Improvements in Prepayment Attachments for Gas and other Fluid Meters.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Prepayment Attachments for Gas and other Fluid
Meters.
A communication from abroad by THE NEW HAVEN NOVELTY MACHINE COMPANY,
of No. 6, Elm Street, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
I. ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the production of a novel prepayment attach-
ment adapted to be applied to an ordinary meter having it may be an ordinary
recording mechanism to measure fluid or gas.
The attachment constituting the subject matter of this application involves in
its construction a rotative slidable shaft controlling the action of the gas regulating
valve, said shaft deriving its movement to open the valve from a toothed operating
wheel loosely splined on said shaft, and a money carrier mounted loosely to be
rotated on said shaft freely in but one direction, said money carrier having an
engaging device, which, acted upon by a coin thrust into the money carrier, is
made to couple the money carrier temporarily with the toothed wheel so that
rotation of the money carrier by hand will rotate the toothed wheel and its shaft
and at the same time effect the sliding of the shaft in a direction to open the
valve, the extent of rotation of the said shaft and its consequent longitudinal
movement depending on the greater or less extent of its rotation while the coin
in the money carrier acts to effect the coupling of the money carrier with the
toothed wheel by or through the engaging device, this time being governed by a
delivery regulator, as I have chosen to herein designate the device under the con-
trol of the operator, and capable of being adjusted from time to time as the price
of gas varies to thereby ensure the delivery to the consumer of a quantity of gas
the equivalent of the unit coin used, said regulator in the present instance of this
invention being shown as cylindrical and surrounding said money carrier, said
regulator being provided with a stop, whereby the money can be discharged
through a throat or opening in said regulator, and from thence pass into a tray or
box; and the improved organization of parts is such that it can be applied to any
of the existing types of meters without changing the latter, which is an essential
point; and the coin carrier for the purpose of detecting the placing of a wire
or other like counterfeit in the coin slot has a continuous movement always in the
same direction.
To provide for variation in price without changing the parts of the meter
required very considerable thought and experiment, for in adapting the present
prepayment attachment to meters it was found that gas was sold in most places for
a certain price per thousand feet, and that many thousands of meters were in
use, which meters had registering mechanisms built on the basis of registering
each one thousand feet of gas in certain divisions,

page_text: keye, shown in Fig. 7 and in Fig. 3, said key being carried in a key seat of a
toothed wheel e surrounding said shaft, said wheel having its hub extended at
the left, Fig. 3, to enter the bearing d.
The money carrier E see Figs. 3, 13 and 14, is composed of a casting bored to
form a hub , to fit loosely and turn freely about the shaft C, said money carrier
having extended arms c¹, ex, each grooved at its inner face to form a money holding
slot, the width of each slot being of substantially the thickness of the coin to be
used, there being a clear open space between said arms that they may pass, in
the operation of the money carrier to be described, a suitable stop made variable
as to its position according to variations in price of gas.
or
The money carrier has pivotally or movably mounted upon it by a pivot 10
in an open slot of the arm el thereof, an actuating device
pawl represented in full lines in Fig. 3, and partially by dotted
lines in Fig. 13, said actuating device or pawl being so shaped and pivoted
in the slot of the money carrier that it normally stands therein, as represented
in Fig. 13, in its inoperative position, said position being always determined by
the fact that the actuating device is overbalanced, overbalancing said actuating
device obviating the necessity of a pawl for putting it into its inoperative
position.
By overbalancing the actuating device in the money carrier, as stated, whenever
a coin is inserted in the money receiving throat to be described, and into the
money carrier, see Fig. 3, the said money acting directly against the back or edge
of the actuating device or pawl, will turn it about its pivot 10 so that the
wedge shaped edge 12 of said actuating device will enter and bottom in the
space between adjacent teeth of a series of teeth e, to be described, of the toothed
wheel e, and said actuating device having engaged the toothed wheel referred
to, the money carrier may be started in its movement by the operator through a
suitable hand operated wheel G to be described, and turn the wheel so that the
key engaging said wheel with said shaft C will cause said shaft to be rotated,
it during such operation being longitudinally slid, as will be described, to open the
gas controlling valve.
The wheel has at its face next the money carrier a circular series e' of wedge-
shaped teeth, see Fig. 3, the bevels at the opposite sides of each tooth being
oppositely arranged and at substantially the same angle, and the periphery of said
wheel is represented as provided with a series of peripheral teeth 15 which are
engaged by a strong friction device or wheel holder e, represented as a spring
secured to the casing B of the meter by a suitable screw, see Fig. 7, said friction
device or holder engaging the wheel while the meter mechanism is operating
a nut c, to be described, in the direction to slide the valve controlling shaft in a
direction to close the valve, the friction device in engagement with the wheel c
compelling the said nut in its movements of rotation to always move the said valve
controlling shaft C longitudinally rather than to merely turn said shaft with it as
would be the case if the wheel were not locked.
In case the wheel e was not locked and it could be turned with the shaft C as
the latter was rotated by the nut, then the shaft would not be slid at all, and the
valve would not be closed, but the meter mechanism might continue to rotate, and
gas might be delivered without prepayment.
By restraining the movement of the wheel in a direction opposite that in
which it is actuated by the operator in opening the valve, said wheel becomes a
controller of said shaft C, and prevents it from being rotated without being also
slid, and thereby the closing of the valve is always assured whenever the nut c
is rotated by the meter mechanism.
The bottoms of the series of teeth, shaped as described, are so located with
relation to the teeth 15 that whenever the point or free end of the spring e engages
a space between two teeth 15, said spring puts and retains said wheel e in one
of its numerous defined positions, and in its defined positions the bottom of the
space between adjacent teeth of the series of teeth e' will always stand exactly in

page_text: box a¹, in turn threaded externally to receive a clamping nut a, by which to
confine the said casing to the plate 6 of the case B.
