Improvements in Electric Meters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Meters.
I, HANS PETER OLSEN, of Gothersgade 131, Copenhagen, Denmark, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is a well known fact that it has been found practically impossible to regulate
two clocks so exactly that they shall keep exact step with each other. For this
reason, the electrical supply stations employing Aaron's electric meters, have been
compelled to regulate the two clocks used in the said ineters in such a manner that
each meter, when no current is being consumed, shall indicate a consumption to a
slight extent in favor of the consumer.
The loss accruing from this cause to the station is usually not serious in practice
if the regulating action remains constant. But this very frequently is not the case,
and the meter registers a consumption in cases where no consumption has actually
taken place.
Now this invention has reference to means or apparatus whereby the two
pendulums of an electric meter of the type herein before referred to, are held
stationary when no current is passing through the meter and are released so as to
set the meter in operation as soon as a lamp or other electrical translating device
is switched into circuit.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews in front elevation ;
Fig. 2 in side elevation partly in section; and
Fig. 3 in plan so much of an electric meter as is necessary to illustrate the
application thereto of arresting and releasing apparatus according to this invention.
This apparatus comprises an electro magnet M the armature S of which is fixed to
a rod S that is guided vertically in a bracket S and is provided with a holder S*
to which are hinged or jointed two hooks H H. P P are the two clock pendulums
of a meter of the kind herein referred to. They are each provided with a hook H¹
that is adapted to become engaged with the corresponding book H when the same
is in its lowest position and the pendulum is near the end of its inward swing. Tis
a spring that may be used to aid gravity in returning the armature and attached
parts to their lowest positions when unacted upon by the electro magnet M. This
electro-magnet is arranged in a shunt circuit that extends from one of the leads or
main conductors to a terminal K which is adapted to be placed in connection with
the lead or conductor of opposite polarity as hereinafter described. This shunt
circuit, which is traversed by a current only when the current is passing through
the meter, has a high resistance say of about 2600 ohms, so that the consumption
of current by the shunt circuit with this resistance-assuming the working pressure
to be 110 volts-is only = 0.0423 amperes.
110
2600
The current lost by the shunt circuit may of course be varied by altering its
resistance.
When a current traverses the shunt circuit, the armature S will be raised, and
the hooks H provided thereon will become disengaged from the hooks H' provided
on the pendulums P. The pendulums are then free to oscillate, and the meter will
operate as long as the shunt current passes through the electro magnet M. As
soon however as the current is interrupted, the armature S will fall, and the
hooks H will become re-engaged with the hooks H' and the meter will be put out
of action.
The interruption and the closing of the shunt circuit may be effected

page_text: automatically by means of an electro magnetic device comprising a horseshoe
magnet n which is caused by the action of the current passing through the
meter to bring a contact spring into contact with another contact spring f¹. As
long as the current is passing through the meter, the horse-shoe magnet remains in
such a position that the two springs and are in contact with each other but
when the current is interrupted, the said magnet assumes a position such that the
springs and f' are moved apart thereby breaking the shunt circuit and putting the
meter out of operation.
The advantages obtained by using means or apparatus of this kind are as
follows:
1. The electric meter cannot register a consumption when none has taken
place.
2. Deviations or discrepancies in the regulating of the clocks have an effect only
so long as the meter is in operation, and this time is, in most cases, very small
compared with the time during which there is no actual consumption of current.
3. When the apparatus is applied to the electric meters of an electrical supply
station, it will be possible to limit the winding up of the clocks of the apparatus to
say once in a month, whereas this operation must, with the meters as at present
constructed, be performed twice in a month.
4. The meters last longer because they are in use during a shorter time.
Dated this 6th day of October 1803
H. P. OLSEN,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Meters.
I, HANS PETER OLSEN, of Gothersgade 131, Copenhagen, Denmark, 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 :-
It is a well known fact that it has been found practically impossible to regulate
two clocks so exactly that they shall keep exact step with each other. For this
reason, the electrical supply stations employing Aaron's electric meters, have been
compelled to regulate the two clocks used in the said meters in such a manner that
each meter, when no current is being consumed, shall indicate a consumption to a
slight extent in favor of the consumer.
The loss accruing from this cause to the
if the regulating action remains constant.
and the meter registers a consumption in
taken place.
station is usually not serious in practice
But this very frequently is not the case,
cases where no consumption has actually
Now this invention has reference to means or apparatus whereby the two
pendulums of an electric meter of the type hereinbefore referred to, are held
stationary when no current is passing through the meter, and are released so as to
set the meter in operation as soon as a lamp or other electrical translating
device is switched into circuit.
In the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 shews in front elevation ;
Fig. 2 in side elevation, partly in section; and
Fig. 3 in plan, so much of an electric meter, of the type referred to as is
necessary, to illustrate the application thereto of arresting and releasing apparatus
according to this invention.
This apparatus comprises an electro-magnet M the armature S of which is fixed
to a rod S that is guided vertically in a bracket S2 and is provided with a holder S³
to which are hinged or jointed two hooks H H. P, P are the two clock pendulums

