Improvements in Electricity Meters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electricity Meters.
I, PERCY COLLINSON, of the Electric Light and Power Company, Edward.
"Street, Morecambe, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to so construct meters that, the amount of
electricity passed through the meter in a given time, is gauged by the quantity of
liquid allowed to escape from one portion of the apparatus to another, the flow
of the liquid being controlled by the electric current.
I accomplish my object in the following manner. The electric current to be
measured is passed through wire encircling the barrel of a solenoid, the thickness or
gauge and number of coils of wire around the barrel being proportionate to the
capacity of the meter.
Mounted within the solenoid is a hollow core having one end stopped with metal,
and is suspended by a bar and spring. Between the spring and stoppered end of
core, is an armature attached to or forming part of a lever supported on a fulcrum
and provided with a weight for balancing.
A valve is also connected with and operated by the lever, the underside of the
valve communicating by a pipe with a cistern, which is connected by a pipe to the
bottom of an air tight tank filled with suitable liquid.
Ou passing the current through the solenoid, the core is operated in accordance.
with the strength of the current passing through the wires. The said core
attracting the armature and lever, opens the valve a distance corresponding to the
strength of the current, thus allowing the liquid to flow from the cistern and tank
through the valve opening to a receptacle. On the measurement of the liquid, a
direct ratio of current passed through the solenoid in a given time is obtained.
Dated this 17th day of December 1894.
- I, PERCY COLLINSON, of the Electric Light and Power Company, Edward
Street, Morecambe, in the County of Lancaster, Electrical 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 to so construct meters that, the amount of
electricity passed through the meter in a given time, is gauged by the quantity
of liquid allowed to escape from one portion of the apparatus to another, the flow
of the liquid being controlled by the electric current.
In describing my invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying
O sheet of drawings, in which
.
- Fig. 1 represents an elevation partly in section of an apparatus constructed.
according to my invention with one solenoid.

page_text: Fig. 2 represents a meter constructed according to my invention provided with
two solenoids.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the escaped or liberated liquid tank provided with graduated
scales, and
Fig. 4 a detached detail of a mercurial cut out switch.
The electric current to be measured is passed through wire encircling the barrel
of one or more solenoids, the thickness or gauge and number of coils of wire around
the said barrel being proportionate to the capacity of the meter.
In describing Fig. 1 fitted with one solenoid, I place within the solenoid barrel A.
a hollow wrought iron core B..suspended by a link to spital spring S. supported
by a bracket D. attached to the case or box E. containing the meter. Between
the spring S. and top end of the hollow wrought iron core B. is a soft iron disc or
armature F. attached to the end of lever G. supported on a fulcrum pin at H. and
at the opposite end of the said lever is secured a balanced weight W.
At the upper portion of the box E. is fixed an air tight tank J. provided with a
filling hole having a screwed cap.K. for excluding the air after filling the tank with
liquid, by screwing the cap K. down to the position as shown.
Between the air tight tank J. and the lever G. is a cistern L. having an open
top and fitted at the bottom with an outlet valve M. below which is a funnel N.
connected by pipe O. to one of a series of tanks Q. for collecting and storing the
liberated liquid.
The solenoid A. is provided with terminals P. and P' to which are connected
the wires carrying the current to be registered, the current entering the terminal.P.
traverses through the solenoid leaving same by the terminal P³, the hollow core B.
is thus operated in accordance with the amount of electricity passing through the
wines, the hollow core B. descending into the solenoid A. expands the spiral
spring S. and at the same time the armature F. over the hollow core B. is drawn
towards the said core, causing lever to move on its fulcrum, the valve M. to open,
and the liquid in cistern L. to escape into the funnel N. and measuring tank Q, the
escape of liquid being in proportion to the distance the hollow core B. is attracted
into the solenoid A. and the distance the valve M. is opened.
To the bottom of air tight tank J. is secured a pipe R. provided with a tap R',
the pipe R. extending into the cistern L. a distance that the end is below the
surface of the liquid therein when at its normal height. To the bottom of air
tight tank J. is secured another pipe T. the top of which extends to near the cover
of said tank above the level of the liquid therein, the bottom end of the pipe T.
extending downwards to a little distance below the level of the liquid in cistern L.
but not so far as the pipe R. when the liquid is at its normal level.
When the meter is in action, and the lever G. operated in the manner as herein-
before described and the liquid in cistern L. has lowered a distance sufficient to
allow air to pass up the pipe T. into the air space at top of air tight tank J, the
liquid is displaced therein, which then flows through pipe R. into cistern L, thus
filling it up again to its former level, and this is .continued so long as the meter is
in action and the liquid allowed to escape through valve M, which as before
described is conveyed into a tank Q. which I prefer to divide into compart-
ments somewhat as shown by plan view Fig. 3.
When compartment Q. is full it overflows into Q and so on to the last compart
ment, each compartment is provided with a glass tube and a graduated scale to
indicate the level of the liquid in the respective compartments, the scales being
graduated to read directly with the units of the Board of Trade or other
authority.
The solenoid may be duplicated as shown by Fig. 2 for passing or taking a
greater range of current, in which case two solenoids A. and A' are employed,
both of which are similar to that before described, the current passes through
solenoid A' for the smaller readings or small load and when the solenoid A¹ has
Deached its full capacity or limit of load, it is then cut out of the circuit and the
current passes through the other solenoid A.

page_text: The lever G¹ is similar to G. before described and when G¹ is operated by the
hollow core B', the lever G. is raised by a pin Y. secured to lever G and
the valve M. raised in the manner before described.
When the solenoid A' has reached its maximum load, it is cut out of the circuit
by means of a mercurial switch Z. shown by detail Fig. 4. The terminal wires of
the solenoid A are connected to the mercury cups Z' and Z' and when the
armature F. is drawn down by B, the switch Z. carried by an extension of the said
armature, descends into the mercury cups thus cutting solenoid A' out of circuit,
the action of solenoid A. being then the same as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. An air tight tank J. and cistern L, the latter provided with a valve M.
controlled by a solenoid, armature and lever, all arranged substantially in the
manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore set forth.
2. An air tight tank J. with pipes R. and T. combined with cistern L. having a
valve M. in the same and with collecting tank Q, all arranged substantially in the
manner and for the purpose as herein before set forth.
3. The combination of the solenoids A. and A' with the levers G. and G'
valve M. cistern L. and an air tight tank J, all arranged substantially in the manner
shown and for the purpose as herein before set forth.
4. The combination of the solenoids A. and A' with the levers G. and G'
valve M. and cistern L. mercurial cut out switch Z. and receiving tank Q, all
arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore shown
and described.
5. The general combination of the parts forming the complete apparatus for
operating the valve M. collecting, storing and measuring the liberated liquid, all
arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore set
forth.
Dated this 17th day of September 1895.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.