US2283071A - Autoamtic meter-reading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y 1942- w. LEATHERS 2,283,071

AUTOMATIC METER-READING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 18, 1940 her of the meter or account.

Patented May 12, 1942 Ward Leathers, Brooklyn, N.- Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation abimcatib October 18, 1940, Serial No. 361,809 si olaims (cl. 177-351) j and G depend upon' the position of the cylinder indicators in cyclometer III, or in other words,

My invention pertains to the type of meterreading and recording whereinmany widely-distributed consumer meters are read from a cen tral reading station by means of a wire. In the present inventions recording cyclometer in the meter of a type more 'fully set forth in my copending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 349,982, filed August2, 1940, is read from a central station by, a balance-discriminator method wherein it varies distinctly 'frommethods using resistors as described inmy co-pending ap-' plications for Letters Patent Serial Nos. 349,974, and 349,980, both filed August 2, 1 -940.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this application one embodiment only of the invention has been disclosed for illustrative purthe registered number to be read. A line 29 y from a distributing selector 2| is wired to con- Doses. This drawing is a schematic wire dia, 1

grammatic' view of ,telelectr'n'. reading system comprising cyclometer and phasing unit in the meter, a central reading board, aselector intermediate of the reading boardand the meter, and a recorder. I

It is understood thatwhile the following description and diagram 'cove'gf but the essential parts of one meter, the purpose. and object of this meter-reading system is toread a multi plicity of meters either automatically 'or manually, selected progressively or individually, as may be desired, and asset forth in the co-pending applications above'referred to.

A cyclometer counter generally characterized by the numeral 10 having four numeral cylinders for recording up to four digits and operating in a manner common to meters and counters,

contains means whereby'each cylinder, in its rotating makes contact progressively selectively with one of ten electric bus-bars representing the numerals l2-3456-78-90 each wired to a corresponding tap on a wire-wound resistor 18. The said means also comprise four brushes II for maintaining circuits through said selecting means.

A stepping or phasing unit or switching mechanism generally characterized by the'numeral I3 is driven by an electro-magnetic coil l5 which by means of an armature I8 rotates a distributor arm ll. one-seventh of a revolution. The arm ll makes contact with one of seven contacts A. B, C, D, E, F and G. Contacts D, E,

F and G are each wired respectively to the four brushes Hin the cyclometer l0. Contacts A, B and C, clipped by alligator clips to one or more of the ten taps, represent the identifying num- The numbers of the tops that are engaged by contacts D, E, F

tacts 22 and 23. Since contact 22 is closed and contact 23'open in the normal position ofarmature IS, a circuit exists from line 29, contact 22 and coil l5 to a ground 24. A voltage pulse it now applied between line 20 and ground will cause the coil l5 to actuate. This will open contact 22 and'close contact 23. A circuit now exists from line 20, contact 23, arm I'l, one the seven contacts (for example, contact G), cyclometer l9 and part or all of resistor l8, to ground 25. Normally, when contact 22 is opened, the coil would cease to attract armature l6 and the armature would vibrate, opening and closing contact 22. To hold armature I6 closed when the coil I is not receiving energy, a delay in deenergizing is introduced in coil [5 by means of a copper jacket 26. When the armature I6 is attracted, part or all of the resistor I8 is wired between line and ground. That portion of the diagram above the dotted line H-H represents apparatus disposed within the meter.. In the central reading station ten values of resistance are introduced into the circuit one at a time by balance-discriminator method. When the two resistances at each end of the line are equal, a numeral will be recorded. The numeral depends upon the value of the resistor which is in turn dependent upon the position of the cyl inder being read in cyclometer In.

