IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICITY GAUGES
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN GOODMAN and HENRY MILLER GOODMAN both of Louisville in the
County of Jefferson and State of Kentucky one of the United States of America,
gentleinen do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICITY GAUGES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention has relation to means for estimating the amount of electric
energy that traverses a given circuit whether a direct or derived circuit and it
consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices as hereinafter set
forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The accompanying drawings are made somewhat diagrammatic in order to display
the different parts more clearly and make the construction of the instrument and
the principle of its action plain to the understanding.
In the drawings the letters X Y and Z indicate the frame of the instrument.
A represents a stationary electro-magnet fixed to the base X and B a movable
electro magnet attached to the beam C which is pendent being pivoted at the
point L so that it is capable of vibratory motion. The cores of the two electro
magnets A and B approximate, and their opposing extremities are of the same
polarity so that when a current is passed through the circuit they repel each other.
G indicates a spring arm upon one of these electro magnets said spring arm
being connected with the wire of the electro magnet To the wire of the other
electro magnet is attached an arm H which is designed to make contact with the
spring arm G.
R and S indicate resistance coils.
W is a switch whereby the coil R may be thrown in or out of circuit.
K is a projection upon the upper portion of the vibratory beam C designed to
make contact with the spring O at certain times.
M is a catch connected to the vibratory beam C and adapted to work the ratchet
wheel E.
When the current of electricity enters at the binding post P it ascends in the
course indicated by the line a-b which may represent a wire or other conductor
to some part of the vibratory beam C near the fulcrum thereof. It then descends
along C to its lower part, when it is directed to the wire of the magnet B. which
terminates in the upright H. The magnet B being at rest and H in contact with G
the current continues on through the wire of the magnet A and passes out at the
binding post T.
At the moment the current passes, the electro-magnets A and B repel each
other, and the swinging or pendent magnet B recedes, breaking the contact between
the arms G and H and then the pendent magnet returns by its force of gravity to
be again repelled.

page_text: The force of the repulsion and the length of the are described by the magnet B
will be, with certain restrictions proportionate to the strength of the current.
It is not necessary for the perfection of the instrument that G shall be a spring
as a rigid arm will answer very well. Nor is it essential that the circuit be made
and broken through arms and projections as in some cases it may be even advan-
tageous to conduct the current through the magnets allowing the extremities of the
magnets to constitute the contact surfaces.
The action however which has been described would result in an interrupted
current which in some cases might be objectionable, and in order to obviate it, a
second contact maker represented at K O has been devised.
K represents a projection or knot on the beam C, and O is a spring so arranged
as to come in contact with said projection or knot, at the moment that the arms G
and II of the electro magnets are separated, thus continuing the current through
wires or other conductors in the direction indicated at fg to the binding post T
A variable current will however still result as at one moment the resistance in the
helices of the electro magnets A and B will be encountered and at the next only
the resistance of the line fg. To obviate this, the coil S which involves a resistance
equal to that in circuit through the magnets A and B is interposed between the
spring O and the binding post T. The to and fro movement of the beam C is
propagated by means of a ratchet wheel as shown or other common mechanical
device to appropriate clock-work actuating a register.
In the drawing R represents a coil of any desired resistance said resistance
serving to conduct a portion of the current V around the instrument.
Although the current may be made and broken between the extremities of the
magnets A and B it has been found that the noise made by the striking together
of the magnets was disagreeable and that the end of the magnets were battered
and the whole mechanism injured by the concussions.
These objections however have been surmounted and the working of all the
parts of the apparatus has been rendered more uniform by immersing it in a
vessel W¹ containing some non-conducting liquid such as oil or chloroform as
shown.
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. The combination with an automatic motor adapted to operate a recording
instrument of the stationary and pendent magnets, the circuit making and breaking
devices containing a non conducting liquid in which the magnets are operated
substantially as specified.
2. An electric motor having a suspended vibratory electro-magnet actuated on
one hand by the force of gravity and on the other hand by the repellant force of a
second electro magnet in the same circuit the current making and breaking devices
and recording mechanism substantially as specified.
3.. The combination of a pendent vibratory electro-magnet B, of mechanical
devices adapted to operate clock work to register the vibrations of the pendent
electro magnet and the arms G and H for making and breaking the electric circuit
substantially as shown and described.