Improvements in Meters for Delivering Prepaid Quantities of Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1897
Complete Cornification tast
1000
2nd July 1000
Date of Application, 9th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1908 Accepted, 2nd July, 1808
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Meters for Delivering Prepaid Quantities of Gas.
We, THE COMPANY S. ELSTER AND CARL SOMMERFELD, Engineer, both of Nos. 67
and 68, Neue Konigstrasse, Berlin N.O., in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in meters for delivering prepaid
quantities of gas. Meters hitherto provided for this purpose are defective in many
respects, for instance their action is unreliable owing to the presence of a number
of sensitive parts liable to easily get out of working order, and to the working
parts of the apparatus not being efficiently protected from the action of outer
influences.
The object of this invention is to obviate these disadvantages and to render
such meters better adapted for general use, more especially for small consumers,
enabling them as it does to burn given quantities of gas at any time on making
prepayment therefore.
According to my invention I provide a device, simple in itself, presenting no
extremely delicate parts, and having its automatic locking medium arranged in
the interior of the mechanism itself. Reliable action is ensured by a mechanism
performing a certain, prescribed movement upon cylindrical surfaces, and by
such a transmission-gear, arranged between the mechanism and the gas valve, as
will render the apparatus so perfect in its action, that the delivery of gas will
always correspond to the value of the coin inserted in payment.
The coin is inserted into a slot and slides into one of two coin receptacles situated
opposite one another in a drum rotatably arranged in the casing; the said coin
receptacles being so formed that a cam on a freely rotatable cam-shaft within
the drum, can, previous to the insertion of the coin, be moved in the said drum
without coming into contact with either the coin receptacles or the drum. After
the coin has passed into one of the coin receptacles, it rests with the lower portion
of its circumference upon the cam-shaft and is laterally held in place by the coin
receptacle.
If now the cam-shaft be rotated by an exterior crank or hand-wheel, the cam
meets with or strikes against the face of the coin held in the receptacle, and,
through the medium of the said coin and receptacle, carries along the drum.
prevented from return-motion, so that the latter is turned through an angle of
180 degrees (when the coin drops into a collecting receptacle), this movement
of the drum being exactly limited by an internally arranged catch for the cam.
The transmission of the rotary motion of the drum upon the gearing which
serves for opening the gas feed valve takes place through the medium of two
friction wheels, the driving wheel of which is provided with two diametrically
opposite notches, by means of which, after each complete rotation about an angle
of 180 degrees, the two friction wheels are thrown out of gear, so that the valve-
actuating-gear can be freely turned back by the measuring drum and thereby
the valve be gradually re-closed.

page_text: The driving gear for opening the gas feed valve may, for example, consist of
a shaft with a non-circular disc, moved from the axle of the driven friction
wheel, which non-circular disc acts upon a suitable lever connected to the valve.
The return motion of the valve through the medium of the measuring drum, may
be effected by a worm wheel, loosely arranged upon the shaft of the non-circular
disc, and connected thereto by a friction coupling, which said worm wheel, held
fast, during the opening of the valve, by the appertaining worm, allows of the
shaft or axle being rotated in or on its hub.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Meters for Delivering Prepaid Quantities of Gas.
We, THE COMPANY S. ELSTER AND CARL SOMMERFELD, Engineer, both of Nos. 67
and 68, Neue Konigstrasse, Berlin N.O., in the Empire of Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of said invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
This invention relates to improvements in meters for delivering prepaid
quantities of gas. Meters hitherto provided for this purpose are defective in many
respects for instance their action is unreliable owing to the presence of a number
of sensitive parts liable to easily get out of working order, and to the working
parts of the apparatus not being efficiently protected from the action of outer
influences.
The object of this invention is to obviate these disadvantages and to render
such meters better adapted for general use, more especially for small consumers,
enabling them as it does to burn given quantities of gas at any time on making
prepayment therefore.
According to my invention I provide a device, simple in itself, presenting no
extremely delicate parts, and having its automatic locking medium arranged in
the interior of the mechanism itself. Reliable action is ensured by a mechanism
performing a certain, prescribed niovement upon cylindrical surfaces, and by
such a transmission-gear, arranged between the mechanism and the gas valve, as
will render the apparatus so perfect in its action, that the delivery of gas will
always correspond to the value of the coin inserted in payment.
