Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Measuring Electricity.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Measuring Electricity.
GEORGE LEE ANDERS, Electrician, of 10 Jeffrey's Square, London, E.C.,
and WALTHER KOTTGEN, Merchant, of 10 Jeffrey's Square, London, E.C. do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The nature of this invention is an improvement in the application of the
deposition of metal by electrolysis as a measure of the current passed. This
is
principle in itself is well known, being applied in the Edison meter where copper
deposited and subsequently weighed as an indication of the current passed through
the meter. The novelty in this invention consists mainly in the utilization of the
fluidity of a metal such as mercury, and we arrange our meter in such a manner
that the amount of mercury deposited on a plate such as platinum-or it may be on
a mercurial surface-shall flow therefrom into an indicating tube or similar device,
so that the amount may be seen at a glance, the general appearance of the meter
being like an inverted mercurial thermometer. The tube into which the mercury
is caused to flow may be of larger or smaller diameter as may be required to give a
more or less nicety to the visual amount deposited.
Dated this 24th day of November 1892.
GEORGE LEE ANDERS.
WALTHER KOTTGEN.
COMPLETE SIMULTIVATION
Improvements in the Means or Apparatus for Measuring Electricity.
We, GEORGE LEE ANDERS, Electrician, and WALTHER KOTTGEN, Merchant,
both of 10, Jeffrey's Square, in the City of London, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in means of and apparatus for measuring
currents of electricity. It consists in an improved application of the electrolytic
action of a current upon a solution of a metallic salt as well as in the combination
therewith of devices from which the quantity of current passed can be read off at a
glance.
In electrometers depending upon the electrolytic action of the current-e.g., the
Edison meter-a normally solid metal-copper-has been used as the one to be
deposited, with the consequence that it has always been necessary to remove and
weigh it before any numerical indication or expression of the number of units
passed, could be obtained.
According to the present invention, we make use of an electrolyte of which the
element which will be deposited is normally fluid both at the moment of deposition
and afterwards, and provide for it flowing by gravity from the electrode upon which
it is deposited into a collector provided with a suitable scale from which the
quantity of units or their monetary value-either or both can be read off at a
glance. The element which we make use of is mercury because it is normally fluid
in its free state, and the salt of it which we prefer to use is the bisulphide although
we do not limit ourselves to the use of the latter. Whichever salt is used, it is of
importance that it be chemically pure.

page_text: The collector which we prefer to use is one or a series of glass tubes. The open
top of the tube, or of the first of the series of the tubes, enters the cell which
contains the electrodes and the electrolyte, immediately under the electrode upon
which the mercury is deposited. This electrode may be of platinum or any
mercurial surface. As the tube or tubes above mentioned are, for the sake of
convenience and compactness, vertical, the electrode is supported horizontally. It
is dished towards its centre which presents the appearance of an inverted cone.
The electrode is perforated, the object of the dishing and perforation being that
the deposited metal shall flow towards the centre of the underside of the electrode
and drop from it into the tube fixed thereunder.
The present invention is applicable to either direct or alternating currents. We
do not confine ourselves to any of the constructional details provided that the
electric functions specified and claimed are duly provided for.
In order that the invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe it and them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of our invention as it is or may be constructed
for measuring a direct current, that is one flowing in one direction.
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the application of the same invention to
measuring an alternating current.
The whole current inay be passed through the apparatus or the latter may be
fixed in a shunt from the main conductor. The periodicity of the current is
immaterial, and also its intensity, provided that the voltage and amperage of the
current passing through the cell, duly shunted for the purpose, be not too high for
its action to be strictly confined to electrolysis of the electrolyte.
Referring to Figure 1, a is the main conductor along which the current to be
measured is flowing, and 6 is a resistance placed in the conductor for the purpose of
the present invention. c is the cell, and d, e the shunt circuit between it and the
main conductor, and in which the cell is placed. is a vertical glass tube. It is
closed at its bottom end (which has been broken off because there is not room to
include it in the figure) while the top end is carried upwards through a suitable
stuffing box in the bottom of the cell c above the level of the layer of mercury g
the anode of the cell with which the shunt conductor d is connected. The tube
terminates in a trumpet mouth f. is the graduated scale by the side of the
tubeff is a second tube likewise closed at its bottom end, and f4 is its scale.
The second tube opens into the one first mentioned at a level with the highest point
of its scale. Any number of tubes communicating with each other in the way
described may be made use of. They constitute the collector in which the
deposited mercury g' is collected. Any other equivalent and suitable kind of
collector may be made use of. is a plate of platinum or it may be any mercurial
surface. It is supported within the cell in any convenient way-e.g., by an
insulated conductor z-and from it the shunt conductor e is led to the main
conductor. The plate is perforated and dished so as to present a pendent conical
centre immediately over the bore of the tube f. The object of the inclination or
dishing of the plate towards this centre, is to provide for the deposited mercury
flowing towards the point instead of dropping into the anode I. The object of the
perforations is to allow of the electrolyte above the plate to communicate with that
below it so as to provide for free convection in the electrolyte. is the electrolyte.
This of course fills the mercury collector before the apparatus begins to measure
current, and is displaced from it by the collected mercury. The scale which is
combined with the collector is divided according to the calibration of the apparatus,
and in any desired manner, either for units or for the cost of the current flowing
through the main conductor. The strength of the resistarce b depends upon the
nature of the current in the main conductor and also on the area of the electrode h.
In practice, it will be found convenient to make its resistance a decimal part of the
circuit which includes the cell c, such as a tenth or a hundredth or a thousandth.
1.

page_text: As the resistance of the cell depends upon the area of the electrode h and on the
distance of the latter from the anode g, it will be necessary in practice to make this
area and distance proportional to the current to be measured.
By inverting the apparatus, the mercury will flow out of the collector back into
the cell where it will join the anode g.
Referring to Figure 2, a' is the main conductor through which an alternating
current is flowing. It is evident that if an alternating current were passed through
the electrolyte of Figure 1, there would occur an alternate deposition of mercury
on the electrode h and solution of it, with a neutral result as far as the object of the
present invention is concerned. In order to secure a collection of deposited
mercury with an alternating current, it is of course necessary that it shall be made
to pass through the electrolyte in a given direction. This is accomplished,
according to our invention, by providing an electrodynamic current controller or
director in conjunction with a compound cell or duplicate cells and electrolytes.
This device consists of a polarised tongue carrying a plate of carbon or
platinated metal k. The tongue j is made of soft iron and is inductively magnetised
by the permanent magnets 1, 1. It stands between the opposite ends of two soft
iron cores m, m' which are placed within the resistance 6, 62. The latter are
solenoids. The cores m, m', being magnetically excited by the current flowing
through the resistance, 62, tend to move the tongue j and the plate k in either of
two directions according to the direction of the exciting current. n, n' are a pair
Both are
of cups of carbon or of platinated metal, one on each side of the plate k.
filled with carbon granules. 02, 02 are pieces of elastic felt interposed between the
edges of the cups n, n' and the plate k to prevent the granules escaping. The
felts o2, 02, while retaining the granules, do not unduly interfere with the movement,
or tendency to move, of the plate k when it is acted upon the alternating currents
in the resistance. The property of carbon or of platinated metal arranged in the
way illustrated and described with reference to the plate k to reduce its resistance
in proportion to the pressure exerted upon it, is well known. The granules o in
the cup n are in electrical contact with the positive pole of the cell c', while those
in the cup n are in contact with the negative pole of the cell c², the negative pole
of the cell c¹ and the positive pole of the cell being connected to the main
conductor a¹ on the same side of the plate d as the resistance 62, the core m¹ and
the cup n. p, p' are two adjusting screws adapted to regulate the pressure of the
platek on the granules and to thereby cause an uniform deposit en the electrodes.
The construction of the cells c¹, c², electrodes h, and the collectors and scales
are as described with reference to Figure 1.
The operation of the apparatus constructed as illustrated in Figure 2 is as
follows. Assuming that the portion of the current whose action we are watching,
is flowing along the main conductor a¹ from right to left, there are two courses open
to it. One-that by which the larger portion of current will flow--is through
the resistance 62, 61, magnetising the cores m', m, causing the former to repel the
tongue and the latter to attract it. As a consequence of this attraction, the
plate is made to press against the granules o The other course-that taken by
the smaller portion-is from the main conductor through the shunt conductor e¹,
the binding screw c³, the electrode h in the cell c', there depositing its quota of
mercury, the mercury electrode 9, the binding screw ct, the shunt conductor d¹, the
granules o, the plate k and the tongue j to the conductor a'.
It will be seen from the construction of the electro-dynamic current controller,
that a current can flow through that cell which is connected to the carbon granules
which are for the moment not compressed. This flow may have a neutralising
effect in the cell in question, but that is immaterial, and we prefer the construction
illustrated because it maintains a path for the current Howing through the
depositing cells, the conductivity of which is strictly in relation to the strength,
the direction and the periodicity of the alternating current in the main conductor.
When the current in the main conductor is flowing from left to right, the
apparatus works as follows. The larger portion flows through the resistance b¹, b³,

page_text: magnetising the cores m and m' and causing the former to repel the tongue j and
the latter to attract it. As a consequence of this attraction, the plate k is made to
press against the granules o¹. The smaller portion flows from the main conductor
through the tongue j and the plate k. It finds the latter pressing against the
granules o' and will therefore flow into the electrode h¹ upon which it will deposit
its quota of mercury electrolised from the electrolyte . From the latter it passes
through the mercury electrode 92 and the shunt conductor e¹ to the main
conductor a¹.
We wish to point out that when a current, according to its course, takes either
the cell c¹ or the cell ², in consequence of a decrease of resistance between the
contents of the cells n, n', it is such decrease in resistance that determines the
selection of course and the amount of mercury deposited, the decrease in resistance
of either circuit being in proportion to the strength of the current in the main
conductor.
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
--
1. The combination of a fluid metal electrolyte, connections between it and the
current to be measured adapted to send the latter or some of it through the
electrolyte, and a receptacle adapted to receive the electrolised fluid metal.
2. The combination of a mercury electrolyte, connections between it and
the current to be measured adapted to send the latter or some of it through the
electrolyte, and a receptacle adapted to receive the electrolised mercury.
3. The combination of a fluid metal electrolyte, connections between it and the
current to be measured adapted to send the latter or some of it through the
electrolyte, a receptacle for the electrolised fluid metal and a graduated scale to
be read with the rising level of the electrolised metal deposited in the said
receptacle.
4. The combination with the conductor of an alternating current to be measured,
of an electrodynamic current controller or director, a duplicate cell or pair of cells,
fluid metal clectrolytes, connections between both electrolytes and the said
conductor and controller or director, receptacles for the electrolised fluid metal and
graduated scales to be read with the rising level of the electrolised metal deposited
in the said receptacles.
Dated this 25th day of August 1893.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.