The valve case has an outwardly and downwardly flaring valve seat ², against
which acts the conical face of the gas controlling valve mounted on a stem b²,
screwed into and thereby adjustably connected with the threaded block or
nut connected, as herein shown, by a pin to a cam slide 67, which forms a
part of the valve stem.
This slide has a cam slot. 68 and two ears 2, 3, which are shown as guided by
slotted studs 4, 5, the said ears entering said slots and being kept therein by
suitable pins 6, 7, see Fig. 3.
The valve case, at a point above the seat has an annular chamber, in which
is placed a guard plate ³, said guard plate being made as a disc with portions
of its periphery cut away to leave spaces a
This guard plate serves the purpose of preventing the user of a gas meter, if
dishonestly inclined, from inserting a wire in the casing and pushing the wire
into the space between the valve seat and valve.
A wire inserted in the space
between the valve seat and valve.
will meet the shoulder and cannot get
The slot is entered by a roller or other stud 6, carried by a lever like finger bio
provided with a hole and surrounding loosely and movable longitudinally with a
valve controlling shaft C, to be described, a portion of said lever, see Figs. 3
and 3. having a hole which fits over a guiding stud 6, extended from a
plate 6, fixed to the case B by a screw 5, said plate also supporting the studs 4
and 5.
The plate has a hole through it for the reception of the shaft C, said shaft
being free to slide in said hole, the shaft having a spiral groove e in which enters
a projection or thread e¹ from the hub c, surrounding said shaft loosely, and
having attached to it, by a suitable screw or screws a toothed gear, said hub and
gear constituting what may be hereinafter designated as a toothed nut, it being
moved solely by the meter mechanism to thereby return the shaft C to its initial
position and effect the closing of the valve.
The left hand end of the shaft C is threaded, as represented in Fig. 3, and
it receives at each side said loose finger 10 suitable nuts, two of said nuts per-
forming the function of set nuts for the other two.
The right hand end of the hub of the toothed nut enters a hollow bearing d
made in the case B, so that said nut may turn in the space between the end of the
bearing and the inside of the plate 64, but said nut cannot move longitudinally.
The teeth of the periphery of the nut are engaged and the said nut may be
driven in one direction only by a worm 10 on a short shaft held in a stand 710x,
rising from the case B, said shaft having at one end an attached toothed pinion s
held in place by a nut 8.
The pinion, see Fig. 2, is turned to the left by a toothed wheel de clamped
frictionally by a suitable nut on the end of a shaft, deriving positive move-
ment to the right by the mechanism of the meter as the latter acts to deliver gas,
said shaft being provided with a worm gear ', actuated by a left hand worm,
see Fig. 2, on the usual shaft 2, driven by the meter mechanism to actuate the
usual recording mechanism, said shaft being turned to the left, viewing the front
of the meter.
The employment of the left hand worm instead of a right hand worm, as
commonly done, enables the shaft to be rotated to the right, the direction
required in order that it may rotate the shaft having a right hand worm (110 in
the proper direction to turn the nut et, so that it will always act to slide the valve
controlling shaft in the direction to close the valve after the said shaft has been
moved by the operator in a direction to open the valve, the nut acting to slide
the shaft gradually in the direction to close the valve.
The shaft C occupying in Fig. 3 its normal or starting position, has a straight
groove 14, shown by full lines in Figs. 5-8, which is entered loosely by a

page_text: line with the longitudinal centre of the slot in the money carrier, so that whenever
the actuating device or pawl c² is actuated by a piece of money put into the carrier
in direct contact with the back of said actuating device, the wedge shaped point 12
of said actuating device will enter freely and bottom in the notch between adjacent
teeth of the series of teeth et.
Were it not for the fact that the spring e effected the position of the wheel e,
as stated, when the said wheel was locked at rest by the operator, then the part 12
of the actuating device might, when actuated by a piece of money against it,
meet the crown of a tooth of the series of teeth e which would make it impractic-
able without injury to the machine to insert the coin and operate the prepayment
attachment.
It will be understood that the wedge at the underside of the slide f, to be
described, acts to force the coin fully into the slot of the money carrier, and if the
edge 12 of the actuating device at such time should stand exactly opposite the
crown of a tooth of the series of teeth e, then the edge 12 of the actuating device
would meet and be forced against the crown of the footh, thereby damaging said
tooth or said wedge, so that after a few such operations the mechanism would
become inoperative.
The money carrier is shown as provided with a suitable hole or holes, see Fig. 3,
to receive a suitable spring or springs, 16, which rest at their ends, next the
shaft C, upon a plate 17, shown best in Fig. 8, said plate being held in place by a
suitable stud screw 18.
The right hand hub or end of the money carrier, see Figs. 3 and 13, is repre-
sented as provided with a series of holes in which enter the ends of a series of stud
screws 22, said stud screws being screwed flush into a sleeve or barrel G* forming
part of a hand wheel G which may be engaged by the user of the meter whenever
it is desired to move the money carrier by hand to transfer the money placed
therein into a money receiving box m preparatory to starting the meter.
The exterior B of the case B3, has attached to its upper side by suitable rivets
or screws 10, a plate f having a money receiving throat fi through which the
money is introduced into the money carrier.
Immediately under this throat is a slide 2, preferably made dovetailed in cross
section, as represented in Fig. 6, said slide having at its underside a fin 20 and
at its end a stud 20 which may be engaged by the operator when it is desired to
move the slide.
When the hand wheel G referred to, is in its normal position, as represented in
Figs. 3 and 5, the operator may engage the stud 20 and move it to the right,
causing the lower end of said stud to enter a groove o̟ in a projection extended
from the sleeve or barrel G* such movement uncovering the throat for the intro-
duction of the money, and the money is put in the throat and passed through
between suitable guides or cheeks, which as herein shown form a part of the
delivery regulator, to be described, and is made to enter the slot of the money
carrier, and this done, the slide f is moved to the left, causing its beveled end 18
and the fin to act on the edge of the money and depress it against the spring or
springs 16, and at the same time crowd the money into the slot of the money
carrier so that its edge meets directly the back of the actuating device or pawle
and turns it so that the projection 12 thereof engages one of the side teeth of the
wheel e, and thereafter the hand wheel G may be engaged and rotated in the direc-
tion of the arrow thereon in Fig. 3.
This change of position of the hand wheel causes the substantially annular cam
edge 50 extended therefrom, to act against the lower end of the stud 20 and form a
locking device to hold the slide in its closed position, so that the said slide cannot
be again drawn out to gain access to the money until after the money has been
discharged, and the money carrier has been returned into its starting position.
One hub e from which extends arms e¹, e, and constituting the acting part of
the money carrier, is provided with a ratchet wheelt fitted to said hub and contact-
ing with the arm e³, and the teeth of said wheel are engaged by a detent t¹, mounted

page_text: on a fixed pin or stud of the head plate 1, said detent being acted upon by a
suitable spring 12 resting at one end against a fixed part of the apparatus, said
pawl ensuring that the money carrier may be moved in but one direction.
The tubular part B of the case 3 receives within it the delivery regulator H
hereinbefore mentioned, it being shown in Figs. 6 and 8 as a cylinder or ring.
Fig. 10 shows the said ring cut in two and laid out or developed.
The delivery regulator is represented as slotted for most of its length, the slots
being shown of different widths, as represented by h, h, and at the end of the
slot there is a money discharging throat h², and next one side of said slot a
money stop h³.
This delivery regulator also has connected with it a pointer .
The side walls of the wider part of the slot stand in all adjustments of said
price regulator under and in line with the ends of the money receiving throat f¹,
through which the money is pushed to enter the money carrier, and the width
of the sloth and consequently the position of its side walls is such as to guide
and prevent any wrong position being taken by the money in the passage of the
throat finto the money carrier, and the underside of the fin 20* described.
The guiding part or edges of the side walls of the wider slotted part is an
important feature of this invention, and for accuracy of operation the said guiding
part or wall is made to form an integral part of the delivery regulator, and it will
be understood that the side walls of said slot h, which is located nearest the upper
end of the engaging device actually prevents the money acted upon by the fin 20
in crowding the money into the money carrier from contacting so forcibly with
the back of the engaging device as to injure or injuriously force the end of the
latter into engagement with the toothed wheel e.
The narrower part ¹ of the slot always stands at or below the centre of the
shaft C, so that the money having been put into the money carrier and the latter
started in motion it will be readily seen that as soon as the money carrier begins
to travel about the lower part of the shaft C the edge of the money projecting
from said carrier will meet the inclines 30 made at the junction of the two
slots and h', and thereafter the edge of the piece of money will be sustained by
the edges 31 of the slot h¹.
The delivery regulator, circular or cylindrical at its exterior, fits within the
circular extension B of the case and is made adjustable therein with relation to the
money receiving throat f' thereof, and by being cylindrical and cooperating with
a cylindrical space, said regulator is made more durable and may be more easily
adjusted. The delivery regulator, at that part thereof carrying the stop, is
provided with a screw thread which receives a set screw he said screw entering
a hole in a clamp having ears h³, so that said clamp may follow with the
regulator in all its adjustments, the screw in the adjustments of the regulator
travelling in a slot in the support B' and acting against said portion B¹, said screw
being extended through a slot 4. By loosening this screw and releasing the
pressure on the clamp h, on the portion or extension B, it will be obvious that
the circular delivery regulator supported by the portion or case B may be rotated
more or less to place the pointer or index h thereof in a position to cooperate with
the desired price scale or line of the price indicator J to be described, and in its
adjusted position the clamp and its screw to retain the regulator in place is left
connected with and is inaccessible except to the person who collects the money
from the meter. The adjustment of this regulator puts the money discharging
throat located at the end of the narrower slot h¹ at one side of the stop h³ into
any desired position, that depending upon the quantity of gas to be delivered
as an equivalent of the unit coin put into the meter and the price at which the
gas is being sold, it being understood that the farther the said throat ² and the
stop from the money receiving throat moves in the direction of the rotation of the
money carrier the greater will be the extent of the sliding motion of the shaft C
and consequently the longer will the gas valve be held open, the said money
discharging slot being more distant from the money receiving slot of the

page_text: extension B of the case B in the direction of the rotation of the carrier, as
the price of gas is reduced.
Inasmuch as the money cannot be discharged from the money carrier through
the delivery regulator at any point except at the discharging throat 2 thereof,
it becomes necessary so to adjust the said regulator, that said throat will come
into exactly the proper position, such position being controlled and indicated by
the action of the pointer in connection with the scale of the price indicator J.
The price indicator J is shown as having a scale or series of marks, to show
preferably by figures the price of gas, said marks in this particular example being
adapted to designate the price of gas from one to two dollars a thousand with five
cent variations between.
These scale marks are placed on the price indicator after a series of careful
tests, using test holders, so that the lines of the scale marks occupy exactly the
position they should occupy on the price indicator to ensure the delivery of an
amount of gas exactly in accordance with the money put into the money carrier.
