Abstract: Redundant pulses generated by independently operable pulse sources in an electricity meter are accumulated as pulse counts in a pair of channels of a multi-channel recorder. The pulse counts are compared to verify the accuracy of the pulses counted by each channel. If the difference between the values of the pulse counts exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a trouble indicator is turned on and a telephone call is initiated by the recorder to notify a data center that a system malfunction has occurred which is disrupting the accumulation of pulses in one of the channels of the recorder. The pulse counts are stored in the recorder as substantially duplicate independent measures of energy usage by a load connected to the electricity meter, to be thereafter retrieved from the recorder to obtain energy survey and billing data. The recorder also maintains a system status error log which records the time and date of each malfunction and the identification of the channel pair where the malfunction occurred.

Abstract: A metering system includes an electronic register having a non-volatile storage into which data is written upon the detection of a power outage. A power supply and monitor provides a regulated voltage for the electronic register and contains a capacitor which normally stores a sufficient quantity of electric energy to continue operation of the electronic register for a long enough period of time to complete the writing of data to the non-volatile storage. The discharge rate of the capacitor is linearly controlled to sustain the regulated voltage at its normal regulated value for the required period of time. An electronic meter is shut down upon the detection of a power outage to remove a portion of the load on the power supply to aid in sustaining the regulated voltage for the required period of time. The detection of momentary power outages is prevented by forcing the capacitor to charge to a prescribed voltage level before a subsequent outage can be detected.

Abstract: An output connection and signal conditioning circuit board is selected and detachably connected to an electronic energy meter to customize its functions. Connectors are provided at the ends of the circuit board to mate with an edge connector in the bezel of the register and spaced holes in the base. A separate flexible connection to the KYZ terminals is provided, along with an intermediate tab and slot to position the circuit board and strengthen the meter. A selected circuit board is added to the manufactured meter to meet customer requirements by inserting a pin connector at the bottom of the circuit board through the spaced holes, and rotating the circuit board to mate with the tab and the edge connector.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a pulse width modulated signal in response to a current signal related to a current or a voltage in an electric system. A series resistor in series with a signal voltage proportional to the current or voltage in the system converts the signal voltage into the current signal. An integrator includes an operational amplifier with an integrating capacitor connected between an output and a first input thereof, producing a virtual ground at an input of the integrator. The series resistor is connected to the virtual ground. A second operational amplifier has a first input receiving an output of the integrator. A first bi-polarity trigger receives the output of the second operational amplifier.

Abstract: A parallel off hook detector for an electronic remote data recorder includes a short-integrator and a long-term integrator, both monitoring the voltage on a line. The integrated outputs of the short-term and long-term integrators are compared to determine whether the outputs maintain a predetermined difference for a predetermined minimum time characteristic of an impedance being connected across or removed from the line.

Abstract: Non-magnetic metallic spacers are welded into the auxiliary air gaps of a voltage stator using welding passes arranged in a predetermined sequence. The presence of the spacers stabilizes the auxiliary air gap against change in light load adjustment. Sequences of welding passes are disclosed effective for holding inherent light load error at nominal values, or biasing it positively or negatively.

Abstract: An electronic metering circuit includes a current transformer having active feedback for maintaining core flux near zero. In one embodiment of the invention, DC offset-voltage compensation in an operational amplifier providing the active-feedback signal is accomplished using an integrator having a long time constant compared to the time constant of periodic signals. A further embodiment of the invention integrates the functions of current sensing, DC offset-voltage compensation, and part of the switching function required in the electronic metering circuit.

Abstract: An auto-ranging circuit for an electronic watthour meter employs high- and low-range sources for increasing the dynamic range over which satisfactory measurement accuracy can be maintained. A counter, having a capacity equal to the ratio of high-range to low-range is interposed in the output during use of the low-range source so that output pulses have the same energy-consumption significance at all time. At transition from low-range to high-range, any residue in the counter, representing energy consumed but not yet recognized by the generation of an output pulse, is preset into an integrator of the electronic watthour meter for reducing correspondingly the amount of energy consumption required to produce an output pulse in the first measurement cycle following the low- to high-range transition.

Abstract: A kilowatthour meter includes a voltge stator having a phase lag and light-load adjust assembly which permits smooth adjustment of its phase lag adjust and its light-load adjust from either end of the voltage stator. Each adjustment provides the same effect on the speed of the rotatable disk of the kilowatthour meter. The end of the voltage stator from which adjustment may be performed is established by selectably engaging adjustment screws in the accessible ends of the phase lag adjust and light-load adjust. Thus, voltage stators installed in either left or right positions on the kilowatthour meter are identical except for the ends into which the adjustment screws are installed being the only difference.

Abstract: A terminal for a watthour meter employs an offset portion internal to the watthour meter for disposing contacting surfaces for connection to current-coil conductors at four different transverse locations. Formation of the offset produces an under surface used as one element for capturing and applying compression force to a washer over a terminal gasket. A projection from the opposite surface of the terminal forms a bearing surface as the other element for applying compression force to the washer over the terminal gasket. Two holes, optionally tapped, are provided for connection of a voltage coil lead. One of the two holes remains free for connection even though the other may be covered by the current-coil conductor.

Abstract: A transformerless, self-contained, low cost, small size, light weight solid state electronic watthour meter is described which employs thin film ferromagnetic current sensors of the type which are magnetically coupled to power conductors whose current flow is to be sensed and metered and which provides electrical isolation between the power conductors and the sensing and metering circuitry. The meter is self-contained in that it draws its operating direct current supply potential required to operate the meter directly from the power conductors being metered and does not require a separate battery or transformer coupled direct current power source. The entire meter circuitry, including the thin film ferromagnetic current sensors which can be fabricated by thin film technology and the direct current power supply and the watthour meter circuitry, all are susceptible of fabrication on a single substrate using semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication techniques.

