IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC METERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Henry Varley of Mildmay Grove in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, and John Ronald Shearer of
Basinghall Street in the City of London, Chartered Accountant for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC METERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Henry Varley
and John Ronald Shearer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 21st December 1882.
FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY of Mildmay Grove in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer, and JOHN RONALD SHEARER of Basinghall Street in the City
of London, Chartered Accountant, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC METERS,"
The Invention consists in the application of apparatus or contrivances whereby
the wellknown properties of an electric current to decompose fluids into their
constituent gases or elements, or to deposit metals from a solution of a salt of such
metals, is or are made to record the amount of current passed during any given
period of time.
In carrying out our Invention we proceed mainly as follows:--The first part of
the Invention relates to the application of mechanism whereby what is known as
the water voltameter is rendered a self recording instrument-This is effected
mainly as follows:-We suspend from each end of a scalo beam a bell or other
shaped receiver, one of which is furnished with a self acting valve-We prefer for
simplicity that both of the bell receivers should be immersed in the fluid intended
for decomposition by the electric current, the bell shaped receiver with self acting
valve being placed over the electrodes which decompose the fluid into the constituent
gases or elements, the other bell shaped receiver being filled with air-When the bell
over the electrodes is charged with gas it floats and the scale beam moves until it is
arrested by a stop or other contrivance when the bell which continues to rise, opens
a valve and lets out the contained gas.-When the receiver again falls and receives
a fresh charge of gas, the charging and discharging of the gas receiver causes an
oscillation of the scale beam, which we employ to actuate recording mechanism,

page_text: either mechanically or by the opening or closing of a circuit, to record the rise and
fall electrically.-It is however obvious that a bucket wheel or other suitable con-
trivanco immersed in the fluid can be so arranged that the stream of gas given off
by the electrodes causes the same to oscillate or rotate, and thus give a record.-In
the former case the receiver, which we prefer to fill with air as a counter float to
the gas receiver, serves to compensate for variations of expansion due to changes of
temperature or barometric pressure.
The second part of the Invention relates to the electro deposit of metals or other
suitable substances for the same purpose and in its simplest construction assumes
the form of a graduated float. Supposing such a float has attached to it an
electrode say for example made of copper, and is immersed in a solution of that
metal, in which is likewise placed the other electrode, on passing a current through
the fluid from one electrode to the other, one of two things will happen, either tho
electrodo attached to tho float will dissolve, or it will receive a deposit of copper,―
in the former case the float will rise, in the latter the float will descend, the
graduated scale on the float showing the increase or decrease of the buoyancy or
load line. The rise and fall can be made to give movement to recording mechanism,
and the graduation of the divided scale so proportioned as to record definito
amounts of current, either in Webers or parts of Webers, or other suitablo
quantities It is also desirable in many cases to maintain the fluids at an uniform
temperature, one method that can be adopted being the employment of a ther-
mostat which closes an electric circuit when the fluid falls below a given
temperature, and turns on a source of heat applied for the purpose of regulation,
or the thermostat may work mechanically-When however this is not so
practicable, we employ fluids which change but slightly under the ordinary range
of temperature. By suitably devised cylinders or wheels or other arrangements the
electro deposited metals may be made to cause the same to rotate or oscillate in a
manner analogous to that described for our recording water voltameter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Henry Varley and John Ronald Shearer in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 21st June 1883.
FREDERICK HENRY VARLEY of Mildmay Grove in the County of Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer, and JOHN RONALD SHEARER of Basinghall Street in the City
of London, Chartered Accountant, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC METERS
"
The Invention consists in the application of apparatus or contrivances whereby
the wellknown properties of an electric current to decompose fluids into their
constituent gases or elements, or to deposit metals from a mixture of a salt of such
metals is or are made to record the amount of current passed during any given
period of time
In carrying out our Invention, we proceed as follows:-The first part of the
Invention relates to the application of mechanism whereby what is known as the
water voltameter is rendered a self recording instrument. This is effected as
follows: We suspend from each end of a scale beam a bell or other shaped receiver,
one of which is furnished with a self-acting valve.-We prefer for simplicity that
both of the bell receivers should be immersed in the fluid intended for decom-
position by the electric current, the bell shaped receiver with self acting valve
being placed over the electrodes which decompose the fluid into the constituent
gases or elements, the other bell shaped receiver being filled with air. When the
bell over the electrodes is charged with gas, it floats, and the scale beam moves
until it is arrested by a stop or other contrivance, when the bell, which continues
to rise opens a valve, and lets out the contained gas. When the receiver again falls
and receives a fresh charge of gas, the charging and discharging of the gas receiver
causes an oscillation of the scale beam, which we employ to actuate recording
mechanism either mechanically or by the opening or closing of a circuit to record
the rise and fall electrically.—It is however obvious that a bucket wheel or other
suitable contrivance immersed in the fluid can be so arranged that the stream of
gas given off by the electrodes causes the same to oscillate or rotate, and thus give
a record-In the former case, the receiver, which we prefer to fill with air as a
counterfloat to the gas receiver, serves to compensate for variations of expansion
due to changes of temperature or barometric pressure.
The second part of the Invention relates to the electro deposit of metals or other
suitable substances for the same purpose, and in its simplest construction assumes
the form of a graduated float. Supposing such a float has attached to it an
electrode say for example made of copper, and is immersed in a solution of that
metal, in which is likewise placed the other electrode; on passing a current through
from one electrode to the other, one of two things will happen, either the electrode
attached to the float will dissolve, or it will receive a deposit of copper,-in the
former case the float will rise, in the latter the float will descend; the graduated
scale on the float showing the increase or decrease of the buoyancy or load
line. The rise and fall can be made to give movement to recording mechanism,
and the graduation of the divided scale so proportioned as to record definite
amounts of current, either in Webers or parts of Webers, or other suitable
quantities. It is also desirable in many cases to maintain the fluids at an uniform
temperature, one method that can be adopted being the employment of a thermostat,
which closes an electric circuit when the fluid falls below a given temperature, and
turns on a source of heat applied for the purpose of regulation, or the thermostat
may work mechanically.-When however this is not so practicable, we employ
fluids which change but slightly under the ordinary range of temperature.-By

