US585258A - Electric metering apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

P. P. COX.

ELECTRIC METERING APPARATUS.

No. 585,258. Patented June 29,1897.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. COX, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NE\V YORK.

ELECTRIC METERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 585,258, dated June 29, 1897'.

Application filed March 6, 1897. Serial No. 626,279. (No model.)

To (all whom, it 7mm cancer/'0' Be it known that I, FRANK P. COX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Metering Apparatus, (Case No. 509,) of which the following is a specification.

It is now customary to encourage the use IO of electric current by the patrons of an electric-power station at those times when the load would otherwise be light and to prevent as far as possible an idle plant. This is usually the case during certain hours of the day (usually in the forenoon) or, say, from midnight to morning. To induce the customer to use electric energy during the time mentioned, a special or lower charge, as com pared with the normal price, is often offered. It

therefore has become necessary to have an electric meter which will register the current or energy used at intervals during which the price varies. Such a meter is the subject of the present invention. Heretofore clockwork has been proposed which periodically alters the rate of registery of the meterthat is, which slows the meter during the times above referred to and afterward restores the original rate of registration. There has also been proposed heretofore a two-dial meter, the registering mechanisms of which operate alternately, one during those times when the normal charge is to be made and the other running during the time when the special rate is to be charged, one register being geared in the same ratio to the driving source as the other. These meter-registers are also thrown alternately into and out of connection by clockwork in such a way that one register is stopped while the other is running.

In the invention as set forth in this application a number of dials are used, driven by the same or different motor mechanisms, one of which runs continuously during the consumption of electric energy by the customer while the other or others are brought into operation for the time during which aspecial charge is to be made, the mechanism connected to the latter dial being automatically thrown out of gear with the driving source when such time has expired. The second dial has preferably the same ratio of gearing with the driving source as the first and registers the amount of energy which is subject to the special rate of payment, while the first dial or the one which is always connected to the motor mechanism registers the total amount of energy used. This arrangement has advantages in that the customer may always, by reading his meter, determine at any time the proportion of energy upon which he is entitled to discount, and at the same time the total amount used, and therefore the relation of such readings with respect to each other. 6

Referring to the accom iianying drawings, in which similar letters of reference refer to like parts, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the invention as carried out with a meter, which may be of the well-known Thomson type. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating in detail the manner of carrying out the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clock and its electrical connections. Fig. at is a detail in plan view of the switching clutch, and Fig. 5 is a 7 5 detail view of a portion of the switching clutch.

In Fig. 1, L L are lamps or other translating devices in a circuit which is to be metered.

Any suitable form or type of motor-meter may be employed and arranged in any desired way. As shown, a motor-meter M has its armature in shunt across the mains A A and its field-magnets in series with one of said mains.

G represents the dynamo or bank of dynamos supplying current to the mains g g, to which are connected the branch mains A A.

D D indicate two dials. The train of gearwheels of the dial D runs continuously, the said train being connected to one end of the motor-shaft B by a worm \V, meshing with the wheel W" on an extended shaft TV of the train of gear-wheels of the dial D. The mech- 9 5 anism of the dial D is connected to the mechanism of the dial D to run at the same rate as, for example, by the following means: The mechanism of dial D has in its train an extended shaft 13, having at its outer end a 160 gear-wheel d, meshin g with a wheel d of the same diameter, the shaft (1 of which has its bearing in the hub d and projects through said support.

The shaft cl is connected with the shaft TV of the gear-wheel mechanism of dial D by any suitable clutch-as, for example, by the clutch 0, consisting of the lever-arms c c, pivoted to an arm or bracket 0 on the end of shaft (1. The outer ends of the lever-arms c c clutch a hub e on the end of the shaft \V so as to turn with thelatter, and are controlled by a spring S, so connected at its ends to said lever-arms c c as to hold the outer ends 01": the latter in engagement with the hub e in one position of the clutch and in the other or unclutched position with the hub as shown in Fig. t.

The lever-arms c c are operated by a pivoted switch-lever J, pivoted to a bracket L and having at one end a ring R, encircling the arms 0 c. The lever J is controlled in its movements by the electromagnets E E, electrically connected by the wire f with the main A and by the wires f with the contacts h h, mounted on the dial of clock K. The hand or switch-arm F of clock K has its shaft F electrically connected by wire 11 with the main A. The dial of clock K has twentyfour holes 2', adapted to hold the contacts h h, which are pins arranged to be inserted in any two of the holes '5, so that the arm F will just touch the contacts h h. The hand or switcharm F traverses the clock-dial once in twentyfour hours, and the holes 2' are arranged in hour-divisions, and this permits that the period by hours during which the dial D shall register may be selected as any part of the twenty-four.

In Fig. 2 the two dial mechanisms of dials D D are shown as coupled to operate together. When the switch-arm F reaches and contacts with the contact h, it causes the magnet E to throw the lever J and unclutch the arms 0 c from hub e and move them to the position shown in Fig. 4:, where they are held in engagement with the hub 61 by means of the spring S. The dial mechanism of the dial D will then remain at rest until the arm F reaches and contacts with the contact h, when the magnet E is made to throw the lever L to its former or original position, thereby again setting the dial D in motion. The dial D being continuously in motion, registers the total current or energy consumed, while dial D registers only the current or energy consumed during those hours when a special rate of charge is given.

It will be noted that the ring R- does not rub upon the arms 0 c after the latter have been thrown, and so creates no friction except at the instant of throwing the clutch.

It is to be understood that the arrangementshown for operating the clutching mechanism maybe modified in various ways. Hence, except in so far as specific claims are made herein, my invention is not to be limited to any special means for periodically throwing the supplementary dial into and out of operation.

"What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An electric metering apparatus, comprising a number of recording devices giving independent readings, one of said devices arranged to operate and continuously record all the electrical energy consumed, and means for periodically throwing the other measuring device out of and into operation at predetermined times, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A discount electric meter having a number of meter-trains, one of which is always connected to the motor mechanism and registers the whole amount of energy used, and means for periodically throwing another meter-train out of and into operation at predetermined times, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A discount electric meter having a number of registering devices, one of which is always connected to the motor mechanism and registers the whole amount of energy used, and means for automatically throwing the other registering device out of and into operation at predetermined times, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with an electric circuit the consumption of energy in which is to be measured, of an electric meter having a number of registering devices, one of which is always connected to the motor mechanism and registers the whole amount of energy used, and electrically-eontrolled means connected with the other registering device, arranged to periodically throw the latter out of and into operation at predetermined times, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with an electric circuit, the consumption of current in which is to be measured, of a clockwork, a number of electric meters or devices giving independent readings, one of said meters continuously recording all the energy that has been consumed, and means controlled by the clockwork for periodically throwing the other meterout of and into operation at predetermined times, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. An electric metering apparatus having a number of registering devices, one part of which is always connected to the motor mechanism and registers the whole amount of energy used, and means for throwing the other part of the registering devices out of and into operation at predetermined times.

'7. An electric meter comprising a single motor mechanism and two recording mechanisms one of which is continuously driven by the motor mechanism while the meter is running and means for automatically throwing the second recording mechanism into gear with the motor mechanism only during certain portions of the day, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of March, 1807.

FRANK I. COX.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN W. GIBBONEY, HERMANN LEMP.

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