Improvements in or applicable to Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Loft and Cont 4000 Ananind
2nd Out
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Prepayment Gas Meters.
We JOHN HAWKYARD of Shaws Lane Upper Mill Saddleworth in the County
of York, Foreman, and JOSEPH BRADDOCK of 72 Windsor Road, Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster Gas Meter Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to simplify and facilitate the construction of
prepayment gas meters and one of the great advantages of the same is that our
improved mechanism can be very readily applied to existing meters.
The principal feature of this invention, which is applicable to either wet or dry
gas meters, is the mounting of the rolling wheel or pinion of an epicyclic train upon
a disc or arm (or its equivalent) which is attached to or forms part of, or which
actuates, a sleeve or tube suitably screwed (internally by preference) and working
upon or in (as the case may be) a corresponding threaded spindle or tube free to
move longitudinally, which movement is employed to directly or indirectly open
and close any suitable gas valve controlling the gas supply to or from the meter.
Any suitable stuffing box or its equivalent may be placed at any convenient point
between the aforesaid valve and the epicyclic train.
If the valve is attached to the end of the before mentioned spindle or tube its
rotation along with the screwed spindle or tube may be prevented and a longitudinal
movement of the valve secured by any suitable projection or projections or snugs
working or sliding in or upon suitable grooves or projectious in the valve box or
chamber.
To arrange for variations in the price of gas the meter driven wheel of the
epicyclic train may be suitably connected to a crown change wheel driven by a
long fixed pinion as represented in our Patent No. 9771 of 1893, or any other
suitable form of change wheels may be employed for the like purpose.
To shew the value or amount of gas prepaid but unconsumed (or the position of
the valve) a suitable indicator may be actuated by or from either the aforesaid
screwed spindle or the screwed sleeve.
The epicyclic train may be composed of the usual form of three bevil wheels;
or two crown wheels and a rolling wheel or pinion; or the arrangement consisting
of one internally toothed wheel, one spur wheel and the rolling wheel or pinion
between the two and gearing with both. In any case one of the driving wheels of
the epicyclic train is actuated directly or indirectly by or from the coin or its
equivalent and moves the rolling wheel or pinion in one direction through which
action the valve is opened, as already intimated, whilst the other driving wheel of
the epicyclic train is actuated by the working of the meter in the opposite direction
to the aforesaid driving wheel and moves the rolling wheel or pinion in the reverse
direction for the purpose of closing the valve.
The valve may be opened by a pull or a push; and instead of a screwed spindle,
acted upon by a screwed sleeve we may move the spindle end wise to open and close
the valve by a cam path in the sleeve (or in the spindle) and a corresponding
projection from the spindle (or the sleeve) with or without the assistance of a
spring or its equivalent.
Dated this 5th day of December 1805

page_text: We JOHN HAWKYARD, of Shaws Lane Upper Mill, Saddleworth in the County
of York, Foreman, and JOSEPH BRADDOCK, of 72 Windsor Road, Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Gas Meter Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to simplify and facilitate the construction of
prepayment gas meters and one of the great advantages of the same is that our
improved mechanism can be very readily applied to existing meters.
The principal feature of this invention, which is applicable to either wet or dry
gas meters, is the mounting of the roller wheel or pinion of an epicyclic train upon
a disc or arm (or its equivalent) which is attached to or forms part of, or which
actuates, a sleeve or tube (or a spindle) suitably screwed (internally by preference)
and working upon or in (as the case may be) a corresponding threaded spindle
or tube free to move longitudinally, which movement is employed to directly or
indirectly open and close any suitable gas valve controlling the gas supply to or
from the meter.
Any suitable stuffing box or its equivalent may be placed at any convenient
point between the aforesaid valve and the epicyclic train.
If the valve is attached to the end of the before-mentioned spindle or tube its
rotation along with the screwed spindle or tube may be prevented and a longitudinal
movement of the valve secured by any suitable projection or projections or snugs
working or sliding in or upon suitable grooves or projections in the valve box or
chamber.
To arrange for variations in the price of gas the meter driven wheel of the
epicyclic train may be suitably connected to a crown change wheel driven by a
long fixed pinion as represented in our Patent No. 9771 of 1893, or any suitable
form of change wheels may be employed for the like purpose.
