Computer-controlled meter calibration method and apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION OF METERS INCLUDING A RACK FOR A PLURALITY OF TEST METERS TO BE CALIBRATED, HAVING, FOR EACH METER, JAWS FOR CONNECTING AND HOLDING THE METER AND HAVING ASSOCIATED THEREWITH A STANDARD METER AND MEANS FOR DERIVING FROM THE STANDARD METER PULSES REPRESENTING THE APPARENT ENERGY MEASUREMENT THEREOF, CIRCUITRY FOR ENERGIZING ALL OF SAID METERS WITH ACCURATE CORRELATION FOR COMPARISON RUNS WITH DIFFERENT LOADINGS. AN EXCHANGE HAVING A BANK OF COMPUTER-INPUT TERMINALS AND A BANK OF COMPUTER-OUTPUT TERMINALS SUITABLE FOT CONNECTION TO A DIGITAL COMPUTER, EACH BANK INCLUDING A GROUP OF TERMINALS EACH OF WHICH IS DESIGNSET TO CORRESPOND TO A BIT POSITION OF A COMPUTER WORD, AND ADDITIONAL TERMINALS, INCLUDING INSTRUCTION SIGNAL TERMINALS; SELECTIVE RECOGNITION AND CONNECTION MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SIGNALS OVER ONE OF SAID GROUPS OF TERMINALS TO IDENTIFY SELECTIVELY ANY ONE OF A VARIETY OF ADDRESSES INDICATED BY A COMPUTER WORD RECEIVED THROUGH SAID GROUP OF TERMINALS, AND IN RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTION SIGNALS MAKE CONNECTIONS FROM VARIOUS OF SAID TERMINALS, EACH DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO A SPECIFIC ELEMENT BY DESIGN-SET CHOICE, FOR A SPECIFIC FUNCTION OF CONTROL OR SIGNAL NATURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID RACK, SAID ELEMENTS INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS WITH WHICH, UPON DIRECTION BY CERTAIN ADDRESS WORDS, ARE CONNECTED BY SAID CONNECTION MEANS TO CONDUCTORS OF THE BIT WORD GROUP OF COMPUTER INPUT TERMINALS FOR ENABLING THE COMPUTER TO OBTAIN A COUNT OF STANDARD METER PULSES, AND TO READ VARIOUS SETTINGS BY AN OPERATOR, AND SAID ELEMENTS ALSO INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS, INDIVIDUAL TO EACH METER POSITION, FOR RESPONSE TO THE POSITIONDETECTING MEANS FOR THE DISK OF THAT METER, FOR A MANUALLY SETTABLE VISUAL OBSERVATION REPORT, FOR GATING ON AND OFF EACH OF THE CALIBRATION MOTORS OF SAID POSITION, FOR PROVIDING A REJECT INDICATION, AND FOR PROVIDING A "METER O.K." INDICATION; AND SAID ELEMENTS ALSO INCLUDING ELEMENTS FOR CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF DRIVE OF CALIBRATION ADJUSTMENT MOTORS, FOR RATIO CONTROL OF THE RESPECTIVE LOADING ON THE TEST METERS AND THE STANDARD METER, FOR CURRENT LOAD ADJUSTMENT AND FOR POWER FACTOR CHOICE.