Patent GB-555512-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to price change arrangements for coin operated electricity or like meters
IPC: G07F15/08
Filed: 1942-02-21
Abstract: 555,512. Prepayment mechanism for meters. SANGAMO WESTON, Ltd., and WICKHAM, A. H. Feb. 21, 1942, No. 2333. [Class 27] Relates to price-change mechanism of the kind comprising a stepped gear change, speed gear 42<SP>1</SP> - - 42<SP>9</SP> and an additional multiplier or change-speed gear for further price changes. According to the present invention the multiplier comprises a plurality of gear wheels 44, 46 adapted (1) to engage directly with wheels mounted on the shaft of the stepped gear so as to avoid the use of idler wheels between the stepped gear and the multiplier, or (2) to be moved axially by screw-and-nut gear. A second multiplier gear set may be employed engaging directly with wheels mounted on a shaft of the other multiplier or of the stepped gear. In the construction shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 the coin shaft 9 drives a shaft 51 of the switch gear 3<SP>1</SP>, so as to close the switch, through the price-change gears 40, 41, 42<SP>1</SP> &c. and the [two sets of multiplier gears 43 - - 46 and 48 - - 50. The switch is opened, when the prepayment has been exhausted, by, the meter shaft 1 through one side of the differential 31 or by the fixed-change motor shaft 15 through differential 17, gearing 19 - - 25, differential 27 and the other side of differential 31. The price-change gear shown in Figs. 2 to 5 with its parts separated comprises a pinion 40 slidable on a squared part of shaft 14 and mounted with an idler 41 on a carrier 55 slidable and rotatable on the shaft so that idler 41 can be brought into mesh with any selected ones of the gear 42<SP>1</SP> - - 42<SP>9</SP>. The carrier is slidable between brackets 58 pivoted on the shaft 14 and is normally locked by a pin 62 thereon engaging one of a series of holes 63 in a pivoted flap 61. To change the gear the flap is disengaged from the pin 62, and a lever 60 on one bracket 58 is moved to position "x" on a fixed scale 64. This brings a knob 65 on a screw spindle 57 mounted in the brackets opposite a recess 66<SP>1</SP> in a fixed plate 90, so that the knob can be rotated, this rotation being hitherto prevented by a step 65<SP>1</SP> on the knob engaging an edge 66<SP>2</SP> on the plate 90. By rotating the knob and screw spindle a nut 56 on the carrier 55 is moved axially of the spindle, each rotation of the spindle shifting the carrier so that the idler 41 comes opposite one of the wheels 41<SP>1</SP> - - 42<SP>9</SP>, a spring stop 68 on the knob indicating the correct meshing position in which the pin 62 is opposite one of the holes 63. When the idler is in gear in a new position this position is indicated by the lever 60 on the scale 64. Wheels 43 - - 46 of the first multiplier are fixed on a sleeve 70, Fig. 4, slidable along a square shaft 47 by means of a nut 72 on a screw spindle 71 rotated by a knob 74. This knob can rotate through 180 degrees between stops 75; in one position gear 44 meshes with gear 42<SP>9</SP>. A ball catch retains the knob in one or other position. The spindle 47 can be rotated slightly by a knob 88 to ensure meshing of the gears as they are slid along the spindle.,The second multiplier has three gears 48, 49, 50 fixed to a sleeve 76 slid along a squared spindle 51 by a knob 83, screw spindle 77 and nut 78. When knob 83 is rotated either gear 48 meshes with 43, gear 49 with 45, or gear 50 with 46. Each gear position is indicated by means of (1) a coloured dot 86 appearing in a window 87, the dots being spaced on a loose wheel 85 driven by a gear 84 on the spindle 77, and (2) a ball catch 81 registering with one of three holes in the wheel 85. The axial distances between the gears of the multiplier is such that before a mesh is broken another mesh begins, so that the gears are never free and loss of credit or arrears is prevented.