Improvements in Electricity Meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Electricity Meters.
I, HARRY NUNNS, of South Parade, Halifax, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
To consist substantially of a diaphragm, bellows, or other air container, which
is filled with air by means of a weighted lever, and emptied or compressed by
means of a core, which works inside a shunt solenoid, dropping on to the lever,
at the opposite end to the weight.
A switch closes the shunt circuit, which raises the core on its having travelled
the required distance.
The speed with which the container is filled or emptied is regulated by a small
tap or valve, the opening and closing of which, being controlled by the main
current solenoid causes the container to empty and fill in proportion to the
amount of current.
The movement up and down of the container is registered by means of a
counter.
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1000
Improvements in ectricity
I, HARRY NUNNS, of South Parade, Halifax, in the County of Yorkshire, Elec-
trical 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;
-
This invention relates to the type of instrument used for measuring and regis-
tering the consumption of current electricity through the mains of an electrical
supply and has for its objects greater sensitiveness and accuracy of operation with
simplicity of construction and reduction of first cost.
Hitherto in mechanisms of this type the registering apparatus has for the most
part been actuated by means of small motors a great fault of which has been that
they did not work accurately with small quantities of current and which owing
to their delicate construction and expensiveness are easily deranged and put out
of order and consequently are unreliable and objectionable.
The essential features of my invention which has been designed to obviate
these defects consist of a flexible diaphragm of suitable material covering a
shallow cylinder or air vessel controlled by a plug and socket arrangement of
valve which is in turn regulated by the oscillations of a vibrating needle working

page_text: within a main current solenoid whereby the passage of air and the consequent
speed of movement of the diaphragm are more or less checked or accentuated; a
weighted lever connected with the centre of the diaphragm and a core working
within a shunt solenoid so as to drop centrally over the diaphragm and said
weighted lever end; a switch for alternately opening and closing the shunt
circuit; a horizontal locking bar for keeping switch in open position and operated
by a bell crank lever articulated with a vertical rod which is in turn jointed to
that portion of the weighted lever coupled to the centre of the diaphragm; and
a stop bar and weighted lever forming a stop motion for supporting the core
when not under the attracting magnetic influence of the shunt coil.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings which clearly indicate the manner in which these improvements are
effected. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation showing the general arrangement of the
apparatus.
Fig. 2 is also a part sectional elevation showing the main coil and vibrating
needle and its connection with the regulating air valve on the air cylinder and
diaphragm.
Fig. 3 is a part plan of the lower portion of the instrument showing the
weighted lever and its connections with the diaphragm, vertical rod and stop
motion for checking the core.
Fig. 4 is a general plan showing more particularly the top portion of the
apparatus which consists of the shunt circuit switch and the horizontal locking
bar arrangement.
With reference to Fig. 1 A is the air vessel, B the diaphragm of rubber,
leather or other suitable material to which are attached plates C and boss D so
as to form a float which is connected to the forked end of a weighted lever F
by means of links G, the said lever being suspended by means of a stud or
bracket H to the under side of the platform J. K is a weighted rocking lever
pivotted centrally in the bracket H and which has a projecting pin L working
in a suitably formed slot in the stop bar M, the other end of the
stop bar being supported and guided by a centrally fixed bracket
fitted with roller guides N also suspended from the platform J and
which also serve the purpose of guiding the core 0 in its alternating vertical
movements within the shunt coil P which is composed of many turns of fine wire
and fixed in a central position on the platform J. Q is a copper bar switch,
Rare suitable contact pieces fixed on the bobbin of shunt coil P into which Q
falls when closing the circuit. S is a bracket also fixed in a suitable position
on the flange of the bobbin of the shunt coil P to which is pivoted the switch Q
in such a manner as to allow of the said switch Q to swivel vertically over the
centre of the core so that the core O may strike it fair whenever it is caused
to do so by the operation of the instrument. T is a locking bar which reciprocates
within suitable bearings on the bracket S and which is actuated by a lever V,
rock shaft X and projecting pin Z articulating with a suitably formed slot in the
locking bar T in such way that the inner end of the bar T intercepts a project-
ing lip "a" formed on the boss of the switch bar Q. A is a main series coil
of a few turns of thick wire fixed to one side of the platform J. B¹ is a vibrat-
ing needle moving within the coil A¹ and fixed to a rocking piece C¹ pivotted
between two centres fixed in projecting bearings to the underside of the plat-
form J. D is a suspended rod which is carried by a pin fixed eccentrically at E¹
at its upper end in a recess formed in a rocking piece C¹. At the lower end of
the suspended rod D¹ is the plug F1 which enters a socket or valve G¹ provided
for it at the base and on one side of the air vessel A. J₁ is a vertical connecting
rod which is jointed at its lower end to the inner forked end of
the weighted lever F and is again jointed at its upper end to the lever V.
Midway on the vertical rod J¹ is fixed a pawl K' which as the rod J¹ rises and
falls engages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel which by suitable gear works a

