Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Registering the Supply of Electricity.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Registering the
Supply of Electricity.
I, GISBERT KAPP of 31 Parliament Street, Westminster, Consulting Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Where electrical energy is supplied from a central station to consumers by meter
it is customary to make a fixed charge per unit irrespective of the purpose for
which the current is required and the particular time of the day at which it is
required. The object of my invention is to lower the rate at which the meters
register during those hours of the day when the demand for light is small and
thereby enable and encourage the consumers to use the current for heating, cooking,
motive power and other purposes whereby the business and profits of the supply
company may be increased without requiring additional generating plant.
There are various ways in which I attain this object.
One method for carrying out my invention, and which is equally applicable to
direct and alternating current supply, consists in providing a consumer with a clock
80 constructed that it will automatically set its corresponding meter to the full and
the reduced rate at predetermined hours. There are various ways in which I may
attain this object. According to one method, which is purely mechanical, the
clock is provided with a hand which makes one revolution in 24 hours. A pin on
this hand engages with a link at the end of the rod attached to a tumbling lever
that acts upon a small clutch coupling on the main shaft that receives motion from
the meter. There are two set of dials so placed in relation to the main shaft that
according to the position of the coupling either one or the other set of dials will
be in gear.
Or I may employ only one set of dials and insert between it and the
main shaft a counter shaft with suitable differential gear controlled by the coupling
above mentioned. I may also employ instead of the coupling, a friction wheel
between two parallel discs with their axes parallel but not in line. The speed
ratio between the two discs will depend on the position of the friction wheel that
transmits the motion of one disc to the other. The position of the friction wheel
is controlled by the clock and slotted connecting rod above mentioned. One of
the discs receives motion from the meter and the other transmits motion to the
counter, and by means of the friction wheel, or any other equivalent mechanical
device, I am able to vary the speed ratio between counter and meter as may be
required to effect the desired change in the rate at which the meter is to register.
Another method, which is partly mechanical, and partly electrical, consists in
employing the clock as a relay for sending a current through an electro magnet,
solenoid, electro motor or other electro magnetic device at the proper time; and
arranging the said device in such a manner that it shall either act mechanically on
the gear connecting the meter with the counter as above explained, or that it shall
act electrically by moving a switch connected with the coils or other electrical
parts of the meter. In this case the power for working the mechanical gear or the
switch, is derived from the supply current, and I may also use the power of the
supply current for making the clock self winding. For the convenience of
the consumer, and to show whether the apparatus is in working order, I may
combine with the meter an index showing at any time the rate at which the meter
registers, or, if preferred, the charge made at that time per Board of Trade unit.
Where a clock is employed acting as relay for the operation of a switch, I may
use two meters and arrange the switch in such way that it shall send the current
either through one or through the other meter. Or I may use only one meter and
LD077

page_text: employ the switch to cut out or otherwise render inoperative part of the coil
actuating the meter. I find it convenient to combine with this switch a second
switch so arranged and connected up with the relay clock as to interrupt the
current through the relay immediately the main switch acts. My object is partly
to prevent waste of current through the relay and partly to protect the contacts of 5
the relay from the injurious effects of breaking the current on the relay. By my
arrangement the current is made on the relay and broken on the switch.
Dated this 7th day of April 1892
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Registering the
Supply of Electricity.
I, GISBERT KAPP, of 31 Parliament Street, Westminster, Consulting 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:-
My invention is applicable for use in cases where electrical energy is supplied
from a central station to consumers by meter and relates to a method of and
apparatus hereinafter described whereby the rate at which the meters register is
lowered during those hours when the demand for light is small, thereby enabling
and encouraging the consumers to use the cheap supply for motive power, heating,
cooking and other purposes, whilst the same apparatus restores the rate at which
the meters register to its normal value during those hours when the supply is chiefly
used for lighting.
In carrying out my invention I provide the consumers with clocks in addition to
the meters, the clocks being each so constructed and arranged that it will at pre-
determined hours set its corresponding meter to register at the normal and at the
reduced rates as required. The clock is provided with a hand or other rotary part
of suitable shape that makes one revolution in 24 hours and this hand I use for
controlling the mechanical or electrical devices which determine the rate at which
the meter registers.
