Improvements in or relating to Indicating Apparatus for Alternating Current Apparatus or Circuits.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1894-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1895
Improvements in or relating to Indicating Apparatus for Alternating
Current Apparatus or Circuits.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY, of 49 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
When alternators are working in parallel no means have heretofore been employed
for readily indicating whether the current is being delivered from or into the
machines, and my invention has for its object to obviate this disadvantage. For
this purpose I provide in connection with each alternator, an indicating device
comprising two solenoids, or a solenoid and electro-magnet, one of which is in the
main circuit and the other is in a shunt circuit between the mains with which the
alternators are connected, or forms the secondary of a small transformer the primary
of which is connected across the said mains, the arrangement of the solenoids, or
solenoid and electro-magnet being such that they are capable of movement
relatively to each other, the movement being in one direction when current is
being delivered from the machine and in the opposite direction when current is
being delivered into the machine. In conjunction with one or other of the movable
parts may be combined a needle or pointer adapted to turn to either side of a
zero point. Or the direction of movement of one or other of the said parts may
alone serve to indicate the direction of the current.
In a modified arrangement the construction is such as to produce an audible
signal, either directly or by acting on a local circuit containing an electric bell,
the signal being produced either at the device or at a distance therefrom as may be
desired.
Indicating devices constructed as described, may be used in connection with other
alternate current apparatus such for example as transformers.
Dated this 29th day of March 1894.
Improvements in or relating to Indicating Apparatus for Alternating
Ourrent Apparatus or Circuits.
I, WILLIAM MORRIS MORDEY, of 49 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electrician, 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 :-
When alternators are working in parallel, no means have heretofore been
employed for readily indicating whether the current is being delivered from

page_text: or into the machines, and my invention has for its object to obviate this dis-
advantage. For this purpose, 1 provide in connection with each alternator, an
indicating device comprising two solenoids, or a solenoid and electro-magnet, one of
which is in the main circuit and the other is in a shunt circuit between the mains
with which the alternators are connected, or forms the secondary of a small
transformer the primary of which is connected across the said mains, the arrange-
ment of the solenoids, or solenoid and electro-magnet, being such that they are
capable of movement relatively to each other, the movement being in one
direction when current is being delivered from the machine, and in the opposite
direction when current is being delivered into the machine. In conjunction with
one or other of the movable parts may be combined a needle or pointer adapted to
turn to either side of a zero point. Or the direction of movement of one or other
of the said parts may alone serve to indicate the direction of the current. The two
coils may be wound on one iron core, which may have a third winding, arranged in
connection with an indicating instrument or a lamp or bell or other device to
indicate a change of the relative direction of current in the two coils.
The construction may be such as to produce an audible or visual signal, either
directly, or by acting on a local circuit containing an electric bell, or an electric
lamp or other apparatus, the signal being produced either at the device, or at a
distance therefrom, as may be desired.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1
showing, diagrammatically, an indicating apparatus constructed according to this
invention.
1 is the series solenoid, arranged in the main circuit of an alternator 2, and wound
around an iron core 3, around which is also wound, but in a direction at right
angles to the solenoid 1, a second solenoid or winding 4, which is arranged, as
shown, in a shunt between the mains 2ª, 2° to which the alternator 2 is connected.
The solenoid 1, in the arrangement shown, is fixed, the iron core 3 being provided
with pins or trunnions 3, mounted to partly turn in bearings 5, and with a pointer 6
arranged to move over a fixed scale 7, the arrangement being such, that when the
device is put into use, the combined core 3 and coil 4, constituting together an
electro-magnet, will be partly turned so as to move the pointer 6 to one side of the
zero point on the scale 7, and when the direction of current is reversed, the pointer
will be turned to the opposite side of the said zero point, and thus indicate that
such reversal in direction of the current has taken place. As will be obvious the
movement of the core 3 may actuate, in various ways, an audible or visual signal,
either directly, or by acting on a local electric circuit in which the signalling
device is arranged.
Indicating devices constructed as described, may be used in connection with other
alternate current apparatus, such for example as motors, or transformers, and may
be arranged to indicate or measure the actual amount of difference of phase, or
relative simultaneous value of the two quantities, that is, the difference of phase
for example between current and E.M.F. or between two or more currents. For
this purpose the instrument may have a dial or scale, and be calibrated to show the
relative direction, and at the same time the actual value, of the phase relation.
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. For indicating or measuring the relative direction of, or relative phase
between alternating currents or electromotive forces, or both, an indicating device
comprising electro-magnetic coils or conductors connected up as described and
provided or not with iron, the said coils or conductors being adapted to act on
one another in such a way as to indicate the said difference in direction or phase,
directly, or on a dial or scale, or by a signalling device substantially as herein
described.

page_text: 2. Indicating apparatus for alternating current apparatus or circuits constructed.
and arranged substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 31st day of December 1894.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.