Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and Delivery of Gas.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and
Delivery of Gas.
We, JOHN Gow of 60, Dumont Road Stoke Newington, Foremau and THE GAS
METER COMPANY, LIMITED of 238 Kingsland Road, Gas Engineers, both in the
County of Middlesex; do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention for improvements in coin freed apparatus for the automatic sale
and delivery of gas, has for its object to provide a device or apparatus which may
be applied to any ordinary wet or dry gas meter, and so arranged and constructed
that on the insertion. of one or more coins of predetermined value, a definite
amount of gas of equivalent value can be passed through the meter and delivered
to the consumer, aud consists essentially in so constructing the gas inlet valve and
connecting it and the drum or other measuring part of the meter to the coin freed
mechanism, that the insertion of a proper coin or coins, opens the said valve and
releases the drin or its equivalent, in which conditions they are retained until
a quantity of gas of equivalent value to the coin or coins inserted has been
delivered.
In one arrangement. of apparatus constructed according to this invention, the
prepaid coin is inserted in a slot, and passing down a shoot engages with a star or
lobe wheel mounted on an arbor, on which is also mounted a pinion gearing with a
spur wheel, secured to or forming part of an indicating dial on which the values of
the coins inserted are indicated. In the beforementioned shoot is a plunger, which
on being raised allows the coin to pass it and fall between two adjacent teeth or
lobes of the star wheel, so that, on again depressing the said plunger, the coin is
forced through the shoot into a receptacle, and in its passage rotates the star wheel,
through one division, causing the before-mentioned indicating dial to also rotate
through a corresponding unit division. A spring pawl or cam engaging with the
star wheel causes it to always occupy a determinate position, after the passage of a
coin, ready for a succeeding operation.
A sleeve secured to or forming part of the indicating dial and its spur-wheel is
loosely mounted on an arbor having a limited longitudinal movement, and carrying
on one end a pointer, working over the face of the indicating dial, while its remote
end projects through its bearing and engages with a lever connected to the gas
inlet valve in such manner, that on sliding the said arbor longitudinally forwards
or backwards, the gas inlet valve is closed or opened, the said lever being kept
pressed against the end of the arbor by means of a suitable spring. On the
beforementioned sliding arbor, which constitutes the main or central arbor of the
controlling mechanism, is rigidly mounted a spur wheel connected by suitable
gearing to the drum of the meter, or its equivalent, so that, on the passage of gas
through the meter, the said sliding arbor is rotated by it. On the aforesaid main
arbor is a projection or tooth, which engages in an inclined recess or saw tooth in
the spur wheel of the indicating dial, so that when the said arbor and indicating
dial are rotated relatively to one another in one direction, they are drawn out
of engagement, while when rotated in the opposite directions they fall into
engagement.
In the event of the maximum prepaid amount of coin for which the apparatus is
arranged being passed through the coin shoot before any of the equivalent gas is
consumed, the passage of. further coin is prevented, until the unit quantity of gas
has been delivered, by means of a suitable stop, operated automatically from the
controlling mechanism.

page_text: The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
12
The inlet gas valve being closed, and the meter drum or its equivalent being
quiesent, and the tooth or projection of the main arbor being in its initial position,
that is, in the inclined recess in the indicating spur wheel a suitable coin is inserted
and passes down the coin shoot, the raising of the coin' plunger allowing it to fall
between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star wheel. The subsequent descent of
the plunger forces the coin out of the shoot, into the coin receptacle and rotates
the star wheel through one division, the indicating 'dial being by this means also
rotated through one division. This rotary movement causes the clutch tooth on
the main arbor to slide up the inclined recess in the indicating spur wheel, which
slides the main arbor longitudinally on its axis and operates through the before
mentioned lever and connections to open the gas inlet valve, thereby admitting gas
to the meter. The disengagement of the clutch tooth on the main arbor, at the
same time, releases the drum or its equivalent, so that it is free to operate until the
clutch tooth, by the rotation of the connecting gearing and main arbor, again falls
into engagement with the recess in the indicating spur wheel. The inlet gas valve
is preferably of the rotary disc type, and is arranged to close. its orifice gradually,
so that the near approach of the exhaustion of the supply paid for is indicated by
a gradual diminution of light.
The indicating dial is divided into a number of parts, each. division representing
the angle traversed by it on the passage of a coin, and as several coins may be
passed through the apparatus successively the position of the index pointer on the
indicating dial indicates the value and quantity of gas, to the credit of the purchaser.
The relative angular motions of the coin star wheel and indicating dial being
constant, the quantity of gas supplied, per unit, coin, may be varied by suitably
proportioning the gearing connecting the main arbor to the meter drum (or its
equivalent.
Dated this 15th day of July 1892.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, 'Agents.
COMPLETE. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and
"Delivery' of Gas.
We, JOHN Gow of 60 Dumont Road Stoke Newington, Foreman and THE GAS
METER COMPANY LIMITED, of 238 Kingsland Road, Gas Engineers, both in the
County of Middlesex, 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 for improvements in coin freed apparatus for the automatic, sale
and delivery of gas has for its object to provide a device or apparatus, which may
be applied to any ordinary wet or dry gas meter, and. so arranged and constructed
that on the insertion of one or more coins of predetermined value, a definite amount
of gas of equivalent value can be passed, through the meter and delivered to the
consumer and consists essentially in so constructing the gas inlet valve and con-
necting it and the drum or other measuring, part of the meter to the coin freed
mechanism, that, the, insertion of a proper coin or. coins opens: the said valve and
allows the drum or its equivalent to act until a quantity of gas of equal value.to the
coiu or coins inserted has been delivered.
Referring to the accompanying four sheets of illustrative drawings :-
Figure represents a front, elevation.of.one arrangement of coin controlling and
indicating. mechanism constructed according: to this.invention as applied to, an
ordinary dry gas meter, the outer. casing being removed.
Figure 2 is a back.elevation of the same; the back plate..of the coin shoot being
removed in order to show the passage of the coin through the apparatus.

page_text: Figure 3 is a side elevation, some of the parts being removed.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section at the main arbor and
Figure 5 is a general plan of the same.
Figure 6 represents a plan of this apparatus applied to a wet meter.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive as applied to a dry meter a
coin (Fig. 2) is inserted in a slot and passing down a shoot c engages with a star
or lobe wheel mounted on an arbor e on which is also mounted a pinion (Fig. 1)
gearing through the pinion with a spur wheel secured to or forming part of an
indicating dial on which the value of the gas to the credit of the consumer is
indicated. In the beforementioned shoot is a plunger I, which on being raised
allows the coin to pass it and fall between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star
wheel d so that, on again depressing the said plunger, the coin is forced through the
shoot and falls into a receptacle m and in its passage rotates the star wheel d
through one division, causing the beforementioned indicating dial by means of the
toothed gearing wheels f g h to also rotate through a corresponding unit division.
A spring pawl or cam engaging with the star wheel d causes it to always
occupy a determinate position after the passage of a coin ready for a succeeding
operation.
A cam o. (Figs. 3, 4, 5) secured to or forming part of the indicating dial and
its spur wheel h, is loosely mounted on an arbor p, having a limited longitudinal
movement and carrying on one end a pointer working over the face of the
indicating diali, while its remote end projects through its hearing in the plate
and engages with a levers connected to the gas inlet valve by the rod t, crank u,
spindle and lever a, so that, on sliding the said arbor longitudinally forwards or
backwards, the gas inlet valve is closed or opened as will be readily understood, the
said levers being kept pressed against the end of the arbor p by means of a suitable
spring y. On the beforementioned sliding arbor p, which constitutes the main or
central arbor of the controlling mechanism, is rigidly mounted a spur wheel con-
nected through the pinions aa, ab, ac, ad, ae, af, ag, spindle ah, pinion ai, worm aj
and the ordinary mechanism with the measuring device of the meter, so that on the
passage of gas through the meter the said sliding arbor is rotated by it. On the
aforesaid main arbor is a projection or tooth al which engages in an inclined recess am
in the cam o on the spur wheel of the indicating dial, so that, when the said
arbor and indicating dial are rotated relatively to one another in one direction they
are drawn out of engagement, while, when rotated in the opposite direction they
fall into engagement. In the event of the maximum prepaid amount of coin for
which the apparatus is arranged (ten pennies in the apparatus shown) being passed
through the coin shoot before any of the equivalent gas is consumed, the passage of
further coin is prevented, until the unit quantity of gas has been delivered; by
means of a stop lever an pivoted at ao and whose end ap projects into the shoot c.
So long as any number of coins less than ten pennies have been passed through and
stand to the credit of the purchaser the stop is held in its normal position out of the
path of the coin by the spring aq, but on the passage of the tenth coin the pro-
jection al slides up the incline ar on the camo and displaces the lever an, pressing
the end ap across the coin shoot and thus preventing the passage of a further coin
until, by the consumption of a sufficient quantity of gas, the arbor p is rotated
sufficiently for the projection al to again slide down the incline and permit the
lever an to resume its normal position.
In applying this apparatus to a wet meter the link t is dispensed with, the lever
(Fig. 6) being connected directly to the crank, and the drum spindle being con-
nected to the index arbor p by a pair of bevel wheels as all as clearly shown.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The inlet gas valve being closed, and the meter drum or its equivalent being
quiescent, and the tooth or projection on the main arbor being in its initial position,
that is, in the inclined recess of the cam o, a suitable coin is inserted in the slot and
passes down the coin shoot c, the raising of the coin plunger allowing it to fall
into an operative position between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star wheel.

page_text: The subsequent descent of the plunger forces the coin out of the shoot into the coin
receptacle and rotates the star wheel through one division, the indicating dial being
by this means also rotated through one division. This rotary movement causes the
projecting tooth al on the main arbor to slide up the inclined recess on the cam o,
which slides the main arbor longitudinally on its axis, and operates through the
beforementioned lever and connections to open the gas inlet valve, thereby admitting
gas to the meter. The displacement of the projecting tooth al at the same time
releases the drum or its equivalent, so that it is free to operate until the said tooth,
by the rotation of the connecting gearing and main arbor, again falls into engage-
ment with the recess in the cam o. The inlet gas valve is preferably of the rotary
disc type as shown, and is arranged to close its orifice gradually, so that the near
approach of the exhaustion of the supply paid for is indicated by the gradual
diminution of the flame at the burners.
The indicating dial is divided into ten parts as shown, each division representing
the angle traversed by it on the passage of a coin; and as several coins may be
passed through the apparatus successively the position of the index pointer on the
indicating dial indicates the value and quantity of gas to the credit of the
purchaser.
The relative angular motion of the coin star wheel and indicating dial being
constant, the quantity of gas supplied per unit coin may be varied by suitably
proportioning the gearing connecting the main arbor to the meter drum or its
equivalent. For this purpose the two connecting pinions ab, ac are made changeable,
so that they may be removed and replaced by others to give the requisite
velocity-ratio.
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. The general construction and combination of parts constituting our improved
coin freed apparatus for the automatic sale and delivery of gas substantially as
described in the foregoing Specification and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
2. Preventing the passage of a coin through the coin shoot when the maximum
amount is indicated as being to the credit of the purchaser by means of a stop
projected into the path of the coin by a cam connected to the money indicating dial
substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of November 1892.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.