page_text: registering dial similar to that usually seen on gas meters and which for the
purpose is fixed in any convenient position on the platform J. H in Fig. 2
is a thin steel bar which is fixed permanently within the main coil, parallel
with and in close proximity to the vibrating needle B in its position of repose.
The platform J is carried on four pillars L¹ fixed to a metallic or other base
plate M. N¹ is a balance weight on the outer end of the lever F.
I will now proceed to describe how my invention works when put into active
operation which is as follows. When no current is passing the vibrating needle B¹
is in the position as shown by the full lines in Fig. 2 and the air valve F¹ is
closed. The wire connections are such that the main coil A¹ is in series with
the main lead and carries the whole of the current passing through it, whilst
one end of the shunt coil P is connected to one of the terminals along with the
series coil A¹, and the other end is connected to one of the contacts at R, and
continued from the other contact at R to the opposite lead or pole.
Immediately any current passes in the mains and through the series coil A¹
the vibrating needle B' and the stationary bar H¹ become magnetised and like
poles are formed at their similar ends and repulsion takes place between the two
and B is carried over into a position as shown by the dotted lines at 6 Fig. 2.
This at once fixes for that strength of current the amount of opening in the air
valve G¹ and the rate of passage of the air into the air vessel A and in conse-
quence regulates the rate of movement of the diaphragm B. Supposing core 0
to have descended to its lowest position, bar T will have been withdrawn by
means of rod J¹ and lever V so as to release the switch Q which immediately
drops into contact with R and closes the shunt circuit. At this instant current
traverses the shunt coil P and core 0 is drawn up the centre of the solenoid and
strikes against the switch Q causing it to lift out of contact with R and so break
circuit again whereupon the core O drops to rest on the stop-bar M which, as
the core was lifted clear, was slipped in towards the centre by the small.
weighted lever K. Meanwhile by the action of the weight N¹ which is heavy
enough to raise the diaphragm B when the core 0 is lifted away from it and
with it the forked end of lever F to which as I have previously described the
vertical rod J¹ is connected, rod J' is thus raised also, and at its other end being
jointed to lever V that is also raised and the locking bar T is pushed inwards and
overlapping the lip " n on the boss of the switch Q retains it in its raised
position. I have said that the core O was now resting on the end of stop M and
this continues until the lever F has risen sufficiently to come into contact with
the weighted lever K which then on being slightly raised by the said lever F
withdraws the stop M and allows the core 0 to fall on the boss D of the diaphragm,
The superincumbent weight of the core O overcomes that of the balance weight N¹
and presses the diaphragm down again, and with it lever F which brings down
the vertical rod J₁ which in turn lowers lever V and releases the lock T and the
switch drops into contact with R, current again passes and the cycle of events
is repeated. The vertical rod J¹, in falling engages the cam and ratchet motion
and the movement is registered by the clock work arrangement on the dial. It
will be seen that the shunt current is of a very momentary nature.
"
My invention is especially applicable as an ampere hour meter and may be
equally applicable as a watt hour meter but it will be distinctly understood that
I do not bind myself to the details as herein given as these may be departed from
without affecting the spirit of the invention, nor do I confine myself to one pai-
ticular form or arrangement of registering apparatus as this too may be varied
at convenience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An electric meter consisting of an air vessel, diaphragm and weighted lever:
main and shunt coils; core and core locking arrangements; switch and switch

page_text: locking arrangements; vibrating lever and air regulating arrangements; and
registering apparatus all substantially as described.
2. In an electric meter the combination of an air vessel and diaphragm as
herein described.
3. In an electric meter the combination of an air vessel, diaphragm and 5
weighted lever substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
4. In an electric meter the combination of an air vessel, diaphragm, weighted
lever, air valve, rocking arm, bar magnets and solenoid all substantially as
described and shown herein.
5. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts comprising 1
the hereinbefore described improvements in electric meters substantially as
described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings.
.
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P
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TAYLOR & FIRTH,
Osborne Chambers, 48, Sunbridge Road, Bradford,
Agents for the Applicant.