There are various ways in which I may attain this object.
The accompanying drawings illustrate several examples of apparatus suitable for
carrying out my invention.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing an arrangement of apparatus whereby the
rate at which the meter registers is controlled by purely mechanical means, .the
case containing the apparatus being shown in vertical section.
Fig. 2 is a plan to a larger scale of part of such apparatus.
A is a case fitting over the meter and containing the registering train of dials D
of an electric meter and a clock C. The hand or rotary part of the clock which
makes one revolution in 24 hours consists in this arrangement of a disc B provided
with pallets E' E' arranged to strike a pin P* on a forked lever L at predetermined
times which depend on the position of the pallets relatively to the slots B₁ in the
disc on which the pallets are adjustably fixed by screws as shown. F is a finger or
trigger connected to a crank arm G and mounted to turn freely on the 24 hour
shaft but connected with the 24 hour disc by a spiral spring S. As the disc
revolves clockwise the spiral spring tends to turn the trigger F also in a clockwise
direction, but is prevented from doing so by reason of the tip of the trigger resting
against the end of the forked lever L as shown. At the proper time the pallet E
strikes against the pin P* and moves it and the forked lever L sufficiently to the
left to disengage the trigger, which, impelled by the spiral spring S then flies round
and catches in the projecting nose L' on the right hand limb of the forked lever L.

page_text: The pallet E will have now passed the pin P*, and the pallet E' will be
approaching it. At the proper time this latter pallet will strike the pin P° from
the outside and push the forked lever to the right so as to disengage the trigger
from the nose Land allow the trigger to fly around into the position shown in
which it will be again caught and arrested by the left hand limb of the forked
lever. The crank arm G is this periodically turned from right to left. To the
pin G on this crank arm is attached one end of a spiral spring S the other end of
which is attached by a loose ring S¹ to a second crank arm K fixed on a vertical
spindle H.
The spiral spring S acts as a connecting rod between the two crank
arms G and K. M is a third crank arm; it is fixed on the shaft H and engages
with a clutch coupling N forming part of differential gear with which the train D
18 provided. This gear comprises a toothed wheel O and a shaft o that receive
motion from the meter. To the shaft o are fixed toothed wheels P and Q that
transmit motion to toothed wheels P and Q' respectively which are loose on a
shaft 1 which is the shaft of the units dial. As will be seen the relative sizes of the
toothed wheels P Q P¹ Q' are such that the wheel R and shaft I will for a given
number of rotations of the shaft o make fewer revolutions when driven by the
toothed wheels P P than when driven by the toothed wheels QQ R is a toothed
wheel fast on the shaft and gearing with a toothed wheel T on the shaft 10 which
in the train corresponds to the dial on which tens of units are shown. The other
wheels of the train are not shown but are arranged as in ordinary counters.
central portion of the shaft 1 is made square and on it slides the clutch coupling N.
The arrangement is such that when the clutch coupling is pressed by the lever
arm M under the action of the lever arm G and spring $ against the wheel Q' as
shown in the drawing, the unit shaft 1 will be revolved from the shaft o at the
normal rate depending upon the relative sizes of the toothed wheels QQ' and
when the clutch coupling is pressed against the toothed wheel P¹ by the reverse
movement of the lever arm G, K and M as above explained, the unit shaft will be
revolved at another and slower rate depending upon the relative sizes of the gear
wheels P P. To reduce friction, I place a small roller on the free end of the lever
arm M as shown.
The
I may utilize power derived from the supply circuit for making the clock self-
winding in a manner well understood.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing an arrangement by which the spring
and trigger control the movements of a mercury switch.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view partly in section.
C represents the clock as before T¹ T are the terminals of a mercury switch K
and resistance R which latter is so adjusted as to shunt a definite proportion of the
current past the ineter. The meter is not shown in the drawing, but it is to be
understood that the terminals T₁ T' are connected with the terminals of the meter.
