Year: 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM JOSEPH STARKEY BARBER-STARKEY, of Aldenham Park, Bridgnorth,
in the County of Salop, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to a novel form of electric meter suitable for either continuous
or alternating currents, and it is designed to give accurate results by a simple and
inexpensive instrument.
My invention consists essentially in the winding around a vessel, containing a body
of water or other liquid, of a wire or lead of the main circuit to be measured of
comparatively small section, a second vessel being provided and filled with an equivalent
bulk of liquid. The heat caused in the wire surrounding the first named vessel will
cause increased evaporation to take place and a difference of volume thus to ensue
between the two vessels. This difference will indicate the amount of units of electricity
according to any suitable calibration used within any given time. The conductor
carrying the current to be measured need not necessarily surround the vessel, but may
be placed in the liquid itself, or in close proximity to it; it may also be attached to
a float, in which case the evaporating coil can, if required, be always kept on the
surface of the liquid.
It is obvious that many equivalent devices might be used to indicate this upon a
dial in any suitable manner. For instance, the two vessels might be pivotted upon a
centre, a pointer indicating the difference of gravity; or, two pivotted bars, each
provided with a float may be employed working independently on the same support
or on separate supports each bar being provided with a separate pointer and dial, the
difference between the two indications showing the amount of alteration in the volume
and therefore the measure required.
It is obvious however that my invention of indicating the amount of electrical
current by means of the differential evaporation of liquid might be carried into effect
in many ways; but I indicate these devices in order to better illustrate its nature,
reserving to myself the right to give further equivalent methods in my complete
specification.

page_text: I may so arrange my device that when a certain point is reached, circuit is
made through an electrical bell and warning is given that the meter will require
re-adjustment.
Dated this 24th day of November 1887.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
протощению ш месите шесего.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH STARKEY BARBER-STARKEY, of Aldenham Park, Bridgnorth,
in the County of Salop, Esquire 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 relates to a novel form of electric meter, suitable for either continuous
or alternating currents, and it is designed to give accurate results by a simple and
inexpensive instrument.
My invention consists essentially in the winding around a vessel, containing a body
of water or other liquid, of a wire or lead of the main circuit to be measured, of
comparatively low section, a second vessel being provided and filled with an equivalent
bulk of liquid. The heat caused in the wire surrounding the first named vessel will
cause increased evaporation to take place, and a difference of volume thus to ensue
between the two vessels. This difference will indicate the amount of units of electricity
according to any suitable calibration used within any given time. The conductor
. carrying the current to be measured need not necessarily surround the vessel, but
may be placed in the liquid itself, or in close proximity to it; it may also be attached
to a float, in which case the evaporating coil, can, if required, be always kept on the
surface of the liquid.
It is obvious that many equivalent devices may be used to indicate this evaporative
effect of the current upon a suitable dial, in a suitable manner; and :-
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe
certain illustrative methods of carrying my invention into effect, reference being had to
the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of my apparatus the reading being
effected by floats.
Figure 2 is a back view of the same.

page_text: Figure 3 is an equivalent but modified form, the reading being effected by gravity
vessels.
Figure 4 is a further equivalent form of my apparatus the reading being effected by
the differential action of floats.
Figure 5 is an equivalent apparatus in which an ordinary ampère meter is used in
combination with an evaporator to give readings by flotation.
Figure 6 shows an equivalent mode of applying the heating coil.
To effect the evaporation of a liquid, such as water, by the heat of the conductor
carrying the electric current, I conveniently apply the said heating wire AA to the
interior by means of a tube a, or exterior of a vessel of water or other liquid B; and,
to add to the evaporative effect, I apply to the heating surface a wick C, which drawing up
the liquid under the action of the heat communicated from the wire A thereby effects
evaporation of the water. A float b, resting upon the surface of the liquid, may be caused
to operate a dial in various convenient ways, one being by a rack Doperating a pinion d,
to which is attached a pionter travelling over a properly graduated dial. In order to
allow for the waste of the liquid by natural evaporation, I may use, in combination
with the aforesaid evaporating vessel B, a second evaporating vessel E exposed as far
as possible to or similarly protected from the same natural causes of evaporation as the
former. A float e is fitted thereon, and is attached to a rack F, which is caused to
gear into a pinion f, which may be attached to the back of the dial D and cause rotation
in the same direction as that in which the pointer G is moved by the other float, which
will thereby automatically correct the reading for the natural evaporation leaving only
the differential reading indicated by the pointer G.
In figure 6 I show an equivalent method of winding the evaporating coil A outside
the wick, and it may be either only above the water or extend below it, I may effect
the same purpose by an apparatus as illustrated in figure 3, where the evaporative
vessel B is counterbalanced by a standard vessel E on the opposite side of scales H H,
of such a type that the vessels remain truly perpendicular, and with the same moment
about the centre in all positions.
The excess evaporation in B, rendering it lighter than that in E, will cause the
scales to be operated against a gradually increasing resistance of a centre balance
weight h, or of a spiral spring, which will cause the amount of deflection to increase
in proportion to the difference of weight between the two vessels B and E. This may
be communicated by a pointer fixed direct to the said balance, or may be transmitted
by gearing K to a pointer G as before. Or (Fig. 4) the evaporating vessel B and the
standard vessel E may be placed on either side of a suitable support, carrying
levers L L which, operated by the respective floats in the vessels B and E, may, by
the links, operate the slotted bar M as a pointer, the said pointer M indicating only
the difference of the movements of the two-floats in the respective vossels.
Or, I may employ a solenoid, an electro magnet, or an ampére meter to regulate the
distance of the heated body from the liquid to be evaporated, or to interpose and
remove a non conducting substance such as mica, to regulate the amount of heat
transmitted by the heating body to the evaporating vessel. The heating body may be
a wire heated by the passage of a constant known current or may be other convenient
source of heat.
By this arrangement, according as a small or large current is flouring through the
solenoid, electro-magnet or ampére meter, the evaporative effect of the heated body
is proportionately reduced or increased, and thus an accumulated measure of the
current passingt hrough the ampére meter or solenoid is obtained. The employment of
an ampere meter for this purpose is convenient, as it gives the fluctating readings
at any moment, whilst my improved meter gives the accumulative reading after a
certain lapse of time.
In figure 5 I illustrate a convenient method of carrying this out, N being a coil of
wire heated by any known constant current and placed under the evaporative vessel B,
which may be constructed similarly to the vessel illustrated in figure 1, and should
similarly be used in combination with the standard vessel E as therein described.
Between the heating coil N, and the vessel B, I interpose a sheet of mica P or other

page_text: badly conducting substance which may be attached to and operated by, the pointer
of any suitable ampère meter Q to produce the effect as hereinabove described.
I may use a closed evaporating vessel, means being found for the escape of the
condensed vapour, and I sometimes use strips of woollen or other fibrous material,
which are partly exposed to the air and partly dip into the water, to facilitate the
process of evaporation. The heat may be conveyed into the evaporating vessels by
means of tubes or conducting wires or other convenient means which may be either
in the liquid itself or in the air, in proximity to the liquid.
It is obvious that the system of interposing a screen between the liquid to be
evaporated, and the scource of heat can be applied in all cases where evaporation
is employed as a means of measuring the electric current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. An electric meter in which an accumulative measure of the magnitude of an
electrical current, during a lapse of time, is indicated, by suitable mechanism showing
the evaporative effect of the said current upon a liquid, such as water, substantially
as described.
2nd. In such an electric meter, a vessel of water or other liquid artificially
evaporated by a passing electrical current to be measured in combination with a
standard vessel containing a similar liquid subject to ordinary evaporation, and pro-
ducing in combination a differential indication of the artificial evaporation only,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3rd. In such an electric meter the employment of a wick with the evaporating
electrical conductor coiled inside or outside or in proximity to it, to effect required
evaporation, substantia.ly as described.
4th. In such an electric meter an evaporation vessel heated by a constant source
of heat in combination with an ampére meter, solenoid, or electro magnet, in the
electrical current to be measured, operating a non-diathermanous screen, to pro-
portionally regulate the evaporative effect upon the meter, substantially as described.
5th. The construction and combination of parts forming the specific devices
substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 & 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.
Dated this 24th day of August 1888.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.