Apparatus for the remote monitoring of meters and other devices
First Claim
1. In a meter having a rotating shaft, a remote monitoring apparatus comprising a disc made of a dielectric material, means for mounting the disc on the shaft for conjoint rotation therewith, an annular metallic rim mounted on the circumference of the disc, the rim having five spaced-apart arcuately-formed slotted apertures formed therein, two pairs of inductors fixedly mounted on the meter radially of the rim, means for sequentially energizing the pairs of inductors, means for generating a signal whenever one of the apertures in the rim bridges one of the pairs of inductors at a predetermined circumferential position of the disc, said last-named means including electronic circuit means mounted on a printed circuit board for providing a count, whereby a total of ten counts are provided for each complete revolution of the disc, and a remote means for registering the count.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved pick-up means for the remote monitoring of a rotating shaft, or a wheel mounted on the shaft, utilizes the inductive coupling effect between an aperture formed in an annular conductive member and at least one pair of coils or inductors fixedly mounted radially of the annular member. As applied to the remote monitoring of a standard electric service meter, the annular member comprises a metallic rim on the circumference of a plastic disc mounted on a shaft which is journaled within the top front panel of the meter, concentrically within the unit decade dial. Preferably, three inductors are employed, including first and second inductors and a third common inductor therebetween, thereby forming two pairs of inductors; and the signal is generated in the third common inductor whenever a respective aperture on the rim of the disc circumferentially bridges a respective pair of inductors at a predetermined position of the disc.
10 Citations
8 Claims
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1. In a meter having a rotating shaft, a remote monitoring apparatus comprising a disc made of a dielectric material, means for mounting the disc on the shaft for conjoint rotation therewith, an annular metallic rim mounted on the circumference of the disc, the rim having five spaced-apart arcuately-formed slotted apertures formed therein, two pairs of inductors fixedly mounted on the meter radially of the rim, means for sequentially energizing the pairs of inductors, means for generating a signal whenever one of the apertures in the rim bridges one of the pairs of inductors at a predetermined circumferential position of the disc, said last-named means including electronic circuit means mounted on a printed circuit board for providing a count, whereby a total of ten counts are provided for each complete revolution of the disc, and a remote means for registering the count.
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2. In a meter having a panel provided with a plurality of dials, including a unit decade dial, and further having a rotating shaft journaled in the panel concentrically within the unit decade dial, a remote monitoring apparatus comprising a disc made of a dielectric material and mounted on the shaft for conjoint rotation therewith, the disc being disposed forwardly of the panel, adjacent to the unit decade dial and substantially concentric thereto, an annular metallic rim mounted on the circumference of the disc, the rim having a plurality of spaced-apart arcuately-formed slotted apertures, a pair of inductors fixedly mounted on the meter radially of the rim, a third inductor fixedly mounted on the meter intermediately of the pair of inductors and common thereto, means for sequentially energizing one and the other of the pair of inductors, whereby a signal is generated in the third common inductor whenever one of the apertures in the rim bridges the third common inductor with one or the other inductors in the pair of inductors, circuit means responsive to the signal for generating a count, and means remote from the meter for registering the count.
- 3. In combination with a meter having a panel provided with a plurality of decade dials, including a unit decade dial, and further having a shaft journaled in the panel substantially concentrically of the unit decade dial, and wherein an adapter is provided for the meter, the adapter including a base and a collar removably joined together, respective terminal means carried by the base and collar, means for plugging the terminals on the base into an existing installation, and means for plugging the meter into the terminals on the collar, the improvement which comprises a disc made of a dielectric material, means for mounting the disc on the shaft for conjoint rotation therewith forwardly of the unit decade dial on the panel, a metallic rim on the circumference of the disc, the rim having five spaced-apart arcuately-formed apertures formed thereon, two pairs of inductors fixedly mounted radially of the rim and comprising first and second inductors and a third common inductor therebetween, means for sequentially energizing the first and second inductors, whereby a signal is generated in the third common inductor whenever one of the apertures bridges one of the first and second inductors with the third common inductor at a predetermined circumferential position of the disc, and whereby a total of ten signals are generated for each complete revolution of the disc, a printed circuit board mounted between the base and collar of the adapter, means including a ribbon cable connecting the inductors to the printed circuit board, circuit means carried by the printed circuit board and responsive to the signals for generating respective counts, means remote from the meter for registering the counts, and conductor means running from the printed circuit board to the remote means.
- 6. In a remote monitoring means for a meter or other device, the combination of a rotating member, first, second and third inductors fixedly mounted in juxtaposition to the rotating member, the third inductor being positioned intermediately of the first and second inductors and being common thereto, thereby forming two pairs of inductors, means including a pair of oscillator drive switches, one for each pair of inductors, for sequentially energizing the first and second inductors, respectively, and aperture means carried by the rotating member and cooperating with the respective inductor pairs, at a predetermined circumferential position of the rotating member and in timed relationship to the sequential energization of the respective first and second inductors, to generate a signal in the third inductor.
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8. In a remote monitoring means for a meter or other device, the combination of a rotating member, first, second and third inductors fixedly mounted in juxtaposition to the rotating member, the third inductor being positioned intermediately of the first and second inductors and being common thereto, thereby forming two pairs of inductors, means including a pair of oscillator drive switches, one for each pair of inductors, for sequentially energizing the first and second inductors, respectively, means carried by the rotating member and cooperating with the respective inductor pairs, at a predetermined circumferential position of the rotating member and in timed relationship to the sequential energization of the respective first and second inductors, to generate a signal in the third inductor, wherein the rotating member comprises a plastic disc, the respective inductors being disposed radially of the disc, and the respective inductors being substantially aligned, circumferentially, with respect to one another, and wherein the means carried by the disc for cooperation with the respective inductor pairs comprises an annular metallic rim mounted on the circumference of the disc, the rim having a plurality of arcuately-shaped spaced-apart closed slotted apertures formed thereon, whereby a respective inductor pair will be inductively coupled together whenever one of the apertures on the rim substantially bridges, circumferentially, the respective inductor pairs.
Specification