Improvements in and connected with the Prepayment Mechanism of Gas Meters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in and connected with the Prepayment Mechanism of
Gas Meters.
We, THOMAS THORP of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
THOMAS GARDINER MARSH, of 41, Corporation Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer, and JOHN HAYNES of 5, Albert
Drive, Aintree near Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to prepayment gas meters and consists in improvements in
the prepayment mechanism thereof and in the arrangement or application of two
separate indicators for indicating or registering the total number of coins inserted
on successive occasions or times into the meter and the quantity of gas to be
consumed, and in the arrangement of mechanisms for operating said indicating
devices, the objects of our invention being mainly to obtain a minute regulation of
the quantity of gas supplied for each coin or token inserted without having to
exchange parts and to render the index of the total number of coins inserted more
readily readable than when arranged on the same dial as the index of the quantity
to be consumed, as described in our Specification No. 465, A.D. 1892.
In carrying our invention into effect we fix on a spindle operated from the outside
of the meter a lever connected to the coin carrier by means of a slotted link, which
embraces a pin fixed to the carrier to draw it back, and moves it forward when a
coin or token of the prearranged size has been inserted between the end of the link
and a part of said carrier through the slot in the case. The oscillating motion of
the coin carrier is transmitted to a ratchet wheel which may be done in the manner
described in the Specification No. 7233 of 1889 but is preferably effected by means
of a connecting rod attached to a stud or its equivalent, the radial distance of
which from the pivot on which the carrier oscillates can be regulated preferably by
means of a screw, which rod actuates a lever mounted on the same stud or shaft as
the ratchet wheel whose movement determines the quantity of gas to be consumed
for each coin inserted. The connecting rod is attached to the said lever near to its
centre and a pawl engaging with the ratchet wheel is hinged on its end, so that a
throw of the pawl of any required length can be obtained from the motion of the
coin carrier and a large ratchet wheel employed, one tooth of which corresponds
to a consumption of one cubic foot, or other unit of measure. By adjusting the
distance of the stud or its equivalent on the coin carrier from the centre, the
number of teeth advanced by the pawl for each oscillation of the carrier can be
varied one by one, and the same meter used for various prices of gas without
exchange of parts. A further improvement consists in the arrangement of a
toothed segment in which the coin, which in the carrier is held between two plates,
rests with its bottom edge. The teeth of the segment are ratchet teeth, allowing
the coin to be moved forward only till it drops off the edge of the segment into
the receptacle, but preventing its backward motion. The to and fro motion of the
coin carrier after insertion of a coin for the purpose of advancing the ratchet and
obtaining more gas than is paid for is thereby prevented.
Our further improvement consists in the arrangement of two separate indicators
one for indicating or registering the total number of coins inserted at successive
periods, and another for indicating the quantity of gas to be consumed. In our
Specification No. 465 A.D. 1892, we describe more particularly an arrangement
for registering the total number of coins inserted in which a ratchet wheel is
mounted on the same spindle as the larger ratchet wheel determining the quantity
of gas to be consumed and with two pointers on the same dial. Our improvement

page_text: consists in arranging and actuating the coin register or indicator independently of
the indicator of the quantity consumable. Upon a spindle we fix a ratchet wheel
with a number of teeth equal to the number of coins of lower denomination to be
inserted contained in the next higher denomination of coin; for instance, if pence
are used for payment we make the ratchet wheel with twelve teeth. We actuate
this ratchet wheel by the oscillation of the coin carrier in any convenient manner,
preferably by a simple pawl attached to the coin carrier not far from its pivot, so
that the ratchet is advanced one tooth for each oscillation or each coin inserted,
and a pointer fixed to the spindle will indicate the number of pence. A second
pointer for indicating shillings may be arranged in front of the same dial and
actuated from the ratchet after each complete revolution of the same by any of
the usual single cog or equivalent devices used for such purposes in indicators, or a
separate dial and pointer for indicating shillings and a third for indicating pounds
may be used; the pointers being actuated by any means usually employed for such
purposes. Or instead of rotating pointers, rotating dials or discs may be employed.
The second indicator for the quantity of gas to be consumed may be arranged in
any convenient way, for instance in that described in Specification No. 13368
A.D. 1891, but we prefer to arrange it somewhat in the following manner: A
pinion fixed to the sleeve of the large ratchet wheel before referred to gears into
the thread of a screw spindle which can slide lengthwise and moves the spindle for
a certain distance each time the ratchet is turned for a certain number of teeth in
the hereinbefore described manner. A bar sliding in suitable guides parallel to
the spindle embraces a neck in the same and is thus moved along with it. A pointer
attached to said bar moves in front of a graduated scale and by its distance from
the zero mark indicates the quantity of gas paid for but not yet consumed. Upon the
spindle a wheel is fixed, which is rotated in any convenient way from the ordinary
index of the meter showing the quantity of gas passed through the same, in such a
direction that the rotation of the spindle caused thereby shifts the spindle and
sliding bar backwards according to the quantity of gas burnt, the pinion in gear
with the spindle acting as a nut. The wheel on the spindle may conveniently be
rotated by means of a long pinion rotated from any of the index shafts through
bevil or other gearing, the wheel sliding along the pinion as the screw and slide are
shifted. When the pointer returns to zero, a stud or equivalent part on the sliding
bar pushes against a part connected with an inlet or outlet valve (through which
gas passes into or out of the meter) and closes it, thus stopping the supply till
further payment has been made. At the other end the sliding bar carries a plate
which comes behind the slot in the case when the pointer has advanced to the other
limit of the scale and stops further insertions of coin till a certain quantity of gas
has been consumed, thus preventing the mechanism from being overstrained.
Dated the 27th day of December 1892.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Prepayment Mechanism of
Gas Meters.
We, THOMAS THORP of Whitefield in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
THOMAS GARDINER MARSH, of 41 Corporation Street, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer, and JOHN HAYNES of 5, Albert
Drive, Aintree near Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to prepayment gas meters and consists in improvements in

page_text: the prepayment mechanism thereof and in the arrangement or application of two
separate indicators for indicating or registering the total number of coins inserted
on successive occasions or times into the meter and the quantity of gas to be
consumed and in the arrangement of mechanisms for operating said indicating
devices; the objects of our invention being mainly to obtain a minute regulation of
the quantity of gas supplied for each coin or token inserted without having to
exchange parts and to render the index of the total number of coins inserted more
readily readable than when arranged on the same dial as the index of the paid for
quantity to be consumed, as described in our Specification No. 465 A.D. 1892.
The drawings annexed hereunto show how our invention may be carried into
effect.
Fig. 1 shows the upper part of a gas meter and indexes.
Fig. 2 an elevation with part of the framing in section, and
Fig. 3 a plan view of the index mechanism.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the coin carrier detached in two end views and front view.
Fig. 7 a section of the same along line a Fig. 5.
On the drawing A denotes the gas meter, which may be of any ordinary
construction, but is for the purpose of illustrating our invention represented as a dry
meter, B is the dial plate, on which the upper pointers and dials show the total
number of coins or sum of said coius inserted since taking the meter into use, the
second horizontal sliding indicator showing the number of cubic feet of gas paid
for but not yet consumed, the lower dials and pointers being the usual index
showing the total gas consumption. C is a slot for inserting the coins and D a
knob or handle for transferring the coin to the box E, which can be removed and
emptied by the collector.
The knob D is fixed upon a shaft d Figs. 2 and 3 which is cranked or provided
with a crank pin d' to which a connecting rod is attached. Upon a stud h
screwed into a boss on the foundation plate F of the index mechanism the coin
carrier H is mounted so that it can oscillate. This coin carrier is formed of a flat
plate Figs. 1 & 4 to 7 a second cross plate being bent so as to form a slot /³ for
the coin and inserted into the slot of the plate and secured thereto. A stud /*
is screwed into the plate and passes through a slot in the connecting rod d', the
that the crank d can turn half round without moving
slot being of such length
the stud.
The bent cross plate is slotted for the connecting rod freely to pass through
it. Below the coin carrier H a coin race c with ratchet teeth is fixed. When the
crank is turned back as shown in the drawings, the slot h³ is opposite the slot C so
that a coin of the predetermined kind can be inserted, when it will catch on the
curved plate c¹ and as the crank is turned, be pushed by the end of the connecting
rod against the front plate of the slot h³ and thereby cause the coin carrier H
to be pushed forward by the motion of the crank. The coin drops off the plate c¹
on to the race c the ratchet teeth of which prevent the coin from being drawn
backwards again, until the crank d reaches its most forward position, when the
coin drops off the race c into the receptacle E. Previous to the next insertion of
the coin the crank has to be returned to its starting position as a wing plate h on
the coin carrier prevents the insertion of coins through the slot C until the crank
has arrived in this position. The coin carrier thus has to make an oscillation of
definite length for each coin inserted. This motion we utilise to operate as
separate coin totalising index preferably in the following manner, the object of
our improved arrangement being to make the coin index more readily readable
than when the ratchet wheel of said index is mounted on the same spindle as
the larger ratchet wheel determining the quantity of gas to be consumed and with
two pointers on the same dial, as described in our Specification No. 465 A.D. 1892.
A pawl g (or two pawls gg¹ differing in length) are mounted on a stud 9' fixed.
in the plate and engage the ratchet wheel G, so that for each reciprocating
movement of the coin carrier H the ratchet G is advanced by a certain number of
teeth and the shaft of said ratchet rotated. The rotation of this shaft may be

page_text: utilised to work an index in any known manner ordinarily used for this purpose,
that shewn on the drawings being preferred. For the use with pennies the size of
the ratchet wheel G and the stroke of pawl g are so determined that the wheel
makes one twelfth revolution for each oscillation of the coin carrier H, a pointer
fixed upon the end of the shaft moving in front of the dial marked D on Fig. 1
thus indicating the number of pence delivered into the receptacle E. A single
cog on shaft operates a wheel m¹ with 20 teeth on shaft m, a pointer i on this
shaft moving in front of the dial marked S and moving by one division after
12 pennies have been inserted into the box E and indicating shillings. In a
similar manner a single cog m² on shaft m operates a wheel n¹ on shaft n, the
number of teeth of this wheel being optional for instance 20; a pointer on the end
of shaft n moving in front of the dial marked L indicating pounds sterling. For use
with a decimal coinage the wheels would be formed with 10 teeth. By means of
this index the total sum of money placed into the box E is recorded, and by sub-
tracting the previous reading from the actual indication the collector can ascertain
at once and check the number of pennies that ought to be in the box, without
having to calculate the same from the gas consumption recorded by the lower
index, and detect at once if the box E has been tampered with.
The oscillating motion of the coin carrier is transmitted to another large ratchet
wheel operating the index showing the unconsumed quantity of gas paid for, and
the gas valve or the meter, which may be done in the manner described in the
Specification 7233 of 1889, but is preferably effected in the following manner :-
Upon the coin carrier H is mounted a screw p so that it can be turned
round but not moved end ways, upon which screw there is threaded a nut pl
formed with a pivot upon which a connecting rod p² is hinged. This rod is
connected at its other end to a lever p³ mounted loosely upon a stud fixed in the
foundation plate F upon which stud is also mounted a ratchet wheel Q with a long
boss terminating in a pinion q. A pawl p' engaging said ratchet wheel Q is binged
to the end of the lever, and by these means for each oscillation of the coin
carrier H the ratchet wheel Q is turned for a certain number of teeth, such
number depending upon the distance of the nut p' from the centre of stud /
which distance can be varied by turning the screw p. This movement of
the ratchet wheel is transferred to an indicator showing the quantity of gas
to be consumed before additional payments are required, which may be arranged
in any convenient way, for instance in that described in Specification No. 13368
A.D. 1891, but is preferably constructed in the following manner: Pinion
gears with the threads of a long hollow screw q¹ which can slide and turn
on a shaft q fixed in the projections and f1 cast on the foundation plate F.
Upon the end of the screw q' a wheel is fixed and between said wheel and the
threaded part of the screw 9' a groove is formed into which the turned back part o¹
of the slide O enters, so that the movement of the screw on the shaft carries
said slide along with it, the other end of the slide being supported by a stud o
screwed into the projection f which stud passes through a long slot in the slide.
