Improvements in Coin-freed Mechanism applicable to Gas, Electricity, and like Meters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Mechanism applicable to Gas,
Electricity, and like Meters.
I, STEPHEN SIMPSON, of 32, Powderham Crescent, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to coin-freed mechanism of the type, in which a measur-
ing wheel, disc, or shaft is rotated in one direction by an operating handle so as
to turn on the supply and set the meter in operation, and in the opposite direction
by the ordinary registering mechanism of the meter, so as to cut off the supply
when the quantity pre-paid for has been consumed, the said operating handle
being normally locked so as to prevent it from turning, and released by the
insertion of a coin or by the action of a coin in a coin-holder.
The said invention comprises improvements whereby the operating handle is
more positively and securely locked until the insertion of a coin; the fraudulent
operation of the mechanism more effectually prevented; and the quantity of gas
or other fluid supplied in exchange for the coin more easily and accurately
adjusted, than is the case with existing mechanisms of the type to which the
invention refers.
The said improvements are particularly applicable to a coin-freed mechanism
such as that described in the Specification of the application for Letters Patent
numbered 22830 and dated 5th of October 1897, in which a coin-holder is employed
having the coin-slot parallel with its axis and in which the usual measur-
ing disc or wheel is replaced by a longitudinally movable measuring shaft, and
in order that the invention may he readily understood, the same will now be
described with reference to such a mechanism. The spindle carrying the coin-
holder and the operating handle, instead of being concentric with the measuring
shaft as set forth in the specification above referred to, is placed by the side of and
parallel with the said shaft, and upon the shaft in place of the notched or toothed
disc is a toothed wheel gearing with a similar toothed wheel upon the spindle of
the coin-holder, the latter wheel having a portion of its periphery cut away so as
to be clear of the former wheel when the handle is in its locked or inoperative
position.
Upon the spindle of the coin-holder, (or in one piece with the same) is a locking
disc turning therewith and having an elongated notch in which normally engages
a hook or detent upon the upper arm of a two-armed locking lever pivoted to the
frame of the mechanism. The hook or detent is kept in engagement with the lock-
ing disc by a spring so as to prevent the coin-holder from turning, except to
an extent due to the length of the notch in the locking disc, until a coin is
inserted in the coin-holder and the coin-holder rotated, when, while the hook or
detent of the locking lever is traversing along the said notch, the coin, coming in
contact with a pin or projection on the upper end of the said lever, operates the.
same so as to lift the hook or detent clear of the locking disc and allow the coin-
077

page_text: holder to make a complete revolution, turning on the supply and discharging the
coin into the usual receptacle.
Upon the said locking disc is also a cam-like projection adapted to come in con-
tact with the lower arm of the locking lever and hold the said hook or detent
positively in engagement with the notch of the disc whilst the coin-slot of the coin-
holder is in a vertical position and coincides with the shoot or opening in the
meter casing, whereby fraudulent operation by releasing the coin-holder by way
of the coin-shoot is rendered impossible.
A suitable notch is also provided in the locking disc to receive the lower end of
the locking lever and allow the same to be moved inwards during the passing of
the cam-like projection of the disc over the hook or detent of the lever. The ends
of this second notch are bevelled or inclined so as to prevent the hook or detent
from engaging in the same during the rotation of the coin-holder. The quantity
of gas or other fluid supplied in exchange for the coin is varied by cutting away
more or less of the toothed periphery of the gear wheel on the coin-holder spindle
and thus varying the amount of rotation imparted thereby to the measuring shaft
in one revolution of the operating handle. This is preferably effected by having
a number of such wheels for different prices of gas or other fluid, and in order to
enable such wheels to be readily changed I prefer to provide them with a slot
extending from the central hole to that part of the periphery where the teeth are
cut away, so as to allow the removal of the wheel edgewise from the spindle. The
' wheel may be secured in position by screws or other means.
In some cases instead of adopting the method above described I may effect the
variation by making the wheel in two halves, each of half the thickness, and adjust-
able relatively so as to vary the total periphery of the compound wheel thus
formed.
A suitable friction spring presses upon the measuring shaft, or upon its wheel,
so as to prevent it from moving accidentally, and a ratchet and pawl is provided
upon the coin-holder spindle or upon the measuring shaft so as to prevent back-
ward rotation of the handle, or a pawl may engage in the teeth of either of the
gear wheels.
