Improvements in Registering or Recording Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1898
.
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Improvements in Registering or Recording Apparatus.
We, HEINRICH JULIUS FERDINAND VOIGT and JACOB ADOLF HAEFFNER, of the
Electro-technical Works, Bockenheim, near Frankfort-on-Main, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for measuring and registering which in
spite of its simple construction is in practice, fully sufficient for many purposes.
The inventive idea which forms the basis of the present invention is as
follows;
If a good fitting piston or plunger be inserted in a cylinder filled with glycerine
or the like so as to be free to descend by its own weight, or be drawn upwards by
means of a weight as soon as a pawl or fixing device is released and simultaneously
a valve device connecting the two ends of the cylinder is opened, the period of
time required by the piston for travelling its course between the end positions is
determined by the proportion of the valve opening to the contents of the vessel
and the weight of the piston or the lifting power of the weight respectively.
If the valve always opens equally wide the piston will always move at the same
speed. If however the extent of the valve opening be variable under the action
of another force, the extent of the valve opening and thus the power acting on
the same may be estimated from the amount of time which the piston requires for
travelling over various parts of its course.
An apparatus based on these considerations will now be described as arranged
for three different purposes, namely,
I. As a conversation recorder for telephone boxes.
II. As an electricity meter.
III: As an indicator of the actual quantity of electric energy still existing in
an accumulator battery.
In the first arrangement the registering apparatus is employed for recording
the number of the conversations and the time occupied by each separate
conversation.
A piston or plunger which fits closely but can be easily moved up and down
is arranged in a cylinder which is completely filled with a suitable liquid, such as
glycerine or the like. The space in the cylinder beneath the piston is connected
with the space above the same by means of a pipe. The cylinder is closed below
by a bottom provided with a passage in which a valve provided with an annular
groove is adjustably mounted. The valve is connected by means of a lever and
link with the hook of the telephone receiver, whilst the hook is further connected
by means of a link with a pawl engaging in a ratchet wheel. On opening the
valve by taking off the telephone receiver the pawl is accordingly disengaged
A cord pulley is
from the ratchet simultaneously with the opening of the valve.
mounted on the shaft of the ratchet wheel and a cord carrying the movable piston

page_text: and passing through the upper cylinder cover runs over this pulley or roller.
The cord by its movement operates another pulley and by means of the latter a
roller on which there is a strip of paper. A pencil or writing point travels along
this strip so long as the telephone receiver is off the switch lever. On the receiver
being hung up, that is to say when the valve is closed, the pencil is lifted off the
paper. If a movement in an axial direction be imparted to the paper roller at
each opening of the valve, that is at each use of the telephone, the axial lines
will indicate the number of conversations and the peripheral ones the duration
The same object may also be attained by connecting the pencil or
marker with the moving piston.
of same.
When the piston has reached the end of its course it may be caused to operate
a switch which breaks the circuit of the telephone wire. In this way any improper
use of the apparatus is prevented as the wire remains interrupted until the piston
by winding up or in other suitable manner is returned to its initial position. If
at the same time a suitable adjustment of the recording drum take place so that
it is ready to record or receive a fresh line, the operation herein before described
may recommence. The apparatus is thus suitable for long periods of use without
special supervision.
The calculation is made according to the number of times the piston runs down
which may be indicated on a suitable counting mechanism.
In the arrangement hereinbefore described the recording takes place merely in
consequence of the hanging up of the telephone receiver.
Any clockwork is superfluous, which is of considerable importance as the beats
of the pendulum or balance wheel, which would always be heard at both stations,
would greatly affect the intelligibility.
In the second arrangement the valve is influenced by a variable force.
Assuming a unit price be fixed for 100 kilo. watt hours, the course of the piston
between initial and end position would give a scale for this if with constant
pressure the always existing strength of current forces the valve to open so far
that the piston can move with increased or diminished speed. In this arrange-
ment the supply current or a given portion of the same passes from two terminals
through an electro magnet which acts on the pawl and ratchet device and a
solenoid, the suitably shaped iron core of which latter operates the valve in such
a way that the valve opening is proportionate to the strength of current; the
speed of the descending piston alters in proportion to the strength of current or
rather the electric energy consumed and the duration of the entire piston move-
ment is a measure of the same. The arrangement for these given sizes takes place
by altering the volume of the cylinder, the width of passage of the valve or the
weight of the piston. The consumption may, as in the preceding case, be recorded
on a paper roller or the descents of the piston may be conveyed to a counting
mechanism. The consumption of current without checking may easily be rendered
impossible by causing the piston at the end of its course to act on a switch or
disconnecting device. On the withdrawal of current for power or heating or
cooking purposes, the temporary (or from time to time) interruption of the current
is of no account. Where the current is employed for lighting purposes complete
extinction is avoided by the insertion of a resistance. The consumption recorder
or meter is intended more particularly in small electricity works for saving the
expensive meters, and in works which calculate the current consumption with
complete meters it is inserted in those installations in which current for cooking
and heating purposes is to be delivered at cheap prices.
The third arrangement consists of two cylinders communicating with one
another by means of a passage. In these cylinders there are arranged pistons or
plungers connected by means of a cord running over a cord pulley. The pistons
being of equal weight can only move when one receives an excess weight over
the other. This is attained by two tension solenoids in which are inserted iron
cores calculated and arranged in such a way that they are attracted with equal
force for the length of the piston course. The iron cores, are suspended on a cord
0

