Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
I, SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD of 97 Newgate Street London, Patent Agent, (a
communication from Frank Edward Morgan, of 3 Court Street, in the City of
New Haven, County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States, America,
Gentleman,) 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:-
This invention relates to pre-payment gas meters through which a pre-determined
quantity of gas is allowed to pass to the consumer on the insertion into a slot in the
coin-controlled apparatus at the outside of the meter.
The improvement relates to the said coin-controlled apparatus and to the supply
controlling mechanism held inside of the meter and connected to the usual index
mechanism and arranged to automatically cut off the flow of gas when the coins'
equivalent has been consumed. The coin-controlled mechanism is constructed with
a shaft which renches into the meter and connects with the shaft of the supply
controlling mechanism so that the two act as one to be turned in one direction only
after the insertion of a coin. On the insertion of a coin into the coin-controlled
apparatus a main shaft thereof aligned with the said shafts and which terminates at
about the centre of the casing of the apparatus is caused to operate a pawl and
ratchet so that by the turning of the said main shaft by the purchaser the said shafts
may be turned a specified portion of a complete revolution for each coin inserted.
The coins inserted in the coin-controlled apparatus are successively received by and
held during the turning of the main shaft by coin holders which are relatively
stationary, that is they do not revolve with the main shaft. The action of one of the
coin-holders due to the forcible insertion of a coin unlocks or releases the main shaft
and at the same time connects it with the adjacent shaft so that the said main shaft
becoines a key for operating the entire mechanism dependent upon the act of
inserting a coin, which itself acts as a key for unlocking the main shaft. The coin
remains in the coin-holders until a combined price changer and coin trip dislodges
the coin at a pre-determined point in the revolution of the main shaft and shafts
whereupon the further purchase of gas ceases until the introduction of another coin
into the coin slot. While turning the main shaft in the direction of purchase the
coin slot is closed by a plate or apron which is locked in closed position over the coin
slot until the said slot closing plate is released by turning the main shaft and trip
back to the starting point, or point at which each purchase of gas must begin.
The supply controlling mechanisin is attached to, operated by and made a part of
the usual index mechanism of the meter, so that the act of securing the said index
inechanism in the meter also secures the supply controlling mechanism in place.
The novel construction and details of the coin-controlled mechanism and the
supply controlling mechanism are fully and their connection with the index
mechauism is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the annexed
drawings in which :—
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a gas meter having this invention applied thereto,
the lid of the index of the meter and the cash box of the coin-controlled apparatus
Livehown in anon nosition.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the muex mechamour remoTOR NO
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same;
Fig. 5 is an end elevation;
Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the coin-controlled apparatus removed from the 5
meter and detached from the supply controlling mechanism, the coin slot being
shown open ready to receive a coin;
13
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the coin-controlled apparatus, the casing thereof and
the cash box being shown in section;
Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line
Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view on line ¹¹ of Fig. 7;
Fig. 10 is a like section on line 2-x² of Fig. 7;
of Fig. 7;
Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the coin-controlled apparatus showing the coin
slot closed;
Fig. 12 is a view like Fig. 7 showing a coin in place;
Fig. 13 is a transverse view on line of Fig. 12 showing the position of the
parts after inserting a coin ;
Fig. 14 is a sectional view on line x¹¹ of Fig. 12 showing the position of the
parts while the coin remains in the apparatus ;
Fig. 15 is a sectional view on line x-x² of Fig. 12 showing the parts in 2
the position they assume at the time the coin is discharged from the
apparatus; and
Fig. 16 shows a modified construction as hereinafter explained.
The meter casing 2 with its index comprising the one thousand foot shaft 3, the
ten thousand foot shaft 4, one hundred thousand foot shaft 5 and two foot shaft G
may be of the usual or of any approved type. A horizontal index 7 at the face of
the said usual index together with the movement of the pointer 8 indicates the
number of coins inserted in the coin controlled apparatus at any one time, and also
the amount of
that remains to the credit of the consumer.
gas, any,
The usual train of registering gearing is sustained between the front plate 9 and
back plate 9 of the index mechanisin as shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.
10 represents the one-hundred foot wheel the shaft 12 of which reaches back
through the back plate 9. In this instance this shaft 12 is employed for connecting
the index gearing with the supply-controlling mechanism or rather with the worm
shaft 17 thereof though there is no limitation to this connection. The said
connection is effected by the two gear wheels 13, 14 and the two beveled gear
wheels 15, 16 as clearly shown in Fig. 3.
