Patent GB-722059-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to parking meters
IPC: G07F17/24
Filed: 1952-06-24
Abstract: 722,059. Coin-freed parking meters. MENHALL, J. W. June 24, 1952, [May 7, 1952], No. 15859/52. Class 27. Parking meter. A coin-freed parking meter comprises a housing 2 having a transparent dome 4, into which a ball 51 is lifted to indicate expiry of a parking period, and window 59, through which a flag marked "Violation" becomes simultaneously visible, and containing a clockwork mechanism which is wound by, and drives, an arbor 40. To set the device the handle 10 is lifted to the horizontal, a coin inserted in the opening 37, and the handle depressed into a vertical position. This causes the arbor 40 to be rotated anti-clockwise an amount dependent upon the coin inserted (see below) and the time set is indicated by a pointer 83 on a scale visible through the window 59. The ball 51 and flag 52 are also thereby lowered to invisible positions as in Fig. 1 (not shown). The clockwork mechanism then slowly rotates the arbor 40, with pointer 83, winding lever 75 and timing plate 60 clockwise until at the end of the set period a stop 90 on the timing plate 60 engages an arm 42 and causes it to pivot the lever 47 and lift the ball 51 into the dome 4, also to lift the flag 52 by means of link 57 and the condition of the apparatus is as shown in Fig. 2. Coin action; mechanical connection; multiple coin. The handle 10 is pivoted to the housing 2 at 11 and carries a coin follower 12 such that when lifted to the horizontal position the opening 37 is clear and a coin may be inserted. The handle 10 is then depressed causing the cam part 16 of the coin follower 12 to force the coin against a shoulder 20 or 20a (according to the size of the coin) on a slide 18, Fig. 3. Full depression of the handle 10 causes the slide 18 to move to the right, taking with it a post 28 which is engaged in a slot 66 (see Fig. 2) in an actuator plate 65 pivoted on the arbor 40. The actuator plate 65 is thereby rotated, anti-clockwise, and a pawl 68 carried at its end abuts the winding lever 75 which in turn abuts a post 62 rigid with timing plate 60, and hence the timing plate 60, arbor 40 and pointer 83 are together moved anti-clockwise, winding up the clockwork mechanism (not shown). During this movement the end 18a of slide 18 contacts the cam portion 48 of an auxiliary ball lifter arm 44, which is pivoted at 45 and hence its end 46 is lifted to maintain the ball lifter actuator arm 42 in the Fig. 3 position. At the end of the movement the coin drops off the end of guide 38 and the slide 18 is free to return to the left under action of the springs 87 (see Fig. 2), the coin dropping to the position indicated in Fig. 2 where it is held between a shoulder 30 and the end 33 of a cam-release arm 26, and is visible through a window 31. Insertion of a further coin and operation of the handle 10 would again move the slide 18 to the right causing post 28 to rotate the actuator plate 65 and, as is more clearly seen in Fig. 1 (not shown), cause the pawl 68 to engage teeth on the periphery of timing plate 60 and rotate it anti-clockwise, together with winding lever 75, arbor 40 and pointer 83. Thus the clockwork mechanism would be wound further, the total amount being indicated by the pointer 83 on the scale visible through window 59.