Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus for Attachment to Gas, Electricity, or other Fluid Meters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus for Attachment to Gas,
Electricity, or other Fluid Meters.
1, WESLEY WEBBER, of No. 6, Wall Street, in the City of New York, and
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists mainly in a coin-controlled gas vending machine wherein
is employed a main gear driven by the power of the meter, which main gear
operates a rod, plate or arm or other pusher, designed to dislodge a coin in the
machine from a support er table, which dislodgment of the said coin either brings
another coin into position, or allows a locking device or pawl to intercept the
progress of the pusher, and thus acts to lock the meter or operate a cock for cutting
off the flow of gas.
In carrying out my invention I provide a shaft reaching from the main casing of
my apparatus into the meter and adapted to be turned by the meter mechanism.
The said shaft is provided with a gear wheel or pinion which may be used to
revolve the main gear wheel of my apparatus directly, or it may be arranged to
revolve it indirectly when it is desired to adapt the machine to deliver more or less
gas for the coin deposited, in other words, to adapt the machine to a change in the
price of gas.
The main gear wheel is secured on a shaft journaled in the main casing, and
which for the sake of economy, and to adapt it also to carry an index pointer, is
bent to form a crank which operates a lever.
The coin dislodging plate or pusher is reciprocated by the lever, for example, by
a link or pitman connection and slides in a support or box formed upon or attached
to the back of the main casing, and serves firstly, when intercepted by a pawl as
hereinafter described, as n lock to the lever and connected parts for cutting off the
supply of gas, and secondly when the said pawl is depressed by the presence of a
coin, to push such coin out from contact with the pawl, and, if more than one
coin at a time has been delivered into a primary coin receptacle, to push them
out therefrom one by one as each successive coin's equivalent of gas is consumed.
The primary coin receptacle is connected with a chute which conducts the coins
deposited into its outer open end down to the said receptacle. In the said receptacle
is placed a plunger provided with a rod or stem which passes through a flange
and out through the top of the main casing where it projects sufficiently
to form an end by which the purchaser may lift it, or it may be provided
with a lifting device for lifting the plunger to clear the delivery end of the chote.
On the stem of the plunger is placed a coiled spring which acts to normally hold

page_text: the plunger down so as to rest upon any coins in the receptacle, or, in case the said
receptacle be empty, to rest upon a stop to prevent the plunger from descending
beyond bounds. The effect of this construction is that when no coin is in the
receptacle, the plunger may protrude a trifle past the walls of the receptacle,
but that if one or more coins be in the receptacle, the plunger will press the foremost
of the said coins sufficiently smugly against the table, platform, or shelf to depress
the pawl.
The table is located adjacent to the end of the coin receptacle and the space
between the table and the receptacle is greater than the thickness of one coin and
less than the thickness of two coins. Protruding through the said table into the
said space is a finger formed upon or attached to a lever and pivoted so that its
end may fulcrum on or beneath the pusher. The finger lever is pivoted to the pawl
which is formed with a projection at its free end to intercept the pusher. The
pawl is held up by a spring. When a coin enters the receptaele it disposes itself
flat-wise upon the finger and may serve by its weight or impact to release the
pusher, but for greater certainty it is deemed preferable to employ a plunger to
press against the coin and finger and release the said pusher.
Although I have described my invention as applied to a gas meter it is to be
understood that it is also applicable to meters for measuring other fluids or to
electricity meters.
Dated this 9th day of October 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus for Attachment to Gas,
Electricity, or other Fluid Meters.
1, WESLEY WEBBER, of No. 6, Wall Street, in the City of New York, and
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
onture 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:-
My invention consists mainly in a coin-controlled gas-vending machine wherein
is employed a main gear driven by the power of the meter, which main gear
operates a rod, plate, or arm or other pusher designed to dislodge a coin in the
machine from a support or table, which dislodgment of the said coin either brings
another coin into josition or allows a locking device or pawl to intercept the
progress of the pusher, and thus acts to lock the meter or operate a cock for cutting
off the flow of gas.
The invention also consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of
parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made,
Figure is a sectional elevation of my new coin-controlled gas-vending machine
taken on line of Figure 2 showing the parts in the position they assume when
the meter is locked thereby:
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation on line y-y of Figure 1, showing in
diagram the connection of the machine with the meter:
Figure 3 is a plan view of the main crank detached:
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the vending-machine, a portion of the main
casing being broken away and showing in sectional elevation, a portion of the enclosed
mechanism:
Figure 5 is a detailed sectional elevation showing the mechanism arranged for
operating a valve or cock in the service pipe:

page_text: Figure 6 is a sectional elevation showing a modification; and,
Figure 7 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line of Figure 6.
A represents the main casing of my new coin-controlled gas vending machine,
designed to be attached to or held in close proximity to a gas-meter B of the usual
or any approved construction.
C represents a shaft reaching from the main casing A into the meter B and
connected by a gear wheel a to another gear wheel b, so as to be turned by the meter
mechanism. The gear wheel b may be in addition to the usual meter mechanism or
it may be one of the usual gears used for operating the indices of the meter. The
opposite end of the said shaft C is provided with a gear wheel or pinion c, which may be
used to revolve the main gear wheel D directly, or it may be arranged to revolve it
indirectly through a pinion d and another gear wheel e when it is desired to
adapt the machine to deliver more or less gas for the coin deposited; in other words,
to adapt the machine to a change in the price of gas.
The main gear wheel D is secured on a shaft which is journalled in-the-main-
casing and which, for the sake of economy and to adapt it also to carry an index
pointer, is bent to form a crank f'. This crank operates a lever E pivoted at h.
The said lever may be variously arranged and variously constructed to be engaged
by the crank. As here shown, it is formed with a slot to accommodate the
vertical movement of the crank when the same is revolved by the whee! D.
Frepresents a meter locking and coin dislodging plate or pusher, which is
reciprocated by the lever E, as, for example, in the construction shown, by a link
or pitman connection F¹, and slides in a support or box F³, formed upon or attached
to the back of the main casing, and it serves, first, when intercepted by the
pawl L, as hereinafter described, as a lock to the lever E, crank ', wheel D, gear
and pinion d, e (if used) gear, shaft C, and gears a, b for cutting off the supply of
gas, and, secondly, when said pawl is depressed by the presence of a coin between
the plunger J and the table K, as hereinafter described, to push such coin out
from contact with the pawl, and if more than one coin at a time has been delivered
into the primary coin receptacle G to push them out therefrom one by one as
each successive coin's equivalent in gas is consumed.
The primary coin receptacle G is connected with chute H, which conducts the
coins deposited into its outer open end down to the said receptacle. In said
receptacle G is placed a plunger J, provided with a rod or stem J' which passes
through a flange J2 and out through the top of the main casing, where it projects
sufficiently to form an end by which the purchaser may lift it, or it may be provided
with a lifting device, as, e.g., the lever J³, for lifting the plunger to clear the delivery
end of the chute H, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5. On the stem J' is placed a
coil spring J which acts between the head J and plate J' to normally hold the
plunger down, so as to rest upon any coins in the receptacle G, or, in case said
receptacle be empty, to rest upon the stop or limit pin, which comes in contact
with the plate J, as shown in Figure 1, and prevents the plunger from descending
beyond bounds.
K represents a table placed beneath the coin receptacle G, a space i the width
of the thickness of a coin being formed between the said table and the lower end
of the said receptacle. Protruding through the said table into the said space is a
finger, formed upon or attached to a lever i² and pivoted at, so that its end i
may fulcrum on or beneath the pusher F. The lever is pivoted to the pawl L,
which is formed with a projection at its free end to intercept the pusher F, as
shown in Figure 1. Said pawl is held up by a spring l
When a coin enters the
receptacle G it disposes itself flatwise upon the finger . Said coin may serve by
its weight or impact to release the pusher F; but for greater certainty
deemed preferable to employ a plunger to press against the coin and finger and
release the said pusher F. When the pusher F is thus released, the power of the
meter acting through shaft C and gear wheel c or c, d, and e will slowly turn the
main gear wheel D and crank f', causing the latter to swing the lever E to its
opposite position and back to the position shewn in Figure 1. In moving from the
is

page_text: position shewn in Figure 1 to the said opposite position the pusher F will
push the coin lying next to the table or plate K out of the primary receptacle G
from which it will drop into the cash-box M. The return of the lever E
will withdraw the pusher F from contact with the projection, whereupon
(if there be no other coin in the receptacle G) the spring will project said
projecting end of the pawl L into the path of the said pusher F, and thus again
lock the meter as before and prevent further delivery of gas.
If more than a single coin he delivered into the coin-receptacle at one time, the
coins following the first will, by their own weight or under the pressure of the
plunger, prevent the projecting end of the jawl L from being projected by
the spring, as just described, and will thus delay its interference with the pusher
and the consequent locking of the meter, thus producing the effect that the operation
of dislodging the coin and delivering the gas will be repeated automatically so long
as the coin remains between the table and the plunger, i.e., until the last coin's worth
gas has been consumed.
of
The operation of supplying the receptacle G with a coin or coins is simply to
retract the plunger by turning the lever from the position shown in Figure 1 to
that shewn in Figure 4, or otherwise, and then to place the coins, one or more, in
the open end of the chute, and then return the lever to the former position,
whereupon the spring will force the plunger and the coins against the finger i.
The number of coins in the receptacle will be constantly indicated by a
scale j', formed in the rod or stem J, the surface of the casing serving as
the gauge.
In Figure 5 the pusher F is caused to cut off the gas by turning a valve or
cock N in the service pipe N and thus prevent the further delivery of gas after
the value of the coin or coins deposited has been consumed. In this construction
the pusher F.is intercepted and locked by a plate O, adapted to be depressed by the
coin or coins and plunger in the receptacle G, and connected in this instance to a
pivoted rod O' and sustained by a spring o attached to said rod O. The plate O
is connected to the arm a of the cock or valve by a link a', so that the pressure of
the pusher on O will canse the latter to close the cock and cut off the gas. When
the plate is depressed by the depositing of a coin and releases the pusher I, the
cock will be opened by a spring N, arranged to net upon the said arm n of the
cock, as will be clearly understood from the drawings.
In Figures 6 and 7 the coins are pushed out from the coin receptacle G by a
rotating pusher or arm, which is attached to the main gear D. In this
arrangement the main casing A is placed upon the top of the meter B and the
gearing is placed in horizontal position, as shewn, and connected to the meter by a
vertical in place of a horizontal shaft. Figures 6 and 7 also show a modification
of the coin controlled stop or locking pawl 1. As here shewn, it is not provided
with a pivoted trip lever; but its upper end, which reaches up through the table K,
is flattened to receive the coin upon it, and its outer end extends slightly beyond the
walls of the coin receptacle (.
As above stated, if it is not desired to adapt the machine to be changed for
varying prices in gas the gear wheel and pinion d may be dispensed with and the
wheele made to mesh directly with the main gear wheel D; but when the said
gear and pinion are used the pinion d will be journalled on a gudgeon d' attached
to a slotted and adjustable plate, which may be firmly set against the wall of
the main casing by a screw, d. The said pinion will be provided with a pair of
dowel pins or equivalent device, on which or by which a larger or smaller gear e
may be attached to the pinion d to revolve therewith and to mesh with the
main gear D. The adjustability of the plate d permits the ready attachment of
interchangeable gears e so that by simply changing this one gear the machine
may be made to deliver more or less gas to correspond with any change in price
that may take place.
While I have shown and described my invention as applicable for the sale of
illuminating gas, I do not limit myself to such use, as it may be used for the sale

page_text: and delivery of water, gas for heating purposes, steam for heating and power, and
other liquids or fluids.
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 I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a main gear wheel driven by the
power of the meter, a coin receiving table, a pusher operated by the main gear wheel
for pushing the coins off from said table, and a coin controlled locking device
arranged for detaining the pusher and cutting off the gas, substantially as
described.
2. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a main gear wheel driven by the
power of a meter, combined with a pusher operated thereby, and a coin controlled
locking device for locking the coin pusher from movement when the coin's value in
-gas-has-been-delivered, substantially as described.
3. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a primary coin receptacle, a table
to support the coin beneath the said receptacle and spaced therefrom a locking
pawl adapted to reach into said space, a pusher arranged to pass through said
space, and means for operating said pusher by the power of the meter, substantially
as described.
4. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a primary coin receptacle, a table
or support for the coin beneath the said receptacle and spaced therefrom, and a
pusher for dislodging said coin operated by the power of the meter, substantially as
described.
5. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a primary coin receptacle, a table
beneath the said receptacle and spaced therefrom, a locking pawl reaching into
said space, a plunger placed in said receptacle, and a pusher for dislodging the
coin from said table operated by the power of the meter, substantially as described.
6. In a coin controlled gas vending machine, a primary coin receptacle, a table
beneath said receptacle and spaced therefrom, a locking pawl reaching into said
space, a plunger placed in said receptacle, a device for limiting the downward
movement of said plunger, and a pusher for dislodging coin from said table operated
by the power of the meter, substantially as described.
7. In a coin controlled gas vending machine, a primary coin receptacle, a table
beneath said receptacle and spaced therefrom, a locking pawl reaching into said
space, a plunger placed in snid receptacle, a spring for depressing said plunger, a
lever for lifting the same and a pusher for dislodging coins from said table operated
by the power of the meter, substantially as described.
8: In a coin controlled gas vending machine, a main gear wheel operated by the
power of the meter, a coin pusher operated by said main gear wheel, and a locking
device for said pusher, and a cock or valve fitted in the service pipe arranged to be
closed by said locking device, substantially as described.
9. In a coin controlled gas vending machine, a main gear wheel operated by the
power of the meter, a crank connected to said gear wheel, a lever connected to
said crank, a pusher connected to said lever, a coin receiving table and a locking
device arranged to be acted upon by a coin and to intercept and lock the said
pusher, substantially as described.
10. In a coin controlled gas vending machine a main gear wheel D, operated by
the power of the meter and provided with an arm P, in combination with a table
for the coin and a pawl L, arranged to reach above said table and to intercept the
arm P, substantially as described.
11. In a coin-controlled gas vending machine, the combination with the main
gear D, and gear c, attached to a shaft which reaches into and is operated by the
meter, of an adjustable plate formed or provided with a gudgeon, a pinion journaled
thereon and interchangeable gear wheels adapted to be attached to and revolved by
said pinion, substantially as described.

page_text: .
12. The improved prepayment apparatus for attachment to fluid meters herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August. 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.