Improvements in Prepayment Meters for Gas or other Fluid, or for Electricity.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Prepayment Meters for Gas or other Fluid, or for
Electricity.
I, LEWIS SAYRE BURCHARD, of 6, Wall Street, in the City and State of
New York, United States of America, temporarily residing at 63, Chancery Lane,
in the County of London, Counsellor at Law, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me by Wesley Webber, of 6, Wall Street, in the
City and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer) to be as
follows:-
This invention relates chiefly to coin-freed mechanism for use in connection with
gas meters for permitting a prédetermined quantity of gas to be used in exchange
for a coin or coins of given value, the object of the invention being to simplify the
construction and increase the efficiency of such mechanism.
According to the said invention the valve, by means of which the flow of gas
through the meter is controlled, is operated to lift or open it by means of a cam-
surface or flange on a wheel (hereinafter referred to as the coin counting wheel)
which is turned by the purchaser through the medium of an inserted coin in one
direction a distance corresponding to the quantity of gas to be consumed and
number of coins introduced and which is turned in the reverse direction under the
action of the meter.
In practice the end of the rod supporting the valve does not bear directly upon
the said flange but through the intervention of a lever. When no gas is passing
through the meter the end of the lever against which the cam-surface acts is off
the said cam-surface but, when a purchaser introduces one or more coins into the
apparatus, the said coin counting wheel carrying the cam-surface is moved in order
to cause the said cam-surface to act against the lever and open the valve, the
cam-surface being moved past the end of the lever a distance corresponding to the
number of coins introduced. As the gas is consumed, the said coin counting wheel
is moved in the reverse direction, under the action of the mechanism, until such
time as the cam-surface moves from beneath or from engagement with the lever,
when the valve is allowed to drop and cut off the supply of gas. The said coin
counting wheel may be rotated step by step by means of coins introduced into a
cylindrical or oscillating carrier and adapted to engage with teeth formed on the
periphery of the said coin counting wheel, the rotation of the said wheel under the
action of the coin or coins serving to coil a spring which will subsequently react
to turn the wheel in the reverse direction. Or the said wheel may be turned by
the
pressure of the gas to coil a spring.
It will of course be understood that instead of a spring a weight may be
employed.
In connection with the said coin counting wheel I arrange an escapement which
is moved by the meter through the medium of a crank on what is known as the
two-foot shaft of the meter, the said crank serving to reciprocate a pawl engaging.
with a ratchet wheel connected by a crank-pin with the escapement so that for
each rotation of the said ratchet wheel the escapement makes one complete
oscillation.
Instead of communicating the motion of the reciprocating pawl directly to the

page_text: wheel to which the escapement is connected, it may act upon a wheel geared with
the wheel to which the said escapement is connected.
The number of teeth in the wheel with which the reciprocating pawl engages
corresponds to the price of the gas being sold and as this wheel only rotates in
one direction "back lash" of the gearing, which takes place when a train of
gearing is operated in one direction by the purchaser and in the other by the
meter, is obviated.
In the case where the rotation of the coin counting wheel is effected by the
engagement of the coins therewith and the spring in connection with the said coin
counting wheel is at the same time compressed, it will be understood that the
movement of the escapement serves to allow the spring to react and move the
coin counting wheel in the reverse direction. In the case, however, where the spring
is coiled up by the meter when working, it will be understood that the external
operation of the mechanism when the coins are being introduced simply serves to
allow the said spring to uncoil a distance which it will again be recoiled in using
the quantity of gas purchased for the coin or coins. In this latter arrangement
the coins instead of engaging with the teeth of the coin counting wheel may
operate against the escapement.
It will be obvious that any suitable form of escapement may be used in connection
with the coin counting wheel and also that suitable pawls are provided for preventing
it from being rotated in the wrong direction.
I sometimes combine with my coin counting wheel a radial arm which when the
maximum quantity of gas for which prepayment can be made at any one time has
been purchased prevents the insertion of further coins.
To prevent fraudulent operation of the mechanism I arrange my coin-carrier
when the cylindrical form is used so that the purchaser only rotates the same
through part of its revolution, the remainder of its revolution being effected by a
spring or weight which is coiled or wound up by the purchaser during the first
part of the rotation. A complete revolution of the coin-carrier and the consequent
discharge of the coin into the coin box are thus ensured.
Although I have described the invention as applied to a gas meter it is to be
understood that it is also applicable to meters for registering the flow of other
fluids or to electricity meters. In the latter case the cam-surface would be used
for operating a switch.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Prepayment Meters for Gas or other Fluid, or for
Electricity.
I, LEWIS SAYRE BURCHARD, of 6, Wall Street, in the City and State of New
York, United States of America, temporarily residing at 63, Chancery Lane, in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by Wesley Webber, of 6, Wall Street, in the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Engineer) and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates chiefly to coin freed mechanism, for use in connection
with gas meters, of the kind described in the Specification of Letters Patent,
No. 19049 of 1895, the said mechanism being adapted for permitting a predetermined

page_text: quantity of gas to be used in exchange for a coin or coins of given value the
object of the invention being to simplify the construction and increase the efficiency
of such mechanism.
In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made,
Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the upper portion of an ordinary dry gas.
meter, having my invention applied thereto, the main casing of the coin-controlled
vending machine being shewn in section on the line -x of Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a detailed sectional elevation shewing a portion of the meter casing,
one of the ratchets of the coin-controlled machine, the flexible diaphragm in the
meter casing, and the main operating rod or connection.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation to a larger scale of my new coin-controlled
gas-vending machine shewn as.applied for operating a valve in the gas supply or
service pipe, the section being on the line y-y of Figure 4.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same taken on the line z- of
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the casing shewing the dials.
Figure 6 is a detailed sectional elevation of the coin chute, coin carrier etc., taken
on the line - of Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a detailed elevation of the coin chute or chamber and rotary coin
carrier, and
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation shewing a modified construction of my
machine.
Figure 9 is a sectional plan of a further modification of my mechanism the
section being taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 10.
Figure 10 is a front elevation of the same shewing the box and coin chamber in
section, and,
Figure 11 is a transverse sectional elevation.
Figure 12 is a view of a detail.
A represents the casing which contains the coin-controlled vending mechanism,
and which may be attached to the meter casing B by the plate C, or held in
position by other suitable means. The movement of the meter mechanism is com-
municated to the vending mechanism by a rod a, which reciprocates a diaphragm a¹
of rubber, celluloid, leather, metal or other suitable flexible material impervious
to gas and fastened so as to be gas tight over a suitable aperture a² in the side of
the meter casing. As here shewn, one end of the said rod a is connected to a
crank a at one end of the so-called "two foot shaft" a of the meter, so that the
rotation of the shaft a reciprocates the rcd a. A cam, eccentric or other means
of converting rotary into reciprocating motion may be employed in place of the
crank a and shaft a. The opposite end of the rod a is connected to a pivoted or
hinged part, section or extension as, which reaches into the casing A and acts as a
pushing or pulling pawl to operate a ratchet or unit wheel and. the vending
mechanism. It may be provided with a spring to hold it in engagement with the
teeth of the unit wheel and to yield as it passes over a tooth, or its weight may
suffice to allow to perform both these functions. The two parts a, a are connected
to the diaphragm al preferably by screws a, a' and a turn buckle a³ (Figures 1
and 2), which latter permits ready longitudinal adjustment of the connection.
This arrangement is advantageous where it is intended to attach the vending
machines to old meters, but with new ineters the attachment of the diaphragm to
the operating connection may be effected in any other suitable way, such as by
cementing the diaphragm, to or around, a continuous rod, or by clamping plates,
one or both screwed upon the rod on opposite sides of the diaphragm. The edge
of the diaphragm may he secured to the meter casing by cement, or it may be held
in a clamp or flange a secured to the meter casing.
The power of the meter acting through the connection serves to operate a
pallet or other letting off device F (Figure 3) for the gas controlling disc or
wheel E as hereinafter described, and it is preferable to employ for this purpose
an intermediate ratchet or reducing or unit wheel b, which serves to operate the

page_text: letting off device at the proper speed or intervals, and also serves as the means for
measuring or indicating the consumption of units of gas as measured by the meter.
The function of indicating is performed by a shaft b, to which the said wheel is
secured and to the outer end of which in front of a dial (Figure 5) is secured a
hand or pointer . The wheel & may be of larger or smaller diameter or provided
with a greater or less number of teeth, according to the number of units of gas to
be delivered in exchange for a coin. If the change in the number of teeth
necessitates a change in the diameter of the unit wheel, the difference is taken up
by the play of the paw! a on its pivot. The shaft. 6 is journalled at one end in
the back A (Figure 4) of the casing A, and at 'the other in a front plate A2 of
the casing, which latter is enclosed by a door A', in which an aperture & is formed
to reveal the dial & and pointer.
The rotation of the wheel & imparts reciprocating motion to the let-off device or
pallet F through a crank or pin (Figures 2 and 3) and an arm or rod / and
allows the vending or coin-counting and unit-counting, and valve-operating
mechanism to operate, the preferred construction of which counting and valve-
operating mechanism will now be described.
D represents a rotary cylindrical coin carrier formed with a slot e adapted to
receive a coin e proper to the machine, when inserted into the aligned coin
slots e, e' in the door A and plate A (see Figure 6). From the slots e, e the
coin enters a narrow stationary chute or chamber c3, which guides the coin into a
horizontal slot through which it drops into the slot e of the rotary carrier D or
rests upon the said carrier ready to drop into the said slot when the carrier D shall
be revolved to bring the slot e into coincidence or alignment with the slot e.
The carrier D, being provided with a cuin e', the same projects from the carrier
as shewn in Figure 3, so that when the carrier is revolved, the projecting edge of
the coin will serve to operate the coin and unit counting and valve-operating
toothed rack or wheel or escapement disc E (hereinafter referred to as the coin-
counting wheel) through a predetermined space, that is to say: the coin, acting
like the ward of a key, will engage with one of the teeth of the coin-counting
wheel and turn the latter in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3) a distance equal
to the width of one tooth, and then the coin will drop from the carrier D down into
a till or cash box placed to receive it or into the lower part of the casing A. The
coin-counting wheel will thus be partially rotated in the direction of the arrow for
the space of one tooth for each coin inserted. A coin too small will either drop
through the slot e, or out of it without operating.
The said escapement or coin-counting wheel is secured to a shaft d and a coiled
spring d is applied to the same or to the said shaft d, which constantly tends to
urge the coin-counting wheel in the direction opposite to the arrow in Figure 3,
but is prevented from turning it, except as released tooth by tooth by the pallet or
let-off device which is reciprocated for that purpose, directly or indirectly, by
the power of the meter.
The coin-counting wheel E is provided with means for operating the valve H in
the supply or service pipe G which means, as here shewn, consists of a cam surface
or flange e, bell crauk lever e', and valve rod . The flange e is in the form of an
are of a circle, one end e³ of which, when the valve is closed, clears, but stands
adjacent to, the lower member of the lever e', as shewn in Figure 3. In this
position the valve is closed by gravity, by a spring or by other suitable means, (as
here shewn it is closed by gravity) and cuts off the flow of gas. If a single coin
be inserted in the machine and the wheel E be turned one notch only in the
direction of the arrow (Figure 3), the end e of the are-shaped flange e will operate
the lever e and rod e2 amd thus lift or open the valve and retain it open until the
said wheel E is returned to its original position. If more than one coin be inserted
at one time, the wheel E will be turned in the direction of the arrow, the distance
of one tooth for each coin inserted; hence, to adapt. the machine to receive any
given number of coins at any time, it is necessary to extend the flange e to include
the said number of teeth and render them available for use in the escapement or

page_text: coin-counting wheel. In a single-coin machine, the said flange may be made very
short, and be a mere shoulder.
The pallet or let-off device F is formed with points or pawls f, f, is pivoted
at f and is reciprocated by the power of the meter at intervals, which mark the
delivery of each coin's equivalent in gas. It is, by preference, reciprocated from
the wheel once for each revolution thereof by a crank or off centre pin 6 and
arm frigidly attached to the pallet (Figures 2 and 3). The said arm f is formed
at its upper end with a slot or loop f³, which embraces the said crank or pin and is
also made flexible, being preferably of steel wire looped at f, so that it will yield
to the pressure of the pin 6 and also to permit the rocking of the pallet when the
wheel E is turned by the insertion of the coins.
