Patent GB-970382-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a prepayment meter
Inventor: SPARROW VERNON WATKINS
IPC: G07F15/02
Filed: 1959-11-26
Abstract: 970,382. Coin-freed apparatus. BELL PUNCH CO. Ltd. Feb. 27, 1961 [Nov. 26, 1959), No.40251/59. Heading G4V.  A prepayment meter, particularly for receiving television programmes, comprises a metering mechanism which is set manually by means requiring the insertion of a coin in the meter to render it effective and is restored to zero setting at a predetermined rate by drive means brought into operation automatically in consequence of operation of the manual setting means, and electrical means operable by impulses received from a remote control station to prevent or interrupt the operation of the drive means and thereby the restoring of the metering mechanism for a period of time determinable at will at the control station. Inserted coins allow discs 172,174, Figs. 2 and 3, to be set forward and at the same time a clock mechanism 118, Fig. 3, is wound and returns the disc to zero position through a differential gear 154, Fig. 4. Coins at least of a predetermined value must be inserted before a knob 212 can be effectively operated to switch on a television programme and, in order to vary the price charged for programmes, a solenoid 148, Fig. 3, is operated under the control of the station to apply a brake 136 to the clock for continuous long or separate shorter periods. The meter may be operated by a single token or two tokens which can be retrieved from an open coin box and the charge required to be collected by a meter reader is shown on an indicator 170. Coins inserted in a slot 12, Fig. 1, pass down a shoot 14, Figs. 3 and 4, which rejects undersize coins and directs florins or sixpences to the end of a spring-urged lever 16 pivoted at 18 on a sliding plate 26 which coacts with a full-stroke pawl 62. A knob 210 is turned after the insertion of each coin so that its shaft 110 acts through a lever 108 and lug 90 on the slide 26 to move the latter to the left in Fig. 4 and, according to the weight of the coin, the face 22 of the lever 16 contacts either the face 56 or 54 of a spring-urged lever 50 and a nib 24 passes under a pin 60 or 58 to ensure positive engagement of the faces. The movement of the plate also winds up the clock 118 through a lever 114 interconnected with the lever 108 by a spring 120 to prevent over-winding. As the plate 26 is subsequently returned to initial position by a spring 44, the lever 50 also returns and a ratchet lever 66 rotates a wheel 72 by four units (for a florin) or a single unit (for a sixpence). The rotation of the wheel 72 advances the indicator 170 correspondingly through gearing 162,166 and through the differential wheels 156, 154, advances the disc 172. When the disc 172 rotates, a pawl 294 drops off a cam surface 282 on to the rim of the disc 172 and rests also on the rim of the adjacent disc 174. The disc 174 is not rotated until the lost motion of a pin 180 on the disc 174 in a slot 178 in the disc 172 is taken up after, say, a sum of four or five shillings is inserted and, before this minimum value is inserted, the switch-operating knob 212 is ineffective since its connection to an element 238 for operating the switch to obtain reception of the television programme is by toggle levers 216, 218 which are then in such condition that they will collapse if the knob is turned. When the minimum value has been inserted a pivoted cam 284 on the disc 172 contacts the pawl 294 and lifts it over a lug 292 on the disc 174, which is now rotating with the disc 172, and a cam 184 lifts a pin 198 so that a lever 192 and a lever 202 place a tooth 208 in front of a lug 226 on a link 222 which is connected to the central pivot of the toggle and now holds it against collapse. The amount inserted is indicated by graduations and a marker visible through a window 304, and, upon the insertion of sufficient money to rotate the disc 172 through almost 360 degrees, a cam 182 acts on a lever 264 to move an arm 276 into coin slot closing position. When the knob 212 is rotated with the toggle linkage held by the link 222, a programme will be received and the clock mechanism will control return of the discs 172, 174 through the wheels of the differential 154. If the television authority does not wish the subscriber to pay as high a price for a programme A as for a programme B, the control station can ensure that the magnet 148 is de-energized and the brake 136 applied during programme A for such period or periods as may be set by the station with the result that during that time the discs 172, 174 cannot return to initial positions; for programme B, the magnet 148 is energized and brake 136 released.