The piece of money which this present meter has been devised to receive is a
twenty five cent piece or a quarter dollar of U. S. currency or a shilling, and the
money put into the money carrier must be discharged therefrom sooner or later in
the movement of the money carrier from its initial or starting position where it
receives the money, according to the price of gas, and as the meter is herein
constructed, the shaft C may be moved as will be hereinafter described, four times
in succession by the introduction of a U. S. quarter dollar or a shilling into the
money carrier, thus enabling only its worth of gas to be prepaid, or the shaft may
be moved any less number of times than four that the money carrier may be
provided with quarter dollar or shillings.
As soon as the money in the money carrier comes opposite the money discharging
throat, the springs i act to discharge the money through said throat into a
suitable money receiver or box m, it being herein represented as removably
mounted upon a stud m¹, the box embracing, covering and protecting from access
to the screw and clamp for altering the position of the delivery regulator, and
said box may, be locked in its inoperative position on said stud by a padlock m²
or in any other suitable manner, and said lock must be unlocked and removed
when it is desired to remove the money box to take the money therefrom.
Figs. 6 and 8 show the delivery regulator set (as an example) to sell gas at one
dollar of United States money (or about equivalent to four shillings) per thousand,
the pointer h of the regulator standing opposite the one dollar mark.
Let it be supposed that the hand wheel G is in its normal position, with the
slot g uppermost, that the slide 2 is drawn back to uncover the money receiving
throat the stud 20 of the slide, standing in the slot g, and that the shaft C
occupies its position normally fully to the right, see Fig. 3, and that the finger 10
stands in the inner end of the slot of the valve stem, and that the valve is
closed. In this condition a piece of money, say a shilling may be put in the
money receiving throat f¹, be passed through the wider portion of the circular
delivery regulator, said wider portion then standing as in Fig. 8, underneath said
money receiving throat, and said money is made to enter between the grooved
arms of the money carrier.
In this condition the operator engages the pin 20, pushes the slide to the left,
Fig. 3, causing the beveled end a thereof to meet the edge of the money and press
it downwardly into the money carrier, compressing the springs 16 thereof, and at
the same time the money by acting directly against the actuating device or
pawl, turns said device about its pivot 10. causing the tooth 12 to meet and
engage a tooth of a series of teeth e, at the side of the toothed wheel e³ connected
loosely with the shaft C, by the key e
This coupling or engagement of the pawl with the toothed wheel puts the
attachment in position to be operated, and the operator engages the hand wheel G
and turns it and the money carrier, and with it the toothed wheel e, the key e in
the longitudinal slot 14 of the shaft causing the shaft to be rotated in unison with

page_text: the wheel and the money carrier, said shaft also sliding longitudinally to the
left.
!
During this rotation of the money carrier, the edge of the money, as the
carrier is made to travel under the centre of the shaft C meets the inclines 30 at
the entering end of the narrower slot of the price regulator, and rides upon
the edges 31 of said narrower slot, remaining thereon until the money in the
rotation of the money carrier arrives opposite the money discharging slot ², and
one side of the money meets the stop h³.
In this condition and position of the parts, the springs 16 act instantly to eject
the money from the money carrier through the throat h2 into the box 'm.
The money as it is ejected from the money carrier permits the actuating device
or pawl to immediately retire from its holding engagement with the teeth e of
the ratchet wheel e, leaving said ratchet wheel at rest, while rotation of the money
carrier is continued in the same direction until the money carrier is again brought
into its starting position, just below the throat fl at which time the slide f may
be again withdrawn preparatory to putting a fresh coin into said throat and into
the money carrier, when the operation herein just described may be repeated.
As the shaft C is rotated by or through the action of the toothed wheel e engaged
by the actuating device or pawl of the money carrier, said shaft has also given to
it, as stated, a sliding movement, this being due to the fact that the projection
at the interior of the hub c¹, see Fig. 3, of the toothed nut, stands in the spiral
groove c of said shaft, and it will be obvious that at each operation of said shaft
by or through the money carrier, as stated, that the shaft is moved further and
further in the direction of its length.
The said shaft may be moved four times in succession, as herein provided for,
by the insertion of a quarter dollar of U. S. currency or a shilling at four different
times in succession, and to provide for this full extent of longitudinal movement of
said shaft C I have added to the case B a stop or projection against the inner
side of which the end of said shaft C contacts when the valve controlling shaft has
been moved by the operator into its farthest position permitted by the insertion
of coin into the coin carrier see Fig. 16.
During this longitudinal movement of the shaft C through the toothed nut
actuated by the meter mechanism, the said nut is restrained from rotation by or
through the worm 10 before described, and the finger 10 is moved, viewing Fig. 3
to the left, in the slot 8 of the valve stem opening said valve, and this finger may
travel far enough to entirely pass out of said slot and enter the hollow hub n,
that depending upon the number of pieces of money put into the attachment
to prepay gas.
This gas valve opened will remain opened for a longer or shorter period accord-
ing to the amount of gas prepaid and then it will be closed.
The valve having been opened by the introduction of money into the money
carrier and the movement of the latter as described, the meter begins to work, and
the shafts a, 12, thereof begin to rotate, and the left hand worm acting on the
worm gear turns the shaft in a right hand direction, and its toothed wheel dº,
causing the latter in engagement with the pinion 8, fast on the shaft (, to turn
the latter shaft, causing the worm to start the toothed nut, rotating said nut
in a left hand direction, causing the projection c¹ in said spiral groove to slide
said shaft C toward its initial position.
If the shaft C is moved to the left, viewing said figure, far enough to remove the
finger entirely from the slot 68, of the valve stem, said finger in the return
movement of said shaft will gradually come into the open mouth of the slot
and will be made to travel through said slot towards its right hand' end, until
finally as the shaft C arrives in its normal position, the finger 610 in the slot of
the valve stem will have fully closed the valve, as represented in Fig. 3.
During this operation the stud 613 acts as a guide for the loosely mounted
finger

page_text: This finger constitutes an actuator for the valve stem, and by its adjustment
it becomes possible to secure a close closing of the valve.
