Meter construction

An instrument comprising, a unitary non-magnetic sheet material base of generally U-shaped configuration and including a rigid support portion:

• sides and ends projecting in the same direction from the support portion;
• said sides and ends projecting generally vertically from the support portion when the base is upright;
• means on said ends for supporting a rotor including an indicator assembly for pivotal movement about an axis;
• a magnetic circuit including a magnet, and a yoke having a curved exterior surface;
• said support portion including locating and support edges offset toward each side of the base;
• cooperating locating and support surfaces on said magnetic circuit engaging the support edges of the support portion, and clamping means on said sides of the base for clamping the magnetic circuit on said support portion and including retaining edge means on each of said sides engaging cooperating surface means of the magnetic circuit to urge said magnetic circuit against said locating and support edges, and means for mounting the base in a casing and comprising arcuately formed upper portions of the respective sides adapted to receive fasteners for securing the instrument to a casing.

A moving element meter comprising, a unitary sheet material base with a rigid support portion;

• sides, and ends projection in the same direction from the support portion;
• the support portion including fixed locating means cooperating with fixed surfaces of a magnetic circuit to position the magnetic circuit with respect to the base;
• retaining means on the sides of the base engaging surfaces of the magnetic circuit to urge the magnetic circuit toward the base;
• mounting ears at the upper portions of each side and having parallel openings;
• a housing;
• bosses in said housing and extending into said ears to position the meter in the housing and to retain the sides against movement with respect to each other;
• and means for securing the base with respect to the housing.

An indicating instrument comprising, in combination, a support, a moving coil assembly, taut band means supporting each end of the coil assembly for pivotal movement about a predetermined axis with respect to the support;

• a unitary pointer support of sheet metal of uniform thickness, the pointer support including an integral body portion and balance weight receiving arms integral with and projecting from the body portion;
• means for securing the pointer support to one end of the coil assembly;
• said pointer support further including taut band support means integral with said body portion of the pointer support, the taut band means supporting said one end of the coil assembly extending across said taut band support means and being connected to said body portion of the pointer support;
• and means for minimizing damage to the taut band means supporting said one end of the coil assembly by limiting transverse movement of the coil assembly with respect to the support and comprising, a hub of electrical insulating material carried by the support and presenting surface means generally concentrically arranged with respect to the axis of rotation of the coil assembly, and stop means integral with and projecting from the pointer support, said stop means including surface means concentrically arranged with respect to the coil axis and in opposed relation to the surface means of the hub, said surface means of the stop means being normally slightly spaced from the surface means for the hub to permit pivoting of the coil assembly with respect to the support, and engaging the hub to resist damage to the taut band means in the event that the instrument is subjected to shock and vibration which causes transverse displacement of the coil assembly.

An indicating instrument comprising, a support having sides and ends integral with and projecting in the same direction from base portion means, said base portion means supporting said sides for flexing movement with respect to the base portion without moving said ends;

• a magnetic circuit including a yoke and a magnet;
• cooperating locating and securing means on said magnetic circuit and base for positioning and securing said magnetic circuit on the base by flexing said sides;
• a moving coil assembly;
• taut band suspension means mounting said coil assembly on said ends of said support for rotation about a predetermined axis with respect to the support;
• a pointer support;
• cooperating fixed surface means on said pointer support and coil assembly for accurately locating the pointer support with respect to one end of the coil assembly;
• means integral with one of the coil assembly and pointer support for clamping the pointer support to the coil assembly to secure the pointer support to the coil assembly;
• a terminal at a second end of the coil assembly;
• cooperating fixed surface means for locating a terminal assembly with respect to the coil;
• and stop means on said pointer support and said terminal assembly presenting surfaces cooperating with surfaces carried by said ends of said support to limit transverse movement of the coil assembly caused by shock and vibration, so that damage to the taut band suspension of the instrument is minimized.