page_text: carried over a second cord pulley. The passage between the two cylinders is
capable of being adjusted or altered by means of a valve operated by a solenoid.
If for instance the one tension solenoid be placed under current and the valve
opened by its solenoid according to the strength of the charge, the one piston will
move downwards, while the other piston rises. An index travelling on a scale
then gives approximately the number of ampère hours charged into the battery.
On the discharge the other tension solenoid receives current causing a descent
of the upper piston and a backward movement of the index finger is produced.
The valve is also more opened in the same proportion than corresponds to the loss
necessitated by the storage of current. Or the power acting on the piston may
be increased by strengthening the power of the tension solenoid.
From the position of the index on the scale therefore it can be ascertained how
many ampère hours are still at disposal.
The three modes of application herein before described show in what manner
the present inventive idea may be carried out without thereby exhausting the
wide range of its applicability.
The arrangements shown in no wise make claim to absolute exactness, they
suffice however in actual practice for many purposes where it is less a question of
great exactitude than of cheapness of the registering apparatus.
Dated this 26th dow of Th1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.
We, HEINRICH JULIUS FERDINAND VOIGT and JACOB ADOLF HAEFFNER, of the
Electro-technical Works, Bockenheim, near Frankfort-on-Main, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturers, 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 apparatus for measuring and registering which in
spite of its simple construction is in practice fully sufficient for many purposes.
The inventive idea which forms the basis of the present invention is as
follows;
If a good fitting piston or plunger he inserted in a cylinder filled with glycerine
or the like so as to be free to descend by its own weight, or be drawn upwards by
means of a weight as soon as a pawl or fixing device is released and simultaneously
a valve device connecting the two ends of the cylinder is opened, the period of
time required by the piston for travelling its course between the end positions is
determined by the proportion of the valve opening to the contents of the vessel
and the weight of the piston or the lifting power of the weight respectively.
If the valve always opens equally wide- the piston will always move at the same
speed. If however the extent of the valve opening be variable under the action
of another force, the extent of the said valve opening and thus the power acting on
the same may be estimated from the amount of time which the piston requires for
travelling over various parts of its course.
An apparatus based on these considerations will now be described as arranged
for three different purposes.
It is shown in the accompanying drawings diagrammatically;
Figure 1 representing the improved arrangement as a conversation recorder for
telephone boxes;

page_text: Figure 2 as an electricity meter;
Figure 3 as an indicator of the actual quantity of electric energy, still existing
in an accumulator battery.
In the first arrangement shown in Figure 1, the registering apparatus is em-
ployed for recording the number of the conversations and the time occupied by
each separate conversation.
A piston or plunger 6 which fits closely but can be easily moved up and down
is arranged in a cylinder a which is completely filled with a suitable liquid, such
as glycerine or the like. The space in the cylinder beneath the piston is con-
nected with the space above the same by means of a pipe o. The cylinder is
closed below by a bottom provided with a passage p in which a valve c provided
with an annular groove is adjustably mounted. The valve c is connected by
means of a lever i and link with the hook of the telephone receiver, whilst the
hook is further connected by means of a link q with a pawl m engaging in a
ratchet wheel d. On opening the valve e by taking off the telephone receiver
the pawl m is accordingly disengaged from the ratchet simultaneously with the
opening of the valve c. A cord pulley 1 is mounted on the shaft of the ratchet
wheel and a cord r carrying the movable piston and passing through the upper
cylinder cover runs over this pulley or roller. The cord by its movement operates
another pulleys and by means of the latter a roller t on which there is a strip
of paper.
A pencil or writing point k travels along this strip so long as the
telephone receiver is off the switch lever. On the receiver being hung up, that
is to say when the valve is closed, the pencil is lifted off the paper. If a move-
ment in an axial direction be imparted to the paper roller at each opening of the
valve, that is at each use of the telephone, the axial lines will indicate the
number of conversations and the peripheral ones the duration of same.
The same
object may also be attained by connecting the pencil or marker with the moving
piston.
When the piston has reached the end of its course it may be caused to operate
a switch which breaks the circuit of the telephone wire. In this way any improper
use of the apparatus is prevented as the wire remains interrupted until the piston
by winding up or in other suitable manner is returned to its initial position. If
at the same time a suitable adjustment of the recording drum take place so that
it is ready to record or receive a fresh line, the operation hereinbefore described
may recommence. The apparatus is thus suitable for long periods of use without
special supervision.
The calculation is made according to the number of times the piston runs down
which may be indicated on a suitable counting mechanism.
In the arrangement hereinbefore described the recording takes place merely in
consequence of the removal of the telephone receiver from the hook g.
Any clockwork is superfluous, which is of considerable importance as the beats
of the pendulum or balance wheel, which would always be heard at both stations,
would greatly affect the intelligibility.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the valve c is influenced by a variable
force. Assuming a unit price be fixed for 100 kilo. watt hours, the course of the
piston between initial and end position would give a scale for this if with constant
pressure the always existing strength of current forces the valve to open so far that
the piston can move with increased or diminished speed. In this arrangement
(Figure 2) the supply current or a given portion of the same passes from two ter-
minals and through an electro-magnet u which acts on the pawl and ratchet
device and a solenoids the suitably shaped iron core of which latter operates the
valve c in such a way that the valve opening is proportionate to the strength of
current; the speed of the descending piston alters in proportion to the strength of
-current or rather the electric energy consumed and the duration of the entire piston
movement is a measure of the same. The arrangement for these given sizes takes
place by altering the volume of the cylinder, the width of passage of the valve or
the weight of the piston. The consumption may, as in the preceding case, be recorded