The coin is inserted into a slot and slides into one of two coin receptacles situated
opposite one another in a drum rotatably arranged in the casing: the said coin
receptacles being so formed that a cam on a freely rotatable cam-shaft within
the drum can previous to the insertion of the coin, be moved in the said drum
without coming into contact with either the coin receptacle or the drum. After
the coin has passed into one of the coin receptacles, it rests with the lower portion
of its circumference upon the cam-shaft and is laterally held in place by the coin
receptacle.
If now the cam-shaft be rotated by an exterior crank or hand-wheel, the cam
meets with or strikes against the face of the coin held in the receptacle, and,
through the medium of the said coin and receptacle carries along the drum,
prevented from return motion, so that the latter is turned through an angle of
180 degrees (when the coin drops into a collecting receptacle) this movement
of the drum being exactly limited by an internally arranged catch for the cam.

page_text: The transmission of the rotary motion of the drum upon the gearing which
serves for opening the gas feed valve takes place through the medium of two
friction wheels, the driving wheel of which is provided with two diametrically
opposite notches, by means of which, after each complete rotation about an angle
of 180 degrees, the two friction wheels are thrown out of gear, so that the valve-
actuating gear can be freely turned back by the measuring drum and thereby
the valve he gradually re-closed.
The driving gear for opening the gas feed valve may, for example, consist of
a shaft with a non-circular disc, moved from the axle of the driven friction
wheel, which non-circular disc acts upon a suitable lever connected to the valve.
The return motion of the valve through the medium of the measuring drum, may
be effected by a worm wheel, loosely arranged thereto by a friction coupling,
which said worm wheel, held fast, during the opening of the valve, by the apper-
taining worm, allows of the shaft or axle being rotated in or on its hub.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood, we shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawing, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a sectional view of the drum, taken
on line 1-1 in Figure 2;
gas feed valve,
Figure 2 a cross-section through said drum and the casing of the
other parts of the apparatus being represented in front elevation;
Figure 2 a detailed view of the cam z with its shaft in section;
Figure 3 shows a top view of the essential features of the meter, some parts
taken in section;
Figure 4 illustrates in section, partly in view, the drum combined with a
modified form of the friction wheel arranged on the axis thereof;
The letter E denotes the slot for the insertion of the coin into the meter for
delivering prepaid quantities of gas, T the drum rotatably arranged in a stationary
casing G and having two receptacles m¹ m² for the coin. A wheel R¹ fixed to the
axis A of the drum (see Figures 1, 4) actuates another wheel R3 by friction.
Instead of cylindrical friction wheels, also wheels with wedge-shaped grooves
may be emploved as illustrated by Figure 4. One of the said wheels, however,
for instance R¹, is provided with notches a (Figures 1, 2) for the purpose of
disengaging the wheels R1 and R2 after each half rotation, as shown in Figures 2, 3,
and for thus enabling the wheel R² to reverse its motion as the consumption of
gas is going on, as described hereinafter.
The cover D of the casing G and the rear wall of the drum T support a shaft W
carrying a cam z. The side walls of the coin receptacles m¹ m² are so shaped
as to enable the shaft W to he rotated freely for about 180°, when no coin is
inserted, which rotation is then arrested by a pin S projecting from the cover D
(Figure 1). The cam z strikes the said pin whenever the shaft is turned about 180°
out of the position illustrated in Figure 2. (On the shaft W being turned as
here described without a coin inserted, the drum maintains its position invariably).
The position of the cam z is indicated from the outward by the handle B fixed
unto the shaft W, but, if desired, a particular mark may be arranged on or in
combination with said shaft. A pawl P engaging with a ratchet wheel P on the
axis A of the drum prevents the latter from being turned backward.
Upon the shaft Al carrying the second friction wheel R2 is fixed a spur-pinion ³
which engages with a wheel fixed to a third shaft J. This shaft J has secured
to it at or near one end a cam-disc C and at the other end in front of a dial-plate N.
a pointer p, a screw wheel K being loosely arranged on said shaft and by a coiled
spring pressed against a friction disc L also fixed on to the shaft.
An angle-lever H resting with one arm upon the cam C, with its other arm it
is in ioint-connection with the spindle d of the gas-feed valve F.
is a shaft or spindle so connected with the gas measuring drum (not shown

page_text: in the drawing) as to transmit the motion of the measuring drum, by means of
spur-wheels cc, shaft V and worm e gearing with the wheel K to the cam disc C
turning the latter in the reverse sense as that which is imparted to it by the motion
of the drum T above described.
