Improvements in Electric Meters.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1891--Accepted, 5th Dec., 1391
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Meters.
I, ALPHONSE FRAGER, of No. 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In my Specification No. 8958 of 1889 I have described an electric Watt
meter consisting of (1) an electric dynamometer which indicates energy expended
per second, (2) a clockwork which indicates the time during which the energy
is expended, and (3) a counter which registers the product of the energy by
the time.
I have also described in my Provisional Specification No. 6667 of 1890 a
modified construction of the clockwork portion of the meter above referred to.
My present invention relates to farther inodifications by which I am enabled to
employ the apparatus as an Ampère hour meter, and also to apply it as an Ohin
hour meter for indicating nominal energy, that is to say for indicating independently
of the variations of tension of the current which is supplied, the total candle power
of a set of lamps, this candle power being reckoned at a uniform standard value
per lamp.
In order to render the apparatus available as an Ampère hour meter, I employ,
as in the Watt meter, a stationary circuit and a moveable bobbin in shunt with the
main circuit. But in this bobbin I place a core of soft iron and I wind the bobbin
with two opposite coils in series the one over the other the number of their
respective convolutions being so proportioned that if there were no iron core there
would be no deflection of the bobbin, and that the iron is always magnetically
saturated within the limits of variation of the current in these coils resulting from
variations of the tension of the main current. This combination of stationary
circuit with bobbin such as I have described may be used without the clockwork
and counter as an Ampère meter, not registering.
In order to adapt the apparatus to act as an Ohm hour meter, for indicating
nominal energy,
employ as in the Watt meter, a stationary circuit and an
internal bobbin in shunt, but instead of mounting this bobbin so as to be moveable
on an axis, I fix it with its axis inclined to that of the outer circuit coil, and
I mount on an axis passing through it a soft iron bar which has freedom to move
to or fro within the bobbin. The axis on which this bar is fixed becomes then
the axis of the needle operating as in the Watt meter.
When the apparatus is employed as an Ampère meter the form of the cam
has to be somewhat different from that of the cam employed in the Watt meter,
and when it is employed as an Ohm meter the form of the cam has also to be
modified.
Dated this 10th day of December 1890.
ABEL & IMRAI,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Meters.
I, ALPHONSE FRAGER, of No. 23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,
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 :—
In my Specification No. 8958 of 1889 I have described an electric Watt

page_text: meter consisting of (1) an electric dynamometer which indicates energy expended
per second, (2) a clockwork which indicates the time during which the energy
is expended, and (3) a counter which registers the product of the energy by
the time.
I have also described in my Provisional Specification No. 6667 of 1890 a
modified construction of the clockwork portion of the meter above referred to.
My present invention relates to farther modifications by which I am enabled to
employ the apparatus as an Ampère hour meter, and also to apply it as an Ohm
hour meter for indicating nominal energy, that is to say, for indicating independently
of the variations of tension of the current which is supplied, the total candle power
of a set of lamps, this candle power being reckoned at a uniform standard value
per lamp.
In order to render the apparatus available as an Ampère hour meter, I employ,
as in the Watt meter, a stationary circuit and a moveable bobbin in shunt with the
main circuit. But in this bobbin I place a core of soft iron and I wind the bobbin
with two opposite coils in series the one over the other the number of their
respective convolutions being so proportioned that if there were no iron core there
would be no deflection of the bobbin, and that the iron is always magnetically
saturated within the limits of variation of the current in these coils resulting from
variations of the tension of the main current. This combination of stationary
circuit with bobbin such as I have described may be used without the clockwork
and counter as an Ampère meter, not registering.
In order to adapt the apparatus to act as an Ohm hour meter, for indicating
nominal energy, I employ as in the Watt meter, a stationary circuit and an internal
bobbin in shunt, but instead of mounting this bobbin so as to be moveable on an
axis, I fix it with its axis inclined to that of the outer circuit coil, and I mount on
on axis passing through it a soft iron bar which has freedom to move to or fro
within the bobbin. The axis on which this bar is fixed becomes then the axis of
the needle operating as in the Watt meter.
When the apparatus is employed as an Ampère meter the form of the cam has to
be somewhat different from that of the cam employed in the Watt meter, and
when it is employed as an Ohm meter the form of the cam has also to be
modified.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing shew in sectional elevation and
plan the before described construction of the indicating apparatus for acting as an
Ohm hour meter for indicating nominal energy. A A are the coils constituting
the stationary circuit through which the current to be measured passes as described
in my before mentioned Patents, and B is the internal bobbin in shunt on such
circuit, such bobbin being fixed with its horizontal axis inclined at an angle, as
shewn, to the horizontal axis of the coils A. A. Through the vertical hollow axis
of the bobbin passes freely a spindle C suspended by a filament in the same manner
as the similar spindle of the arrangement described in my said Patents, which
spindle carries centrally within the bobbin B a bar D of soft iron. The upper end
of the spindle carries a pointer E which acts in conjunction with the clockwork and
registering mechanism in the manner described in my prior Specifications above
referred to. The iron bar D being influenced by the joint action of the currents
flowing through A and B, the position of the pointer will be at every moment a
function of the resistance of the circuit, and consequently of its nominal power.
These indications are integrated periodically by means of the cam of the clock-
work, as described in my previous Specifications above referred to.
Figure 3 shews the before described construction of the indicating apparatus for
acting as an Ampère hour meter. The construction of the fixed coils A. A. and
moveable bobbins B fixed on the suspended spindle C is similar to that of the
apparatus described in my previous Specifications above referred to, but in this
case the bobbin carries a core F of soft iron, and has two oppositely wound
coils G and ¹ connected in series in shunt on the main circuit. The force of the

page_text: outer one G¹ is slightly greater than the force of the inner one G, but the field of
the latter is greater than that of G¹ to an extent sufficient to cause the iron core
always to be in a state of saturation.
The magnetic force of the core is consequently the reverse of that of the coils.
Any increases of potential have the effect of increasing on the one hand the
magnetic force of the two coils combined and, on the other hand, also that of
the core, these increases being so proportioned that their effects balance each
other.
Furthermore the moveable bobbin B is so fixed that when the pointer indicates
zero, the angle formed by the positive lines of force of the two solenoids shall be
110 degrees, and 90 degrees when the meter indicates the maximum consumption.
The effects of magnetic induction of the fixed circuit upon the soft iron core will
by this means be nearly neutralised, and as on the other hand, the variations of
potential are practically very limited, it will be seen that the variations in the
magnetism of the core will be nearly zero.
This arrangement avoids, in addition, the inconvenience attending the use of the
magnets generally employed.
These magnets are always affected by the field of the current to be measured so
that their magnetisation does not remain constant, and it also varies with the lapse
of time, and therefore does not satisfy the requirements of a meter, the initial
regulation of which should remain unchanged for an indefinite time.
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 :-
1. In electric meters of the kind herein referred to arranging the indicating
apparatus to act as an Ampère hour meter by constructing the moveable bobbin
that actuates the indicating spindle and pointer with a soft iron core and providing
it with two oppositely wound cores connected in series in shunt on the circuit, of
the current to be measured, substantially as described with reference to Figure 3
of the drawings.
2. In electric meters of the kind herein referred to, arranging the indicating
apparatus to act as an Ohm hour meter by arranging the bobbin, the coil of which
is in shunt on the circuit of the current to be measured, in a fixed position in which
its horizontal axis forms an angle with the axis of the fixed coils through which the
current to be measured passes, and providing within the bobbin a soft iron core
fixed on a moveable vertical spindle passing through a central vertical passage
of the bobbin, which spindle carries at top the pointer of the indicating and
registering mechanism, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of September 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.