Patent GB-450378-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to coin-freed apparatus
IPC: G07F15/08
Filed: 1935-10-11
Abstract: 450,378. Prepayment mechanism for meters. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd., Crown House, Aldwych, London. Oct. 11, 1935, No. 28136. Convention date, Oct. 11, 1934. [Class 27] In prepayment meters provided with a constant speed motor mechanism for collecting a basic charge, the drive from the motor to the quantity-mechanism is provided with a doubleacting transmitting device in the form of a double-pawl or friction ratchet-drive, the secondary member of which rotates always in the same direction, and an adjustable stop for determining the period of driving engagement between the motor and the secondary member. The constant speed motor 2, Fig. 1, rotates through gearing 18 a disc 19 having a pin 20 which rocks a lever 22, a spring 23 tending to keep the lever 22 in contact with the pin. Pivoted to the lever 22 are two arms 24, 25 which actuate a pair of pawl-carrying levers 26, 27, the pawls of which engage a finely toothed wheel 28. This wheel is accordingly rotated in the same direction during the up- and-down stroke of the lever 22. The stroke of the lever 22 is adjusted by a pin 33 on a disc 32 which can be adjusted in position by a toothed or friction wheel 34 provided with a pointer 36 co-operating with a scale 37 to indicate the rate of basic charges. The arm 27 by engaging the pin 33 limits the downward movement of the lever 22. The wheel 28 through gearing 30, 31, 8 drives one sun-wheel 9 of an epicyclic mechanism, the other sunwheel 7 of which is driven from the rotor 1 of the consumption meter. The planet-wheel 10 adds the motions and drives one sun-wheel 13 of a quantity-mechanism, the other sun-wheel of which is set forward by a knob 4 after insertion of a coin. The planet-wheel 14 of this mechanism actuates a delivery shaft 3. In a modification, Fig. 2, a double-acting friction drive is provided. The lever 22 actuates two racks 40, 42 which engage cog wheels connected to lifting arms 46, 47, each carrying a friction member in the form of a ball or roller 48, 49. These engage and drive a friction disc 50 which operates in the same way as the wheel 28, Fig. 1. In a further construction, Fig. 4, an epicyclic gear 52, 53 is driven by the shaft 51 of the synchronous motor through a crank 54, so that a pin 55 on the wheel 53 moves up and down vertically. A slotted toothed rack 56 is guided on the pin 55 and follows its movement, being kept in engagement with it by a spring 58. The downward movement of the rack is, however, adjustable by an archimedean spiral cam 66 set by a pointer 67 moving over a scale 68. The rack rotates in opposite directions according as it is moving up or down, a wheel 59. A wheel 60, Fig. 5, meshing with the wheel 59 is also rotated, so that wheels 61, 62 geared to the wheels 59, 60 are rotated at the same time in opposite directions. By means of a double friction device 64, each part operative in one direction only, a uni-directional drive is given to a wheel 65 which is fixed to a shaft 63. A drive is taken from the shaft 63 to the delivery-shaft in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 1.