Apparatus for remote reading of utility meters

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TELEMETERING TO A REMOTE LOCATION THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF A PLURALITY OF ROTARY SHAFTS OF A METER REGISTER OF THE DECIMAL INTEGRATING TYPE, COMPRISING A CONTACT RING FOR AND ARRANGED CONCENTRIC WITH EACH OF SAID SHAFTS, EACH SUCH CONTACT RING BEING CONSTITUTED BY TEN CONTACT SEGMENTS INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER, EACH SAID CONTACT SEGMENT CORRESPONDING TO A DIGITAL INDICATING POSITION FOR THE ASSOCIATED ROTARY SHAFT, A ROTARY CONTACT ARM FOR AND COOPERATIVE WITH EACH OF SAID CONTACT RINGS, SAID CONTACT ARMS BEING ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID METER REGISTER SHAFTS AND BEING NORMALLY MAINTAINED IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID CONTACT RINGS, A ROTARY CODE PULSE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SET OF TEN CODE PULSE DISCS, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CODE PULSE DISC ASSEMBLY, EACH SAID DISC HAVING CONTACTS THEREON NUMERICALLY REPRESENTATIVE RESPECTIVELY OF EACH OF THE DIFFERENTLY POSITIONED CONTACT SEGMENTS OF A CONTACT RING, CONTACT MEANS ASSOCIATED RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID CONTACT ON SAID CODE PULSE DISCS FOR ESTABLISHING INTERMITTENT CONTACT THEREWITH AS SAID DISCS ROTATE, CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING LIKE POSITIONED CONTACT SEGMENTS ON EACH OF SAID CONTACT RINGS TO THE CONTACTS ON THE CORRESPONDING CODE PULSE DISC, AND MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY ACTUATING EACH OF SAID ROTARY CONTACT ARMS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS ASSOCIATED CONTACT RING, EACH SAID CONTACT ARM REMAINING ENGAGED WITH ITS CONTACT RING FOR ONE REVOLUTION OF SAID CODE PULSE DISC ASSEMBLY AND THEN BEING RELEASED THEREBY TO ESTABLISH SEQUENTIAL PULSING CIRCUITS CORRESPONDING TO THE RESPECTIVE POSITIONS OF SAID CONTACT ARMS, EACH SAID PULSING CIRCUIT EXTENDING FROM SAID CONTACT ARM AND THE RELATED CONTACT SEGMENT AND THE CONTACTS ON THE RELATED CODE PULSE DISC TO SAID CONTACT MEANS.