Patent GB-745386-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to coin and time controlled mechanism
IPC: G07F17/24
Filed: 1953-04-02
Abstract: 745,386. Coinfreed parking meters &c. BRECKNELL. DOLMAN & ROGERS. Ltd., [formerly BRECKNELL, MUNRO, & ROGERS. Ltd.)., and DOLMAN, H. J. March 12, 1954 [April 2, 1953], No. 9214/53. Class 27 In a coin and time controlled mechanism, such as a parking meter and suitable for use with two coins such as a sixpence 'and a shilling, a coin 7 or 8 inserted in a pocket 6 falls on to the tail 10 of a lever 11 and pivots a check pawl 15 into engagement with teeth 16 on a periodically-moved disc 17 to check its return movement; after a predetermined number of anti-clockwise stepping movements of the disc 17, a radial step 25 allows the check pawl to swing into engagement with a second set of teeth 26 and the tail 10 of the lever 11 is lowered to position B sufficiently, if the coin is a sixpence, to release it under a gate 5 into a coin-collecting channel 3 but a shilling is not released until, after a further period, the check pawl can swing in front of a second radial step 27 and allow the tail 10 to fall to position C. The disc 17 is intermittently rotated against a clockwise bias by a spring-loaded pawl 19 on a lever 21 connected to a shaft 22 rocked by a timing mechanism. such as an intermittently-energized solenoid or an escapement mechanism powdered by a spring which is wound up by a handle moved by the user when a coin is inserted. In its rearmost position, the pawl 19 rests in a retractable position on a stop block 24 and. at the end of its operating stroke. the pawl is trapped between the disc and an abutment 42 in order to positively arrest the disc and prevent it from spinning because of the sudden rapid movement of the operating solenoid. As the pawl 19 is rocked periodically even when there is no coin in the meter, it is possible for a user to lose a period equivalent to the value of one tooth pitch by inserting a coin just before the pawl operates and to prevent this the pawl 15 may be arranged to engage initially the tooth prior to the one corresponding to the full correct period, i.e. the fifth tooth from radial step 25 instead of the fourth tooth, as shown in Fig. 1. Two coins may be inserted in succession but the first coin bears on the end 32 of a pivoted blade 30 and tilts the blade so that a projection 29 on its other end holds up the second coin 28 until the first coin is released; to prevent the coin 28 falling before the tail 10 of the lever 11 has returned to normal position and thus dropping out into the channel 3, the limb 33 of the blade 30 is supported from beneath by a ridge 34 on the disc 17. Several units may be horizontally aligned and be operated by a common shaft 22 or may be vertically aligned and have a continuous coin-collecting shoot 3 or may be arranged in horizontal and vertical alignment with common shafts 22 under the control of a single timing mechanism. Exhibiting coins. A coin supported by the tail 10 is visible through a window 41 and indicates to the parking attendant that the parking fee has been paid. Counting coins. A counter 35, visible through an opening 36, counts inserted coins in terms of the equivalent number of coins of the lowest accepted denomination and has an arm 38 which is rotated by a cam surface 39 on the disc 17 either to the position y for a sixpence or position z for a shilling.