Removably attachable watt-hour meter monitor device

• US 4,204,115 A
• Filed: 03/30/1978
• Issued: 05/20/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversational Systems Incorporated (Dead On, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conversational Systems Incorporated (Dead On, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boldridge, Austin G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Application Number:
  US05/891,789
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 250/216, 250/231 SE, 250/227, 250/551, 250/570, 250/231 GY, 324/175, 340/189 R, 340/190, 340/201 P, 350/175 SL
• US Class Current: 250/227.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/347 using displacement encoding scales
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/16 Adaptations of counters to electricity meters

Abstract

Affixed to or positioned opposite the glass housing of a watt-hour meter which has a rotating disc with an indicator mark on its periphery is a device for indicating the rate of rotation of the disc. The device has two spherical lenses disposed generally in the plane of the disc along a line which is generally perpendicular to a radius of the disc and preferably symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the radius. A first fibre optical cable couples visible light from an incandescent source to the first spherical lens to focus light on the periphery of the disc and a second fibre optical cable couples visible light collected by the second spherical lens focused on the periphery of the disc to a photoresistor.

Claims

1. Apparatus for indicating the rotation of a disc having an indicator mark on its periphery, said disc being positioned within a transparent enclosure, said apparatus comprising a housing, said housing having a centerline and an opening in the region of said centerline, first and second spherical lenses, means for positioning within said housing said spherical lens symmetrically on opposite sides of said centerline with first portions thereof facing said opening, first and second fibre optical cables extending into said housing, each of said cables being positioned adjacent second portions of said first and second spherical lenses, respectively, said second portions being on diameters of the respective spherical lenses and opposite said first portions, a light source external to said housing and positioned adjacent the end of said first optical cable remote from said first spherical lens, a light detector external to said housing and positioned adjacent the end of said second optical cable remote from said second spherical lens, and attaching means for removably attaching said housing to said transparent enclosure with the plane of said spherical lenses in the plane of said disc and said opening of said housing facing said disc.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attaching means comprises suction cup means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said light source is an incandescent lamp and said light detector is a photodiode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said spherical lenses are made of plastic.