The end of the shaft d on which the coin-counting wheel E is secured is extended
to the front of the plate A3, where it is provided with a pointer d, which it
operates in front of a dial or arc-shaped scale d² to indicate the number of coins
placed at any one time in the machine, and the number, if any, remaining to the
credit of the purchaser from time to time. The shaft d is also provided with an
arm d, which, when the maximum number of coins which the machine is made to
receive has been inserted, is carried to a point in front of the coin chamber and
closes the same, so that no more coins can be inserted until the equivalent in gas
of one or more coins has been consumed.
The valve-rod or stem e is held gas-tight in a flexible diaphragm h of india-
rubber, celluloid, leather, metal or other suitable material. The flexibility of the
said diaphragm permits the rod 2 to be moved sufficiently to operate the valve, so
that the mechanism has no work to perform in opening the valve except to move
or lift the weight of the rod and valve and compress the valve's spring, if one is
employed to ensure a good joint between valve and seat. When so lifted or moved.
to open the valve, a slight tension is put upon the diaphragm (and spring if one be
employed) which, together with the weight of the valve and the pressure of the
gas is sufficient to close the valve, so that in closing no load whatever is put upon
the mechanism. The diaphragm is held gas-tight in the pipe coupling by a screw-
threaded ring or gasket, as shewn clearly in Figure 3, or in any other suitable
manner.
The valve chamber forms a convenient and easily accessible trap and receptacle
for deposit carried in by the gas and may be provided with a drain hole.
The coin carrier D is locked against rotation except in one direction by the
ratchet teeth and pawl g' arranged at one cud preferably the rear end, of the
carrier or of the shaft on which the casing is fixed. The forward or opposite end
of the said shaft is provided with a crank g2 to which a spring 93 is applied for
turning the carrier through a portion of its revolution independently of any outside
agency. One end of the said spring is attached to a stud or rod g as shewn clearly
in Figure 3, and it serves normally to bold the coin cylinder D and crank g² in the
position shewn in Figure 7, that is, so that the slot e will be in position to discharge
the coin c into the cash box. The crank g is provided with a projection 96, with
which a complemental off centre projection g7 of the outside crank or milled knob D'
engages (Figure 6) to enable the purchaser, by pushing but not by pulling, to turn
the coin carrier D and crank g² through about one half of a revolution against the
tension of the spring g³, i.e. from the position shewn in full lines to that shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 7, during which half of the revolution power is stored in
the spring and the carrier held from backward movement by the ratchet g and
pawl g', and also during which half of the revolution the slot c in the carrier
will receive the coin from the slot c, and when said projection passes the extended
axial line or line of force of the spring (its dead centre, so to speak), on the upward
movement, and receives the pull of the spring the latter will operate to suddenly
turn the coin cylinder D, and crank 92, independently of the crank D', to their original
position, causing the coin to turn the coin-counting wheel E, as above described.
During this second half of the revolution the off-centre projection g' has no control
of the projection g' on the crank g; hence the purchaser cannot hold the valve

page_text: open, or hold the coin in the coin-carrier in the valve-opening position, and, the
carrier being prevented from backward rotation, cannot employ the same coin more
than once. The sudden forcible pull which the spring 93 exerts on the crank g³ as
soon as it crosses the spring's line of force, and the equally sudden cessation of
movement when the crank reaches the position shewn in full lines in Figure 7,
impart to the coin an inertia of momentum that serves to accelerate its discharge
from the coin carrier. This tends to prevent the fraudulent use of adhesive
material to retain coins in the carrier past one proper operation. Indeed, if by
that method or any other, coins should be retained in the carrier after once moving
the discs E, the projecting edge of the coin would abut against a projection 9ª formed
in the case A or on the journal frame of the carrier-shaft, and lock the carrier
from further forward motion.
A coin smaller than the coin proper to the machine would drop inoperatively
through the slot c, which is reduced at its bottom so as to retain only coins
proper to the machine.