It is found by experiment that a freely movable money carrier which was adapted
to be moved from its receiving position into its discharging position and then
to be turned backwardly into its receiving position, could be tampered with.
Frequently a wire or other foreign thing not proper coin is inserted in the money
carrier by dishonest people, and to enable this to be detected I have so con-
structed the money carrier that one arm thereof constitutes or carries one member
of a cutting mechanism or shear, riz: the arm e¹ of said money carrier is notched
as at to leave a cutting edges which cooperates with an edge or shoulder 30
extended from one edge of the stop 3, and this cutting mechanism must operate,
for the money carrier by reason of the addition to it of the ratchet wheel t, which
prevents any backward rotation of the money carrier, can be turned in but one
direction and as it is turned from the position of the stop where the money
ought to be discharged the cutting mechanism referred to severs the wire.
The spaces, see Fig. 13, left between the two arms e¹, and ex of the money
carrier, is of substantially the shape of the exterior of the stop, and its projec
tion in cross section, so that said carrier may pass the stop whenever the
money in the carrier has been discharged therefrom through the throat, and
thereafter the money carrier is rotated in the same direction until it arrives at
its starting point.
If the money carrier had a movement in both directions, a piece of wire might
be put into said carrier and be made to turn the engaging device or pawl suffi-
ciently to engage the teeth of the wheel e, to enable the money carrier to turn
the wheel, and consequently the shaft c¹ and let on gas, and then the wire might
be pulled out by a string attached to it and the money carrier returned into its
starting position.
By adding the toothed wheel t to a money carrier having cutting means, so that
said carrier cannot be rotated, backwardly, the prepayment attachment cannot be
defaulted by the use of a wire for such wire on arriving at the stop will remain
there, showing that the meter has been tampered with, or if the movement of the
money carrier is continued, the wire or other foreign medium therein holding the
pawl in engagement with the toothed wheel e³, will be cut between the cutting
members referred to, and the pieces so formed will drop through the throat
into the box m, and such pieces will call attention to the fact that the meter has
been tampered with, and each said piece will indicate that a certain sum is
due (in the instance given of a dollar per 1000 ft. the missing sum would represent
twenty five cents).
In this meter it will be noticed that the gas valve is opened by a quick longitu
dinal and rotary motion imparted to the shaft C, and the gas let on, but such
movement does not actuate the counting or registering mechanism A¹, but on the
contrary that mechanism is actuated slowly and uniformly by the meter mechanism
in usual manner, as the gas let on by opening the valve is measured and delivered
to be consumed.
It is believed that the present invention is the first to provide a money carrier
having a motion of rotation in but one direction with a coupling, or engaging
device, or pawl which may be turned by or through the action of a piece of money
directly against it, said money turning said device or pawl to engage a toothed
wheel and move the latter with the money carrier thus utilizing the money carrier
to rotate the main shaft of the prepayment attachment, and at the same time slide
said shaft to open and admit gas to the meter.
Also that it is the first invention to provide a prepayment attachment with a
cylindrical and adjustable delivery regulator, and also to enclose said delivery
regulator within the enclosing case or frame of the machine where it is inaccessible
except by unlocking and taking off the money receiving box.
Such construction provides for greater security than if a delivery regulator

page_text: were used and adjusted by a screw covered with wax, as it would be possible to
remove and then restore the wax after moving the price regulator.
The gas valve and its seat are so located that any dripping or sediment which is
commonly found in gas, cannot stick or adhere thereto, but must, when coming
upon the valve or its seat, drop therefrom into the chamber 42.
Also that this is the first invention to employ a circular delivery regulator
provided with a throat or slot for the passage through it of money, with a rotat-
able money carrier and a price indicator, the adjustment of the delivery regulator
with relation to the price indicator determining readily the extent of movement
which must be imparted to the coin carrier to turn the valve controlling stop to
deliver a quantity of gas at the desired price for the value of the piece of money
put into the money carrier at each operation.
The adjustment of the price regulator to the proper line on the price indicator is
the only change that need be made to adapt the meter to deliver a proper quantity
of gas at different values for the unit coin put into the meter.
By clamping the gears and 8 on their respective shafts it is possible for
the shaft to be moved in case the valve b' is not fully closed upon its seat, and
in this way should the valve not be closed tightly and the gas should continue
to flow, the gas would be indicated on the usual recording mechanism and would
have to be paid for if the said recording mechanism indicated a quantity of gas
passed through the meter in excess of the money deposited in the meter.
It is obvious that the price indicator may be spaced to provide for gas at any
price, and that instead of actuating the shaft C by a U.S. quarter dollar coin (say
of the value of a shilling) the money carrier and price regulator may readily be
adapted to coin of any other desired value, it being understood that the slot in the
money carrier is of a depth sufficient to accommodate it to the diameter of the coin
used, and for instance, if a penny were to be used instead of a United States quarter
dollar the equivalent of a shilling, then the money carrier might be slotted as
represented in Fig. 17, it representing as will be seen a money slot 180, located
somewhat diagonally with relation to the longitudinal centre of the money carrier,
and if a penny, as stated, is taken as the standard of value, the gears and 8 will
be removed and other gears of suitable size substituted so that the shaft & con-
trolling the worm do may move the toothed nut ct for the proper distance that
the valve may be opened sufficiently to deliver for the introduction of cach coin a
value of gas for said coin, and the price indicator and the delivery regulator will
be put into the proper position and the price indicator will be spaced in such
manner as to indicate the precise position for the delivery regulator when
delivering gas at the then selling price and the coin used.
With the exception of the slight changes just noted the construction of the
mechanism shown in Figs. 17 and 18 is the same as that represented in the other
views.
!
