Improvements in Electricity Meters.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug.,
1894
TRUVIDIONAL OLMUIFICATION.
Improvements in Electricity Meters.
I, JOSEPH EDMONDSON of Albert Electrical Works, Hey Street, Longside Lane,
Bradford in the County of York Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in electricity meters, the object being to
provide apparatus for registering the amount of electric current passing into
consumption where at different hours of the day different rates are charged so that
the amount of the current passing into consumption until say 5 o'clock is registered
on one dial and the current passing into consumption after that time, and when
higher rates are charged is registered on second dial. Or the amount of current
passing into consumption at different rates is registered on one dial up to five
o'clock when say 3 pence per ampère is charged and after five o'clock say 6 pence
per ampère is charged as follows two ampères before 5 o'clock are only registered
as one on the dials and after 5 o'clock one ampère is registered as such.
I accomplish the former by means of a clock or time piece fitted with a cam or
cams or other device such as an eccentric pin or pins which actuates or actuate a
movable gear wheel, clutch or other device whereby the recording is transferred
from one dial train to the other. Or I use a click, pawl or catch, or a combination of
clicks, pawls or catches which the clock or timepiece at the required intervals
causes to engage with the one dial train or the other. Or I make the dial trains
themselves moveable, the one or the other being brought by the clock or timepiece
into or out of gear with the primary part of the registering apparatus, at the
required intervals.
Or I connect the two dial trains by a differential gear, with catches or breaks
actuated by the cam of the clock or timepiece at the required intervals so that the
dial trains shall be alternately free to move and record the current consumed.
In some cases I prefer to actuate the moveable gear wheel clutch or similar
device by an electro magnet, which when energised by an electric current causes
the said gear wheel to engage with one dial train and when the electric circuit is
broken, the said gear wheel is disengaged by a spring or other device from the one
and engaged with the other dial. The electric circuit of the said electro magnet
is closed and opened at the required intervals by a switch or commutator attached
to and actuated by the clock or time piece.
In a meter having a shunt of high resistance the electric circuit of the electro
magnet may from time to time formn part of the said shunt circuit resistance equal to
that of the circuit of the electro magnet being cut out when the latter is brought
into action.
In the case of electrically actuated recording apparatus (such for instance as is
described in Specification of Patent No. 2831 of the year 1892) I cause the cam
or cams or other device of the clock or timepiece to actuate a switch or
commutator by which the recording current is transferred from one dial train to
the other.
To accomplish the second object of my invention I use a clock or time piece with
a cam or cams or equivalent device, actuating a switch or cut-out combined with a
resistance or shunt whereby the active ampère turns of the meter are varied at the
required intervals, so as to register more quickly or more slowly in order to
compensate for a variation in the price to be charged at different hours of the
day. Or I cause the cam or other device of the clock or timepiece to bring into
gear at the required intervals wheels bearing different ratios to each other so

page_text: as to drive the dial train at different rates corresponding with the price to be
charged.
In all the aforesaid cases the cam on the clocks or timepieces may act either
directly or by means of "tumblers" which instantly effect the charge from dial to
dial or from rate to rate.
It will be seen that the apparatus in some of its forms is also applicable to two
meters which may be thereby made to measure the current each at its own period
of the day.
Dated this 9th day of October 1893.
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electricity Meters.
I, JOSEPH EDMONDSON of Albert Electrical Works, Hey Street, Longside Lane,
Bradford in the County of York, Electrical 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 improvements in electricity meters, the object being to
provide apparatus for registering the amount of electric current passing into
consumption where at different hours of the day different rates are charged so that
the amount of the current passing into consumption until say 5 o'clock is registered
on one dial and the current passing. into consumption after that time, and when
higher rates are charged is registered on a second dial. Or the amount of current
passing into consumption at different rates is registered on one dial. Up to
five o'clock, when say 3 pence per ampère is charged and after five o'clock say
6 pence per ampère is charged as follows two ampères before 5 o'clock are only
registered as one on the dials, and after 5 o'clock one ampère is registered
as such.
I accomplish the former by means of a clock or time piece fitted with a cam or
cams or other device such as an eccentric pin or pins which actuates or actuate a
moveable gear wheel, clutch or other device whereby the recording is transferred
from one dial train to the other. Or I use a click, pawl or catch, or a combination
of clicks, pawls or catches which the clock or timepiece at the required intervals
causes to engage with the one dial train or the other. Or I make the dial trains
themselves movable, the one or the other being brought by the clock or timepiece
into or out of gear with the primary part of the registering apparatus at the
required intervals.
Or I connect the two dial trains by a differential gear, with catches or breaks
actuated by the cam of the clock or timepiece at the required intervals so that the
dial trains shall be alternately free to move and record the current consumed.
In some cases I prefer to actuate the movable gear wheel clutch or similar device
by an electro magnet, which when energised by an electric current causes the said
gear wheel to engage with one dial train and when the electric circuit is broken,
the said gear wheel is disengaged by a spring or other device from the one and
engaged with the other dial. The electric circuit of the said electro magnet is
closed and opened at the required intervals by a switch or commutator attached to
and actuated by the clock or time piece.
In a meter having a shunt of high resistance the electric circuit of the electro
magnet may from time to time form part of the said shunt circuit resistance equal
to that of the circuit of the electro magnet being cut out when the latter is brought
into action.
In the case of electrically actuated recording apparatus (such for instance as is
described in Specification of Patent No. 2831 of the year 1892) I cause the cam or

page_text: cams or other device of the clock or timepiece to actuate a switch or commutator
by which the recording current is transferred from one dial train to the other.
To accomplish the second object of my invention I use a clock or timepiece with
a cam or cams or equivalent device, actuating a switch or cut out combined with a
resistance or shunt whereby the active ampère turns of the meter are varied at the
required intervals so as to register more quickly or more slowly in order to
compensate for a variation in the price to be charged at different hours of the day.
Or I cause the cam or other device of the clock or timepiece to bring into gear at
the required intervals wheels bearing different ratios to each other so as to drive the
dial train at different rates corresponding with the price to be charged.
In all the aforesaid cases the cam on the clocks or timepieces may act either
directly or by means of "tumblers" which instantly effect the charge from dial to
dial or from rate to rate.
It will be seen that the apparatus in some of its forms is also applicable to two
meters which may be thereby made to measure the current each at its own period
of the day.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, the following is a
complete description of same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in
which :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus for registering the amount of electric
current consumed when two dials are employed when the registering is actuated
electrically as described in Specification of Patent No. 2831 of the year 1892.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view of apparatus for registering on one dial, the amount of current
consumed, applicable to meters in which there is a high resistance shunt circuit as
in Watt meters.
The remaining figures on Sheet 3 are details of modifications of parts of Figs. 1
and 2.
According to this invention I employ a clock or timepiece 1 fitted with a cam or
cams 2 driven from a wheel 3 on the tube carrying the hour hand.
The cam or cams 2 operate a cranked finger 4 pivoted at 5 and carrying a tumbler
weight 6 on an arm 7.
Behind the arm 7 is a switch composed of a light lever 8 pivoted at 9 and having
two arms 10. 10 between the cranked ends 11. 11 of which the arm 7 is free to
move. On the spindle 12 of the lever 8 is an arm 13 carrying the weight 14.
The action is as follows:
-
The cam or cams 2 are set on the plate 15 according to the time at which the
register is to be changed. When the nose 16 of the cam 2 depresses the cranked
finger 4 the arm 7 and tumbler weight 6 are carried beyond the perpendicular and
fall to the right carrying with them the arms 10. 10 arm 13 weight 14 and light
lever 8 by which the change in the register is made as hereafter described.
As the plate 15 and cam 2 continue to rotate the nose 16 of the cam 2 lifts the
cranked finger 4 arm 7 tumbler weight 6 and the connections back to the left or
position shewn in the drawings.
In the case where the registering dials are electrically actuated for instance as
described in Specification of Patent No. 2831 of the year 1892, the lever 8 being
connected to the electric circuit at 17 and being insulated at its centre 9 becomes a
switch dipping into the mercury cups 18, 18, and alternately completing and
breaking the circuit of the electro magnets 19. 19" which actuate the separate dial
trains.
