US1219648A - Electricity-meter. - Google Patents

Description

n. c. LANPHIER.

ELECTRICITY METER.

\ APPLICATION FILED JAN-8.1914- 1 ,21 9,648. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

p i w M u 9 JWW "'H, Q7 7 Witnessasn' In ventor:

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rns arnnr anion ROBERT c. LANlI-IIEB, or srnInerInLn, ILLInoIs, nssreivoa T0 SANGAMO ELECTRIC COMPANY, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILL'INOIS.

ELECTRICITY-METER.

Specification. of Letters I atent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1917.,

Application filed January 8, 1914. Serial No. 810,951.

To all whom it may concern: 7 I

Be it known that I, Roisnn'r C. LANPI-IIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electricity- Meters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accomp anying drawings. 1

My invention relates to electricity meters of the type commonly known as mercury motor meters, and has for its object to provide certain improvements in the mechanical construction of such meters. Such improvements relate particularly to the construction of the frame which carries the registering train and the devices for securing it in position; to the connections between the armature and the registering train, and to the manner of mounting the damping disk. I accomplish this object as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and as hereinafter described. What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure. 1' is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the casing which contains the mercury chamber, the recording train being shown in operative .position, and also the damping disk and one of the damping magnets;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing one of the supporting brackets for the registering train frame, the latter being removed;

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the inner or back surface of the registering train frame, one of the two locking levers being in operative position, while the other is in inoperative position;

Fig. at is an edge view of'part of the registering train frame showing the manner in which the main shaft thereof is mounted;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the mercury chamber casing showing the bracket to which the registering train frame is attached;

Fig. 6 is a partial central vertical sectional view of the damping disk showing the construction of the hub thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the sleeve which carries the damping disk and the worm through which the rotation of the armature is communicated to the damping disk and to the registering train shaft.

Referring to the drawings,

8 indicates the casing which contains the mercury chamber and in which the usuai armature is mounted, as shown for example, in Letters Patent No; 910,5 5, granted to me January 26, 1909. 9 indicates the armature shaft which in my present construction also carries a damping disk 10,which is mounted thereon so as to be readily removable and is insulated therefrom so that the damping disk cannot ground to the permanent n1agnets and base of the meter. The construction of the damping disk hub and the manner in which it is mounted on the shaft 9 are best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, from which it will be seen that the disk 10 is provided centrally with a sleeve 11, upon which are mounted upper and lower members 12-13 of the hub, insulating plates lt-IS being provided between the mem bers 12-13 of the sleeve, and also between the sleeve 11 and the disk. Thus the hub as a whole is thoroughly insulated from the disk 10. 16 indicates a sleeve upon one end portion of which is formed a worm 17 and which carries at its other end a pivot pin 18, which forms the upper pivot of the armature shaft 9. The sleeve 16 is provided with longitudinal slots 18 preferably connected by an intermediate transverse slot 19, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to provide for clamping the sleeve 16 upon the armature shaft 9. The sleeve 16 is adapted to fit snugly in the sleeve 11 of the damping disk 10, the parts when so assembled occupying the position shown in Fig. 2. 20-21 indicate setscrews in the member 12 of the damping disk hub for securing the damping disk to the sleeve 16, and also for clamping the sleeve 16 upon the armature shaft 9. Heretofore it has been the practice to make the damping disk shaft separate from the armature shaft and connect them by a suitable joint or connection, but by my improved construction I am able to make the. armature shaft continuous and removably fit the damping disk upon it, the worm and upper pivot also being readily removable when desired. Thus the construction is very much simplified and the upper pivot can very easily be removed and replaced at a slight expense without opening the mercury cham her or otherwise tearing down the meter. This is an important advantage, inasmuch Cir as the upper pivot is more or less liable to be bro-ken or bent in shipment, and the objectionable coupling heretofore necessary is entirely eliminated. The pivot 18 fits in a suitable bearing in a screw 22, mounted in a bracket 23, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The construction of this bracket is not shown in detail herein as it forms the subject-matter of an application for patent filed by ()tis l/l 'hite January 30, 1914, Serial No. 815,401. 24 indicates one of the usual permanent damping magnets.