The slide has the pointer o fixed to it. As the ratchet wheel Q is turned at each
insertion of a coin in the manner before described the pinion q moves the screw q¹
and slide O to the right for a distance that can be regulated by shifting the nut p¹
nearer to or farther from the centre of stud h, and the movement and indications
of the pointer made to agree with the quantity of gas obtainable for a coin paid
into the meter; for instance at the price of gas of 2 shillings and 6 pence
per 1000 cubic feet the nut p¹ would be so adjusted that the pointer transverses
the scale from zero to 100 for 3 insertions of a penny each. The wheel q³ on the
nut gears with a long pinion along which it slides when the screw gl and slide O
are shifted as before described. On the end of the shaft of said pinion a crown
wheel is fixed which engages with a small pinion on the first motion shaft of
the lower ordinary gas consumption index which is rotated by the movement of
the measuring device in the usual way, and from it the other index wheels and
shafts are rotated through pinions and wheels s¹³ ³ ³ in the ordinary manner.

page_text: As the pinion revolves it turns the crown wheel and through the long pinion r,
the wheel and screw q' in such a direction that it screws itself along the pinion q
which acts as a nut, to the left in proportion to the gas consumed, so that the
pointer o moves back and indicates the quantity remaining to be consumed before
a further payment requires to be made.
A screw t is screwed into the back part o' of the slide O, the head of which
screw comes against the valve t¹ or a lever acting on said valve which may be
either the inlet or the outlet valve of the meter, and closes it when the pointer
arrives at zero so that the further supply of gas is cut off; the valve opening again
by the gas pressure when a further coin has been paid in and the slide shifted
thereby to the right. When the other end of the slide O has arrived at the
extremity of its travel to the right, it places itself behind a slot C in the
casing, and prevents the insertion of further coins, so that the various parts
cannot be moved so far by the motion of the coin carrier H that they become
locked or broken.
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. In a prepayment gas meter the arrangement of an oscillating coin carrier
operated by means of a crank or its equivalent and a slotted link acting upon a
coin inserted into said carrier, said coin carrier actuating an index so as to advance
it by a unit continuously in one direction for each oscillation of the carrier or each
coin inserted, and a separate index showing the quantity of unconsumed gas paid
for and operating the gas stop valve of the meter, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In a prepayment gas meter the arrangement or combination of an oscillating
coin carrier operated by means of a crank or its equivalent and a slotted link acting
upon a coin inserted into said carrier, a pawl attached to said carrier rotating a
ratchet wheel on the shaft of the unit pointer of a coin index by an arc equal
to one division of the unit scale for each oscillation of the coin carrier, means
for transmitting this rotation to the shafts or pointers of the indexes of coins
of higher denomination in inverse ratio of their value, a rod attached to a coin
carrier actuating by means of a pawl lever a large ratchet wheel, and mechanism
operated by said ratchet wheel for opening and closing the gas stop valve and
actuating an index showing the quantity of gas paid for, but unconsumed,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. In a prepayment gas meter the arrangement of a screw and sliding nut in an
oscillating coin carrier operated by means of a crank or its equivalent and a slotted
link acting on the coin inserted into the carrier, said nut having a rod attached to
it connected at the other end to a lever carrying a pawl which actuates a large
ratchet wheel operating the gas valve of the meter, and an index showing the
unconsumed quantity of gas paid for substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a prepayment gas meter the arrangement of a large ratchet wheel
advanced by each oscillation of the coin carrier by an adjustable number of teeth,
a pinion connected to said ratchet wheel meshing with the threads of a sliding
screw which actuates the gas valve of the meter and to which is connected a rod
carrying a pointer moving in front of a graduated scale indicating quantities of
gas, a spur wheel fixed upon said screw and meshing with a long pinion which is
rotated through gearing from the gas consumption index of the meter in such a
direction that the screw is thereby shifted in the contrary direction to that
in which the rotation of the large ratchet wheel moves it, substantially as herein
before described and illustrated by the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a prepayment gas meter the arrangement in addition to the gas con-
sumption index of a coin totalising index and an index showing the unconsumed

page_text: quantity of gas paid for operated by mechanisms arranged substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of September 1893.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer, and Patent Agent.