Improvements in Coin-prepayment Apparatus for Supplying Water
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-prepayment Apparatus for Supplying Water
I, JOHN BARR, of The Glenfield Company, Kilmarnock, Limited, of Kilmarnock,
in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows, that is to say: -
My said invention has for its object the providing of improved apparatus for
supplying water on prepayment of coins, the apparatus being simple and not
liable to get out of order.
The improved apparatus comprises according to one modification, a tap or supply
valve which when opened closes automatically whenever the quantity has passed
for which the parts are proportioned and adjusted. The valve piece which closes
with the pressure up against a seat is loose on a spindle which is depressed to
open the valve; and it is formed with a piston working in a cylindrical chamber
in the valve box. Below the valve piston there is a separate piston also loose on
the spindle; and between the two pistons there is a helical spring tending to
keep them apart. On the lower end of the spindle there is fixed a small valve
arranged to close up against the opening in the lower piston through which the
spindle passes, and which opening as well as that in the upper or valve spindle
is slightly larger than the spindle. A helical spring placed between the bottom
valve and the bottom of the valve box raises the spindle after having been depressed
When the valve spindle is depressed water from under the bottom piston passes
up round the spindle to the outlet, whereupon the pressure depresses the yalve
piston and opens the outlet port. The valve piston, however, immediately begins
to rise again through the action of the spring between the two pistons and of the
pressure water getting between them past the piston which does not fit tightly.
The valve spindle is acted on by a lever the handle end of which projects through
an opening in the external casing of the apparatus. This lever is made with a
crank arm which acts on a small bar fitted to slide in a guide along which it is
moved on the lever being depressed to open the valve. This motion is however
prevented unless a coin has been placed in a slot provided for it, the movement of
the lever being obstructed by a stop formed on a sliding piece, which is made
with a holding part to temporarily retain a coin, and with an opening smaller
than the coin. When no coin is in the holding part the bar passes through without
action, but when a coin is there, the bar acting on it moves the sliding piece
thereby removing the stop and allowing the lever to be fully depressed. The
sliding piece in moving as described carries the coin over a slot through which
it drops into a receptacle. Counting mechanism is arranged to be acted on by
the sliding piece to record the number of times supplies of water have been
taken
Instead of the automatically closing tap, there may be a small cistern of a size to

page_text: contain the quantity of water to be supplied for a coin, the handle lever being
arranged to open the delivery valve of the cistern.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of October 1897
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Coin-prepayment Apparatus for Supplying Water
I, JOHN BARR, of The Glenfield Company, Kilmarnock, Limited, of Kilmarnock
in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Engineer, 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, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object the providing of improved apparatus for
supplying water on prepayment of coins, the apparatus being simple and not
liable to get out of order.
The improved apparatus comprises according to one modification; a tap or supply
valve which when opened closes automatically whenever the quantity has passed
for which the parts are proportioned and adjusted with means for actuating the
valve spindle on the insertion of a coin in a slot provided for it.
Instead of the automatically closing tap there may be a small cistern of a size
to contain the quantity of water to be supplied for a coin, the mechanism being
arranged to open the delivery valve of the cistern.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append three sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and showing two modifications of my improved
apparatus.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1, of the drawings, is a vertical section of an automatic supply
valve. Figure, 2, on Sheet, 2, is a plan, and Figure, 3, a front elevation partly
in section of one modification of my improved apparatus. Figure, 4, on Sheet, 3,
is a front elevation partly in section of a second modification. In these drawings
the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
1
The modification of my improved apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 of the
drawings, comprises a tap or supply valve, A. The valve piece, A 1, which closes
with pressure up against a seat, B, is loose on a spindle, C, which is depressed, as
hereinafter described, to open the valve; and it is formed with a piston, A 2,
working in a cylindrical chamber, D), in the valve box, A. Below the valve
piston, A 2, there is a separate piston, E, also loose on the spindle, C; and between
the two pistons, A 2, and E, there is a helical spring, E1, tending to keep them
apart. On the lower end of the spindle, C, there is fixed a small valve, C1,
arranged to close up against the opening in the lower piston, E, through which the
spindle, C, passes and which opening as well as that in the upper or valvp
piston, A 2, is slightly larger than the spindle, C. A helical spring, C2, is placed
between the bottom valve, C1, and the bottom of the chamber, D), of the valve
box, A, and tends to raise the spindle, C, after having been depressed.
pistons, A 2, and E, do not fit tightly in the chamber, D, and the pressure water
The
finds its way between the pistons and the chamber into the space beneath the
bottom piston, E. When the spindle, C, is depressed water from under the bottoni
piston, E, passes up round the spindle to the outlet, whereupon the pressure de-
"

page_text: 5
presses the valve piston, A. 2, and also the lower piston, E, and opens the outlet
The valve
port, the diminished pressure below the piston, E, allowing that action.
piston, A 2, however, immediately begins to rise again through the action of the
spring, E1, between the two pistons, A2, E, and of the pressure water getting
between them past the piston, A2, which as herein before stated does not fit tightly.
The valve, A 1, thus closes automatically even if the spindle, C, is held down
whenever the quantity of water has passed for which the parts are proportioned
and adjusted.
The head of the valve spindle, C, is acted on by a lever, F, centered on a bracket G
formed on a collar, G 1; on the supply valve, A, the handle end, F 1, of the lever, F,
projecting through an opening, H, in the external casing, H1, of the apparatus.
This lever, F, is made with a crank arm, F2, which acts on one end of a small
bar, J, fitted to slide in a guide, K, along which it is moved on the lever, F, being
depressed to open the valve, A1; and on the lever being released again a spring, J 1,
on the bar, J, returns that bar to its normal position in which position, a flange, J2,
on the end of the bar bears on the inner end of the guide, K. The motion of the
bar, J, is however prevented unless a coin, has been placed in a slot, L, provided
for it, the movement of the lever, F, being obstructed by a stop M, formed on the
upwardly extending part, M 1, of a sliding piece consisting of two rods, M2, M3,
connected together by the part, M 1, the rods, M2, M3, working in guides, K1, K2,
formed in the same piece with the guide, K, for the bar, J. The coin passing
from the lower end of the slot, L, is held temporarily between the end of the bar, J,
and one end of a recess, M4, on each of the rods, M2, M3, of the sliding piece.
When no coin is in the holding part the bar, J, passes through its guide, K,
without action the movement of the lever, F, being obstructed by the stop, M,
before it can depress the valve spindle, C, but when a coin is in the holding part
the bar, J, acting on it causes it to bear on the end of the recess, M 4, in each
rod, M2, M3, of the sliding piece, this moves the sliding piece thereby removing
the stop, M, and allowing the lever, F, to be fully depressed. The bar and sliding
piece in moving as described carries the coin over a slot, N, through which it
drops into a receptacle.
When the valve, A 1, has automatically closed and the bar, J, is being moved
back to its normal position by the spring, J 1, as herein before described the end
At the same
of the bar will act on the crank arm, F2, and raise 'the lever, F.
time the flange, J%, on the bar, J, acting on the opposite ends of the recesses, M 4,
from those acted on by the coin also pulls back the sliding piece to its normal
position. Any known form of counting mechanism such as is shown by dotted
lines in Figure, 3, is arranged to be acted on by the lever, P, and pawl, P1, from
one of the rods, M2, M3, of the sliding piece, to record the number of times
supplies of water have been taken.
In the modification shown in Figure, 4, instead of the automatically closing
tap (A) there is a small cistern, Q, of a size to contain the quantity of water to
be supplied for a coin, the handle lever, F, being in this modification, made with
a counterbalance extension, F3, to which is connected a rod, R, to open the
delivery valve, S, of the cistern, Q, the lever, F, has also suspended from it a
slotted link, T, which on the lever, F, being depressed engages with a projec-
tion, U, on the ball-float lever, U 1, locking that lever in its raised position so as
to prevent a further supply of water being obtained until the parts of the apparatus
resume their normal position. The parts of the apparatus not specially referred to
are to be understood to be the same or similar to corresponding parts in the first
modification herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In coin-prepayment apparatus for supplying water the combination of an
automatically closing tap or supply valve with means for actuating the valve

page_text: spindle on the insertion of a coin in a slot provided for it substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In coin-prepayment apparatus for supplying water the combination and
arrangement of parts for actuating the delivery valve of a cistern on the insertion
of a coin in a slot provided for it substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure, 4, of the accompanying drawings.
EDMUND HUNT
Applicant's Agent.