Patent GB-975276-A (GB)
Title: A payment installation for self-service car-parks
IPC: G07F17/24
Filed: 1961-09-25
Abstract: 975,276. Parking meters. A. T. De SAINTANDRE. Sept. 25, 1961 [Oct. 1, 1960], No. 34261/61. Heading G4V. A coin-controlled meterage installation for self-service car parks has, for preventing departure of a car until the full charge has been paid, a barrier 62 which is locked in obstructing position upon the insertion of a coin and can only be released upon the insertion of a further coin or coins. The meterage device is described as being presettable to provide for different charges at the less busy times of a day or week than at other times. A disc 5 driven at one turn per hour by a continuously-operating clock 1 has six peripheral notches 6 so co-operating with a finger 21 on a crank arrangement 22 driven by a spring motor 18 that, during a parking operation, the crank pin 22 intermittently actuates two pawls 35, 36. A second disc 7 driven at one turn per 24 hours has two series of equally-spaced holes 23 on its circumference for the selective reception of projections 8 adapted to control the operation of the pawls. If no projections 8 are inserted, a roller 15 on a spring- pressed arm 13 provides for the actuation of the pawls once every ten minutes, but by placing the projections in selected holes the time of actuation can be appropriately lengthened. One series of holes is intended to deal with ordinary working days and the projections are then so spaced as to provide for more frequent actuation during the busy day hours than at night; the other series of holes is similarly used for Sundays, a suitable cam and drive arrangement being incorporated to bring this series into coaction with roller 13 every seventh day. Actuation of the pawl 35 results in the intermittent rotation of a ratchet wheel 27, against the action of a spring, on a shaft 25 and, through its connection with a drum 26 screwthreaded on the shaft, the axial movement of the drum on the shaft; the pawl 36 also causes the intermittent rotation of a ratchet wheel 32 (against the action of another spring 34), together with a display wheel 31, on the shaft 25. Holes 42 arranged in a helical path in the drum 26 at intervals equal to the spacing of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 are arranged to receive, at selected intervals, projections 8 for successively co-operating with a roller 44 controlling the operation of the pawl 36. Upon each actuation of the pawl 35, the ratchet wheel 27 is advanced one tooth and if a projection 8 is then in position to contact the roller 44, the ratchet wheel 32, and therefore the display wheel 31, will be advanced one tooth by the return action of the pawl 36. The car barrier 62 consists of a crankshaft which is pivoted on end columns and controlled by a vertical rod 64 by a handle 66. At the start of a parking operation, the insertion of a coin 71 acts directly on the non-return pawl 39 of the ratchet wheel 32 to release the display wheel 31 for rotation by the spring 34 so that it shows in the window opening 52 an indication "partial payment". The cam also moves a stop 91, Fig. 5, from its normal stopping engagement with the handle 66 so that this can be lifted to raise the bar 62 to obstructing position. This action of the lever 66 also serves to free the spring motor 18 for drive of the pawls for controlling the rotation of both the drum 26 and display wheel 31, rotation of the latter being controlled by the former as described above; the display wheel in its rotation shows at the window opening 52 the increasing number of further coins to be inserted as time passes. At the end of a parking period, each of the coins inserted to the number shown by the display wheel acts to release the non-return pawl 39 for a time sufficient to allow return movement of the display wheel 31 to a prescribed extend depending upon the value of the coins inserted and under the control of an aerodynamic brake 74. Small coins 71 act directly upon the pawl 39 and larger ones 77 through the interposition of gearing 80, which provides for indexing of the wheel 31 through a distance corresponding to the value of such coins. With the display wheel 31 now back to zero, a finger 70 on the handle 66 registers with a groove 69 in the display wheel so that the handle can be lowered to lower the bar 62. If the parking time exceeds a certain predetermined limit, the display wheel 31 shows a black indication in its window opening, and a lug 49 on the wheel causes a bell-crank lever 50 to act on the crank 22 so that after one complete revolution of the wheel the spring motor 18 is locked and a slide 58 prevents insertion of any further coins in the machine. If desired the clock may also be stopped at this time so that the exact moment of blocking can be known and the amount of excess fee calculated. In a modification, the impulses provided by the pawls 35, 36 may be effected instead by hydraulic or gaseous fluid, or electrically. In the further modification shown, Fig. 8, a car is parked by side travel on two endless belts 124 driven by a motor 125, the control switch 126 of which is associated with the handle 66. Entrance can only be effected after payment of a coin and departure after payment of the balance. Instead of a clock being provided for each meter, an installation comprising several meters and barriers may be associated with a single clock. If desired, the inserted coins may be used to ensure whole or part winding of the clock and spring 18, the motor 18 may be operated by fluid or weights instead of by a spring, and a signal may be automatically made to show that the duration of a spring-wound clock or motor is less than a predetermined amount.