US793035A - Electric meter. - Google Patents

Description

No. 793,035. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. I. KITSEE.

ELECTRIC METER.

APPLIATION FILED NOV. 17,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 14 Wi www0/o PATEN'IED JUNE 20, 1905.

I. KITSEE.

ELECTRIC METER.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.17, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l. I A

"NITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,035, dated .Tune 20, 1905.

Application filed November 17, 1902. Serial No. 131,728.

Be it known that l, Isrnon .lrrsnrn ot' the city and county ot' Philadelphia, State ot'lcnnsylvania, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Electric Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric meters, and has for its object the product-ion ot' an etticient and simple device capable ot' registering the value of electric cm'- rent.

For this purpose this my invention consists in the Afeatures and arrangements later on to be described, illustrated in the drawings, and more specially pointed out in the claims t'ollowing the spccilication.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view with the wiring in diagram. Fig'. Q is a section taken on the line 3 3 ot Fig'. l. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view ot' the circuits with the registering devices attached thereto in a manner so that the relative discharge rate otl the current is indicated therein.

A is thearmature otl a motor ot' which .B represents the tieldmagnets; C, the commutator; l), the brushes; E, the armature-shaft journaled in suitable bearings, (represented at F.)

l and 2 are the line-wires, to which the brushes l) are connected in multiple.

G is a solenoid connected to one ot' the linewires in series. To the armature or core H ot' this solenoid is secured the receptacle S, partially tilled with the suitable liquid T. The armatm'e-shaft is provided with means such, `t'or instance, as a paddle-wheel Q, and the reservoir S is normally held with the aid ot' means such, for instance, as illustrated in the drawings, as spring H, in a position that the paddle Q will be submerged in the l'luid rl`, therebystopping the armature A.

J represents two brushes in contact with the armature-shaft E. One of these brushes is connected, through wire 3, directly to one otl the line-wires, and the otherbrush is connected, through wire with interposition ot' the magnet l( and resistance L, to the other of the line-wires. The armature Vt'or the electromagnet K has the escapement M, adapted to operate on the toothed wheel N, and this wheel is adapted to operate the registering mechanism ot' any desired type. The springl O serves to return the escapement to its no1'- mal position when the electromagnct is deenergizcd.

The arimiture-sha'ft E is provided with the insulating' material l in alincment with the brushes J, so that upon cach revolution otl the shaft E the brushes will be tor a short period upon this insulation l), thereby breaking the circuit and dcenerg'izing the magnet.

ln Fig. 3, which illustrates an arrangement with the aid ot' which the minimum, maximum, and medium current rate can be registered, and therefore the charge't'or the consumption of said current accordingly regulated, S is the reservoir, to which is connected the contact-point l in electrical contact, through wire i, with one otl the brushes J, the other ot' the brushes of which is, as illustrated in Fig. 1, connected directly, through wire 3, to one of the main wires. In juxtaposition to the contact-point I/ are the three contact-plates U, U, and U2. The registering' device consisting of the electromag'net 1V, escapcment X, and toothed wheel Y is operatively connected with one terminal to contact-plate U, registering device consisting' of electromagnet \V, escapement X', and toothed wheel Y is operatively connected with one terminal to the contact-plate U, and the registering device consisting' of electromagnet 72, escapcment X2, and toothed wheel Y2 is operatively connectcd with one terminal to the contact-plate U2. The other terminal of each of these reg'- istering devices is connected to wire 8, branching off from the main wire l.

I will first describe the modi/.w elw/muli of practicing my invention with a device as illustrated in Figs. l and Q. In these ligures the motor, as is clearly illustrated in the drawings, is connected in multiple arc to the circuit carrying the current to be measured. rlhe coils ot' this motor should be of a comparative high resistance, so that the tlow of the current through the motor should only be influenced through the electromotive torce, but not through the varying quantity otl the current flowing. If it is necessary, resistance-coils shall be placed in the circuit connecting the brushes to the main wires. The paddles secured to the shaft of the armature of the motor should be of such a shape and arranged in such a manner that the graduated rate of submerging the same in the liquid adapted to serve as a retarding means should result in a graduated decrease of the speed of revolution of the shaft, and therefore the armature. As a retarding means different fluids may be adopted; but it will be found that in practice mercury in its pure and therefore iiuid state will give the best results. The graduated rate of submerging the paddle in these retarding means is dependent on the amount of current flowing through the solenoid G, and therefore through the main circuit l and 2. If no currentis flowing through the main lines, then the reservoir containing the mercury will be at its highest point and will therefore, as said in the description of the drawings, entirely stop the revolving of the armature; but as soon as a current commences to liow th rough the main line the core H will be drawn downward in proportion to the quantity of the current flowing, and this proportioned downward movement of the core H, with its appended reservoir S, will result therein that a proportionate part of the paddles formerly submerged in the mercury will be extricated from the same and the armature will commence to revolve. The greater the iiow in the main line the morethe reservoir will be drawn downward and the more of the paddles will be extricated and proportionately greater will be the speed of the armature. rIhe registering device, depending, as it does, for its operation on the revolution of the armature-shaft, will be actuated the quicker the greater the speed of this shaft, and as for each revolution of the shaft the registering-wheel will be moved one tooth it is obvious that the rate of registering will be in exact proportion to the rate with which the armature-shaft revolves, and as this rate is proportional to the rate of immersion of the paddle-wheel into the mercury and, again, as the rate of immersion is proportional to the iiow of current through the solenoid, and therefore through the main circuit, it is obvious that the registering itself will be in exact proportion tothe iiow of the current, and therefore consumption of same.

It is unnecessary for me to add that as is necessarily the practice in all metering devices the calibration of this device should be exact before the same is placed in actual use.

With the device so far described only the amount of current (the amperage) can be measured; but as it is often desired to measure or meter not only the current consumed, but also the rate of consumption, so as to be able to base the price of each unit consumed on this rate, I have provided the arrangement as illustrated in Fig. 3. The modas 0permtclz' of this arrangement is as follows: Normally-that is, when no current is iiowing-the reservoir S will be at its highest point, and the contact-point secured to said reservoir will be out of contact with all of the plates placed in proximity to same. No matter, therefore, if the armature will revolve or not, none of the registering devices illustrated in Fig. 3 will'be actuated; but let the flow of the current be at such a rate as is for the sake of illustration designated as the minimum current then the reservoir will be drawn downward at a certain ratio and the contact I will connect with the contactplate U, thereby actuating the first of the registering devices, and as this registering device is designed only to register a current of small amperage it is understood that the amount of current registered will be one which was consumed at a low rate, and the highest rate of charge will therefore be made for the current registered by this device, and if the rate of the current iiowing is greater then the reservoir S will be drawn downward in the same proportion and the contact I will come in contact with the plate U', thereby actuating the second of the registering devices, which is designed to register only this particular ratio for which the medium charge may be made, and if the rate of current Iiow-.

ing is the greatest then the contact I will through the far downward movement of the reservoir come in contact with the plate U2 and the third of the registering devices will be actuated, and as this registering device is designed only to be actuated by the maximum rate of current the minimum price will be charged for the current and registered by this particular device. It will therefore be seen that if the device as illustrated in Fig. 3 is used in connection with the device as illustrated in Fig. 1 not only the amount of current but the particular rate is registered.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An electric meter consisting of means to make and break an electric circuit` means to vary the speed of said first means in accordancewith the variation of the current-flow, two or more registering devices adapted to be actuated each through an electromagnetic device placed in a circuit adapted to be made and broken through different positions of the first and second means.

2. In an electric meter, a motor, means on said motor to break and make electrical contact between two eonducting-terminals, an electromagnetic device adapted to be actuated by the varying iiow of the current, the movable part of said device adapted to make contact with one or the other of the contactplates placed in proximity to said movable IOO IIC

part, each of said contact-plates in electrical connection with a registering' device.

In an electric meter, a retarding device adapted to retard the movement ot' the motor, said retarding device consisting of a solenoid connected in series to the current-carrying circuit, a core for said solenoid, a reservoir carried by said core, and a material contained in said reservoir, said material adapted to impede the movement ot' the armature-shaft through its Contact with said shaft or device placed on said sha't't.

4f. In an electric meter, a motor, registering devices, electrical contacts and a device adapted to be operated bythe varying How ot' the current ot' the circuit` the movable part ot' said device adapted to electrically connect through its varying position with ditlerent electrical contacts, each of said electrical contacts connected to a separate registering device adapted to be operated through the movement of the armature of a motor connected to the current-carrying circuit.

In an electric meter, two or more registering devices, each mechanicallyY independent ot' the other, and each et' said registering devices adapted to be actuated by electromagnetic means, the electromagnetic means olA each of said registering devices in a circuit terminatiiig in juxtaposition to the movable part ot' a solenoid with which said meter is provided.