The said worm shaft 17 is sectional with the shaft 18 and is journaled at one end
in a bearing 19. Its opposite end is by preference journaled in a socket 20 in the
Both of said
end of the shaft 18 which latter is journaled in a bearing 21.
bearings 19 and 21 are by preference supported by the back-plate 9 of the index
mechanism. On the worm shaft 17 is placed a traveller 22 which engages with the
spiral race 23 formed on the said worm shaft 17 so that when the worm shaft is
rotated by the index mechanism the traveller 22 will be moved in the direction of
the arrow in Fig. 3.
24, 24, 24b represents a cage or yoke rigidly secured to the shaft 18, and the
said traveller 22 engages with this said cage or yoke so that when the shaft 18 is
rotated in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 4, the traveller 22 will be
rotated by the said yoke around the worm shaft 17, the spiral race of which will
cause the traveller to move along the worm shaft and the yoke in a direction opposite
to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3.
The said cage or yoke may be constructed in various ways, but the preferred
construction thereof consists of three rods 24 held parallel to one another by the
annular plates or rings 24, 24b. These said rods by preference pass through orifices 25
in the flange of the traveller 22 as shown,
To the upper edge of the back plate 9 of the index mechanism is connected a
guide 26 parallel with the worm shaft 17 and shaft 18. This guide is by preference
1

page_text: and
in the form of a tube formed with a longitudinal slot 27 so that it will afford
a uniform and easy running and yet firm and rigid bearing for a reciprocating frame 28
which is moved back and forth by the traveller 22 for moving the pointer
for operating the aim b or other device for cutting off and admitting the flow of gas
through the meter.
The reciprocating frame 28 is by preference formed as shown in Figs. 3 and 5,
that is of the lower channel bar 32 one edge of which is notched at 33 to engage
with the edge of the traveller 22, and the upper plate or bar 34 attached to the lower
bar 32 and carrying the bent arm 35 to which the pointer 8 is attached, and the
cylindrical bearing or piston 36, shown in solid black in Fig. 5, which slides in the
Blotted tube 26,
The shaft 18 is connected to the shaft 37 of the coin-controlled apparatus which
and which will now be
is attached to the side of the meter as shown in Fig.
described.
In Figs. 6 to 16, numeral 38 represents the main casing of the coin-controlled
apparatus provided at one end with a fixed plate 30 and at the opposite end with a
removable cap 40.
41 represents the cash box hinged at one side to the main casing and adapted to
be locked to the main casing at the opposite side by a padlock fastening 43'.
In the fixed plate 39 is journaled the said shaft 37 adapted to pass through a
stufling box in the meter casing 2 to be connected to the shaft 18 of the supply
controlling mechanism. The inner end of this shaft 37 is provided with a ratchet
or gear wheel 43 with which a click 44 engages to prevent the shaft 37 from being
turned except in one direction. It is also provided with another ratchet or gear
wheel 45 by which the said shaft 37 may be turned after a coin has been inserted in
the coin slot 46 in the main casing, as hereinafter described.
In the boss 47 of the cap 40 is journaled a main shaft 48 the outer end of which
forms a crank, knob or handle by which the said shaft may be turned and the
apparatus operated.
49 represents a plate securely fixed to the inwardly projecting posts or pillars 50,
51, 52, secured to the
спр 40.
The main shaft 48 reaches through the plate 49 and has secured upon its inner
end, beyond the said plate, a disk 53, which carries a pawl 54 which latter engages
constantly with the said ratchet wheel 45 on the shaft 37, for turning the said shaft
a pre-determined distance when the shaft 48 is unlocked by the act of inserting a
coin, as hereinafter described. Adjustably connected to the disk 53 is a coin trip and
price changer 59, Fig. 12. This trip and price changer is by preference formed as a
part of an annular disk 60 (Fig. 12) which turns on the shaft 48, (see Fig. 7) and is
clamped to the disk 53 by a clamp nut 61. By loosening the said clamp-nut 61 the
trip and price changer may be moved backward or forward on the disk 53 so that the
shaft 37 will be turned a greater or less distance (always less than a complete
revolution) at each operation of the apparatus.
The coin on being inserted through the coin slot 46 is temporarily retained by coin
holders adjacent to the slot, and the act of inserting the coin unlocks the shaft 48 so
that it, the disk 53, the coin trip 59 and the shaft 37 may be turned by the purchaser
from the initial point, or the point of unlocking the shaft, until the coin trip
dislodges the coin from the coin holders.
