Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required
by the decision of the Comptroller General of the 14th day of July, 1897.
Date of Application, 18th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1897 Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
We, SAMUEL HARRISON, of 9, Slater Street, Pendleton, in the County Borough of
Salford, Foreman Meter Repairer, GEORGE WILLIAM DICKINSON, of 5, Gallimore
Street, Lower Broughton, in the said county borough, Gas Meter Maker, and JOHN
TOMLINSON SHEARD, of 282, Crookes Moor Road, in the City of Sheffield, Analytical
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he as follows:-
Our invention relates to that class of meters in which the insertion of a coin or
token operates to set the meter free to deliver as required a certain predetermined
quantity of gas, and consists in an improved arrangement of parts for enabling this
object to be attained in a simpler manner than hitherto but with absolute efficiency.
In carrying out our invention we employ a screw or spiral formed on a horizontal
shaft free to revolve in suitable bearings when actuated by means of a crown or face
wheel which is fixed to one end of the shaft and gears with a pinion connected to the
counting mechanism of the meter. Surrounding the screw or spiral, but unconnected
with it, is a barrel or hollow shaft in which, for a certain portion of its length, a
narrow slot is cut. A nut or collar rides freely on the screw or spiral within the
barrel or hollow shaft, and carries a pointer which projects through the slot in the
latter. The revolution of the screw or spiral causes the nut or collar, with its pointer,
to travel in a horizontal direction along the slot, while if the barrel or hollow shaft be
revolved and the screw or spiral at rest the nut with its pointer revolves with it round
the screw or spiral and at the same time progresses in a horizontal direction along the
slot. The two movements are in practice made reciprocal-the revolution of the screw or
spiral, which is brought about by the working of the meter as gas passes through it,
causing the nut and pointer to move in one direction and the revolution of the barrel
or hollow shaft, which is produced as hereinafter described by the insertion of a coin
or token, causing the nut and pointer to move in the opposite direction. The pointer
indicates upon a scale, suitably placed with reference to the slot in the barrel or hollow
shaft, the coin value of the gas which has been prepaid and remains unconsumed.
On this scale the divisions correspond to the pitch of the screw or. spiral, that is, the
distance of one mark or division on the scale from the next is the same as the
horizontal distance traversed by the nut and pointer for one complete revolution of
either the screw or spiral or the barrel or hollow shaft.
The coin receiving device is arranged as follows:-Beneath a suitable slot in the
outer case of the meter we place a drum on a shaft which is continued through the
ineter case and which, by means of a handle on the outside and suitable stops, can be
turned half a complete revolution. In the same axial line as the drum, but quite
separate from it, is a bevel wheel of 40 teeth gearing with another bevel wheel of
20 teeth which is fixed to the end of a shaft forming a continuation of the barrel or
hollow shaft before described. When a coin is dropped into the meter it falls into a
channel cut for it in the drum and projects into a corresponding slot cut in the face of
the larger bevel wheel, thus connecting the drum and the bevel wheel together so that
the movement of the former, by means of the handle, effects a corresponding

page_text: revolution of the bevel gearing, the pressure of the coin first releasing a catch which
locks the bevel gearing from. the time of one coin being passed until another is
inserted. The handle, and with it the larger bevel wheel, having been turned one-
half a revolution the smaller bevel wheel, and with it the barrel or hollow shaft, has
necessarily made a complete revolution and the pointer moved one division on the
scale. The coin then drops into the box or other receptacle provided for it. The
meter is now free to deliver the quantity of gas representing the value of the coin
inserted or, before the gas is consumed; other coins may be inserted seriatim until the
full quantity of gas has been prepaid for which the apparatus is adjusted-the total
coin value which may be prepaid being determined by the length of the slot in
the barrel or hollow shaft. When, by the insertion of the full number of coins,
the nut with its pointer is carried to the far end of the slot it becomes impossible
to move the bevel gearing and consequently to pass any more coins into the meter.
