An Improved Electricity Meter for Registering the Amount of Current Consumed on Direct or on Alternating Current Circuits.
Year: 1898

page_text: An Improved Electricity Meter for Registering the Amount of
Current Consumed on Direct or on Alternating Current Circuits.
I, FREDERICK JOHN BEAUMONT, of 21, Albany Road, Stroud Green, County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention, is the measurement of the consumption of
electricity by means of air indrawn and expelled from a chamber, said indrawing
being effected by means of a solenoid, or an electro-magnet, and its expulsion
effected by a weight or its equivalent.
::
The velocity of the expulsion is controlled by the opening and closing of a
valve, said valve being opened proportionately to the amount of current passing
by means of a solenoid or electro-magnet inserted in the consumers circuit.
For the purpose of this invention, I construct and employ a bellows or its
equivalent (such as a cylinder and piston) of any material in shape or form pre-
ferably like that in a gas meter or of a gasometer being provided with a valve
for the reception of air when open, and to self close when full.
I further provide an outlet for the expulsion of the air in the shape of a tube
connected to a bellows or its equivalent which is further connected to a valve
that opens and closes in proportion to the amount of current consumed, or in
lieu of the two tubes and valve before mentioned, a single tube may suffice, in
which case the valves may be dispensed with.
The bellows (or other equivalent apparatus) is opened by means of an electro-
magnet, or an iron core working in a solenoid, either as a shunt circuit or in the
main circuit. If working as a shunt circuit, the current is broken automatically
when the bellows is full, and when empty the circuit is completed and the bellows
re-opened, a repetition of this occurs each time the air has gone through which
is due to the escape through the outlet valve controlled by an integrating coil,
electro-magnet, or solenoid to open or close the valve in proportion to the strength
of current in the main circuit on the consumers premises.
The registration of the current consumed takes place in the following manner,
viz., a train of wheels provided with dials, and on the last pinion a ratchet wheel
or other device is used, so that every time the ratchet wheel is moved one tooth
or more, a registration takes place.
Or I further provide a means of measuring the current on the consumers mains
in the following manner:-A small fan driven by a motor using a shunt current
off the house mains at nearly uniform speed, the air from the fan is made to
pass into a wet or dry gas meter, by which means the speed of the meter is

page_text: regulated by the opening or closing of the outlet, this is accomplished by the
following method; an ampere meter or any device whereby the main current
traversing the coil or coils is made to operate a valve which opens and closes in
the same proportion as the current varies. The excess of air generated by the
fan when choked by the outlet of the gas meter liberates itself at the opening in
centre of fan case, or probably refuses to take more air in until the meter is
ready to receive more.
An Improved Electricity Meter for Registering the Amount of
Current Consumed on Direct or on Alternating Current Circuits.
I, FREDERICK JOHN BEAUMONT, of 21, Albany Road, Stroud Green, County of
Middlesex, 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:-
The object of this invention, is the measurement of the consumption of elec-
tricity by means of air indrawn and expelled from a chamber, said indrawing
being effected by means of a solenoid, or an electro-magnet, and its expulsion
effected by a weight or its equivalent.
The velocity of the expulsion is controlled by the opening and closing of a
valve, said valve being opened proportionately to the amount of current passing
by means of a solenoid or electro-magnet inserted in the consumers circuit.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 diagram of a single bellows and appliances operable by the electric
current through a solenoid with automatic action.
Figure 2 diagram of appliances with weighted bellows for reverse action where-
by air is taken in and expelled through the same orifice without valves.
Figure 3 diagram of gas meter in connection with a revolving fan.
Figure 4 diagram of apparatus with bellows for operation from a motor through
a shunt current.
Figure 5 diagram of apparatus in which two bellows are arranged coupled
and operated by a motor.
All similar letters of reference apply to the same parts in the several figures.
For the purpose of this invention, 1 construct and employ a bellows A or its
equivalent (such as a cylinder and piston) of any material in shape or form pre-
ferably like that in a gas meter, or of a gasometer being provided with a valve for
the reception of air when open and to self close when full.
I further provide an outlet for the expulsion of the air in the shape of a
tube B connected to the bellows or its equivalent which is further connected to a
valve C that opens and closes in proportion to the amount of current consumed,
or in lieu of the two tubes and valve before mentioned, a single tube may suffice,
in which case the valves may be dispensed with.

page_text: The bellows (or other equivalent apparatus) is opened by means of an electro-
magnet or an iron core D working in a solenoid E, as a shunt circuit.
Working as a shunt circuit, the current is broken automatically when the
bellows is full, and when empty the circuit is completed and the bellows re-
opened, a repetition of this occurs each time the air has gone through which is
due to the escape through the outlet valve controlled by a coil F, Figure 3,
electro-magnet, or solenoid to open or close the valve C in proportion to the
strength of current in the main circuit on the consumers premises.
The registration of the current consumed takes place in the following manner,
viz.: a train of wheels provided with dials G and on the last pinion a ratchet
wheel or other device is used, so that every time the ratchet wheel is moved one
tooth or more, a registration takes place in the well known manner.
Or I further provide a means of measuring the current on the consumers
mains in the following manner: A small fan H, Figure 3, driven by a motor I
using a shunt current off the house mains at nearly uniform speed, the air from
the fan is made to pass into a wet or dry gas meter J, by the pipe K by which
means the speed of the meter is regulated by the opening or closing of the outlet,
this is accomplished by the following method; an ampere meter or any device
whereby the main current traversing the coil or coils is made to operate a valve
which opens
and closes in the same proportion as the current varies. The excess
of air generated by the fan when choked by the outlet of the gas meter liberates
itself at the opening in centre of fan case, or the fan probably refuses to take
more air in until the meter is ready to receive more.
According to Figure 1, the bellows A is suspended from the partition L, and
its bottom Hap is connected by rods to a pair of levers M, M, the upper ends of
which are slotted for play of a guided weight N. One of the levers M has
attached a link P partly embracing a contact balanced lever Q, one point of
which can be put into contact with R to establish the shunt circuit when the
bellows A is empty.
Referring to Figure 2, the bellows A is on the bottom plate S and its top plate
is in connection with a balanced lever T (weighted) the upper end of which is
coupled to a pair of links M, M, attached to rocking intercalating coils U, U,
each of which is thrown alternately into circuit by the make and break con-
tact V which in turn operates the registering mechanism G.
A small pipe S is fitted for charging the bellows, the size of such pipe regulat-
ing the entry of air and consequently regulating the speed of the meter.
According to Figure 4, the movable head of the bellows A is connected by the
rod W to a toothed wheel W which becomes rotated from the shaft X of the
electric motor I.
Referring to Figure 5, two bellows A, A, are coupled by rods W, W, and crank
to the shaft X of the registering mechanism and is operated by an electric
motor I.
The arrangement of pipe Z dispenses with valves in the bellows A, the air
being held therein and therefrom alternately.
I have for clearness shown my several apparatus in connection with lamps in
parallel as an example of the application of my invention of bellows or plunger
action and which through inflation and deflation of said bellows the amount of
electric current consumed can be registered.
By this invention, the use of air is adopted as a retarding influence instead of
copper or other discs producing Foucault currents, revolving in or near permanent
magnets or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The inflation and deflation of bellows or their equivalent by electric power
and operated by motor solenoid or the like in a shunt circuit and the means for

page_text: registering the consumption of electric currents, as described and substantially
as represented on the annexed drawings.
2. The use of air as a retarding influence instead of copper or other discs pro-
ducing Foucault currents revolving in or near permanent magnets or the like.
733
100
1000
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Frederick John Beaumont.