In Figure 8, I have shewn the coin-counting wheel E operated by a cord and
weight JJ, instead of a spring d'. In this construction the wheel b is placed
below the coin-counting wheel and its crank pin 6 serves to reciprocate a main
pawl L and an auxiliary pawl L' pivoted to an arm 7 on the main pawl. The said
auxiliary pawl L' is centrally pivoted to the end of an arm A, the opposite end of
which is connected to the shaft d. The upper end of the main pawl L is normally
held out of engagement with the teeth of the coin-counting wheel E by a spring 13.
13 is a retaining pawl or pallet for the escapement disc formed with a depending
member arranged to be struck by the upper end of the main pawl L for
disengaging at the proper time the pawl or pallet 13 from the teeth of the escape-
ment disc. The main pawl L is arranged relatively to the coin carrier D in such
a manner that the rotation of the latter with a coin therein will cause the main
pawl L to be forced forward to engage its point with the teeth of the coin-
counting wheel, also to cause the projection to disengage the pallet 1³ from
the said wheel and also to disengage the auxiliary pawl L from the said wheel.
When the coin c¹ has dropped from the carrier D, the spring 12 will withdraw
the pawl L frem engagement with the coin-counting wheel E and at the
same time permit the pallet 13 and the auxiliary pawl L' to engage the teeth
of the said wheel. This action takes place with the insertion of each coin
and permits in the meantime the weight J¹ to turn the coin-counting wheel the
space of one tooth for each coin inserted in the direction of the arrow. The first
coin inserted will, of course, cause the flange e to open the valve and permit the
flow of gas. The gas being thus turned on and the meter mechanism set in
operation, the wheel b will be rotated in the direction of the arrow by the rod a, a³
as above described, its backward movement being prevented by the pawl m. With
each rotation of the wheel b, the crank thereof will reciprocate the main pawl L
and the auxiliary, pawl L', causing the latter to turn back the coin-counting wheel
one tooth for each revolution of the wheel b, which operation will be repeated a
.greater or less number of times, according to the number of coins inserted at one
time; or, in other words, until the flange e passes to its normal position out from
contact with the valve operating lever e', whereupon the valve H will automatically
close the service pipe and cut off the gas.
In the modification shewn in Figures 9, 10 and 11 the coin counting wheel E
operated in one direction by the spring d' opens the valve in the gas supply pipe
and a unit wheel operated by the power of the meter through the medium of the
rod a, as herein before described, acts through the medium of a suitable engaging
device and of a spring to return the coin counting wheel and to cut off the supply
of gas the operation of the coin counting wheel being effected by a double pawl
device or
pallet arranged to be oscillated by the act of inserting coins in the
machine either directly by the coin itself or indirectly by the coin inserting
mechanism.
The spiral spring d¹ tends to turn the coin counting wheel E in the direction of

page_text: the arrow, Figure 10, the said wheel, however, being normally prevented from
rotating in this direction by the arm F of the escapement F which arm is held in
engagement with the teeth of the wheel E by the spiral spring m attached to an
arm in connection with the arm F as shewn in Figure 10 of the escapement F.
The coin counting wheel E is rotated in the opposite direction, that is to say,
against the action of the spiral spring d¹ by the rod or pawl n which is pivoted
at one end to a lever o and is connected at its opposite or lower end to a spring p.
9 is a cam mounted on the spindle 6' of the unit wheel b the said cam being
designed to raise the inner end of the lever o and thereby the rod or pawl n once
for every revolution of the unit wheel. The end or nose of the cam q may be
formed in steps, as shewn in the detailed view in Figure 12, so that the valve is
not closed suddenly but is partially closed when the said lever o drops upon the
first step of the nose of the cam y and completely closed when it drops upon the
second step. gl is a cam on the spindle & for holding the pawl n out of engage-
ment with the coin counting wheel except when moving downwards. The arm F
is arranged in front of the lower end of the rod or pawl a so that when the said
arm is moved away from, or out of engagement with, the coin counting wheel E
the said rod or pawl n is also moved outwards by the arm which comes in contact
with its lower end.
The operation of this form of my apparatus is as follows:-The coin being
inserted in the coin barrel D and the latter rotated in the manner hereinbefore
described with reference to the other forms of my apparatus, the coin e' which
projects from the barrel D strikes against the arm F of the escapement F and
thereby releases the coin counting wheel E from engagement with the arm F of
the said escapement so that the said coin counting wheel E rotates in the direction
of the arrow Figure 10 under the action of the spiral spring d' through the space
of one tooth thereby opening the valve in the manner hereinbefore described with
reference to the other forms of construction of my mechanism. Gas now passing
through the meter reciprocates the rod a thereby operating the unit wheel.
The cam y rotates with the unit wheel and gradually raises the lever o and the
rod or pawl n, the said pawl then dropping into the adjacent tooth on the coin
counting wheel E so that, when the lever o is allowed to drop over the nose of the
cam g, the spring p pulls the pawl a downwards and thereby rotates the said
coin counting wheel through the space of one tooth in a direction opposite to that
of the arrow, Figure 10 and against the action of the spiral spring d
It will be obvious that, although I have described the coin depositing device as
of the barrel type, 1 can employ any other suitable device for effecting the same
results.
It will also be obvious that my invention, although described in the specification
as applied to a gas meter, is also applicable to meters for registering the flow of
other fluids than gas or to electricity meters. In the latter case the cam surface
would be used for operating a switch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The improvements in prepayment mechanism for gas or other fluid meters or
for meters of electricity consisting of coin-freed mechanism enclosed in an outside
box or casing adapted to receive coins, inserted through a slot, the coin-freed
mechanism comprising a primary reducing wheel and connection operated
therefrom for controlling the flow of gas, the said primary reducing wheel
being operated by a rod or connection reciprocated by the meter mechanism,
substantially as specified.
2. In prepayment meters for gas or other fluid or for electricity wherein
mechanism is employed having a wheel operated by the insertion of a coin to
control the flow of gas or the like through the meter and a pallet or let-off device
for the said wheel, the employment of a rod reciprocated by the meter mechanism

page_text: for the purpose of operating the pallet or let-off device, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In prepayment meters for gas or other fluid or for electricity wherein
mechanism is employed having a wheel operated by the insertion of a coin and
a pallet or let-off device for the said wheel, the employment of a wheel rotated by
a rod reciprocated by the meter mechanism, the said wheel being provided with
means whereby its motiou is communicated to the let-off device, substantially as,
and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
4. In prepayment meters of the kind described in Claim 1 the combination with
the coin wheel of a projection arranged to act upon a crank in connection
with the rod of the valve controlling the flow of gas or the like through the
meter when the said coin wheel is rotated, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In coin-freed attachments for prepayment meters, for gas or other fluid or
for electricity, of the kind described in Claim 1 arranging a flexible diaphragm in
the meter casing the said diaphragm being pierced by the reciprocating rod
which communicates motion from the meter mechanism to the coin-freed mechanism,
substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
6. In prepayment meters for gas or other fluid or for electricity the combination
of a coin carrier, formed with a slot for receiving the coin and provided with a
crank, with a spring for partially turning the said carrier and a crank or knob for
partially rotating the said carrier in opposition to the action of the spring,
substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
7. In prepayment meters for gas or other fluid or for electricity the employment
of a valve opening wheel operated by the insertion of a coin against the action of
a spring (or weight) of a pallet or let-off device in connection with the said wheel
to control its return movement under the action of the spring and a rod reciprocated
by the meter mechanism for operating the pallet or let-off device, substantially
as herein before described.
8. In prepayment meters for gas or other fluid or for electricity the employment
of a valve opening wheel normally locked against the action of a spring (or weight)
by a pallet or let-off device which releases the said wheel on the insertion of
a coin into the mechanism, the said let-off device being controlled by a rod
reciprocated by the meter mechanism so as to rotate the said wheel against the
action of the spring, substantially as herein before described.
9. The combinations and arrangements of parts forming the improved prepay-
ment meters, for gas or other fluid or for electricity herein before described
and illustrated respectively in Figures 1 to 7; 8; and 9, 10 and 11 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated al
.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.