Patent GB-560534-A (GB)
Title: An improved prepayment apparatus for the delivery of a commodity such as electricityof gas
IPC: F16K31/48
Filed: 1942-08-19
Abstract: 560,534. Prepayment mechanism for meters. LANDIS & GYR SOC. ANON. Aug. 19, 1942, No. 11646. Convention date, Aug. 22, 1941. [Class 27] In prepayment mechanism for electricity, gas, &c. meters, the coin as it is pressed into the apparatus stresses a spring, and when the coin has actually entered this spring gives it an accelerated motion which is sufficient on impact to release the coin action. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, a rotary coin pocket 7 is normally held in position by a spring 17 and gearing 12, with a spring-loaded lever 8 in the pocket bearing against a stop 10, the meter switch 4 being open. When a coin 24 is inserted, in the coin slot 2 it presses back a roller 6<1> on a lever 6 controlled by a spring 5 and stresses this spring. At the moment the largest part of the coin passes the roller, the latter under the action of the spring 5 projects the coin into the pocket 7 so that it strikes the. lever 8 with sufficient force to overcome the lever spring 9 and release the lever from the detent. The spring 17 now rotates the pocket through gearing 16, 16a and 12 and closes the switch 4 which is then held by detent 23. At the same time the, quantity shaft 21 is rotated by an amount proportional to the value of the coin, the arm 22 moving away from the detent 23 ; this is effected since the gear 16a is fixed to one sun-wheel 13 of the quantity differential 13, 14, 15, the other sun-wheel 15 being driven by the meter mechanism 3 and the planet pinion being carried by the shaft 20. The spring 17 may be kept stressed by a separate motor driven from the main supply independently of the prepayment mechanism, or it may be re-wound by the movement of the arm 6 each time a coin is inserted; for this purpose a pawl 26 on the arm engages a loose ratchet-wheel 27 connected by gearing 28 to a ratchet-wheel 18 controlled by a pawl 30 and connected to one end of the spring 17. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 applied to a three-coin action, the coin pocket 31 is stationary and the coin slot 2 is normally closed by a plate 34 carried by the spring- loaded arm 6 and rocking between stops 35, 36 on the arm. A feeler 37 is mounted loosely on the shaft of the arm 6 and has a lug 38 resting on the arm. When a coin is inserted in the slot 2 the plate 34 is pressed back and the arm 6 is raised. The feeler 37 is'also raised by the arm 6 and when the coin rests on the bottom 33 of the coin pocket the feeler rests on the coin in a position depending on the diameter of the coin. A bell-crank lever 39, 40, operated by the feeler 37, is rocked correspondingly, thus shifting a sliding gear 41 into line with one or other of three gears 43, 44, 45 forming part of the train driving the quantity shaft 21. In the example shown, the gear 45 may have one tooth only, 43 may be toothed over. half its circumference, and 44 is a complete gear. Thus the quantity shaft 21 is set different amount for each diameter of coin, and the amount it is set corresponds to the value of the inserted coin. When the largest part of the coin has passed the lower end of the plate 34, the latter rocks from the stop 36 to stop 35 and the stressed spring 5 then acts through the arm 6 and plate 34 and projects the coin downwards on to the bottom 33 of the coin pocket. The coin strikes the upper end of a lever 54 which releases a detent disc 53 (shown diagrammetrically) on a shaft 47, so that this shaft can be rotated by a spring 49 to close the switch 4 and drive the quantity shaft 21 through the gear 43, 44 or 45 selected in accordance with the value of the inserted coin. The release of the detent disc ,53 causes a cam 55 to operate, after a time lag, a lever 57 supporting the bottom 33 of the coin pocket, so that the bottom moves to one side and allows the coin to drop out. The spring 49 is stressed by the rocking of the lever 39. 40, this lever carrying a pawl 52 acting on a ratchet wheel connected to one end of the spring, the other end driving the shaft 47. In another modification, Fig. 3 (not shown), the coin, when being inserted, forces two spring-loaded rollers apart, one roller being, connected to a sun-wheel of a differential gear and the other to the planet carrier. The rollers may be carried at the ends of two pivoted arms, or may be guided in paths parallel to the coin slot. The coin pocket in this case is a rotary one similar to that shown in Fig. 1