Patent GB-470470-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to commodity consumption meters
IPC: G01D4/14
Filed: 1936-02-13
Abstract: 470,470. Meters. FERRANTI, Ltd., FERRANTI, D. Z. DE, and PRINCE, J. Feb. 13, 1936, No. 4416. [Class 106 (i)] A commodity. - consumption meter comprises means for making a record automatically of the amount due in respect of the quantity consumed during a lapsed period and means for delivering automatically such a record outside the meter. As shown applied to an electricity meter with the usual disc field magnets, and coils the disc 1, Figs. 1 and 2, drives a counting train 4 which is geared to a second counting train 5 for converting the meter reading into its monetary value. The last wheel of the train 5 drives a spindle 6, Fig. 4, having slots.' 7 7a, that co-operate with pins 28, 28a, projecting from a shaft 27 driven by worm reducing gear from a synchronous electric motor 8, the drive including a frictional coupling device 29. The reduction gearing is such that one of the shafts of the worm wheels rotates once in thirteen weeks. This quarterly shaft 23 carries a cam 30 engaged by a follower arm 33 secured to a spindle 34 that carries a spring hammer device 35 with rubber pads 36. The shaft 27 carries a gear 37 which drives a wheel 38 actuating a set of wheels 39 carrying type or other printing or perforating elements. A record strip consisting of two paper strips interleaved with a carbon strip is fed from a supply spool 40 between the type wheels and impression hammers 35, and between pressure rollers 58, Fig. 7 ; one of the paper strips 68 passes through an aperture 63 in the casing to the outside, the other strip is diverted past a window 64 to a collecting receptacle while the carbon strip is collected by means not shown. The lower roller 58 is driven by gearing operatively connected with the zeroizing spindle for the type wheels 39. On the quarterly shaft 23 is mounted a mutilated wheel 43 Fig. 6, which during part of the rotation raises a rack 44 while other teeth 47 on the rack rotate a pinion 48 which is operative on the descent of the rack, by means of a one-way connection, to effect the restoration of the monetary counter to zero position. In operation the rotation of the shaft 6 by the meterfrees the shaft 27 and is rotated by the motor 8 an amount proportional to the monetary value. The quarterly shaft at the end of a lapsed period effects the operation of the impression hammer 35, the rack 44, which has been raised is allowed to drop to effect the zeroizing of the type wheels and the feed of the record strip. The paper on leaving the rollers 58 passes between a second set of rollers 59 mounted on levers 60 carrying contacts 61 connected in circuit with an electric buzzer, lamp, or other signal device, 62 to give an alarm or signal when a record is projected from the casing. The carbon paper may be dispensed with, in which case the type elements are replaced by sets of pins adapted to perforate the record strips. The record strips may be replaced by cards or sheets adapted to be folded to form an envelope. The synchronous motor may be replaced by a spring motor driving through an escapement for use in a supply the frequency of which is not time controlled.