If now gas he consumed through the ineter the revolution of the screw or spiral
taking place in unison with the counting mechanism of the meter moves the nut
and pointer back along the slot and scale until, supposing no more coins be inserted,
nearly the whole of the gas prepaid has been consumed when, as the nut approaches
the near end of the slot, it comes into contact with a lever actuating a valve which
controls the admission of gas to the meter and gradually closes the same. By this
means the passage of gas through the ineter is effectually prevented until the
insertion of another coin releases the valve by causing the nut to move away from
the lever.
The quantity of gas which will be delivered by the meter for each coin inserted
can be varied by altering the size of the crown or face wheel attached to the screw
or spiral and gearing with the pinion connected to the counting mechanism of the
meter. Thus if the pinion has 10 teeth, and one revolution represents the passage
of 5 cubic feet of gas, a crown or face wheel of 40 teeth will allow 20 cubic feet
of gas to pass through the meter for each and every coin or token inserted, while
a wheel of 50 teeth will allow 25 cubic feet, one of 60 teeth 30 cubic feet, and
so on.
Dated this 16th day of Jure 1806
SAMUEL
HARRISON.
GEORGE WILLIAM DICKINSON,
JOHN T. SHEARD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
We SAMUEL HARRISON, formerly of 9, Slater Street but now of 237, High Street,
Pendleton, in the County Borough of Salford, Foreman Meter Repairer, GEORGE
WILLIAM DICKINSON, of 5, Gallimore Street, Lower Broughton, in the County
Borough of Salford, Gas Meter Maker, and JOHN TOMLINSON SHEARD, of 282, Crookes
Moor Road in the City of Sheffield, Analytical Chemist, 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:-
Our invention relates to that class of meters in which the insertion of a coin or
token operates to set the meter free to deliver as required a certain predetermined
quantity of gas, and consists in an improved arrangement of parts for enabling
this object to be attained in a simpler manner than hitherto but with absolute
efficiency.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, which shew the invention as applied to wet gas meters. It must
however be understood that it is equally applicable to dry meters. In the drawings
similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, Fig. 2 a sectional plan and Figs. 3 and 4 sectional

page_text: end views of the index or gear case of a wet meter showing the application of the
invention.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of part of the apparatus..
In carrying out our invention we employ a screw or spiral A formed on a horizontal
shaft B free to revolve in suitable bearings when actuated by means of a crown or
face wheel C which is fixed to one end of the shaft and gears with a pinion D
connected to the counting mechanism of the meter. Surrounding the screw or spiral A,
but unconnected with it, is a barrel or hollow shaft E, in which, for a certain portion
of its length, a narrow slot El is. cut. A. screwed nut or collar F rides freely on the
screw or spiral A within the barrel or hollow shaft E and carries a pointer F¹ which
projects through the slot E¹. The revolution of the screw or spiral A causes the nut
or collar F with its pointer F1 to travel in a horizontal direction along the slot E1,
while if the barrel or hollow shaft E be revolved and the screw or spiral A at rest the
nut with its pointer revolves with it round the screw or spiral and at the same time
progresses in a horizontal direction along the slot. The two movements are in
practice made reciprocal the revolution of the screw or spiral, which is hrought
about by the working of the meter as gas passes through it, causing the nut and
pointer to move in one direction and the revolution of the barrel or hollow shaft,
which is produced as hereinafter described by the insertion.of a coin or token, causing
the nut and pointer to move in the opposite direction. The pointer F indicates upon
a scale G the coin value of the gas which has been prepaid and remains unconsumed.
On this senle the divisions correspond to the pitch of the screw or spiral, that is, the
distance of one mark or division on the scale from the next is the same as the
horizontal distance traversed by the nut and pointer for one complete revolution of
either the screw or spiral or the barrel or hollow shaft.