As here shown the said coin holders consist of the two clamps 62, 63. The clamp 63
is in the form of a sleeve slotted to receive the edge of the coin placed loosely on the
post 50. One end of the said sleeve is provided with an arm 64, to which is attached
a pin 65 which latter reaches back into the path of the trip 59 so that the said trip
will operate to turn the sleeve from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in
Fig. 15 thereby discharging or flipping the coin out from between the coin holders as
indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 15. The stud 65 is normally held against a stop or
shoulder 66 on the plate 49 by a spring 67 (Fig. 10) and the movement of the said
stud, and that of the sleeve 63 produced by the trip 59 is limited by another stop or

page_text: shoulder 68 also by preference formed in the plate 49, and this stop 68 marks the
point at which each purchase censes.
The complemental clamp 62 is by preference n part of a plate 69 pivoted at 70 and
held up by a spring 71 (Figs. 8 and 13). The clamp proper 62 is grooved or recessed
to hold the edge of the coin as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 13 and it is arranged to
disengage a click or pawl 72 from a ratchet 73 when there is no coin in the coin
holders, that is the spring 71 in moving the clamp 62 from the position shown, in
Fig. 14 to that shown in Fig. 9 releases the ratchet 73, which ratchet is fast upon
the main shaft 48. When a coin is inserted between the coin holders tho pawl 72 is
made by the spring 74 or otherwise to engage the ratchet 73 so that the purchaser
cannot turn the main shaft 48 back towards the starting point until after the coin has
been discharged from the coin holders by the trip 59. In short the plate 69, pawl 72,
and ratchet 73, constitute means which compells the purchaser to turn the main
shaft 48 from the starting point, that shown in Fig. 10 where the trip 59 is farthest
away from the stud 65, to the point of discharging the coin (that shown in Fig. 15)
continuously, without at any time during the whole sweep being permitted to turn
the shaft 48 backward. The spring 71 is necessarily stronger than the spring 74.
The plate 69 is provided with a pawl or stud 75 (Figs. 8 and 13) which, when no
coin is in the coin holders, engages with a ratchet wheel 76 also secured on the main
shaft 48 and thus prevents the shaft 48 from being turned in the direction of purchase
except when a coin is properly in place in the coin holders.
The said ratchet 76 is provided with a stud 77-see Figs. 7, 8 and 13. 78 is a
double acting tumbler or locking plate serving, first, in connection with the said
stud 77 and a fixed stud 77" to limit the backward sweep of the main shaft 48 and
its connecting parts, that is the coin trip 59, the disk 53 and pawl 54, and,
secondly, in connection with the stud 79 on the slot-closing apron 80 to lock the
said apron in position to close the coin slot 46.
The said tumbler or locking plate 78 is centrally pivoted on a stud 81 attached
to the cap 40, and is formed at its lower end with a bifurcation or slot 82 which
embraces the stud 77 as shown in Fig. 8, and in consequence of the stud 77* and
the central pivot 81 operates to limit the backward turning of the main shaft 48.
When the shaft 48 is thus locked as shown in Fig. 8, it will be seen that the
opposite end of the tumbler or lock 78 stands to one side of the stud 79 and releases
it and allows the apron 80 to be turned to reveal the coin slot 46 for the insertion of
a coin into the apparatus.
It will thus be seen that when the apparatus is in position to receive a coin in the
coin slot the main shaft 48, and in fact the whole apparatus, is locked from being
turned in either direction; the stud or pawl 75 locks it from being turned in the
direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8, and the tumbler 78 with its crotch 82 and
the studs 77 and 77" lock it from being turned in the opposite direction.
Upon the introduction of a coin into the coin slot 46 between the clamps 62
and 63 the former will be forced back to the position shown in Fig. 13 which
movement will disengage the stud or pawl 75 from the ratchet 76 and allow the
purchaser to turn the shaft 48, disk 53, pawl 54, ratchet wheel 45, shaft 37 and
trip 59. This turning must continue until the trip 59 strikes the stud 65 and flips
out the coin, for the pawl 72 and ratchet 73 provent backward turning until the coin
has been thus discharged. At the outset of the turning of the main shaft 48
forward the stud 77 swings the tumbler 78 to the position shown in Fig. 18 where
its upper end stands beneath the stud 79 and locks the apron 80 in position to close
the coin slot 46 and no further purchase can be made until the parts have been
returned to the position shown in Fig. 8.