Abstract: An electric watthour meter includes apparatus for delaying a seasonal rate change until data accumulated in the meter is read out. Dates in a rate-change library, consisting of dates on which a rate change is authorized, are compared each day with the current date. When a match between a rate-change date and the current date is found, an arming signal is generated. The arming signal remains ineffective until a reset signal is generated at the completion of meter reading. Following the reset signal, the arming signal is reset.

Abstract: A current sensor employs a folded conductor bar having aligned holes therein to generate magnetic fluxes in the holes proportional to a current flowing in the bar. Each of the two holes has two windings therein wound in opposition to each other but connected for adding their voltages. Corresponding windings in the two holes are wound in opposition to each other and are connected for adding their voltages. The windings in each hole are offset from a center line, whereby magnetic fluxes generated by current flowing in the bar induce voltages in the coils but magnetic fluxes from external sources produce voltages which substantially cancel. A feedback arrangement is disclosed for creating an opposing magnetic flux such that essentially zero magnetic flux is present in the magnetic cores of the windings.

Abstract: A cyclometer register in an electric watthour meter includes a free counterweight for producing a kinetic-energy kick for advancing superior cyclometer drums. A drum counterweight, affixed to the units cyclometer drum, is disposed 180 angular degrees out of phase with the free counterweight. The drum counterweight has a moment equal to one-half the moment of the free counterweight, whereby the maximum sum of moments and the peak-to-peak moment is reduced by half. A harmonic counterweight rotates at twice the angular rate of the units cyclometer drum and reflects one-quarter of the moment of the free counterweight back to the driving elements. The harmonic counterweight reduces further the maximum moment as seen by the driving elements and also increases the minimum moment so that the variability in moment is reduced, thereby enabling an offsetting constant increase in meter torque and reducing metering error.

Abstract: A battery backup installation for a time of use register for an electric meter is mounted within a case of the electric meter. The case includes a hatch which permits removal and replacement of the battery without requiring removal of the case from the meter. In one embodiment, the battery is installed in a battery clip on the face plate of the meter where it is accessible through the hatch. An extra length of wires from the battery permits the battery, and its mating connectors, to be withdrawn through the hatch for replacement thereof. In a second embodiment of the invention, the battery is captured in a door of the hatch and is withdrawn from the meter by the action of opening the hatch. In this embodiment, the hatch may be hinged or not hinged. Battery replacement is facilitated while the electronic register module is separated from line-supplied power. An auxiliary battery provides an auxiliary source of backup power during batterychange.

Abstract: A switched-capacitor integrator is employed in an electronic watthour measurement device for integrating the average component of a product signal formed by pulse-width modulating an analog signal proportional to one of a load current and voltage at a pulse duty ratio proportional to the other of the load current and voltage. A hysteresis comparator forces the direction of integration to alternate between positive and negative limits for balancing out offset voltages in the integrator and comparator. A triangular-wave generator employed as part of the pulse-width-modulation technique is also implemented using a switched-capacitor integrator. The switched-capacitor integrators permit fabrication of the circuit with the required accuracy without needing external, discrete time-constant-determining resistances and capacitances. Measurement accuracy is determined by the ratio of capacitances of two on-chip capacitors, the accuracy to a clock signal and two reference voltages.

Abstract: A disk for an electric meter includes a solid annulus of a conductive material with a center of the annulus filled with a non-conducting material. The non-conducting material is preferably molded in place both to capture the annulus and to secure a disk shaft into a unitary assembly. The annulus distorts eddy currents at distances from sets of potential and current stators of the electric meter to minimize radial components of eddy currents in the vicinity of neighboring sets of potential and current stators. The reduced radial components of eddy currents reduces the constructive or destructive interaction of the eddy currents with their neighboring sources of flux. Increasing the angular separation of the sets of potential and current stators further reduces interaction.

Abstract: A polyphase, socket-style meter employs identical left and right current stators. The angles about the meter disk, at which the left and right current stators are located, are adjusted to place the centers of their cores in alignment with their connector tabs. Identical current stator coils encircle the cores. The axes of the cores are slightly skewed with respect to the axes of the coils. The diameters of the coil helices are made large enough to accommodate the skew.

Abstract: A modular electronic demand register for an electric meter is enclosed in an insulating housing into which substantially all components are installable by drop-in, snap-together methods. A display is dropped into the housing and metallic contact pads thereof are interconnected with corresponding metallic contact pads on a printed circuit board using a resilient contact strip of a type having parallel longitudinal resilient conductors insulated from each other by an insulating resilient matrix. The as-formed contact strip is slightly longer than the distance between the two sets of metallic contact pads which it interconnects, whereby, when the printed circuit board is tightened in place, the contact strip is compressed slightly to provide a stable, resiliently urged fit. Guide surfaces on the electronic demand register cooperate with surfaces on the remainder of the electric meter to guide the electronic demand register into its operational position and to lock it in place.

Abstract: A solid state electronic pulse scaler uses the ratio of two integers to control a ratio of its input and output frequencies. In one embodiment, the pulse scaler is used as a calibration device to adjust for manufacturing tolerances in an electric metering device. In another embodiment, the pulse scaler is used to provide a pulse-initiator output to external circuits. A further embodiment includes both of the above functions in a single device. A switch-selectable control is provided to determine the consequences of input pulses generated during reverse rotation of a meter disk. The reverse pulses may be used to generate output pulses on the same, or a separate, channel as that employed for forward pulses, ignored, or temporarily stored and subtracted from ensuing forward pulses.