page_text: suitably devised cylinders or wheels or other arrangements, the electro deposited
metals may be made to cause the same to rotate or oscillate in a manner analogous
to that described for our recording water voltameter
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents one form of constructing the recording water voltameter
A is the counter-float, charged with air, and B, the voltametric gas receiver-
C and C', oscillating beams, which permit the receiver B to ascend or descend
vertically D is a valve attached to the rod d. d., which is suspended from one end
of the oscillating beam C.- F represents the trough, filled with acidulated water
'or other suitable fluid to the level of e. +represent the electrodes for
decomposing the fluid into gas, to charge the receiver B-g. and h the leads from
the source of current to be measured ;-I and J are adjustable stops to regulate
the movement of c.-The receiver B is filled with the acidulated fluid, and is held
in the position shown in drawing by the counter float A; the beam c striking the
stop J. When the amount of accumulated gas in the receiver B is greater than
that of the counterfloat A, it rises until the rod d. d. raises the oscillating lever_c,
until it is arrested by the stop I, after which the receiver B continues to rise
until the orifice of the dome shaped top of B is opened, and the upward pressure of
the fluid forces out the gas, when the same immediately descends by the buoyancy
of the counterfloat A, in so doing actuates the lever K and link L, to which is
attached the pawl M, thus propelling the ratchet wheel N, which is connected to
recording mechanism or indicating apparatus.-The chambers or floats A and B aro
regulated for a definite amount of current.-Each rise and fall of voltametric
receiver being recorded.-Figs. 2 and 3 show arrangement whereby a graduated
float is made to indicate the amount of current by the electro deposition and
dissolving of metals. is a chamber filled to the level of e with a suitable
solution, in which floats a hydrometric float_p., the lower part carrying an
electrode R, below which is a second electrode R; the wire d' is connected to R,
and by means of the contact rollers d². d². to one polo of the current, the other
pole being connected to the terminal of R-If the current is so directed that the
plate R¹ dissolves, then Robtains a corresponding deposit of metal, which increases
its weight causing it to descend, the increase being indicated by the index as in
hydrometers. By reversing the direction of the current to reduce the weight of R.,
a reverse action takes place.-Fig, 3 is the same as Fig, 2-the registering being
indicated by a pointer and scale as shown with the addition of a counterweight.―
Fig, 4 shows a modification of our Invention whereby the graduated float p carries
a solenoid or iron core 8., capable of passing freely through the attracting coil or
solenoid T, on passing a current around and through T.-If an iron core or solenoid
be employed, the same is attracted, and the graduated float is drawn out of the
water until its weight equals the force of attraction, and by applying a lever b and
tracing pen or pencil was shown, the force is régistered on the drum x, which is
mado to revolve by any suitable means.-It is also obvious that by using a float
with a graduated stem or tube, the same can be employed as an indicating meter.-
This latter arrangement may be employed in conjunction with either of the forms
of meters described, to show at any given time the variation in the force of the
charging current in Amperes, or by using a suitably wound helix or helices to
indicate the potential in volts, or by combining two helices, one made of fine wire
for potential, and the other of thick wire, the apparatus will give the readings in
Watts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner same is to be performed or put in practice, we claim
the Invention for "Improvements in electric meters," substantially as heroinbefore
described and shown by the accompanying Drawings, in which the following are
important and peculiar points or features:-
(1) The use of a counterfloat for compensating the effect of expansion due to
therinometric or barometric action

page_text: (2). The use of a graduated or displacement float to show by the increase or
decrease of the load line the amount of current passing through the apparatus, and
thus give a record of the amount of current passing either at any given moment or
for a lengthened period of time
(3) The use in conjunction with the float of a scale beam with a counterpoise
weight and index to show on divided scale the increase or decrease of the load line,
(4.) The use of the graduated float in conjunction with a helix or helices as an
indicating or recording meter.
In Witness whereof we the said Frederick Henry Varley and John Ronald
Shearer have hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty first day of June
one thousand eight hundred and eighty three
FREDERICK H VARLEY
(L.B.)
JOHN RONALD SHEARER (L.S.)