I prefer to make the upper end of the tumbler 78 in the form of a curved cam so
that the slot closing apron will be automatically closed over the coin slot by the turning
force applied to the shaft 48. In order to prevent the said tumbler froin swinging out
of place it is formed with a projection 82 which acts as a stop against the stud 79 as
clearly indicated in Fig. 13.
In the modification shown in Fig. 16 the stud 77 is omitted from the ratchet

page_text: wheel 76 and said ratchet is provided with a plate 83 shown in dotted lines notched
to form the stop 84 and cain 85; and in place of the tumbler 78 is employed a
pawl 86 pivoted at 87 and formed with a bevele I hook 88 to drop into the notch as
shown. When the ratchet wheel is turned after inserting a coin the cam 85 lifts the
hook 86 so that it rides upon the concentric portion of the plate 83 and when Bo lifted
and held it acts upon the stud 79 and closes the apron 80 over the coin slot and holds
it in that position until the hook again drops into the notch.
The trip and price changer 59 will be set by means of the clamp nut 61 to have
relation with the stop pin or stud 77, or notch 84 (Fig. 16) so that the main shaft 48,
the shaft 37 and the shaft 18 in the meter may be turned a specified part of a com-
plete revolution for each coin inserted. This partial rotation will move the traveller 22
and frame 28 a distance to deliver a quantity of gas equivalent to the coins inserted
in the machine, and the movement of the said frame 28 by the rotation of the shaft 18
operates to open a slide or other form of valve in a gas passage of the meter and admit
the flow of gas through the meter or it may be arranged to release one of the flag
arms or other part of the meter mechanism, and reversely when the frame 28 is
returned to its starting point at normal position by the operation of the index
mechanism, the said frame will operate to close the valve or lock the meter and thus
automatically cut off the flow of gas.
In case a valve be employed for cutting off the gas it may be turned, lifted or slid
according to the type selected by the reciprocation of the frame 28 which as here shown
is provided with a lip a for drawing back the valve lever b to cut off the gas and with
a stud c for reversing said lever for turning on the gas. The said lever b turns in the
arc of a circle so that the said stud c will pass a stud d except when it is turned to
position for closing the valve.
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. The general construction and combination of parts constituting my improved
pre-payment gas meter for the automatic sale and delivery of gas, substantially as
described in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
2. The improved pre-payment gas meter for automatic supply of pre-determined
quantities of gas in exchange for inserted coins comprising supply controlling
mechanism connected as a part of and arranged to be operated by the meter index
mechanism, and coin-controlled apparatus attached to the outside of the meter and
connected by aligned shafts to the supply controlling mechanism, the latter being
arranged to cut off and admit the flow of gas, the former being constructed to receive
coins between coin holders which automatically connect the main shaft with the shaft
of the supply controlling mechanism, substantially as herein before set forth.
3. The employment in connection with the coin-controlled mechanism of coin
holders held therein adjacent to a coin slot, one reciprocating, the other adapted to
be rotated by a projection thereou combined with a rotating coin-trip attached to the
main shaft, a shaft arranged to reach into the meter and inechanism operated by the
reciprocating coin holder for connecting the said main shaft and shaft together on
the insertion of a coin, substantially as specified.
4. The coin-controlled apparatus, substantially as shown in Figs. 7 and 12.
5. The modification of the coin-controlled apparatus, substantially as shown in
Fig. 16.
6. The supply controlling mechanism, substantially as shown in Fig. 3.
7. The combination with the usual index mechanism of the meter, of supply-
controlling mechanism comprising two aligned shafts one formed with spiral grooves
and connected by gear wheels to the index mechanism, the other connected to rotate
a yoke or cage and to rotate a traveller applied to said cage and to the said spiral
grooves, substantially as shown and set forth.
8. The combination with the mechanism specified in Claim 7, of a reciprocating
frame connected to the said traveller and provided with a pointer arranged to operate

page_text: In connection with an index at the front of the meter, substantially as shown and set
forth.
9. The combination with the traveller and reciprocating frame arranged to be
operated together as specified, of a guide for said frame secured to the back-plate of
the usual index mechanism, substantially as shown and set forth.
10. The spirally grooved shaft 17 journaled in bearings attached to the plate 9° of
the index mechanism and connected by gearing to the index mechanism, the aligned
shaft 18, the yoke 24 surrounding the said shaft 17 and secured to the said shaft 18,
combined with the traveller 22, a reciprocating frame connected to the said traveller
and a guide 26 for the said frame secured to the plate 9 of the index mechanism,
substantially as shown and specified.