The coin receiving device is arranged as follows: Beneath a slot or shoot H in the
outer case of the meter we place a drum J on a shaft J' which is continued through
the outer case and which, by means of a handle J2 on the outside and suitable
stops J³, can be turned half a complete revolution: In the same axial line as the
drum J, but quite separate from it, is a bevel wheel K which gears with another bevel
wheel L having only half the number of teeth and which is fixed to the end of a shaft
forming a continuation of the barrel or hollow shaft E. When a coin is dropped
into the meter it falls into a channel. M prepared for it in the drum J and
projects into a corresponding slot M' cut in the face of the bevel wheel K
thus connecting the drum and the bevel wheel together so that the movement
of the former, by means of the handle J", effects a corresponding revolution of the
bevel gearing, the pressure of the coin first releasing a catch N which locks the bevel
gearing from the time of one coin being passed until another is inserted. The
handle J, and with it the bevel wheel K, having been turned one half a revolution
the bevel wheel L, and with it the barrel or hollow shaft E, has necessarily made a
complete revolution and the pointer F moved one division on the scale G. The
coin then drops into the box or coin receptacle O, a guide or shield P preventing
the coin dropping out of the slots M and M until the wheel K has been turned half
a complete revolution. The meter is now free to deliver the quantity of gas
representing the value of the coin inserted or, before the gas is consumed, other coins
may be inserted seriatim until the full quantity of gas has been prepaid for which
the apparatus is adjusted-this being determined by the length of the slot E' in the
barrel or hollow shaft E. When, by the insertion of the full number of coins, the
nut F with its pointer F is carried to the far end of the slot it becomes impossible
to move the bevel gearing K and L and consequently to pass any more coins into the
meter. If now gas be consumed through the meter the revolution of the screw or
spiral A taking place in unison with the counting mechanism of the meter moves
the nut and pointer back along the slot and scale until, supposing no more coins
be inserted, nearly the whole of the gas prepaid has been consumed when, as the
nut approaches the near end of the slot, it comes into contact with a lever R
actuating a valve S, which controls the admission of gas to the meter, and gradually
closes the same. By this means the passage of gas through the meter is effectually

page_text: prevented until the insertion of another coin releases the valve by causing the
nut to move away from the lever.
T is a duct or channel through which the gas, having passed valve S, is conducted
into the interior of the meter.
The quantity of gas which will be delivered by the meter for each coin inserted
can be varied by altering the size of the crown or face wheel C relative to the
pinion D. Thus if the pinion has 10 teeth, and one revolution of it represents the
passage of 5 cubic feet of gas, a crown or face wheel of 40 teeth will allow
20 cubic feet of gas to pass through the meter for each and every coin or token
inserted, while a wheel of 50 teeth will allow 25 cubic feet, one of 60 teeth
30 cubic feet and so on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we are aware of Patent
No. 2626 A.D. 1891 granted to James Featham Sawer and others and we claim
nothing described or claimed in the specification thereof and we declare that what we
claim is
1. In prepayment gas meters an internally screwed nut or collar riding freely upon
an externally screwed rod or spirally formed shaft within a barrel or hollow shaft,
the revolution of the barrel causing the nut to revolve on the screw or spiral and
so to progress in a direction along its length, while the revolution of the screw
causes a similar progression of the nut without the latter being revolved on its axis,
said nut carrying a projection and pointer which extend through a slot in the barrel
so as to open and close a valve controlling the supply of gas to the meter and to
indicate upon a scale the coin value of the gas prepaid in the manner substantially
as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In prepayment gas meters a coin receiving device in which the coin when
inserted makes contact between a drum or shaft, hitherto free to revolve alone one
half a revolution when actuated by means of a handle outside the meter case, and a
wheel connected by bevel or equivalent gearing with mechanism for releasing the
valve controlling the admission of gas to the meter and indicating the number of
coins inserted, so that by turning the handle the coin is conveyed into the box
or receptacle provided for it while in its passage it causes the revolution of the bevel
gearing and so effects the necessary movements for indicating the admission of the
coin and enabling the meter to pass the quantity of gas represented by the coin
inserted in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In prepayment gas meters the combination of the coin receiving device described
in Claim 2 with the mechanism described in Claim 1 in the manner substantially as
herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
4. In prepayment gas meters the general arrangement construction and combination
of the various parts constituting our improvements all substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this
100
SAMUEL HARRISON.
GEORGE WM. DICKINSON.
JOHN T. SHEARD.