Patent GB-949592-A (GB)
IPC: G01F15/07
Filed: 1961-07-04
Abstract: 949,592. Credit-metering. ELECTROMETRE S. A. July 4, 1961 [Aug. 5, 1960], No. 24147/61. Addition to 923, 880. Heading G4D. A modification of the credit metering arrangement of the parent Specification in which a commodity supply meter is arranged to initiate the issue of a bill when a predetermined amount of the commodity has been consumed, is characterized in that there is provided a supply of cards identifying the consumer which are automatically released separately and successively under the control of a release element adapted to release a card each time the predetermined amount has been consumed. As shown, Fig. 1, the rotor 1 of an electricity meter (not shown) drives through intermediate gearing 2 including gears 43, 44 which may be replaced to provide a different ratio, a snail cam 45 which engages a pin 8 on a bell-crank lever 46 whose other arm carries a further pin 10. The pin 10 acts as an abutment for two lugs 13, 14 on an escapement wheel 12 which is fixed to a spindle 11 connected by gearing including a ratchet coupling 24 to a spindle 27. The spindle 27 is rotatable under the action of a torsion spring 28 and carries a pinion 29 co-operating with a toothed rack 30 arranged as part of a shiftable base 31 for a card magazine 32. Cards 33 are held equally spaced in the magazine by projections 34 on the opposite side walls 35, 36. Operation. In operation, the magazine 32 is filled with cards 33 and the base 31 is shifted manually by means of a projection 42 thereby closing the base of the magazine 32 and tensioning the spring 28. As electricity is consumed, the cam 45 is rotated in the direction of the arrow until the predetermined supply amount is reached when the pin 8 falls from the outermost point of the cam 45 thereby rocking the lever 46 to release the escapement wheel 12 which rotates until the pin 10 is blocked by the lug 14, the torsion spring shifting the base 31 to allow the first card 33 to fall into a collecting box (not shown). Modifications. In Fig. 2 (not shown),there is illustrated an embodiment for electricity supplied on a two-part tariff. There are provided two card magazines and associated release mechanisms which are alternatively effective under the control of tariff-changing switch. The rack 30 may carry a switch-actuating member to give an audible or visible signal when the magazine 32 is nearly empty. The magazine 32 may be provided with a movable side instead of a movable bottom. In another arrangement, the magazine may comprise a vertical cylindrical drum with a relatively rotatable disc base having a radial slot for releasing the cards. In a further embodiment (Fig. 3,not shown),the cam 45 operates an electric switch to transmit a signal to a remote electromagnet which operates a member corresponding to the lever 46, which member and remaining release mechanism similar to that of Fig. 1, are situated at a location remote from the meter. An audible or visual signal may be provided on the release of each card 33. The cards 33 serve as accounts and contain preprinted matter or may be punched cards. The cards 33 may be in two separable parts, one of which serves as a receipt. The number of cards remaining in the magazine may be visually indicated.