6. In an electric meter, embracing a motor and a second electromagnetic device, two or more registering devices, the circuit ot' each of said registering devices adapted to be opened or closed at one point through the movements et' the armature ot' a motor and at a second peint through the movement ot' the movable part ot' a second electromagnetic device.

T. In an electric meter, embracing a motor and a second electromagnetic device, two or more registering devices, the circuit of `each ot said registering devices adapted to be made and broken in unison, through the movement ot' the armature of a motor and adapted to be made and broken at a second point, each separately, through the varying position of the movable part et' asecond electromagnetic device, said varying position due to the varying l'low of the current to be measured.

S. An electric meter consisting of a motor connected to the curient-carrying circuit ina manner so as not to be inuenced directly by the varying `flow of the current in the circuit to which it is connected, an electromagnetic device connected in series as to the currentcarrying circuit, retarding means carried by the movable part of said electromagnetic device and adapted to retard more or less the speed et' the armature of said motor in accordance with the varying' position of the movable part et' said electromagnetic device, means carried by the armature ol said motor to electrically make and break the contact between two brushes contacting with the shaft ot' said armature, two or more registering devices adapted each te register a diii'ercnt rate of current-How and means carried by the movable part ot' the electromagnetic device to make operative one or the other et' said registering devices in accordance with the rate at which the current to be measured is flowing.

9. In an electric meter, a constant-speed motor connected across the lines et' the circuit, the current ot' which is to be measured, an electromagnetic device, the coil of which is connected in series to one ot' the lines ot' said circuit, and the movable part ot' which is adapted to more or less retard the movements ot' the armature otl said motor, a series of registering devices adapted each to be made operative at a different position ot' said movable part, at a period when the terminals ot' their circuit are electrically connected through the armatureshatt ot' said motor.

IO. In an electric meter, the combination of a motor, a solenoid, the core of which is freely movable, a reservoirA-carried by said cored containing' a Huid, paddles carried by the armature-sha t't ot' the motor and a series of contacts `t'or making operative the circuits of the registers connected electrically to the circuit, the current ot' which is to be measured.

ll. In an electric meter, two or more registering devices, the actuating means ot' each of said registering devices placed in an electric circuit and means carried by the movable part ot' a device actuated by the varying flow of the current to make operative one or the other of said registering devices.

12. In an electric meter, the combination with an electric motor ot' retarding means, secured toits armature-shaft, a solenoid, the movable part ot' which is provided with a fluid-con taining receptacle adapted to embrace a greater or lesser part of said retarding means.

13. An electric meter provided with means to register the ditl'erent rate et' current consumption, said means consisting ot' a series of registering devices, electromagnetic means t'or each of said registering devices and movable means depending on the volume ot' the cnrrent-tlow to make operative one or the other ot' the electromagnetic means with which the registering' devices are provided.

14. In an electric meter, two or more registering devices, each adapted to be operated at a ditferent current-How and means dependent on the rate ot' said current-flew adapted to make operative one or the other of said devices in accordance with the rate of said current-flow, and means adapted to make and break, at a predetermined rate, the circuit to which said registering devices are operatively connected.

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l5. An electric meter consisting of a motor, the speed of which is independent of the rate at which the current to be measured is flowing, an electric device adapted to be influenced by the volume of said current-flow, means carried by said electric ldevice to more or less retard the movement of the motor, a registering device actuated by electromagnetic means and electrical connections between said motor, said electric device and said electromagnetic means to operatively connect said registering device to said motor and electric device.

16. An electric meter consisting of a motor, the speed of which is independent of the rate at which the current to be measured is flowing, an electric device adapted to be influenced by the volume of said current-flow, a series of conductors in proximity to the movable part ot' said device, a series of registering devices, electromagnetic means for each of said registering devices, each of said electromagnetic means connected electrically with one of said conductors, and contacting means to operatively connect the motor aud movable part of the electric means with said electromagnetic means.

17. In a device of the class described, a motor, the speed of which is independent of the varying amount of current flowing in the circuit to which it is connected, a retarding device, the position of the movable part of which is dependent on the varying amount of current-flow, and a series of registering devices adapted each to be made operative at different positions of the movable part of the retarding means in unison with the speed of the movable part of said motor.

In testimony whereof I hereby sign my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of August, A. D. 1902.

ISIDOR KITSEE.

Titnessesz EDITH R. STILLEY, AL. SEcUns.

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