An Apparatus for Measuring. Direct or Alternating Electric Currents.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1889
Complete. Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1889-Accepted. 11th Jan
1800
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Measuring. Direct or Alternating Electric
Currents..
WILLIAM HENRY DINES West End, Esher, Gentleman LEONARD WILLSON GATWARD
Bancroft, Hitchin, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
A small cistern kept filled with water or other liquid by a self regulating valve.
The liquid flows from the cistern through a suitable orifice & the rate at which it flows
is regulated by the Electric Current in such a way that the flow is proportional to the
strength of Current.*.
Hence the quantity of liquid which flows, by operating a suitable index indicates
the quantity of electricity which has flowed in the same time.
.Dated this 12th day of January 1889.
LEONARD WILLSON GATWARD.
WILLIAM H. DINES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Measuring Direct or Alternating Electric
Currents.
WILLIAM HENRY DINES, Gentleman West End Esher LEONARD WILLSON GATWARD
Engineer Hitchin 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:-
The apparatus consists of a small cistern balanced on knife edges, into which
cistern is fixed a pipe of convenient length provided with a fine nozzle for outlet.
This cistern is hereinafter called the tipping cistern.
Attached to the tipping cistern are one or more coils of insulated wire, near which
coil or coils another set of coils is rigidly attached to the frame of the meter.
The action is as follows.
A cistern called the main cistern containing water or other liquid is. provided
& so arranged that the said liquid passes through a syphon into the tipping cistern, &
a constant level is maintained in the tipping & main cisterns by a ball cock fixed
preferably in the main cistern.
The aforesaid outlet pipe of the tipping cistern is so arranged that when the tipping
cistern is in its normal position the nozzle is at about the same level as the liquid in
the tipping cistern.
The current to be measured is passed through all the aforesaid coils of wire, &
the mutual attraction or repulsion between them operates the tipping cistern, &
brings the nozzle of the outlet pipe to a lower level than the surface of the liquid
in the tipping cistern. In this way the liquid flows into a measuring vessel & thus
indicates the amount of electricity which has passed through the coils. We catch the
liquid which flows from the outlet pipe in a small cistern, constructed on the same
principle as the tip up cistern of a self recording rain guage, which cistern in tipping
operates a train of wheels by means of a ratchet & pawl. We fix pointers to the
wheels & these show the number of revolutions or parts of a revolution on a suitable
dial. Instead of operating the tipping cistern as before described we may, when the
current is a direct & not an alternating one, employ a soft iron or a permanent magnet
in the place of one set of coils, or we may operate the tipping cistern by the agency
of the heat generated by the current in various ways. Instead of using a tipping
-
Price Edi

page_text: cistern, we may mount the syphon upon knife edges, the syphon terminating in an
S shaped pipe, & the deflexion being caused as previously described for the tipping
cistern.
In general the deflexion given to the tipping cistern is proportional to the square of
the current, & the rate of efflux of the liquid is theoretically proportional to the
square root of the pressure or head, hence the registration of the instrument should be
perfectly accurate. We find that the rate of efflux of the liquid is not exactly pro-
portional to the depth of the nozzle below the surface of the liquid in the main cistern,
but we make allowance for this, either by the special form given to the coils, or by
means of a spring or its equivalent so arranged that as the deflexion of the tipping
cistern & outlet pipe are increased they encounter an addiontional force beside that
caused by their own weight, tending to restore them to their normal position. A
small centrifugal pump & electric motor may be attached to the meter to restore the
liquid to its original source & make the meter self:contained.
The various parts are referred to in the drawings by the following letters.
A-Tipping cistern.
-Core of 'solenoid.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
manner the same is to be performed we declare what we
tion & in what
claim is-
The principle by which the flow of electricity is measured by the rate of efflux of 'a
liquid the pressure or head causing that efflux being made to depend upon the strength
of the current.
1000
W. H. DINES.
LEONARD W. GATWARD.