The division on the indicator herein illustrated represents a suitable division for
decimal currency such as used in the United States, but in the use of pounds,
shillings and pence the marks on the indicator will be properly placed to adapt
the meter to that class of currency.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The use in a prepayment attachment for meters, of a delivery regulator
having a discharging throat for the discharge of the money put into the meter
to prepay gas, a stop having a projecting shear portion or ear; and a money
carrier having a slot to receive a coin and carrying a cooperating shear portion,
said money carrier being capable of passing the stop and projection of the said
regulator after the discharge of the coin from the money carrier, means to rotate
said money carrier in but one direction, and a price indicator presenting a scale
and a cooperating pointer.

page_text: 2. The use in a prepayment attachment for a meter having a rotatable money
carrier, of a movable stop, and money discharging throat, the position of which are
changed as the price of gas is changed, and a cooperating cutting means to cut
a wire or other foreign substance in the money carrier as the latter in its rotation
arrives at and passes said stop and the money discharging throat.
3. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a cylindrical case having a money
receiving throat, a valve controlling shaft; a money carrier mounted on said
shaft and rotatable thereon by the operator: a guide interposed between the
money carrier and the end of said case to bridge the space between the money
receiving throat and the end of the money carrier and a suitable stop adjustable in
its position and against which the money in the money carrier is placed to be
discharged through a suitable discharging throat variable in its position with
relation to said money receiving throat.
4. In a prepayment attachment for meters a valve stem having a cam, a spirally
grooved shaft, means to slide said shaft, a finger mounted on said shaft loosely
and cooperating with the cam of the valve stem, means to adjust said finger on
the shaft, guiding means for said finger as it is moved with said sliding shaft,
a cylindrical delivery regulator, a money carrier rotatable within said regulator,
a support for said regulator having a money receiving throat, means to effect
the adjustment of said regulator with relation to said throat, and means carried
by the money carrier and operable by a coin for coupling the latter to said shaft.
5. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a cylindrical delivery regulator
having a circumferential slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said slot
being of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter that
said coin may pass said regulator and enter the slot of the money carrier, the other
part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter of said coin to thereby
support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of the money carrier until
said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money carrier into position
opposite said money discharging throat, a support for said delivery regulator
having a money receiving throat, means to effect the adjustment of said regulator
with relation to said throat, and a money carrier rotatable within said regulator
and cooperative therewith.
6. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a cylindrical delivery regulator
having a circumferential slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said
slot being of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter
that said coin may be passed through said regulator and into the slot of the money
carrier, the other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter of the
said coin, to thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of the
money carrier until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money
carrier into position opposite said money discharging throat, a support for said
delivery regulator having a money receiving throat, means to effect the adjust-
ment of said regulator with relation to said throat, a money carrier rotatable
within said regulator and cooperative therewith, a fixed scale supported indepen-
dently of the said regulator and having suitably spaced graduations, and a
pointer or finger co-operative with said scale.
7. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a valve stem having a cam, a
spirally grooved shaft, means to slide said shaft, a finger mounted on said shaft
loosely and cooperating with the cam of the valve stem, means to adjust said finger
on said shaft, and guiding means for said finger as it is moved with said sliding
shaft.
8. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a delivery indicator scaled to indicate
different prices at which gas is to be sold; a delivery regulator having a money
discharging throat; a stop at one side of said throat; a support over which said.
delivery regulator may be moved to bring its money discharging throat in any
desired position with relation to a particular scale mark of the price indicator
according to the price of gas; means to retain said delivery regulator in adjusted
position; a money carrier adapted to receive money at a given starting point and

page_text: to carry said money a greater or less distance according to the position of said
discharging throat, and moving the shaft with the carrier until the money is
discharged; means for causing the carrier to traverse a complete circle during each
operation thereof, and a cutting device controlled in part by the coin carrier.
9. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a recording mechanism actuated by
the meter mechanism while gas is being delivered; a valve; a spirally grooved
valve controlling shaft; means loosely connected with and adjustable on said
shaft to actuate said valve; a money carrier; means intermediate it and said
shaft and adapted to be coupled with said money carrier to actuate said shaft for
a greater or less distance to effect the opening of said valve; an adjustable
delivery regulator having a money discharging throat, said money carrier being
free to be turned in said delivery regulator toward said money discharging throat;
and a price indicator having scale marks to indicate different prices for gas, said
scale marks indicating the point at which the money discharging throat of the
delivery regulator is to be set in order that the money carrier may have imparted to
it a greater or less extent of stroke as required for the discharge of money, the
distance through which the money is carried by the money carrier increasing as
the price of gas is reduced.
10. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a price indicator scaled or figured
to indicate prices of gas at different values; a case having a money receiving
throat a delivery regulator cooperating with said case and presenting below said
throat a guide, and a stop and a money delivering throat which may be adjusted
and kept at a greater or less distance from the receiving throat of the said case
and to cooperate with one or the other of the scales or figures of the price indicator
to thereby ensure in the operation of the meter the delivery to the consumer of a
quantity of gas at the price indicated on the indicator opposite said throat equiva-
lent to the value of the coin put into the meter.
11. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case having a throat to receive
money, a cylindrical delivery regulator provided with a stop and having a circum-
ferential slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said circumferential
slot being of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the
meter that said coin may pass through said regulator and into the slot of the
money carrier, the other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter
of said coin to thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of
the money carrier until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the
money carrier into position opposite said money discharging throat, means to turn
and thereby adjust said regulator in said case to adapt the attachment to the
price of gas, and a money carrier arranged to turn within said regulator, said
money carrier receiving the money from the throat of the case through the slot
of said regulator and discharging said money through the money discharging
throat of the regulator.
12. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case having a throat to receive
money, a circular delivery regulator provided with a stop and having a circum-
ferential slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said circumferential
slot being of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter
that said coin may pass through said regulator and into the slot of the money
carrier, the other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter of said
coin to thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of the money
carrier until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money carrier
into position opposite said money discharging throat, means to turn and thereby
adjust said regulator in said case to adapt the attachment to the price of gas,
and a money carrier arranged to turn within said regulator, said money carrier
receiving the money from the throat of the case through the slot of said
regulator and discharging said money through the money discharging throat, and
a price indicator to indicate the price of gas to thereby enable said regulator to be
put into any desired definite position according to variations in price of gas.
13. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a money carrier having a slot to

page_text: receive money, a cylindrical delivery regulator, having a circumferential slot and
a money discharging throat, one part of said slot being of a width in excess of
the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter that said coin may pass through
said regulator and into the slot of the money carrier, the other part of said slot
being of a width less than the diameter of the said coin to thereby support one
edge of the coin extended from the slot of the money carrier until said coin is
brought by the circular movement of the money carrier into position opposite said
money discharging throat.
14. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a money carrier having a slot to
receive money, a cylindrical delivery regulator having a circumferential slot and
a money discharging throat, one part of said slot being of a width in excess of
the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter that said coin may pass through
said regulator and into the slot carrier, the other part of said slot being of a
width less than the diameter of the said coin to thereby support one edge of the
coin extended from the slot of the money carrier until said coin is brought by
the circular movement of the money carrier into the position opposite said money
discharging throat, and means carried by said money carrier to eject the money
therefrom through said money discharging throat.
15. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case having a throat to receive
money, a delivery regulator provided with a stop and having a circumferential
slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said circumferential slot being
of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter that said
coin may pass through said regulator and into the slot of the money carrier, the
other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter of said coin to
thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of the money carrier
until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money carrier into
position opposite said money discharging throat, a money carrier located inside said
regulator to receive and carry a coin and put it against said stop, said money
carrier being shaped substantially as described to thereafter pass said stop, means
to rotate said money carrier in one direction only that it may after the discharge
from it of the coin therein pass the stop of said regulator, and means to prevent
any backward rotation of said coin carrier.
16. In a prepayment attachment for meters a case having a throat to receive
money, a delivery regulator provided with a stop, and having a circumferential
slot and a money discharging throat, one part of said circumferential slot being
of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into the meter that said
coin may pass through said regulator and into the slot of the money carrier, the
other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter of the said coin
to thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of the money
carrier until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money carrier
into position opposite said money discharging throat, means to turn and thereby
adjust said regulator in said case to adapt the attachment to the price of gas, and
a money carrier arranged to turn within said regulator, said money carrier receiv-
ing the money from the throat of the case through the slot of the said regulator
and discharging said money through the money discharging throat of the regulator,
a spirally grooved and longitudinally splined shaft, a spline or projection entering
said spiral groove, a finger carried by said shaft, a valve stem slotted to cooperate
with said finger to open said valve, a toothed wheel connected with said shaft
by a spline in the longitudinal groove thereof, and an actuating device carried by
said money carrier and actuated by a coin therein, to cause said device to engage
the teeth of said toothed wheel and rotate said shaft, it, during its rotation, being
slid longitudinally due to the thread fitting said spiral groove loosely.
17. The use in a prepayment attachment for meters having a delivery regulator
having a discharging throat for the discharge of the money put into the meter
to prepay gas, and a stop having a projecting shear portion or ear: a money
carrier having a slot to receive a coin and carrying a cooperating shear portion,
said money carrier being capable of passing the stop and projection of the said

page_text: "
regulator after the discharge of the coin from the money carrier, and means to
rotate said money carrier in but one direction.
18. In a prepayment attachment for meters a delivery regulator having a
discharging throat for the discharge of the money put in the meter to prepay gas,
and a stop having a projecting shear portion or ear; combined with a money
carrier having a slot to receive a coin and carrying a cooperating shear portion,
said money carrier being capable of passing the stop and projection of the said
regulator after the discharge of the coin from the money carrier, means to
rotate said money carrier in but one direction, and means to prevent any backward
rotation of said money carrier.
19. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case having a money receiving
throat, a delivery regulator arranged within said ease and provided respectively
with a stop and with a pointer, and having a circumferential slot and a money
discharging throat, one part of said slot being of a width in excess of the diameter
of the coin to be fed into the meter that said coin may pass through said regulator
and into the slot of the money carrier, and the other part of said slot being of a
width less than the diameter of the said coin to thereby support one edge of the
coin extended from the slot of the money carrier until said coin is brought
by the circular movement of the money carrier into position opposite said money
discharging throat; mechanically concealed means to adjust said regulator in said
case; a price indicator with which said pointer cooperates, said indicator indicating
the price of gas; a money carrier arranged within said regulator and adapted
to take money from said receiving throat and deliver it through the money
discharging throat in any of its adjusted positions.
20. An adjustable delivery regulator for a prepayment attachment for a meter
having a money discharging throat, and having a circumferential slot, one part of
said slot being of a width in excess of the diameter of the coin to be fed into
the meter that said coin may pass through said regulator and into the slot of the
money carrier, the other part of said slot being of a width less than the diameter
of the said coin to thereby support one edge of the coin extended from the slot of
the money carrier until said coin is brought by the circular movement of the money
carrier into position opposite said money discharging throat, a money carrier
arranged within said regulator and having a spring, and a slide to act against the
money as it is being put through the slot of the said regulator into the money
carrier, said money entering said money carrier acting to compress said spring,
whereby said spring on the arrival of the money opposite the money discharging
throat of said regulator will eject the money from the said money carrier.