The mode of operation is as follows: The coin inserted into the slot E slides into
the receptacle m¹ and occupies the position illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawing. On turning now the shaft W by means of the handle B, the cam z
encounters the face of the coin, forming thus a coupling which causes the drum T
to partake of the rotation. The rotation is arrested by the coin striking the
pin S, and the coin being then just opposite to the slot Q of the casing it freely
falls down into the collecting box M.
By the said rotation of the drum for half a turn the wheel R¹ has moved the
wheel R2 and this, again by means of wheels 3 and 4 has turned the shaft J,
and the cam disc C for a certain amount, say for about the amount of the angle oCI
(Fig. 2). (During this movement of the shaft J, the screw wheel K is arrested
by its engagement with the worm e that is now at rest). In this way the lever H
is operated to open the gas supply port g by displacing the valve or slide F.
Hereby the way is opened for the gas to pass from the supply pipe Z and through
pipe to the measuring drum-not shown in the drawing. This drum now set
in motion by the pressure of the gas admitted to it turns backward the shaft J
with the cam disc C by means of the shaft 0, wheels c¹ c³, shaft V, worm e and
screw-wheel K until the smallest radius in line Co of the disc meets with the
beak of lever H and cuts off the gas consumption by covering the port g by the
valve F, the valve being forced upon its seat by spring h.
Prior to the total cutting off of the gas supply, the valve F already has partly
covered the port g, owing to a gradual reduction of the radii of disc C towards the
smallest radius in the direction Co (Fig. 2). The flames by the decreasing
supply will become smaller and this gives notice to the consumer of the approach-
ing cut off of the gas valve.
When now a further quantity of gas be required, the handle B and with it the
cam z on the shaft W is to be moved back into or nearly into the position shown
in Figure 2, then a new coin is inserted and operation begins anew as explained
above.
In case a greater quantity of gas as corresponds to one coin is to be prepaid,
several coins corresponding to the whole quantity of gas required must be
inserted, one after the other, in such a way, that, after drum T is turned by half
a turn by means of the first coin and this latter. has passed the slot Q and fallen
into the box M, the cam z is, by means of the handle B, moved backward into
a position behind the receptacle (m²) now in its uppermost position, then a second
coin is inserted, and handle B and with it the drum T is again rotated until the
coin has met with the slot Q and dropped in the box M, and so on until the
desired quantity is prepaid. In consequence of such repeated half revolutions
of the drum in one and the same direction the cam disc C is step for step moved
in the sense of the arrow, say until the radius marked II meets with the beak i.
In order to prevent more coins from being inserted than the circumference of the
cam disc C allows, that is to prevent this disc from being turned more than one
revolution, a slide (Fig. 2) is operated by any suitable part of the apparatus so
as to cover the slot E (see Fig. 1).
As above described the drum T, after a coin has been inserted, must always
be turned about half a revolution which is determined by the pin S. In case the
operator fails to turn the drum so far until he feels it arrested, no delivery of
gas takes place although the port g is uncovered by the valve F. The reason is
that the wheels R¹ R³ not yet being disengaged, the registering mechanism
of the measuring drum is stopped by the shaft 0 being prevented from moving,
A reverse motion of the drum in the before-said case is prevented by the ratchet

page_text: wheel P and pawl P¹, so that the consumer must always rotate the shaft W for
about a half revolution of the drum and until the coin has dropped in the box M.
The pressure between the two friction wheels R1 R2 is maintained by supporting
the shaft A¹ of the wheel R2 in a bearing which by a spring f is constantly forced
in the direction towards the shaft A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the.same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
-
1. In meters for delivering prepaid quantities of gas, the arrangement of a
rotary drum (T) in a casing (G) below the slot for inserting the coin or coins,
and provided with two coin receptacles (m1 m²) one opposite the other, a cam
shaft (W) being supported in said casing and arranged so that, after the insertion
of a coin, and rotation of the cam-shaft, the cam (2) abutting on the face of the
coin, couples the cam-shaft with the drum in only one direction, and thus enables
a rotation of said drum, which, by wheel and connecting mechanism has the
effect of the gas valve being opened and allows the coin to drop into the coin box,
essentially as described.
2. In meters for delivering prepaid quantities of gas, a friction wheel (R¹)
connected to the drum (T) for transmitting the motion upon the gearing for
opening the gas feed valve (F), and provided with two notches (a) situated opposite
one another for the purpose of enabling said wheel (R) to disengage from the.
neighbouring wheel (R2), and permitting the measuring druni to turn back the
gearing operating the gas feed valve, essentially as specified and illustrated by
Figures 1 to 4 of the drawing.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,, London, W.C., Agents.