US3576555A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Meter dial extension system
Assignee: Sangamo Electric Co
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Filing: 1967-09-12
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Granted: 1971-04-27
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Expires: 1987-09-12
Abstract
Abstract An arrangement in which a transmitter is mounted in a kilowatt hour or other meter so as to operate a remotely located register, the transmitter comprising a step down transformer having its secondary winding connected to the solenoid of a stepping motor comprising a disc mounted on the units shaft of the register and having a series of alternately arranged north and south poles spaced about its periphery. The transmitter also includes a switch in the solenoid circuit which is operated by a cam mounted on the units recording pintle of the meter so as to reversely connect a diode into the solenoid circuit each time the units recording pintle is turned one integer and provides a direct current signal to the solenoid which reverses, the pole pieces of which therefore reverse in polarity for each kilowatt hour recorded by the meter, the two pole pieces of the solenoid spanning one and a half or two and a half poles along the periphery of the stepping motor disc so that the disc rotates the distance between each pole thereupon in response to each reversal of the direct current signal to the solenoid.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl Struck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 13:14
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06M; G06M1/00; G06M1/27; G06M1/274
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A meter extension system comprising a receiver embodying a rotor having alternately spaced north and south poles about its periphery, and a solenoid having opposite pole pieces adjacent the periphery of said rotor for rotating the rotor, and transmitter means for operative connection to the metering means of the meter, the transmitter means providing pulses of direct current for the solenoid which reverse the magnetic polarity of the solenoid pole pieces for each successive quantum of the commodity which the metering means measures, the rotor being thereby caused to turn in steps corresponding to the quantums of the commodity measured by the metering means, the receiver further including indicating means operated by the stepped rotation of the rotor which indicates the quantums of the commodity measured.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
A meter extension system comprising a receiver embodying a rotor having alternately spaced north and south poles about its periphery, and a solenoid having opposite pole pieces adjacent the periphery of said rotor for rotating the rotor, and transmitter means for operative connection to the metering means of the meter, the transmitter means providing pulses of direct current for the solenoid which reverse the magnetic polarity of the solenoid pole pieces for each successive quantum of the commodity which the metering means measures, the rotor being thereby caused to turn in steps corresponding to the quantums of the commodity measured by the metering means, the receiver further including indicating means operated by the stepped rotation of the rotor which indicates the quantums of the commodity measured.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pole pieces of the solenoid are spaced from the periphery of the rotor by air gaps of unequal width.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pole pieces of the solenoid are spaced apart a distance equal to the span between at least two poles on the rotor periphery plus an additional one-half a pole span.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
167 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transmitter means comprises A cam mounted for rotation by the meter means, a circuit for providing the pulses to the solenoid including a pair of contact arms series-connected in said circuit, two sets of contacts carried by said cam, and a current rectifier having one side connected to one set and its opposite side connected to the second set of contacts, said two sets of contacts being staggered about the periphery of the cam and located for wiping by said contact arms so that as the cam rotates one contact arm successively wipes a contact of one set and then a contact of the other set, the two contact arms being further so spaced that one contact arm engages the contact of one set simultaneously as the other contact arm engages a contact of the other set whereby to reversely connect the current rectifier into the circuit as the cam is rotated by the metering means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said contacts comprise a pair of spaced contact plates having said current rectifier connected therebetween, each said contact plate having projections spaced about the periphery thereof for wiping by the two contact arms, the projections of one contact plate being staggered between the projections of the other contact plate such that each contact arm successively wipes a projection of one plate as the other arm wipes a projection of the other plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cam comprises insulating material separating the two contact plates and supporting the current rectifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 4 in which said circuit further includes a pair of conductor means for connecting said contact arms to opposite sides of the solenoid, one of said conductors including the secondary of an AC transformer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
97 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmitter means comprises a circuit for connection to the solenoid and a source of alternating current, current rectifying means and contact means, and cam means mounted for rotation by the metering means and operable with said contact means for reversely connecting said current rectifier means into said circuit each time the metering means measures a quantum of the commodity so as to reverse the polarity of the solenoid in order to drive the rotor in timed response to the metering of the commodity by the meter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said contact means comprises a pair of spaced contacts carried by said cam means and a pair of contact bearing members connected in said circuit, said contacts being alternately wiped by said contact bearing members as said cam means are rotated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A meter extension system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the cam means comprise a multipointed cam, the high and low points of which are successively wiped by a contact bearing member of said contact means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
185 words
In apparatus for measuring a consumer''s use of a commodity such as gas, water, electricity and the like, the combination of means for measuring a commodity being used, a first shaft which is rotated by said means in measuring the commodity, a second rotatable shaft, a rotor fixed on said second shaft having north and south poles alternately spaced about its periphery, a solenoid having pole pieces of opposite polarity disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotor, a circuit including means for connecting said circuit to a source of alternating current, rectifier means, and contact means operated by rotation of said first shaft to reversely connect said rectifier means into said circuit for sequentially converting alternating current to direct current pulses of reversed flow for application to said solenoid so as to reverse the magnetic polarity of the pole pieces of the solenoid and thereby effect rotation of the rotor and the second shaft fixed thereto in accordance with rotation of the first shaft by the commodity measuring means, said second shaft having indicating means associated therewith which indiCate the quantity of the commodity measured.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
185 words
In apparatus for measuring a consumer''s use of a commodity such as gas, water, electricity and the like, the combination of means for measuring a commodity being used, a first shaft which is rotated by said means in measuring the commodity, a second rotatable shaft, a rotor fixed on said second shaft having north and south poles alternately spaced about its periphery, a solenoid having pole pieces of opposite polarity disposed adjacent the periphery of said rotor, a circuit including means for connecting said circuit to a source of alternating current, rectifier means, and contact means operated by rotation of said first shaft to reversely connect said rectifier means into said circuit for sequentially converting alternating current to direct current pulses of reversed flow for application to said solenoid so as to reverse the magnetic polarity of the pole pieces of the solenoid and thereby effect rotation of the rotor and the second shaft fixed thereto in accordance with rotation of the first shaft by the commodity measuring means, said second shaft having indicating means associated therewith which indiCate the quantity of the commodity measured.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
127 words
An extension system for a meter having measuring means for measuring quantums of a commodity comprising transmitter means operatively connected to said measuring means including first means for providing a circuit path for connecting unidirectional current from a source of potential to associated equipment, and cam means operable with said first means for reversing the direction of flow of the current over said circuit path for each successive quantum of the commodity measured by said meter measuring means to thereby provide pulses of different polarities for successive quantums, and register means connected to said circuit path and responsive to said pulses for registering the number of reversals in the polarity of said pulses to thereby register the quantums of the commodity measured by the meter measuring means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
127 words
An extension system for a meter having measuring means for measuring quantums of a commodity comprising transmitter means operatively connected to said measuring means including first means for providing a circuit path for connecting unidirectional current from a source of potential to associated equipment, and cam means operable with said first means for reversing the direction of flow of the current over said circuit path for each successive quantum of the commodity measured by said meter measuring means to thereby provide pulses of different polarities for successive quantums, and register means connected to said circuit path and responsive to said pulses for registering the number of reversals in the polarity of said pulses to thereby register the quantums of the commodity measured by the meter measuring means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
95 words
An extension system as set forth in claim 12 in which said source of potential is a source of AC current, and said first means include contact means, and current rectifier means, and in which said cam means are operable with said contact means to reversely connect said current rectifier means into said circuit path each time a quantum of the commodity is measured by said meter measuring means to rectify AC current from said source to provide said pulses, and to reverse the polarity of the pulses for each quantum of the commodity measured.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
71 words
An extension system as set forth in claim 13 in which said register means include a stepping motor having a rotor and a solenoid connected to said circuit path, said solenoid being operatively energized responsive to the reversals of the polarity of the pulses provided over said circuit path to cause said rotor to rotate in steps which correspond to the quantums of the commodity measured by said meter measuring means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
121 words
An extension system as set forth in claim 13 in which said contact means include a pair of spring arms connected in said circuit path, and a pair of spaced contacts connected to said rectifier means and located for wiping by said spring arms, and in which said cam means are mounted for rotation by said measuring means and operable to step the spring arms into and out of engagement with said contacts as said cam means are rotated, said cam means being operative to step each spring arm into engagement with a different one of the contacts and to alternate the contact engaged by the spring arms in successive steps thereby reversely connecting said rectifier means into said circuit path.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
130 words
A pulse transmitter for providing pulse signals for a functional device which represent quantums of a commodity measured by a meter, said pulse transmitter comprising a pulse generating circuit including input means for connection to a source of AC current, current rectifier means, and contact means for connecting said current rectifier means into said pulse generating circuit to rectify AC current from said source to said functional device thereby providing direct current pulse signals for the functional device, and cam means driven by said meter and operable with said contact means to reverse the connection of said rectifier means in said circuit each time a quantum of the commodity is measured by said meter whereby the polarity of said pulse signals is reversed for each quantum of the commodity measured.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
130 words
A pulse transmitter for providing pulse signals for a functional device which represent quantums of a commodity measured by a meter, said pulse transmitter comprising a pulse generating circuit including input means for connection to a source of AC current, current rectifier means, and contact means for connecting said current rectifier means into said pulse generating circuit to rectify AC current from said source to said functional device thereby providing direct current pulse signals for the functional device, and cam means driven by said meter and operable with said contact means to reverse the connection of said rectifier means in said circuit each time a quantum of the commodity is measured by said meter whereby the polarity of said pulse signals is reversed for each quantum of the commodity measured.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-04-26 | 1974-10-26 | 1975-04-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-04-26 | 1978-10-26 | 1979-04-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-04-26 | 1982-10-26 | 1983-04-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |