Patent GB-853717-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to elapsed time indicators
Inventor: CORNWALL GEORGE HERBERT IVAN
IPC: G07F17/24
Filed: 1958-02-15
Abstract: 853,717. Parking meters. RED BALL PARKING METER CO. Ltd. May 14, 1959 [Feb. 15, 1958], No. 25826/57. Class 27 An elapsed time indicator, such as a parking meter, has a rotatable coin carrier 25 with coin pockets 38 in which a pivoted lever 39 senses the size of the coin and sets two or more arms 67,. 68 of different radial lengths in position to be engaged by an adjustable screw 74 on a pivoted assembly 72 so that pointers 89 can be set to the time available according to the value of the coins inserted. The carrier is rotated and the pointers are moved back from their set position by a double-acting spring barrel 15 wound from a shaft 16 and having gears at either end. One gear is connected through a wheel 32 to the carrier and a double-end pawl 33 engaging the gear 32 controls the speed of the carrier and can be held in engagement with the gear to lock the mechanism by a finger 34. The carrier has two pockets 38 which are located opposite a coin opening by a lever 47 engaging one of two pins 46 and an inserted coin engages a pip 58 on a holding lever 50 and momentarily withdraws the lever 47. The sensing lever 39 is moved outwards according to the size of the coin and, as the carrier rotates, one of two cams 70 releases a pawl 69 from a ratchet wheel 66 to free the arms 67, 68 so that the engagement of the lever with a pin 62 on a gear segment 63 rotates the arms through the appropriate angle. Meanwhile, the assembly 72 has been pivoted back by an extension 78, Fig. 9, engaged by one of two pins 77 on a gear 251 in the carrier drive and, as the pin clears the extension, has been returned so that the screw 74 engages the appropriately-. placed arm 67 or 68. A rear gear wheel 81 is driven through an escapement from the spring barrel 15 and a front gear wheel 80 connected to the pointers 89 is normally connected to the gear wheel 81 by a pawl 92 on the front pointer 89 but is released for independent movement so that a spring 103, Fig. 6, can set the pointers when the pawl is disengaged by downward movement of a shutter 82 on rotation of the carrier 25. Pawls 105 and 106 hold the gear 80 against movement but are released on movement of the assembly 72 and the gear segment 63. A setting plate 109 is connected by a pawl 111 to the gear 80 when the shutter is in the down position and carries a removable index plate 116 having two teeth 117, 118 of different heights. According to the setting of the arms 67, 68 and therefore of the assembly 72, either the tooth 117 or the tooth 118 engages a pawl 119 on the assembly 72 to determine the setting of the pointers. If no coin is inserted, segment 63 does not move and pawl 106 prevents movement of gear wheel 80. As the pointers are being set, an arm 120, Fig. 6, on the rear pointer 101 (not shown) starts the escapement for driving the gear 81 and, as the coin carrier continues to rotate and releases the coin to a shoot 61, the shutter 82 is moved up again to re-engage the pawl 92 so that the gear wheels 80, 81 rotate together under control of the escapement for the timed return of the pointers. As the pointers return to the end of the purchase time, a cam 141 on the rear pointer 101 engages a pivoted member 122 and moves it so that a spring-loaded lever 137 moves from engagement with a notch 140 to engagement with a notch 144. The movement of the lever 139 raises a slidable sleeve 133 so that a coloured ball 130 or other indicator shows in a window and indicates an excess period. On a predetermined further movement of the pointers, the arm 120 engages an extension 121 of the member 122 and releases the lever 137 from the notch 144 so that it can raise the sleeve 133 further and cause a second coloured ball 131 to show in the window and indicate "penalty". The lever 137 is re-set on insertion of a coin by the pins 77 on wheel 251 acting on linkage 150, 149, 146. For non-accumulative operation, the index plate 116 moves at all times with the gear wheel 80 but, for accumulative operation, the plate is separately movable, returning with the wheel 80 for the first hour of movement and then being held by a spring lever which is released when the pointer indicates the end of purchased time. A pointer 162 sets the mechanism in the accumulative position. The escapement mechanism may be geared to give ten output speeds and by interchange of scales readings from half an hour to ten hours may be obtained. The last coin inserted is visible at a window. A counter 75, Fig. 1, records the number of correct operations of the segment 63 to indicate the number of basic coin units inserted.