page_text: on a paper roller or the descents of the piston may be conveyed to a counting
mechanism. The consumption of current without checking may easily be rendered
impossible by causing the piston at the end of its course to act on a switch or
disconnecting device. On the withdrawal of current for power or heating or
cooking purposes, the temporary (or from time to time) interruption of the current
is of no account. Where the current is employed for lighting purposes complete
extinction is avoided by the insertion of a resistance. The consumption recorder
or meter is intended more particularly in small electricity works for saving the
expensive meters, and in works which calculate the current consumption with
complete meters it is inserted in those installations in which current for cooking
and heating purposes is to be delivered at cheap prices.
"
The arrangement shown in Figure 3 consists of two cylinders a and a¹ com-
municating with one another by means of a passage p. In these cylinders there
are arranged pistons or plungers 6 and 6' connected by means of a cord r running
over a cord pulley d. The pistons being of equal weight can only move when
one receives an excess weight over the other. This is attained by two tension
solenoids f and 9, in which are inserted iron cores h and i calculated and arranged
in such a way that they are attracted with equal force for the length of the piston
course. The iron cores h and i are suspended on a cord r¹ carried over a second
cord pulley e. The passage between the two cylinders is capable of being adjusted
or altered by means of a valve c operated by a solenoid k.
If for instance the tension solenoid f be placed under current and the valve c
opened by its solenoid k according to the strength of the charge, the one piston b
will move downwards, while the other piston 6¹ rises. An index travelling on a
scale then gives approximately the number of ampère hours charged into the
battery. On the discharge the other tension solenoid g receives current causing
a descent of the upper piston b' and a backward movement of the index finger
is produced. The valve is also more opened in the same proportion than corre-
sponds to the loss necessitated by the storage of current. Or the power acting
on the piston 61 may be increased by strengthening the power of the tension
solenoid.
From the position of the index on the scale therefore it can be ascertained how
many ampère hours are still at disposal.
The three modes of application herein before described show in what manner
the present inventive idea may be carried out without thereby exhausting the wide
range of its applicability.
For instance instead of having the tubes or cylinders a o, or a a¹, arranged
vertically, they may be arranged horizontally, in which case it is obvious that a
spring or weight must be suitably arranged for moving the piston or plunger
horizontally through said tubes or cylinders. In this case of course the two tubes
or cylinders will communicate one with the other by both ends instead of top and
bottom.
The arrangements shown in no wise make claim to absolute exactness, they
suffice however in actual practice for many purposes where it is less a question
of great exactitude than of cheapness of the registering apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. A registering or recording apparatus, characterized by a piston or plunger
being arranged to move in one of two tubes (a, o) communicating above and below,
with each other, (or, in the case of a horizontal arrangement, by both ends) said
piston being free to commence moving upon the releasing of a pawl or fixing device
and the opening of a valve arranged in one of the connecting passages between the
tubes, with the object of enabling the extent of movement of the piston to be
utilized as a scale or indication of the time or the amount of a certain use or

page_text: consumption taking place during the movement of the piston, substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
2. A form of construction of the registering or recording apparatus herein before
described to adapt it as a conversation recorder for telephone installations, charac-
terized by the valve (c) being opened and the fixing device (m) of the piston
released by the taking-off of the telephone receiver from the hook substantially
as described.
3. A form of construction of the registering or recording apparatus herein-
before described to adapt it as an energy recorder (electricity meter) characterized
by the supply current releasing on the one hand the fixing device (m) of the
piston and on the other hand opening more or less the valve or closing device
inserted in the connecting passage, according to the existing strength of current,
substantially as described.
4. A form of construction of the registering or recording apparatus herein-
before described for indicating the actual quantity of electric energy still existing
in an accumulator battery, characterized by two cylinders (a and a¹) being
arranged in proximity to one another and having a connecting passage provided
with a closing device operated by the action of a solenoid (k) whilst the two
pistons (b) connected by a cord (r) carried over a cord pulley (d) are also
exposed to the action of two iron cores (i and h) influenced by the charging and
discharging current with the object of ascertaining the energy still standing at
disposal in the battery by means of an index substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of November 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.