The 24 hour disc B, forked lever L with pin P, and nose L' trigger F, lever arm G,
and pallets E' E' are arranged and operate in a similar manner to the corresponding
parts in the arrangement herein before described. The spiral spring S also performs
the same function as in the previously described arrangement. It is placed between
the solid shaft q and a hollow shaft o' (Fig. 4). The wheel A' which receives
motion from the clock C is fast on the shaft o', the disc B is also fast on this shaft.
The trigger F and the lever arm G are fast on the solid shaft q. The lever arm G
is connected by a rod H¹ with the pivoted switch lever K the free end of which
when depressed dips into a mercury terminal t. In the position shown, the switch K
is open and the meter registers at the full rate and price. When the pallet E'
strikes the pin P* the trigger F flies over to the right and the lever arm G makes
a half revolution and depresses the switch lever whereby a definite proportion of
current is shunted through the resistance R and the meter registers at the lower
rate and price.
Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically an arrangement in which a relay is used for
moving the switch. mm are the supply mains and L are the lamps or other

page_text: devices supplied with current therefrom. M is the meter. C is a clock with a
24 hour hand B' adapted to make contact at predetermined hours with the contact
pieces 1, 2. E' and E' are electro-magnets and E' is an armature arranged as a
tumbling lever pivoted at O*. The arm of this lever carries two pins p one at each
side, these pins being arranged to engage alternately with the short arms of bell
crank levers and respectively. The long arms of these levers dip when
depressed into mercury cups s' and s respectively. S° is a large mercury cup for
the main switch K. E is a balance weight for K*. The various circuits and
connections are clearly shown in the diagram. When the apparatus is in the
position shown a definite proportion of the current passes through a E' K* S*
and R, being shunted round the meter so that the meter registers at the reduced
rate. When the hand B' arrives at the contact 2 a relay current is sent through
the electromagnet E and the armature E' is thrown over to the right.
This opens the switch K* and the meter registers now at the full rate and price.
As the armature tumbles over, the pin p at the back strikes the short arm of the
lever and thus breaks the relay circuit at the mercury cup s².
At the same time
the long arm of the lever is allowed to dip into its mercury cup s ready for the
next operation when the clock hand B arrives at the contact 1, when a relay
current will be sent through the electro-magnet E, whereby the switch K* and
lever will be again moved back into the positions shown and the meter will again
register at the reduced rate.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the relay current is cut off immediately
after the main switch K✶ has been thrown over so that the contact for the relay
current is made by the clock hand and broken by the relay switches b', b', b, b³,
alternately.
Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically the arrangement adopted when two meters are
used.
M and M are the two meters to register at the different rates and S'S'
the corresponding mercury cups. The relay circuits and connections are not shown
in the diagram, but are similar to those shown in Fig. 5. To avoid sparking and
interruption of current during the operation of switching over I arrange the
mercury cups and switch levers in such wise that one contact is made before the
other is broken.
The arrangements herein before described are equally applicable to direct and
alternating current supply.
Fig. 7 shows the general arrangement of my apparatus in relation to the installa-
tion of electric wires in a building. mm are the supply mains and M is the meter
which may be placed in any desired position. My apparatus may be placed close
to the meter, but may also be placed in any other and more convenient position.
In the diagram I have shewn it at C. I connect it with the mains at the points a¹
and 6. My object of connecting it in the way indicated is to eliminate any
disturbing effect which might otherwise be caused by the resistance of the circuits.
L are the lamps or other apparatus supplied with current from the mains.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Registering the supply of electricity by means of an electricity meter caused
to register at different rates periodically, the alteration in the registering rate of
the meter being caused automatically by mechanism put in action for the purpose
at the required times by a clock.
2. For the purpose of registering electricity the combination with an electricity
meter, of a clock and mechanism automatically affected by such clock in such wise
that at predetermined times the clock will automatically cause the rate at which
the meter registers to be altered substantially as herein described for the purpose
specified.
3. Combined apparatus for registering the supply of electricity in the manner set

page_text: forth constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ; in Figs. 3 and 4; in
Fig. 5; and in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of January 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.