Electric measurement apparatus using a pair of oppositely poled thermoelectric junctions in parallel and diode stabilizing means

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE EFFECTIVE VALUE OF AN UNKNOWN ELECTRIC CURRENT OR VOLTAGE, INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY MATCHED THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES HAVING FIRST AND SECOND HEATING RESISTORS AND FIRST AND SECOND THERMOELECTRIC JUNCTIONS, RESPECTIVELY, INPUT CONNECTIONS TO COUPLE SAID FIRST RESISTOR TO THE SOURCE OF THE UNKNOWN CURRENT OR VOLTAGE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING DIRECT CURRENT TO SAID SECOND RESISTOR IN AN AMOUNT TO CAUSE SAID SECOND JUNCTION TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID FIRST JUNCTION, AND MEANS FOR MEASURING THE DIRECT-CURRENT ENERGIZATION OF SAID SECOND RESISTOR AND THEREBY PROVIDING THE DESIRED MEASUREMENT, SAID DIRECT-CURRENT SUPPLYING MEANS INCLUDING A HIGHGAIN DIRECT-COUPLED AMPLIFIER, A PAIR OF MATCHED RESISTORS, SAID FIRST JUNCTION HAVING ONE TERMINAL CONNECTED TO A POINT OF REFERENCE POTENTIAL AND THE OTHER TERMINAL CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT WITH A FIRST ONE OF SAID PAIR OF MATCHED RESISTORS, SAID SECOND JUNCTION HAVING ONE TERMINAL CONNECTED TO A POINT OF REFERENCE POTENTIAL AND THE OTHER TERMINAL CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT WITH A SECOND ONE OF SAID PAIR, MEANS CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID PAIR OF MATCHED RESISTORS REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTIONS TO THE INPUT OF SAID AMPLIFIER AND SAID JUNCTIONS BEING OPPOSITELY POLARIZED RELATIVE TO SAID AMPLIFIER TO ADAPT THE AMPLIFIER TO RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENCE IN THERMOELECTRIC OUTPUT BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTIONS, AND OUTPUT CONNECTIONS FROM SAID AMPLIFIER TO SAID SECOND RESISTOR, THE RESULTING CURRENT IN SAID SECOND RESISTOR FLOWING IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION WHEN SAID FIRST JUNCTION IS HEATED, SAID DIRECT-CURRENT SUPPLYING MEANS INCLUDING SHARPLY DISCRIMINATING MEANS AT HIGH-LEVEL PART OF SAID AMPLIFIER FOR SUPPRESSING CURRENT FLOW TO SAID SECOND HEATING RESISTOR IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID CERTAIN DIRECTION.