The apparatus herein described may be equally well applied as a shunt to shunt
the current going into consumption from one meter to another.
Instead of the lever 8 constituting a switch as before described it may be simply
a lever actuating the link 20 (see Fig. 4) bell crank lever 21 sliding clutch 22
keyed on the spindle 23 of the primary part of the registering train. Running
loose on the spindle 23 are two gear wheels 24, 24" geared respectively with the

page_text: two dial trains so that the clutch 22 causes one or other to be the operating wheel
as required.
Or as illustrated by Fig. 5 the lever 8 may by link 20 raise or lower the
spindle 23 of the primary part of the registering train bringing it into gear with one
or other of the two gear wheels 24, 24 actuating the two dials respectively, and
thus changing the registering from one dial to the other as required. The spindle 23
is carried at its end nearest to the gear wheels in a slot in the frame so as to prevent
lateral movement.
The link 20 supports the spindle 23 by a loose collar 25.
In a registering train which is actuated by a pawl or catch 26 (see Fig. 6) the
lever 8 may, be connected at each end by link 20 to a pawl or catch 26* and so raise
the one out and lower the other into gear with their respective ratchet wheels 26,
connected to the two dial trains.
The lever 8 may if preferred be connected by links 20 directly to the two dial
trains (see Fig. 7) swinging on the centre 29 and balanced by the weight 30, and
bringing them alternately into gear with the primary part 31 of the registering train
as required.
It will be obvious that the mechanism herein described is equally applicable to
the registering of the whole of the current consumed on one dial while the pro-
portion. consumed within certain hours may be simultaneously registered on the
-other.
As regards the mechanism.described in Fig. 1 it is only necessary to connect the
-circuit of one of the electro magnets 19 permanently as indicated by the dotted line
instead of through the mercury cup.
In Fig.4 one of the wheels 24 may be fixed on the spindle 23 while the clutch. 22.
gears only with the other wheel 24.
In Fig. 5 one wheel 24 must be placed out of range with the wheel on, the
spindle 23 which may be constantly driven from the spindle 23 and train as indicated:
by the dotted lines.
In Fig.
one of the links 20 may be removed and in Fig. 7 only one of the dia!
trains is pivoted at 29 the other being fixed and always in gear with the primary
driver 31.
In a Watt meter if it is preferred to register on one dial ouly at rates corre-
sponding with the price to be charged the lever 8 is arranged to cut out a resistance 33
(see Fig. 3) by means of the mercury cup 18 when the higher prices are to be
charged. The resistances 32 and 33 form part of the high resistance or volt circuit
and are so adjusted that the active ampère turns of the volt circuit of the Watt
meter are varied at the required intervals so as to register at a rate corresponding
with the price to be charged.
Thus assuming the day rate to be 3 pence and the evening rate to be 6 pence
per Kilo-Watt hour the resistance 33 must be equal to the resistance of the whole
of the other part of the volt circuit including the resistance 32-it will be seen from
this that the resistance can be adjusted to any required rates of charge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of my
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In an electricity meter the combination. of a clock or timepiece with two dial
trains and mechanism by which the registering of current consumed takes place on
the one set of dials or the other at such periods as may be required as and for
the purpose herein described and as illustrated by Figs. 1. 2. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the
annexed drawings.
2. In electricity meters the combination of a clock or time piece with a second
dial train and mechanism by which the registry of current between certain hours is
duplicated on the second set of dials as and for the purpose herein described and as
illustrated by Figs. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6 and 7 of the drawings annexed.
3. In a Watt meter or other electricity meter in which there is a volt coil acting

page_text: as in a Watt meter the combination of a clock or timepiece with a resistance in the
said volt circuit and mechanism by which the said resistance is cut out or switched
in at the required time as and for the purpose herein described and as illustrated by
Fig. 3 of the drawings annexed.
4. In an electricity meter the combination of a clock or timepiece and a cam or
cams 2, 2 finger 4 tumbler arm 7 and lever 8 as and for the purpose herein described
and as illustrated by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1801
JOSEPH EDMONDSON,
By his Agent, Walter Brierley,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.