Improved Apparatus for Supplying or Measuring a Current of Electricity.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1897
Complete Specification Loft 15th Mar 1808 Accented 11th June 1808
Date of Application, 15th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left 15th Mar 1808 Accepted 11th June 1808
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Supplying or Measuring a Current of
Electricity.
We, WILLIAM DOBSON WATSON, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, and THOMAS HUMPHREYS, of 4, Sladen Street, Rochdale
aforesaid, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;-
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus for supplying a definite
amount of electricity upon prepayment of its equivalent value or otherwise, and
especially to such apparatus as are required to supply the said current in varying
quantity, say for varying numbers of lamps to be lighted at the same time or for
other purposes; and the invention is applicable to that class of apparatus wherein
the current is measured by clockwork according to the time taken for a given
current to flow through the meter, and especially to apparatus consisting of an
ordinary clockwork motion provided with means for working a governing lever
controlling the escapement of an auxiliary clockwork motion which actuates an
indicator and a cut out" device, the said governing lever being so combined
with an ampere meter as to remain inactive when no current is being used, and to
allow the aforesaid escapement to work slowly or quickly according as a greater
or less amount of current is being used, special means, being also provided for
regulating the action of the ampere meter.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of a solenoid coil or
magnet and armature, and the invention consists in the combination with the
governing lever above named (or other governing part) of an ampere meter the main
part of which is a suitable metallic wire, rod, or other equivalent, in the circuit
of the electric current supplied, or to be supplied, and such that the flow of such
current will heat and expand the wire rod or its equivalent according to the amount
of current used.
It is in practice proposed to provide the governing lever with a cam surface
for regulating its stroke, the said cam surface coming in contact with the end of
a lever the other end of which is held (by weight or otherwise) against a suitable
wire forming part of the circuit of the electric current to be supplied by the meter.
This wire is held rigidly between two brackets one at each side of the end of the
lever last mentioned, and the expansion of the wire, according to the heat produced
by the current being used, will allow the contiguous end of the said lever to move
more or less and the other end to come opposite a different part of the cam surface
on the governing lever.
The stoppage of the current will tighten the wire to its shortest length and stop
the governing lever altogether.
It will be evident that the expansion of a suitable metallic wire, or its equiva-
lent can be adapted to control other governing mechanism in combination with

page_text: wwy.
working and stopping apparatus for automatically measuring and
supplying electricity.
Dated this 14th day of June 1897.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester
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Improved. Apparatus for Supplying or Measuring a Current of
Electricity.
We, WILLIAM DOBSON WATSON, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, in the County
Lancaster, Manufacturer, and THOMAS HUMPHREYS, of 4, Sladen Street, Rochdal
aforesaid, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inventio
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described an
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus for supplying a definit
amount of electricity upon prepayment of its equivalent value or otherwise,, and
especially to such apparatus as are required to supply the said current in varying
quantity, say for varying numbers of lamps to be lighted at the same time, or for
other purposes; and the invention is applicable to that class of apparatus wherein
the current is measured by clockwork according to the time taken for a given
current to flow through the meter, and especially to such apparatus consisting of an
ordinary clockwork motion provided with means for working a governing lever
controlling the escapement of an auxiliary clockwork motion which actuates an
indicator and a
with an ampere meter as to remain inactive when no current is being used, and to
cut out" device, the said governing lever being so combined
allow the aforesaid escapement to work slowly or quickly according as a greater
or less amount of current is being used, special means being also provided for
regulating the action of the ampere meter.
"
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of a solenoid coil or
magnet and armature, and the invention consists in the combination with the
governing lever above named (or other governing part) of an ampere meter the main
part of which is a suitable metallic wire, rod, or other equivalent, in the circuit
of the electric current, supplied, or to be supplied, and such that the flow of such
current will heat and expand the wire rod or its equivalent according to the amount
of current used.
Our invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying 3
illustrations.
Figs. 1 and 2 shewing two methods of applying a metallic wire for the above
purpose to a lever such as that for which we have applied for Letters Patent
No. 11,045 of 1897, which is the arrangement we find most suitable for an electric
meter.
40
It is in practice proposed in the cases above referred to in which the governing
lever a is provided with a cam surface a¹ for regulating its stroke to cause the said
cam surface a¹ to come in contact with the end of a lever b the other end of which
is held (by a weight or otherwise, say by a spring 6* see Fig. 1) against a suitable
vire c forming part of the circuit of the electric current to be supplied by the 45
eter. This wire c is held rigidly between two brackets or screws dd, one at each
ide of the end of the lever b last mentioned, and the expansion of the wire c,
ccording to the heat produced by the current being used, will allow the con

page_text: tiguous end of the said lever b to move more or less and the other end to come
opposite a different part of the cam surface a¹ on the governing lever a.
The stoppage of the current will tighten the wire to its shortest length and stop
the action of the governing lever a altogether. Or the lever 6 may be made in the
form of a flat spring (see Fig. 2) fixed at 61, its free end capable of self adjustment
beneath the cam surface a¹ of the governing lever a; Fig. 2 also shows how a
cord e may connect the lever b to a second cord e¹ which is fixed at one end and
allowed to be bent more or less according as the wire c (to which the other end of
the cord e¹ is connected) is expanded or contracted by the passage of more or less
electricity along it.
It will be evident without further illustration that the expansion of a suitable
metallic wire, or its equivalent can be adapted to control other governing mechanism
in combination with clockwork for working and stopping apparatus for auto-
matically measuring and supplying electricity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. we declare that what
we claim is:
-
In an automatic meter for measuring and supplying a current of electricity in
varying quantity, the combination with the governing lever (or other part) con-
trolling the action of the meter according to the said quantity, of a metallic wire
or its equivalent in the circuit of the electric current supplied, and such connec-
tions between the said wire (or its equivalent) and the said lever (or other govern-
ing part) that the flow of the electric current supplied will regulate the action of
the said governing part and the stoppage of the electric current will stop the said
action substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 14th day of March 1898
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.