In the central reading station a disc facilitates the starting and stopping of the system. A disc 3! facilitates the breaking of the reading circuit while a selector is being pulsed and, while the recorder puts blank spaces between individual meter readings. A disc 32 facilitates-the perforating of blank spaces between individual meter readings. A disc 33 facilitates the pulsing of the selector 20. Every time a character is recorded these discs are rotated one-tenth of a revolution by means of armature 35 on cell 36. A mechanism for bringing ten resistors into the reading circuit, one at a time, by means or an arm 38 is generally characterized by the numeral 3?. This device, together with the resistance 18 in the meter, battery 55, and the relays l0 and H, constitute channels for reading circuits and means therewith for selective actuation. Another device generally characterized by reading circuits leading to ten relays Cl, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C1, C8, C9 and C0. These ten relays CI to C inclusive comprise a coder, generally characterized by the numeral 42, which closes one of ten combinations of fourpunching coils 46, 41, 48 and 49 in a recorder, generally characterized by the numeral 44. Each of these combinations represents a digit and is punched in a tape 45 by means of electro-magneticallyactuated perforators. Another perforator 58 punches holes in the tape 45 each time the recorder is actuated thus making a series of evenly spaced holes by means ofjwhich a ratchet 52 driven by a 'coil advances the tape 45 each recorder is actuated coil 5| closes a contact 52 whichoperates an electric relay 53-by'means of a battery 54. When relay 53 becomes energized itl'attractsthe armature 55 closinga contact 56..

,When armature 55 is attracteditis, locked in ""bosition byime'ans' ofan armature 51. on a relay 58. Armature 55 may be released only by actuating relay 58 and attracting armature 51. When and after the recorder 44 is actuated contact 56 remains closed until relay 58 releases it. Each time the recorder moves the coil 36 advances discs 30, 3|, 32, 33 by means of armature 35, contact 52' and battery 54. A hand switch 66 is used to start and stop the system in conjunction with disc 30. If switch 66 is closed and leftclosed the system will run automatically. If it is closed and opened before the full reading ofameter the system will finish reading that meter and then stop. A motor 6| driven by a battery 62 rotates arms 38 and 46 on multiplex devices 31and 39 respectively. A switch 63 starts and stops the motor 6|. which must be running if the system is expected to function.

'To start the system, switch 63 and substantially switch 60 must be closed. A circuit then exists from ground 24 in the meter, through coil l5, contact 22, line 20, a contact 64 on disc 3|, switch 66, coil 58, contact 56, a battery 65, to a ground 66. Contact 56 is assumed to be closed and, as will be evident hereinafter, it is normally closed 'when the system is inoperative. The battery 65 A and the armature l6 closes contact 23 putting part or all of the resistor l8 into the circuit instead of coil |5 which is put out of the circuit because contact 22 is opened. The copper jacket 26'holds the armature |6 in this position for a predetermined length of time during which a nu-' meral is read and recorded in the central reading station. When coil 58 is fully energized it attracts armature 51 releasing armature 55 and thereby opening contact 56. A circuit nowlexists from ground 25 in the meter, through part or all of resistor l8, through contact A, arm I1, contact 23, line 20, a contact 64 on disc 3 I, switch 66, coil 58, to a common of the ten resistors 66, to rotating arm 38, battery 65 and ground 66. Two [relays and 1| are connected in parallel from thecommon of 68 to a ground 12. Coil 10 is designed to actuate on 50% to 100% of the full voltage of battery 65. Coil 1| is designed to become fully energized on 60% to 100% of the voltage of battery 65. In efiect, a circuit now exists from battery 65, through one of the ten resistors in 31, through one of the ten resistances in l8 -,.back to the'b attery 65. Coils 10 and 1| are each -in parallel with the resistance used in l8. When the two resistance values in series in l8 and 31 areequal, one-half of the voltage of battery 65 "has been opened. 'When less than one-half the voltage appears across the coils 10 and 1|, neither coil 10 nor 1| becomes energized because the energy delivered to the coils was too low. In this case contact 15 remains open. As the arm 38 rotates itbrings each of the ten resistors into the circuit one at a time. Each of these resistors is substantially equal in value to that of one of stead of using ten difierent resistors. Therefore,'

the taps on resistor l8. Taps are used to get ten values of resistance from only one resistor inif the contact A in the meter is wired to tap 6, or in effect, the resistor representing the digit 6, the coil 10 will actuate alone, thus completing the potentially closed output or reading circuit when the arm 38 contacts resistor 6 in device 31. Simultaneously, arm 40 will make contact with contact 6. This will put coder relay C6 into a circuit now consisting of contact 14, contact 15, a battery 16, arm 40, contact 6, relay C6 to contact 14. Relay C6 now becomes energized causing punches 41 and 48 to record the numeral 6 on the tape by a code method fully set forth in the above mentioned co-pending applications. Relay C6 will also energize'coils 5| and 58 and the latter coil upon being deenergized will advance the tape 45. Coil 5| will close contact 52 which will cause coil 53 to actuate by means of battery 54. This will attract and lock in position armature 55 which will close contact 56 and hold it closed until coil 58 is energized.

When contact 56 is closed it shorts the arm 38 to the common of the resistors 68 in multiplex device 31. This. prevents the number 6 from being recorded more than once if the motor 6| rotates the arms 38, and 40 past contact 6 more than once while that numeral in the meter is being recorded. This means that both coil 10 and 1| will be energized until contact 56 is again opened. Coil 36 advances discs 30, 3| 32, 33 to position two at the same time that contact 52 is closed. When the delay in coil I5 in the meter (caused by copper jacket 26) is spent, the arma- Thus contact 23 is opened, and contact 22 is closed. The coil |5 again receives voltage as explained, and again attracts armature |6 which advances arm I1 to contact B and again holds contact 23 closed and 22 open. When the coil l5 receives its pulse, coil 58 is energized because the two are in series. Coil 58 releases armature 55, thus again opening contact 56. The B numeral is read in the same manner as the A numeral. This process repeats until the numerals A, B, C, D, E and F are read. When numeral G is recorded the discs are advanced to position 8 by 52, 54 and .36. This will cause the contact'64 on disc 3| to open, thus breaking the line 20 to the'meter. A contact 86 on disc 32 closes, completing a circuit through a battery 8| to a-coil 82 with a delay in starting action caused by copper jacket 83. An armature 84 on the coil 82 is attracted after the delay caused by jacket 83 is spent, thus closing contact 85 which records a blank space on the tape 45 by energizing coils 5i and 50. The delay caused by jacket 83 is long enough to allow the punches to remove themselves from the tape 45 where they were punching the numeral read at position G in the meter. As soon as the blank space is recorded the discs advance to position 9. This will cause another blank space to be recorded in the same manner as the previous one. This process is repeated until the first position on the discs is reached. When the discs are on position 9, a contact 85 in disc 33 is closed which causes the selector 2| to advance one position by means of voltage obtained from battery 65. When the discs reach position I a contact 81 on disc 30 is opened, so, unless switch 60 is closed the system stops because if open the line 20 to the meter is broken. When in operation the system is timed entirely by the coil 15 and delay jacket 26 in the meter. After a numeralis recorded all operations cease until the delay caused by jacket 26 is spent and the armature I6 returns to normal. If the armature l6 returns to normal before a numeral has been recorded, the coil l5 will not receive enough energy to attract the armature again because contact 56 is not closed. In this case there is additional electrical resistance in the pulsing circuit since arm 38 and common 68 are not shorted together by contact 56. Contact 56 is closed only by actuation of the recorder which closes contact 52 causing coil 53 to close contact 56. In this case, where the armature returns to normal before a numeral is recorded, the system will cease to function until an operator corrects the phase and rereads the meter.

This telelector system is timed by the amount of delay given to coil l5 by jacket 26. The speed of meter-reading may be increased by decreasing the time of this delay action, and vice versa. The factor controlling the speed of the system is the time needed to read a number by means of devices 31 and 39, code it in coder 42, and record it in any suitable manner. The time taken to complete these operations must be less than that of the delay action. The above apparatus may operate at speeds comparable with those of high-speed recording telegraphy.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telemetering system, a plurality of parallel work circuits adapted to be individually and selectively closed to render indications of a plurality of respective magnitudes, a rotary selector switch including terminal contacts for each circuit and a scanning arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, a source of energizing current for the circuits connected to the scanning arm, a normally open relay-actuated switch for closing the selected circuits through the source and scanning arm, a relay responsive to a predetermined electrical characteristic only for closing the relay-actuated switch, a second rotary selector switch including a plurality of contacts and a scanning arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, means for rotating said scanning arms in phase with each other whereby corresponding contacts of each switch are simultaneously scanned, a resistance circuit, a plurality of balancing resistances of different values each connected to one of the contacts of the latter selector switch, said latter scanning arm being adapted upon rotation thereof to successively and separately connect said balancing resistances in the resistance circuit, a plurality of primary resistances having values complementary to said balancing resistances and designed when arranged in pairs therewith to establish said predetermined electrical characteristic in the resistance circuit, said primary resistances corresponding to said magnitudes respectively, and a rotary phasing switch for separately and successively connecting said primary resistances in the resistance circuit whereby rotation of said scanning arms will place the individual balancing resistances in the resistance circuit in series with the individual primary resistances, and means for periodically indexing the phasing switch.

2. In a telemetering system, a plurality of parallel work circuits adapted to be individually and selectively closed to render indications of a plurality of respective magnitudes, a rotary selector switch including terminal contacts for each circuit and a scanning arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, a source of energizing current for the circuits connected to the scanning arm, a normally open relay-actuated switch for closing the selected circuits through the source and scanning arm, a relay responsive to a predetermined voltage only for closing the relay-actuated switch, a second rotary selector switch including a plurality of contacts and a scanning arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, means for rotating'said scanning arms in phase with each other whereby corresponding contacts of each switch are simultaneously scanned, a resistance circuit, a plurality of balancing resistances of difierent values each connected to one of the contacts of the latter selector switch, said latter scanning arm being adapted upon rotation thereof to successively and separately connect said balancing resistances in the resistance circuit, a plurality of primary resistances having values complementary to said balancing resistances, and designed when arranged in the resistance circuit in pairs with the latter resistances to create a voltage drop in the circuit suflicient to establish the predetermined voltage for actuating the relay, said primary resistances corresponding to said magnitudes respectively, and a rotary phasing switch for separately and successively connecting said primary resistances in the resistance circuit whereby rotation of said scanning arms will place the individual-balancing resistances in the resistance circuit in series with the individual primary resistances, and means operable upon closing of each of the work circuits for indexing the phasing switch.

3. In a telemetering system, a plurality of parallel work circuits adapted to be individually and selectively closed to render an indication of a varying magnitude, a rotary selectorswitch including terminal contacts for each circuit and a scanning arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, each of said contacts corresponding to a value of said magnitude, means for rotating the scanning arm continuously, a source of energizing current for the circuits connected to the scanning arm, a normally open relay-actuated switch for closing the selected circuits through the'source and scanning arm, a resistance circuit, a relay disposed in the circuit and responsive to a predetermined voltage only for closing the relay actuated switch, and means operable when the scanning arm is in engagement with a contact corresponding to the existing value of the magnitude for establishing the predetermined voltage in the resistance circuit.

4. In a telemetering system, a plurality of parallel work circuits adapted to be individually and selectively closed to render successive indications of a plurality of fixed magnitudes, a rotary selector switch including terminal contacts for each circuit and a seaming arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, certain of said contacts corresponding to respective magnitudes, means for rotating the scanning arm continuous- .ly, a source of energizing currentfor the circuits connected to the scanning arm, a normally open relay-actuated switch for closing the selected circuits through the source and scanning arm, a resistance circuit, a relay disposed in said resistance circuit and responsive to a predetermined voltage only for-closing the relay-actuated switch, and means operable when the scanning arm is in en agement; with a contactcorresponding to its respective magnitude for establishing the predetermined voltage in the resistance circuit. I

, 5. In a telemetering system,.,a'plural1ty of parallel work circuits adapted to be individually and selectively closed to render successive indications of a-plurality oi fixed magnitudes and of a plurality of variable magnitudes capableof assuming different values including the values of said fixed magnitudes, a rotary selectopswivitchinclud 7 ing terminal contacts for eachfcircuit, and a scanning arm for .successivelyafndseparately a scanning ,arm for successively and separately scanning the contacts, means for rotating said 'scanning arms in phase with each other whereby corresponding contacts of each switch are simultaneously scanned, a plurality of balancing resistors of different values each connected to one of the contacts of the latter selector switch, said latter scanning arm being adapted upon rotation thereof to successively and separately consource and scanning arm, a resistance circuit, a relay disposed in the resistance circuit and responsive to a predetermined voltage only for closing the relay-actuated switch, a second rotary switch including a plurality of contacts and nect said balancing resistances in the resistance circuit, a plurality of primary resistances having values complementary to said balancing resistances and designed when arranged in pairs therewith in the resistance circuit to establish said predetermined voltage in said circuit, said primary resistances corresponding to the different values of said magnitudes respectively, and a rotary phasing switch for separately and successively connecting said primary resistances in g the resistance circuit whereby rotation of said scanning arms will place the individual balancin resistances in the resistance circuit with the other scanning the contacts, means for rotating the nect said balancing resistances in the resistance circuit, a plurality of primary resistances having values complementary to said balancing resistances and desi ned when arranged in P s therewith in the resistance circuit to establish I said predetermined voltage in-said circuit, said primary resistances corresponding to the different values of said magnitudes respectively, and a rotary phasing switch for separately and successively connecting said primary resistances in the resistance circuit whereby rotation of said scanning arms will place the individual balancing resistances in the resistance circuit with the ning the contests, means for rotating the scanning arm cczztauuously, a. source of energizing currentior the circuits connected to the scanning arm, a nbrmally open relay-actuated. switch 1 for closing the selected circuits through the individual resistances, and means operable upon closing of each of the work circuits for indexin the phasing switch.

'7, In a telemetering system, a plurality of normally open work circuits each corresponding to the value of a changing magnitude, a source of energizing current common to the circuits, a selector switch for separately and successively connecting thecircuits to said source, a switch in series with the selector switch and common to the circuits for closing the latter through the closed contacts and a pair of normally-open contacts in series therewith, a pair of solenoids ar-v ranged in parallel and adapted upon energization thereof to open the normally closed contacts and to close the normally open contacts respectively, one of said solenoids being responsive only to current of a voltage above a predetermined minimum, the other solenoid being responsive only to current of a voltage above a slightly higher predetermined minimum, and means for supplying current of a voltage not less than the lower predetermined minimum and not as high as the higher predetermined minimum to said solenoids when a circuit corresponding to the existing value of the magnitude is connectedto the source.

8'. In a telemetering system, a plurality of normally open work circuits adapted to be individually' selectively closed to render indications of a varying magnitude, a source of energizing current common to the circuits, a selector mechanism for separately and successively connecting v the source in said open circuits, a switch for closing the circuits through the selector mechanism, a relayfor actuating the switch, said relay being responsive to current of substantially a predetermined value -only for energization thereof, a. resistance circuit including said relay, and means operable when a circuit the indicating means of which corresponds to the existing value of the magnitude is connected to the source for establishing current of substantially the predetermined value in the resistance circuit.

' 9. In an apparatus for indicating at a central station the relative position of a movable member at a remote point, a line circuit. a plurality of work circuits at the central station, each circult corresponding to one of a plurality of positions capable or being assumed by the movable 7 member, automatic means for selectively closing the circuits corresponding to the positions assumed by the movable member, said means comprising a series or resistances at the remote point a the values oi. which are correlated with the difa series oi resistances at the central section corresponding in number to the number of \'esistances at the remote point, each resistance in one series having a complementary resistance in the other series whose value is such that the two resistance values when arranged in series additively make up a predetermined fixed resistance value, means for sequentially connecting each resistance at the central station into the line circuit in series with the particuiar'resistance in the circuit at the remote point, and means operable when a pair of complement ry resistances are connected in the line circuit for closing a corresponding work circuit.

WARD LEATHERS.

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