Badger Meter, Inc.

Donald H Strobel

Raymond J Thornborough

Walter L Probert

Mark M Lazar

Kenneth R Bloss, Jr

Donald F Pridemore

William L Kidder

Dennis L Wachs

John A Olson

H Paul Walding, Jr

Lee L Karsten

Edward A Seruga

John D Stolz

Brenda K Stewart

Marvin W Krause

Gregory M Gomez

Greg M Gomez

A sealed housing for a transponder unit (10) in a utility meter pit enclosure has a tube (28), approximately 33/4 inches long and 11/2 inches in diameter, in which transponder electronics carried by a circuit board and an antenna are inserted from the bottom and fitted into guide structures (42, 47) and then a body of epoxy sealant (50) is used to seal and form a recessed lower end of the tube (28) which, in use, may be immersed in water within a subsurface pit enclosure (11). The tube (28) is attached to a cap (22) and suspended through a hole (29) in the pit lid (15). A clamping member (38) is threaded onto the lower end of the tube (28) for trapping a portion of the pit lid (15) between said clamping member (38) and the cap (22). A method of assembling and sealing the unit (10) is also disclosed.

Sealed housing and method of sealing for apparatus in meter pit

An assembly for electrostatic discharge has a chassis (14, 24) inside the instrument housing (11, 12) with a support for holding wires (21), a pair of insulated wires (21) having portions where the insulation (31) is partially removed and where the wires are mounted to the support (25), a base (12) of a conductive material having a projection (43) extending upward opposite the portions (42) where the insulation (31) has been removed, such that a gap (44) is provided through which charge may be conducted to the base (12) of conductive material for discharge from the interior space (41) of the instrument (10). The instrument (10) contains a volume of a gas for conducting electrostatic charge.

Instrument housing with electrical discharge gap

A module for interfacing a variety of metering pulse generators converts an analog pulse from a generator into a digital pulse which can be counted by automatic meter reading equipment. A charging circuit is connected across the inputs to receive, and be charged by, an input waveform from the metering pulse generator. A solid state switch responds to accumulated charge in the charging circuit to switch from an 'off' state to an 'on' state. A logic pulse generator is connected between the solid state switch and the outputs, for physical and electrical isolation of the metering pulse generator from the pulse counter. The logic pulse generator responds to the 'on' state of the solid state switch to generate a logic pulse to the pulse counter.

Universal generator interface module

A data transmission system uses a malfunction detection circuit for detecting malfunction conditions between a data transmitting station and a data receiving station connected with first and second data transmission lines. The malfunction circuit senses a data signal of a first polarity for a preselected duration and provides an output signal when the data signal exceeds the preselected duration. The circuit also supplies a detection signal of a second preselected duration in a polarity opposite the data signal and detects the presence of or the absence of the detection signal. The circuit thereafter provides an output signal indicative of the malfunction condition when the absence of the detection signal exceeds the second preselected duration.

Lead line supervision system

An automatic meter reader includes a microprocessor connected through digital logic circuitry and a telephone interface to a metering transducer and a telephone line, to develop modulated signals for reporting of registered meter data and for sampling of received signals to detect a carrier and to effect demodulation and develop control data. A count-down arrangement is used for developing the modulated signals. In sampling received signals, a sample count is developed which is proportional to the duration of one cycle of a received signal and which is compared with stored counts for detection of a carrier and for demodulation. A debounce arrangement is included in the logic circuitry.

Automatic meter reader with microcomputer control system

An output metering pulse signal is developed by measuring impedances at input terminals which are connected through lead wires to a metering unit shifted between low impedance and high impedance states while output malfunction signals are developed in response to open and shorted conditions of the lead wires, each open or shorted condition malfunction signal being developed by sensing the magnitude of the voltage at an input terminal during periodic brief applications of a strobe voltage to the input terminal through an impedance. Such output metering pulse and malfunction signals are developed in each of a plurality of automatic meter readers and are stored in the automatic meter for subsequent transmission over telephone lines to a utility control center.

Automatic meter reading system with malfunction protection

In a metering pulse generator, a metering element engages a spring member to effect a gradual bending movement in one direction followed by a rapid return movement during which a pulse signal is developed by a piezoelectric material on the spring member . Energy is absorbed during each such rapid return movement of the spring member to provide damping, inhibit oscillations and effect reliable generation of a single pulse signal which is applied to an amplifier for transmission to a monitoring station.

Flexible piezoelectric switch activated metering pulse generators

Automatic meter reading system

Automatic meter readers are arranged for connection to customers' telephone lines and for automatic dialing for transmission of meter data to a computer of a utility control center, communications being effected through a call collection module which includes a plurality of call collection units connected to separate telephone lines for handling of a large number of calls. Each meter reader is battery-operated and includes a microprocessor which is powered up periodically for a short time interval to store data, to determine whether the number of power-ups since the last meter data transmission is such that a call to the utility control center should be instituted, and to determine whether leakage, tamper or other conditions require an immediate call. An operator at the utility control center can control and receive data from a very large number of meter readers and readily obtain, display and print out a variety of types of data including cumulative consumption, peak rate and time-of-day data and data with respect to leakage conditions and tampering with a reader.

Liquid is supplied to a meter test stand at a uniform pressure, and the flow through the meters on the stand automatically is directed to each of three receptacles in sequence at three different flow rates during each test cycle. Level sensors in each receptacle actuate cycling controls and actuate sensing and recording components. The latter components monitor the rate of flow registration of the meters on test and provide an accurate comparison by percent of the measured flow rate to the actual flow rate. A high degree of accuracy is achieved through the use of a phase locked loop and digital control system which responds to the level sensing and cycling controls to provide a print-out of the comparison as a measure of accuracy of the meter at each such flow rate.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Donald H Strobel