25 indicates a registering train frame which is principally formed of two rectangular plates 2627 arranged parallel with each other and supported by the usual pillar posts, the front plate 26 carrying the usual dials. The back plate 27 is provided near its opposite ends with two vertical slots 28-29, which are adapted to receive lugs 30, carried by arms 31-32 of a bracket 33, which is secured upon the casing 8, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The arms 31 are provided with openings 34 having substantially vertical margins adjacent to the lugs 30, as shown in Fig. 2. 3536 indicate shoulders above and below the lugs 30, as also shown in Fig. 2. The lugs 30 are of substantially the same length as the slots 2829, so that when they are fitted in said slots the plate 27 bears against the shoulders 3536, and at that time the inner margins of the lugs 30 formed by the slots 34 project very slightly beyond the surface of the plate 27. When the train-carrying frame is placed in position on the lugs 30, it is secured by means of levers 37-38, best shown in Fig. 3, said levers being mounted on pivots 39 so placed that the inner ends of said levers may be caused to project over the slots 28-29, as shown at the right in Fig. 3. It will be apparent, therefore, that by turning the levers 3738 to the position shown at the right in Fig. 3, their inner ends will then engage the inner margins of the lugs 30 and lock the train-carrying frame firmly in position. By making the width of the lugs 30 such that their inner margins project slightly beyond the surface of the plate 27, the levers 28 have a slight cam action which insures holding the train-carrying frame tightly in position. As best shown in Fig. 3, when the levers 37 38 are in operative position, their ends project slightly beyond the ends of the plate 27 and are stopped in recesses 40-41 provided in the end margins of the plate 27 in any convenient way, as by slightly offsetting suitable marginal portions of such plate, as best shown in Fig. 1. In order to remove the train-carrying frame it is only necessary to swing the levers 37 -38 to their inoperative position, when the frame may be withdrawn from the lugs 30, without disconnecting any of the other parts of the meter. The train-carrying frame is further steadied when in position by an arm 42 which is secured fixedly thereto and extends inwardly toward the axis of the meter, said arm carrying a tapered pin or block 43 which fits in a socket 44 in a bushing 45, fitted in a suitable stationary portion 46 of the frame of the meter, as best shown in Fig. 1. The pin 43 is provided with a bearing for a pivot 47 provided at the inner end of a shaft 48, which constitutes the main drive shaft of the registering train, and carries a worm wheel 49 which meshes with and is driven by the worm 17, as shown in Fig. 1. At its opposite end the shaft 48 is pivoted in the plate 27, as best shown in 4. When the train-carrying frame is removed, the pin 43 simply slips out of its socket, without disturbing any of the other parts of the meter, and it may be as easily replaced. Thus when said frame is removed, none of the adjustments of the train mechanism, including the shaft 48, are dis turbed, and when the frame is replaced the pin 43 and the lugs 30 automatically insure the proper placing of the worm-wheel 47 with reference to the worm, so that there is no danger of binding or other trouble due to disarrangement of the parts.

While I have described with considerable particularity the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I wish it to be understood that the claims hereinafter made are not to be restricted to the particular construction shown and described, except in so far as such construction may be specifically claimed, but includes generically the subject-matter of the broader claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve removably mounted upon said shaft and having a worm, and a damping disk adapted to fit upon said sleeve.

2. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve removably mounted upon said shaft and having a worm, a damping disk adapted to fit upon said sleeve, and a pivot secured to one end of said sleeve.

3. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve removably fitted upon said shaft, a Worm carried by said sleeve, a damping disk also carried by said sleeve, and means for nonrotatably securing said sleeve to said shaft.

4. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a slit sleeve fitted upon one end portion of said shaft, means for clamping said sleeve upon said shaft, and a pivot carried by said sleeve.

5. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve slit longitudinally and transversely, said sleeve being fitted upon one end portion of said shaft, means for clamping said sleeve upon said shaft, and a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve.

6. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve telescopically fitted upon one end portion of said shaft, means for clamping said sleeve upon said shaft, a pivot fixedly carried by said sleeve, and a Worm also carried by said sleeve.

7 In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integral Worm, a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve, and means for removably securing said sleeve upon said shaft.

8. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integral Worm, a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve, a pivot carried by said sleeve, and means for removably clamping said sleeve upon said shaft.

9. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integral Worm, a damping disk fitted upon said sleeve, and means for securing the damping disk to the sleeve and for securing the sleeve to said armature shaft.

10. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armature shaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integral Worm, said sleeve being slit so that it may be clamped to the shaft, a pivot carried by said shaft, and a damping disk fitted upon said sleeve and having means for clamping said sleeve to said shaft.

11. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing, a brackethaving supporting arms, lugs projecting from said arms, a registering train frame comprising a plate having slots adapted to receive said lugs, and locking members for securing said lugs in said slots.

12. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing,

a bracket having supporting arms, lugs pro- 'jecting from said arms, a registering train frame comprising a plate having slots adapted to receive said lugs, and locking members carried by said frame.

13. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing, a bracket having supporting arms, lugs projecting from said arms, a registering train frame comprising a plate having slots adapted to receive said lugs, and locking levers carried by said frame.

1 1. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frame adapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing said frame to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheel mounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame and having a bearing for said shaft, and means supporting said arm adjacent to said bearing.

15. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frame adapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing said frame to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheel mounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame, a pin carried by said arm and having a bearing for said shaft, and a support having a socket to receive said pin.

16. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercury chamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frame adapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing said frame to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheel mounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame, a tapered pin carried by said arm and having a bearing for said shaft, and a support having a socket to receive said pin.

ROBERT C. LANPHIER.

Witnesses:

J OHN L. JAoKsoN, WILLIAM A. FURNNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

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