page_text: of a meter of the kind herein referred to. They are each provided with a hook H¹
that is adapted to become engaged with the corresponding hook H when the same
is in its lowest position and the pendulum is near the end of its inward swing.
T is a spring that may be used to aid gravity in returning the armature and
attached parts to their lowest positions when un-acted upon by the electro-magnet M.
The electro-magnet is arranged in a shunt circuit that extends from one of the
leads or main conductors to a terminal K which is adapted to be placed in
connection with the lead or conductor of opposite polarity as hereinafter described.
This shunt circuit, which is traversed by a current only when the current is passing
through the meter, has a high resistance say of about 2600 ohms, so that the
consumption of current by the shunt circuit with this resistance-assuming the
working pressure to be 110 volts―is only
0.0423 amperes.
110
2600
=
The current lost by the shunt circuit may of course be varied by altering the
resistance of this circuit.
When a current traverses the shunt circuit, the armature S will be raised, and
the hooks H provided thereon will become disengaged from the hooks H¹ on the
pendulums P. The pendulums are then free to oscillate and the meter will operate
as long as the shunt current passes through the electro-magnet M.
As soon
however as the current is interrupted, the armature S will fall, and the hooks H
will become re-engaged with the hooks H¹ and the meter will be put out of
action.
The interruption and the closing of the shunt circuit containing the electro-
magnet M may be effected automatically through contact springs ff by means of
an electro-magnetic device comprising an electro-magnet N placed in the main
circuit of the meter, and an armature na which is mounted to turn about a
vertical axis and is provided with an adjustable tappet pin t, the arrangement being
such that when a current is sent through the meter by way of the electro-magnet N,
the armature will be rotated to a sufficient extent to cause the pin t to press the
contact spring finto contact with the contact spring f' thus completing the shunt
circuit. As long as the current is passing through the meter, the armature will
remain in the position in which it will keep the two springs and fl in contact
with each other and the shunt circuit closed, but when the current is interrupted
and the magnet N ceases to be energized, the said armature will cease to be
attracted and will be turned partly in the opposite direction by the elasticity of the
spring which will then move away from the spring 1, thereby breaking the shunt
circuit and permitting the pendulums to be caught by the hooks in the manner
herein before explained, thus putting the meter out of action.
The advantages obtained by using means or apparatus of this kind are as
follows:-
1. The electric meter cannot register a consumption when none has taken
place.
2. Deviations or discrepancies in the regulating of the clocks have an effect only
so long as the meter is in operation, and this time is, in most cases, very small
compared with the time during which there is no actual consumption of current.
3. When the apparatus is applied to the electric meters of an electrical supply
station, it will be possible to limit the winding up of the clocks of the apparatus to
say once in a month, whereas this operation must with the meters as at present
constructed, be performed twice in a month.
4. The meters last longer because they are in use during a shorter time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an electric meter of the type herein referred to an electro magnet the
armature of which has in connection therewith, hooks or analogous devices that
are adapted when the meter is out of action and no electric current is flowing

page_text: through the said electro-magnet, to engage with other hooks or analogous devices
on the pendulums that regulate the clock mechanism of the meter so as to stop
the working of the clock mechanism whilst no electric current is being consumed,
and to release the pendulums and permit the clockwork to restart when the
consumption of current recommences and a current again flows through the electro-
magnet as set forth.
2. In an electric meter provided with controlling apparatus of the kind specified
in the preceding claim, an electro-magnetic contact making and breaking device
comprising a rotary magnet às which by means of two springs ff is arranged to
complete a shunt circuit through the electro-magnet M when a current is passing
through the solenoids of the meter and to break this circuit, when the said
current stops, substantially as herein described.
3. An electric meter, of the kind herein referred to, provided with arresting
and releasing apparatus constructed arranged and operating as hereinbefore
described with reference to and shown in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1893.
H. P. OLSEN,
By L. W., per F. B.