To shew the value or amount of gas prepaid but anconsumed (or the position of
the valve) a suitable indicator may be actuated by or from either the aforesaid
screwed spindle or the screwed sleeve.
The epicyclic train may be composed of the usual form of three bevil wheels;
or two crown wheels and a rolling wheel or pinion; or the arrangement consisting
of one internally toothed wheel, one spur wheel and the rolling wheel or pinion
between the two and gearing with both. In any case one of the driving wheels of
the epicyclic train is actuated directly or indirectly by or from the coin or its
equivalent and moves the rolling wheel or pinion in one direction through which
action the valve is opened, as already intimated, whilst the other driving wheel of
the epicyclic train is actuated by the working of the meter in the opposite direction
to the aforesaid driving wheel and moves the rolling wheel or pinion in the reverse
direction for the purpose of closing the valve.
The valve may be opened by a pull or a push; and instead of a screwed spindle,
acted upon by a screwed sleeve we may move the spindle end wise to open and close
the valve by a cam path in the sleeve (or in the spindle) and a corresponding
projection from the spindle (or the sleeve) with or without the assistance of a spring
or its equivalent, or a fixed cam path may be used and the valve caused to move
end wise with regard to its spindle or sleeve by a projection therefrom, the valve
spindle or sleeve sliding in or upon the sleeve or spindle driven by the epicyclic
gear, and rotating with the said spindle.
In order that our invention inay be clearly understood we have annexed hereto a
sheet of drawings referred to in the following explanation and illustrating, three
modifications hereafter described.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing a train of epicyclic gearing c, c², c 2, a
disc b carrying the rolling pinion c of the said gearing and fixed or formed upon a
spindle a part of which is in the form of a sleeve screwed internally, also a valve d
at the end of a spindle d¹ screwed to fit in the sleeve or tubular part of the
spindle a.
The wheels c and c 2 may be actuated respectively by a coin and by the meter by
means similar to those described by the Specification of our application for Letters
Patent No. 21429 of 1895, and it will be seen that the valve d can be raised by the
action of the coin driven wheel c2 and returned by the meter driven wheel c¹ the
valve spindle d' working up and down in the sleeve a as it is prevented from
rotating by a projection or a groove d2 at each side working in or on a corresponding.
slide e in the wall of the valve chamber e. The gas enters the chamber e at e 2,.
and a stuffing box e 3 is provided through which the spindle or sleeve a passes.
Fig. 2 shews how the spindle a may be screwed externally the valve d being
provided with a correspondingly screwed sleeve or tubular spindle d¹ and being
similarly prevented from rotating so that the sleeve or valve spindle d¹ can be
worked up or down upon the spindle a as it is rotated in either direction by a coin
or by the meter mechanism as before described.
Fig. 3 shews how the sleeve or valve spindle d¹ may be rotated by and slide upon
a feather at on the spindle a and moved by a cam path e 4 fixed in the valve chamber e,
in which cam path a pin d3 or its equivalent fixed in the sleeve or valve spindle d'
works.
It will be evident that this cam path e4 may be made as shewn or in spiral
form.
It will also be evident without illustration that a similar cam path may be fitted
on or in the spindle a or the spindle d' instead of the screw thread in which a pin.
similar to d 3 projecting from the spindle d' (or a as the case may be) may work,.
and the valve d being prevented from rotating will be raised or lowered by the
rotation of the spindle a as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In prepayment gas meters connecting the rolling wheel of an epicyclic train.
of gearing to or with a spindle or sleeve on or in which a second tubular or other
spindle can slide endwise, the said spindles being made or provided with, or acting
in combination with, a screw or spiral incline or other suitable cam path in order
to effect the opening and closing of the valve by means of the said epicyclic train.
of gearing substantially as herein before described.
2. The combination of an epicyclic train of gearing worked by a coin and by the
meter mechanism, with a spindle carrying the rolling pinion of such epicyclic train
and provided with an internal or external screw thread or cam path actuating a
second spindle fitted in or on the first and carrying the valve which is prevented
from rotating so that the rotation of the first named spindle shall actuate the valve.
substantially as bereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 28th day of August 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants..