Improvements in Electricity Meters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 22nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electricity Meters.
GUSTAV BINSWANGER Electrical Engineer 71 Queen Victoria Street
London E.C. and HERBERT JOHN COATES Electrical Engineer 45 Chapel Street
Salford do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention is designed to obviate the necessity of dismounting the pendulums
in any form of electric meter in which pendulums are used; this hitherto has been
usual & necessary when moving such meters for transit &c., in order to avoid injury
to the pendulums or to the mechanism connected therewith.
By our invention we also secure the important result of being able to absolutely
seal up the meters to which it is applied after calibration, so that when they are
placed in the supply circuit they are at once ready for working.
In carrying our invention into practice, we attach either to the pendulum bob or
to its rod, preferably near the bob on each side, an arm, curved to a radius having
approximately the same centre as the centre of motion of the pendulum. These
arms are arranged to pass through holes in suitable pieces supported by the frame
work or forming part of the same, these holes being large enough to allow the said
arms to pass freely through them, so that when the apparatus is level, & the
pendulum swinging in its normal plane of oscillation, they swing without touching
the sides of the holes. These pieces are placed at a sufficient distance from the
position of rest of the pendulum as to be just clear of it at its maximum working
length of swing. To the upper part of the pendulum rod, in order to effectually
protect the suspension spring a guard piece is fixed or the rod may be so shaped
at this part as to form this guard piece, just clear of the edge of the suspension
spring. To the bracket or support from which the pendulum is suspended a
Ushaped piece is fixed the limbs of which form stops on either side of this guard
piece, so that when longer than normal swings of the pendulum occur,
the guard
strikes these stops, at the same time that the lower part of pendulum is striking the
stop pieces near it; & the front of the bracket & the yoke of the U piece serves to
arrest any undue motion in the other direction & so prevents undue strain upon the
suspension spring. If preferred the bracket & the U piece may be formed of one
piece.
The suspension spring is free to move upwards in the groove of the supporting
bracket until the arms of the pendulum strike the upper sides of the holes. It will
be seen that when the pendulum is in its normal position it is free to oscillate
without the arms touching the sides of the holes through which they pass; & the
guard piece which protects the spring also is clear of the stops at the end of each
stroke, & it is only when anything occurs to disturb the pendulum as for instance,
violent shaking during transit, or carriage of the meter, that the arms striking or
resting against the sides of the holes in the pieces afore described, relieve the
suspension spring of the weight of the pendulum, & the guard piece also striking
its stops or resting thereon assists in protecting the said suspension spring from all
undue strains. Instead of the pendulum having arms passing through holes, it is
evident, that when desirable, a bar supported at one or both ends may be employed,
fitted through a hole in the pendulum, this bar being suitably curved to the radius
described by the part of the pendulum in which the hole is formed, & the size of
the hole being just sufficient to clear the bar, during the normal swings of the
pendulum, suitable stops being placed at the ends of the said bar, just beyond the
maximum length of the pendulum swings. Another modification in the manner of
carrying out our invention consists in the employment of a slotted protecting piece

page_text: instead of the arms, or the bar, before described in the slot of which the pendulum.
bob or rod is free to move without touching when swinging normally, but prevents
too large motion under abnormal conditions. Although we have described only
one or two methods of carrying out our invention in order to make clear the nature
thereof; it is evident that other modifications may be adopted, which may vary in i
detail but would not depart from its essential principle.
Dated this Twenty-first day of June 1893.
G. BINSWANGER.
H. J. COATES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electricity Meters.
We, GUSTAV BINSWANGER, of 71 Queen Victoria Street, in the City and
County of London, Electrician, and HERBERT JOHN COATES, of Chapel Street
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, 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 :-
Our invention is designed to obviate the necessity of dismounting the pendulums
in any form of electricity meters in which pendulums are used; this hitherto has
been usual and necessary when moving said meters for transit, etc., in order to
avoid injury to said pendulums, and to the mechanism connected therewith. By
the use of our invention, the meters may be absolutely sealed after calibration so
that when they are placed in the supply circuit they are at once ready for working,
which is an important result to be attained.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pendulum and its suspension appliances,
Figure 2 is a plan view of O P, and Figure 3 a side elevation of said pendulum.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of an alternative device.
In carrying our invention into effect, we form upon, or attach to, the bob A of
the pendulum, two arms B B' extending to a suitable distance on each side. Said
arms are curved to a radius having approximately the same centre as that of the
are of the swing of the pendulum. The extending arms B, B' are arranged so as
to pass through holes D D' formed in brackets E E' fixed to, or forming part of
the framework, sufficient clearance being allowed in D D' to allow the arms B B¹
to pass freely, so that when the apparatus is level, and the pendulum swinging in its
normal plane of oscillation, said arms do not touch the sides of the holes during the
oscillation. The brackets E E' are placed at a sufficient distance upon each side
of the position of rest of the pendulum so as to be just clear of the bob A at the
maximum rate of swing when working. Instead of attaching the arms B B¹ to the
bob A, we may fix them upon the rod C, preferably near the bob aforesaid. Said
rod C is suspended by a spring F, and in order to effectually protect the latter, we
attach to, or preferably form in one part with said rod C, a guard piece G, so as
to be just clear of said spring F. The bracket H, which supports the pendulum,
is formed with a shaped part I, the limbs of which act as stops on either side of
the guard piece G, so that when the degree of swinging is above the normal, the
guard piece G strikes said stops at the same time that the pendulum bob A strikes
the brackets E E'. The U shaped piece I also prevents the spring F from being
strained by undue movement in the other direction; the yoke of the former and
front of the bracket acting as stops. The spring F is free to move upwards in the
groove of the supporting bracket H until the arms B B' touch the upper sides of
the holes D D in EE. It is evident, therefore, that when the pendulum is in its
normal position of rest, or swinging at its normal rate, the arms B B¹ are freely
moving in the brackets E E', and the bob B is not checked, nor is the guard

page_text: piece G, but if the rate of swinging becomes excessive, the spring F is relieved of
the weight of the bob A, by reason of it striking and resting upon E or E', and
the guard piece G also protects said spring from strain due to other irregular
movements.
As an alternative arrangement we may construct the lower mechanism in the
manner shewn by Figure 4, in which the curved bar Q is fixed to two-
brackets E E', and the bob A is provided with a radial slot D, which is sufficiently
large to just clear Q when the pendulum is swinging at its normal degree. We
may also enclose the bob A, the rod C, or any projection thereon, or attached to
either, so as to confine the pendulum during an excessive swing, or an irregular
movement while being moved, yet allowing it to swing freely when placed firmly in
a level position, and the degree of oscillation does not exceed the normal.
We
may modify the details in various cases of adaptation of our invention without
departing from the essential features thereof.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our said in ven-.
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
First. In an electricity meter in which is a pendulum, the means for and methods
of, controlling and checking excessive or irregular movements thereof substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth, with reference to the appended
drawings.
Second. In an electricity meter, the combination of a pendulum with two.
extending arms B B', brackets E E', and a guard piece G, spring F and bracket H
substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
appended drawings.
Third. In an electricity meter, the combination of a pendulum with a curved
bar Qand stops E E', and a radial slot D, substantially as herein described, with
reference to Figure 4 of the appended drawings.
Fourth. In an electricity meter, the combination of a pendulum with an enclosing
stop or check, stops or checks, enclosing the bob or rod, or any projection thereof
or thereupon, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
DL: OL .
2
1001
FREDK. WALKER,
73, St. Stephen's Road, Upton Park, E., Agent for the Applicants.