21. A delivery regulator for a prepayment attachment for a meter having a stop
provided with a shear like projection and a money discharging throat in line with
one edge of said stop; combined with a rotatable money carrier having an attached
actuating device or pawl and a shear like projection, said money carrier being
shaped to embrace and travel over and past the stop of the said regulator, whereby
a wire or other thing inserted in the slot of the money carrier on its arrival at the
stop of said regulator will be severed by the contact against it of the shear projec-
tion of the stop and of the money carrier, and means to prevent the rotation of said
money carrier except in one direction.
22. In a prepayment attachment for meters a gas valve having a stem; a
spirally grooved shaft having a finger mounted thereon loosely and cooperating
with the valve stem; means to slide said shaft in a direction to cause said finger
to open said valve: means to adjust said finger on said shaft, and guiding means
for said finger as it is moved with said shaft.
23. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a money carrier having a spring;
a delivery regulator presenting inclines, a stop and a money discharging throat;
means to rotate said money carrier and cause the money extending therefrom to
meet said inclines and be thereby forced further into said money carrier to compress
said spring in order that it may effect the discharge of money from said carrier

page_text: when in the movement of the carrier the money arrives opposite the money dis-
charging throat.
24. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a delivery regulator having a money
discharging throat and a stop, and a connected clampin device including a screw
inserted in said stop and carrying a clamp, a circular case or support to receive
said delivery regulator and slotted to receive said screw that the latter may move
in said slot to effect the adjustment of said regulator from one to its other
position, and a price indicator; combined with a money receiving box concealing
said price indicator and said clamp and screw from access by the consumer.
25. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a slotted valve stem having ears,
means to guide said ears, a sliding and rotating shaft having a finger or projec-
tion entering the slot of said valve stem to operate it.
26. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a delivery regulator made as a
ring having circumferential slots varying in width, one of said slots being ter-
minated by a discharging slot, said regulator having applied to it near its dis-
charging slot a money slot.
27. In a prepayment attachment for meters a valve stem having a cam, a
spirally grooved shaft, means to slide said shaft, a finger mounted on said shaft
loosely and cooperating with the cam of the valve stem, means to adjust said
finger on the shaft, guiding means for said finger as it is moved with said sliding
shaft, a money delivery regulator, a money carrier rotatable within said regulator,
a support for said regulator having a money receiving throat, means to effect the
adjustment of said regulator with relation to said throat, means carried by the
money carrier and operable by a coin for coupling the latter to said shaft, and
a price indicator co-operative with said delivery regulator.
28. In a prepayment attachment for meters a money carrier consisting of a
hub having extended from it at one side only in the same direction two arms, each
arm being grooved at its inner side to constitute registering slots for the recep-
tion of money, one of said arms having a projection to act as one member of the
shear; combined with a stop changeable in its position to designate the point at
which money is to be discharged from said money carrier, said stop having a co-
operative shear member whereby in the movement of said carrier past said stop a
wire or other thing in the carrier will be cut.
29. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case having a money receiving
throat, a price indicator having suitable scale marks to indicate prices of gas, a
delivery regulator fitting said case and having a stop provided with a screw
extended outwardly through a slot in said case and a clamp applied to said screw,
the loosening of said screw permitting the regulator, screw, and clamp, to be
moved in unison in the said slot into any position in which it is desired to put
and clamp said regulator with relation to the receiving opening of said case and
the scale marks of said price indicator, and a money carrier to take money from
said money receiving throat and deliver it at said money discharging throat.
50. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a case or support; a longitudinally
movable valve controlling shaft; a moving carrier mounted loosely thereon and
having at one end an extended hub; a hollow hand operated sleeve embracing
the outer end of said shaft; the inner end of said sleeve being detachably connected
with the hub of said money carrier and taking bearing in said face or support,
said sleeve having a groove and an annular cam; combined with a cover for the
money receiving throat of said case; and a pin cooperating with said sleeve, the
latter in one position permitting the said cover to be opened, and at another
position holding said cover locked.
31. In a prepayment attachment for meters, a gas controlling valve; a spirally
grooved valve operating shaft; means to rotate and slide said shaft to open said
valve; a nut surrounding said shaft and having a projection entering the spiral
groove therein, said nut having worm teeth, the hub of said nut entering a bear-
ing, leaving the end of said nut without support; means to stop said shaft in

page_text: its extreme position after fully opening said valve, a shaft actuated by the meter
mechanism and having a spiral worm engaging the worm teeth of said nut, the
supporting end of said hub preventing the exertion of any holding friction_on
the end of said hub due to operating the controlling shaft in opening the valve,
whereby the worm of the meter actuated shaft may always act under uniform
tension and enable said nut to be rotated with the same exertion of power in all
conditions of the meter.
32. The use in a prepayment meter having a money receiving throat, a money
carrier to receive money through said throat, a money discharging throat located
in the path of movement of the money carrier, and a money stop located at one
side of the money discharging throat; of means to change the distance between
said money receiving throat and the money discharging throat and its money
stop; means to rotate said money carrier in but one direction, it taking money
from the money receiving throat and putting it in contact with said money stop
at one side of said money discharging throat to enable the money to be discharged
from the money carrier through said money discharging throat, the discharge of
money from the money carrier enabling the movement of the money carrier to
be continued in the same direction into position opposite the money receiving
throat to again receive more money; means controlled by the presence of money
in the money carrier to open a gas delivery valve, said means being operative
only while the money carrier provided, with money is being moved from the
money receiving throat to the money discharging throat, the distance apart of
said throats being variable according to the price of gas, and a suitable price
indicator cooperating with one of said throats, said indicator showing the position
to be occupied by the movable one of said throats to insure the delivery to the
consumer of a proper amount of gas for the value of the coin used in the meter.
Dated the 23rd day of October 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant..