Improvements in Meters for Electricity, Air, Water, and other Fluids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1994-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Meters for Electricity, Air, Water, and other
Fluids.
PAUL CADOS, Electrician at Marennes France, ALBERT CHARRON, Engineer
at Tonnay, Charente, France, 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 :-
In constructing our meter for the purpose of performing at first a valuable
electric light meter, we claimed to realize the following advantages:
1: To join together the meter and the cut-off, so that it will be impossible to
light the lamps without putting the meter into motion, and vice versa.
20: To completely isolate the meter from the electric current, in order to avoid
all cause of derangement or damage caused either by a perturbation emanating
from the producing works, by atmospheric electricity, by a breaking or a crossing
of the wires, and to assure at the same time the regularity of working of the
mechanism whatever may be the natur, the tension and the intensity of the current,
and, consequently, whatever may be the number and the natur of the lamps acted
by the cut-off, and of which expense is to be registered and noted by the meter.
3°: Carefully avoid to use any electro-motive force to keep the meter going.
There is not another practical way in order to supply an instrument which cannot
exercise a prejudicial influence on the brightness of the light, and, at the same
time, give complete satisfaction to the consumers, who will be certain that they pay
only for what they use, as well as to the producers also, who will be certain that
they will be paid for all that they have furnished.
4°: To render the meter cheap, so that it can be placed in the smallest
installations, without any notable increase of expense.
5°: To construct the meter by such a way so that it may be substituted to the
ordinary cut-off, without expense, or damage to the installation.
6°: To enable the consumers to read the figures on their meter with ease, and to
control with ease also the regularity of its working and the consumption of light.
The meter which we have performed, and which we found, after numerous experi-
ments, to realize all the above enumerated conditions, is composed of a cylinder
movement, and a cut-off, fixed upon a hard. wood or ebonite board, contained in a
nickled brass box, with a glass cover, which can only be opened by the electrician
deputed to collect the amount of the invoices, after having obtained the time noted
by the meter. This same person replaces the hands on "zéro," and winds up the
watch-movement anew.
CUT-OFF.
The cut-off is composed of two plates, the first fixed, the second movable around
a pivot, like a hinge. The movable plate is worked by a pressure spring, which
maintains the contact when the lamps are lighted, and also serves to bring back the
cut-off on "contact," when the consumer presses upon the lighting buttou.
When cut-off on "contact," the circuit is shut and lamps lighted.
TD 071
In this

page_text: position; the current has no communication with the watch-movement, which works
freely, guarded against all hurtful influence (Figure 2).
When the consumer wishes to extinguish his lamps, he presses upon the button B
(Figure 1). This button acts upon the lever L, (Figure 2) which upturns the
movable plate of the cut-off, and opens the circuit. In its upturning motion, it
engages the watch-movement. By this same upturning motion, the movable plate
bears upon the spring and bends it. The consumer, pushing the button B Figure 1
thoroughly, engages the movable plate of the cut-off in a stoping-notch acted by
button B Figure 1. Thenceforth, the movable plate is fixed, the spring remains
bent, the watch-movement stoped, the circuit opened and the lamps extinguished,
until the consumer disengage the movable plate by the way of pushing the
button B¹.
To rekindle the lamps, the consumer presses upon the button B' (Figure 1).
This button acts a lever L' (Figure 2) which disengages the cut-off. At the same
time, the rod R (Figures 2 and 3) falls again by its own weight, disengages the
watch-movement, and puts it into motion. In short, the cut-off acts alike to a
gun-luck, bent by turning off the hammer, and set off by pressing upon the
thumbler-stay.
The question is then limited to engage at will and disengage a watch-movement.
Nevertheless, the solution of this problem, in appearance very easy, is not yet
found, seeing that the cleverest watch-makers, using highly precise, dear and
delicate movements, only have obtained very incomplete results. Therefore we
believe to be right in reclaiming the ownership of the simple, solid and cheap
mechanism which enables us to perform cheap watch-movements which can easily
and surely be stoped or put into motion, and, by that way, to construct meters for
air, gas, water and so well as meters for electric lamps.
DESCRIPTION OF ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE MECHANISM.
The escapement is mounted by such a way that one of the spokes, (in French
barrettes) of the balance-wheel can be placed perpendicularly to the direction of
the rod R (Figures 2 and 3) at the precise moment when the spiral spring is
completely unbent, that is when the balance-wheel stands at the dead point of its
oscillatory road.
Under this spoke, three millimeters far of the centre of the wheel, we adapt a
pin 6 (Figures 2 bis and 3 bis). Its weight, one centigramme, has not appreciable
influence on the equilibrium of the balance-wheel.
The rod R, fixed on the posterior plate of the movement, by a long sliding
shutter, into which it slides without. rubbing, bears two pins P and Pi
(Figures 2 bis and 3 bis). The pin P is one millimeter long; the pin P' one
and half millimeter. There is an interval of one millimeter between those two
pins. The position of pin b, and the length of pins P and P¹, (pins of the
rod R) have been calculated so that the balance-wheel, pushed by the pin P,
must describe an arc of fourty-five degrees from the dead point of its movement.
When the consumer pushes the button B thoroughly, the movable plate of
cut-off gets the position noted Figure 3, and pushes the rod R upwards. In
this motion of the rod R. one of the two pins P or P¹ pushes also the pin b
upwards in such a manner that this same pine must be maintained between the
pins P and P¹, in the position noted Figure 2 bis.
When the movable plate of cut-off is disengaged by the action of button B', the
rod R falls by its own weight; the pin P carries the pin b, and, consequently,
the watch movement is put into motion as soon as the circuit is shut aud lamps
lighted.
It can sometimes happen that none of pins P or P¹ meet with the pin B whilst
the rod R is pushed upwards by the movable plate of the cut-off. In this case, the
watch movement is stoped and put anew into motion by a little different, but 50
ascertained way.

page_text: The pin P, 1 millimeter long, stands always on the circulary road described by
the pin b. Therefore this same pin must necessarily come to hit the pin P¹,
so that after a few more and more short oscillations, the balance-wheel shall be
stoped, and pin b shall stay in the position noted Figure 3 bis, or come back again
on the dead point of the movement. But, when the rod R falls by its own weight,
the pin b, whatever may be its position, must always be carried by pin. Pl. In
consequence the watch-movement shall be put into motion by this same pin P¹,
alike it has been put into motion by the pin B, in the precedent case.
Whatever may be the position of the pin b when the watch-movement is stoped,
this pin must always be carried by one of the two pins P or P, when the rod R
falls again by its own weight, and, consequently, must be rendered free only after
having remoted from fourty five degrees beyond the dead point. Therefore the
spring must be bent, and watch put into motion in all the possible cases.
By such a way, we are ascertained to obtain the following advantages:
1°: Impossibility of lighting the lamps without putting the watch into motion.
2°: Impossibility of setting the watch-movement out of order, either by mistake,
or by malevolence;
30: Necessity for the electrician to call upon the consumers at fixed day, in
order to wind up the movement, what puts a stop to all pretext for delaying the
regulation of the accounts.
Our meter is performed of such a manner that it will be very uneasy, almost
impossible to put the hands forward or back in order to delude the producer,
because it is very easy to know if the box has been opened, and the hands induly
manipulated.
In order to satisfy to all the wants, we construct three models of meters:
10: Model No. 1, or small model, very suitable for small installations, and works
leading electricity only one part of the night. 2°: Model No. 2, or middle model,
suitable for installations in which electricity is furnished during the whole night.
3°: Model No. 3, or large model, suitable for installations in which electricity is
allways at the disposition of the consumers. These three models are constructed
so that the rupture sparks may be avoided. For this purpose, the models 2 and 3
are supplied with suitable cut-off. These three models require to be wound up
once upon a month. At this same time, the hands are brought again on "zero."
In order to use our hours meter as a meter for air, gas, or water, (compressed or
hot) no modification is required in the watch-movement, rod R, and pins b,
P and P. In the place of the cut-off, levers and buttons, we shut into the box
the stop cock of the tube which brings air, gas or water, the key of this stop-cock
to be juting out of the box. The rod R is in communication by the way of a rod
which acts the rod R alike to the movable plate of the cut-off, in order that the
watch movement can be stoped only after that the cock is completely shut, and put
into motion before the cock begin to be opened, alike when the rod R is acted by
the movable plate of cut-off.
It is necessary to remove the watch-movement in the following cases: When the
hours meter is to register a motive force transmitted by the way of a strap, or an
electric or telodynamic cable. 2°: When the tube bringing air, gas or water is too
large in order that it may be possible to shut it into the box, without giving to
this box exagerated dimensions. 3: When the tube brings steam, or hot air or
gas.
42: When the wateh-movement must be set far from destructive influences,
such like shocks, dust, corrosive steams or gas, etc. In the above enumerated
circumstances, the hours meter is joined to the cocks, valves or engaging levers by
a rigid metallic rod, right or cranked, one extremity of which immovably fixed to
the handles of cocks, valves or levers, the other extremity penetrating into the box,
and acting the rod R, conformably to what has been above explained.

page_text: +
L Lever acted by button B¹.
This figure shows that when the circuit is shut and the lamps lighted, there is no
communication between electric current and hours meter. Figure 1 bis shows the
watch movement free.
Figure 3 full size. Cut off out of "contact," circuit opened and lamps
extinguished. Watch-movement stoped, and the rod R pushed upwards by the
movable plate of the cut-off.
Figure 2 bis. Scale: ten millimeters for one millimeter: shows the balance-wheel
engaged when the circuit is opened, and lamps extinguished, the out-off stoped in
the position of Figure 2. b. pin of the balance wheel, engaged between the
pins P and P¹.
Figure 3 bis-Scale of ten millimeters for one millimeter.
b
This figure shows the pin 6 stoped by the pin P¹ soli, in the case where it could
not have been seized at first by the pin P.
that
The Figures 2 bis and 3 bis show that the pin b shall always be seized of such a
manner that the balance wheel must always describe an arc of 4 degrees beyond
beyond the dead point before having been rendered free, and, consequently,
the spring of the spiral must be always bent, and the movement infailibly put
into motion, when the rod R falls again."
Therefore we can ascertain that our meter, working without any intervention of
an extraneous motive force, is very suitable for registering the hours of working of
whatever engine, with certitude for the produceur that he will be paid for all that
he has furnished, and also for the consumer that he will pay only the amount of
what he has utilized, because they are ascertained that it is impossible to modify or
pervert the indications of the meter, either by mistake, or in the purpose of
cheating.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
CLAIM.
T