consumption of energy is to be measured, and upon
whose annular pole A' are loosely mounted two bobbins B B¹ through whose coils
a branch current from the main circuit is led. These bobbins are carried by
arms C fixed to a spindle D of soft iron suspended by a thread E from a
pin F, by turning which in one direction or the other the vertical position of the
spindle can be accurately adjusted. The spindle is also connected by two helical
springs G G¹ of conducting metal to two contact screws H H to which the
terminals of the before mentioned branch circuit are connected, so that the current
is passed from the latter through the one helical wire, and insulated contact screw
I to the coils of the bobbins and thence through the other helical wire back to the
circuit.
The spindle passes through a bobbin K having two separate coils, one of which
is connected to the circuit of the coil of the electro-magnet A, while the other is
connection with the circuit of the bobbins B B¹.
The lower end of the spindle D has a plate D¹ also of soft iron, from which is
loosely suspended a disc L of soft iron carrying a knife edge L', which gears with
a serrated ring M on a spindle M' which imparts motion to a counter N.
The coil on the bobbin K which is connected to the electro-magnet A is so adjusted
that its current exactly counteracts the magnetising action of the ring A¹ upon the
spindle D, so that this is only magnetised by the current of the second coil of K
which is in the circuit of the bobbins B B'. Thus when the currents are passing
respectively through the coils of A, and of B B and K, the bobbins are caused
to revolve upon the ring A¹ against the action of the springs G G¹ while at the
same time the spindle D, being rendered magnetic attracts the disc L, thereby
raising the knife edge L¹ out of gear with the ring M, so that the spindle D
revolves without imparting motion to the counter. On the interruption of the
current passing through the bobbins B B¹ and K, the action of the ring A¹
upon B B¹ will cease, and they will then be caused by the action of the springs G G¹
to turn back again; at the same time, the attraction of the disc L by the
spindle D having ceased, the knife edge L' will have dropped into gear with the
Berrated ring M and consequently the return motion of the spindle will be imparted
to the counter.
It will be evident that the converse arrangement of the clutch might be
employed, that is to say, the clutch might be so arranged as to gear with the counter
when the spindle is magnetised, and be disengaged therefrom when the spindle is
demagnetised; this arrangement would however have the disadvantage that the
work of moving the counter mechanism would have to be performed by the electric
current.
The interruption and closing of the circuit of the bobbins B B₁ is alternated at
regular intervals as before described, each return motion being registered by the
counter, and as the force with which the springs G Q resist the forward rotation

page_text: of the bobbins increases in proportion to the angle through which the bobbins
move, the extent of such motion will be proportional to the product-Electro-
motive force x Intensity, and consequently the counter will indicate the sum of
the energy consumed.
When it is the circuit of the electro-magnet A, that is alternately opened and
closed, instead of that of the bobbins B BI, the bobbin K is dispensed with, and
the spindle is magnetised at corresponding intervals by the annular pole A¹.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we claim :—
First. The use, in apparatus for measuring electrical energy, of an electro-
magnet having an annular polar extension on which are mounted wire coils
capable of travelling to and fro thereon, substantially as herein described.
Second. In apparatus for measuring electrical energy such as is referred to in the
preceding claim, suspending the reciprocating coils by means of two helical springs
that serve both to conduct the current to and from the coils and to impart to them
the return motion, substantially as herein described.
Third. The use in combination with the reciprocating coils referred to in the
preceding claims, of a soft iron bar or spindle that is magnetised during the motion
of the coils in one direction and demagnetised on the return motion, whereby it is
made to actuate a clutch so as to impart the one motion or the other to a counter,
substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The construction of apparatus for measuring electrical energy arranged
and combined as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Siemens have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.
ALEXANDER SIEMENS
(L.S.)