66
"
In another modification of my improved prepayment mechanism I employ a
sliding coin-holder actuated by a cam (preferably of the triangular eccentric
type working between two faces) upon the spindle of the operating handle, and in
this case I arrange the locking disc upon the said spindle and operate the locking
lever by means of the sliding coin-holder and the coin therein. In this modifica-
tion the movement of the coin-holder may be transmitted to the measuring shaft
by a variable stroke lever and pawl operating a ratchet wheel on the said shaft.
Dated this 26th day of October 1897
Electricity, and like Meters.
I, STEPHEN SIMPSON, of 32, Powderham Crescent, Exeter, in the County of
Devon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what 4
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to coin-freed mechanism of the type in which a measur-
ing wheel, disc, or shaft is rotated in one direction by an operating handle so as

page_text: by the ordinary registering mechanism of the meter, so as to cut off the supply
when the quantity prepaid for has been consumed, the said operating handle
being normally locked so as to prevent it from turning until released by the
insertion of a coin, or by the action of a coin in a coin-holder.
The said invention comprises improvements whereby the operating handle is
more positively and securely locked until the insertion of a coin, the fraudulent
operation of the mechanism more effectually prevented, and the quantity of gas
or other fluid supplied in exchange for the coin more easily and accurately
adjusted, than is the case with existing mechanisms of the type to which the
invention refers.
The said improvements are particularly applicable to a coin-freed mechanism
such as that described in the Specification of the application for Letters Patent
numbered 22830, and dated the 5th day of October 1897, in which a coin-holder is
employed having the coin-slot parallel to its axis, and in which the usual measur-
ing disc or uheel is replaced by a longitudinally moveable measuring shaft, and
in order that the invention may be readily understood, the same will now be
described as applied to such a mechanism, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of a dry gas meter with the top cover removed,
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coin-freed mechanism, with the casing removed,
Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, shewing the locking gear,
Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,
Fig. is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2,
Figs. 6 and 7 are views illustrating the working of the locking gear,
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a method of varying the quantity of gas or other fluid
supplied in exchange for a coin.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modification, and
Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the drawings.
Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 9.
The coin-holder E, with its operating handle E¹, instead of being concentric
with the measuring shaft B, as described in the specification above referred to,
is mounted on a spindle E2, working in suitable bearings, by the side of and
parallel to the said shaft B, and upon the shaft B, in place of the notched or
toothed measuring disc is a toothed wheel D adapted to be operated by a similarly.
toothed wheel E3, fixed to the coin-holder, the wheel E3 having a portion of its
periphery cut away so as to be clear of the former wheel when the handle is in
its locked, inoperative, position, as shewn in Figs. 1 & 2.
Upon the spindle E2 of the coin-holder E is a locking disc F, turning therewith
and having an elongated notch F¹ in which normally engages a hook or detent G³,
upon the upper arm G¹ of a two-armed locking lever G pivoted at g to the frame
of the mechanism. The hook or detent G³ is kept in engagement with the
notch F¹ of the locking disc F by a spring G4, so as to prevent the coin holder E
from turning, except to an extent due to the length of the said notch F¹, until a
coin e is inserted in the coin-holder E and the coin-holder rotated, when, while
the hook or detent G3 of the locking lever G is traversing along the said notch F¹,
the coin e coming in contact with a pin or projection G5 on the upper end G¹ of
the said lever, operates the same so as to lift the hook or detent G³ clear of the
locking disc F, (as shewn in Fig. 6,) and allows the coin-holder to make a com-
plete revolution, thus operating the measuring shaft B, turning on the supply,
and discharging the coin into the usual receptacle.
Upon the locking disc F is also a cam-like projection - adapted to come in
contact with the lower end G2 of the locking lever G, and hold the hook or
letent G positively in engagement with the notch F', while the coin-slot E* of
the coin-holder is in a vertical position and coincides with the shoot or opening S

page_text: in the meter casing. Thus the fraudulent operation of the mechanism, by releas-
ing the coin-holder by wire or other means, through the coin-shoot is rendered
impossible.
A suitable notch, F³ is also provided in the locking disc F, to receive the lower
end G2 of the locking lever and allow the same to be moved inwards during the
passing of the cam-like projection F2 of the disc over the hook or detent G³ of
the lever, as, shewn in Eig., 7. The ends of this second, notch F3 are bevelled or
inclined as shewn, so as to prevent the hook or detent from engaging in the same
during the rotation of the coin-holder..
The quantity of gas or other fluid supplied in exchange for a coin, that is to say,
the amount of rotation of the measuring shaft B for each coin inserted, is varied
by cutting away more or less of the toothed periphery of the gear wheel E³, on the
coin-holder, and thus varying the amount of rotation imparted thereby to the
measuring shaft in one revolution of the operating handle E. This is preferably
effected in practice by having a number of such wheels for different prices of gas
or other fluid, and in order to enable such wheels to be readily changed, I prefer
to provide them with a slot Et extending from the central hole to that part of
the periphery where the teeth are cut away, so as to allow the removal of the
wheel edgewise from the spindle. The wheel may be secured in position by
screws E5, or other means.
In some cases instead of adopting the method above described, I may effect the
variation by making the wheel in two halves, each of half the thickness, and
adjustable relatively so as to vary the total periphery of the compound wheel thus
formed. Such an arrangement is shewn in Figs. 8 & 9, in which one half of the
wheel is provided with a screw E adapted to screw into any one of a series of
holes E in the other half, the said holes being preferably numbered as shewn,
according to the quantity of fluid supplied with any given adjustment of the parts.
In order to prevent accidental rotation of the shaft B, a spring B12 is so
arranged as to constantly press the wheel I against the side plate a of the me-
chanism, on which plate is also mounted a pawl D4, which engages with the teeth
of the wheel D so as to prevent backward rotation of the same.
The handle E¹ is preferably provided with a pointer E8, which indicates the
normal position of the handle.
The notches or projections, instead of being formed in or upon a separate disc
such as F, may sometimes be formed upon the coin-holder itself.
<<
Obviously in some cases I may employ a sliding instead of a rotary coinholder,
as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings, in which the coinholder E,
working in guides E, is reciprocated once for each rotation of the operating
handle E by means of the cam E10, which is of the kind known as a triangular
eccentric," mounted upon the spindle E of the operating handle and so shaped
as to fit, in all positions, between the two inner faces of jaws E12 on the coinholder.
The locking disc F, of similar construction to that above described as applied
to a rotary coinholder, is mounted on the spindle E, and the locking lever G
is operated by the coin o in the coinholder, which, while the hook or detent G³ of
the locking lever is traversing along the notch F', comes in contact with the
projection G on the lever so as to raise the said hook or detent and allow the
operating handle, with the locking disc, to make a complete revolution and
reciprocate the coinholder. The coin is discharged through the slot R into the
coin receptacle when the coinholder reaches its extreme outward position.
The movement of the coinholder is transmitted, through the pawl L₁ and
ratchet wheel B13, to the measuring shaft B by means of the link H, which con-
nects said coinholder to a pin K' carried on a block K in a slotted pawl lever L,
the said block being adjustable in the slot L2 of the lever, in the well-known
manner, so as to vary the amount of rotation of the measuring shaft B for each
reciprocation of the coin holder. The pawl lever may be graduated as shewn,
to facilitate adjustment. The pawl D engages in a ratchet wheel D³, on the
shaft E, preventing backward rotation.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
CLAIMS.
1. In coin-freed mechanisin applicable to gas, electricity, and like meters,
the combination, with a coin-holder having a slot for the reception of the coin,
and an operating handle for rotating or reciprocating the coin-holder so as to
operate the measuring shaft; of a locking disc or plate fixed to and moving with
the said handle or with the said coin-holder, and a locking lever adapted to normally
lock the said disc, handle, and coin-holder, and to be operated by or through the
action of a coin in the coin-holder so as to release the same, substantially as
described.
2. In coin-freed mechanism of the kind described in Claim 1, the means, such
as the projection F on the locking disc, and the arm G2 of the locking lever,
whereby the coin-holder is prevented from being unlocked while the slot of the
coin-holder is opposite the coin shoot, substantially as described.
3. In coin-freed mechanism of the kind described in Claim 1, the gear wheel
such as E3, having a portion of its periphery cut away so as to be clear of the
measuring wheel when the handle is in its locked or inoperative position, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In coin-freed mechanism in which is employed a gear wheel such as described
in Claim 3, the slot Et in said wheel, for enabling the same to be readily detached,
substantially as described.
5. In coin-freed mechanism applicable to gas, electricity, and like meters, in
which a measuring wheel or shaft is rotated in one direction by an operating
handle, and in the opposite direction by the ordinary registering mechanism of
the meter; the means for varying the amount of rotation of the measuring shaft
for each rotation of the operating handle, consisting of the gear-wheel E³ formed
in two parts adjustable with relation to each other, substantially as described.
G. The construction and arrangement of the coin-freed mechanism, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of July 1898
STEPHEN SIMPSON,
Applicant.