Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Allowing a Certain Quantity of Gas to Pass Through a Meter.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Allowing a Certain
Quantity of Gas to Pass Through a Meter.
1, JOHN LAYCOCK, of Sunny Mount, Keighley, in the County of York, Gas
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention has for its object the construction of a simple and positive apparatus,
and the novel combination of the same with a gas meter in such a manner that, on
the deposit of a coin or token of specific value, a supply valve is opened and gas
allowed to pass for consumption; and to so connect the said valve with the operative
mechanism of the meter that, by the time the quantity of gas equivalent to the
deposited coin or token has been consumed, the said supply valve will have closed the
opening and the gas cut off until another deposit is made.
I accomplish my object in the following manner: To the upper part of a gas
meter I secure a casing suitably divided into compartments, one of which is in con-
nection with the inlet or outlet of the meter, and another with the service pipe.
Another compartment in prepared with a slot for the reception of coins or
tokens, into which they are placed one at a time, and each separately pushed
forward by means of a sliding rod so shaped that when operated, the coin or token
within the casing on being carried forward operates a lever, train of wheels, and a dial
a regulated distance corresponding to the coins or tokens deposited: at the same time
opening a valve to allow the gas to pass from the meter to the service pipe.
To some portion of the rotating mechanism of the meter, such as to one of the shafts
of the index, is connected a shaft to which is attached the supply valve cover; and to
the said shaft is also secured a wheel in gear with a perforated dial plate.
By connecting the last mentioned shaft with some portion of the rotating
mechanism ; as the gas is being consumed, the supply valve is gradually closed:
and by the time the determined quantity of gas has been consumed, it will have
moved a sufficient distance to entirely close the opening, thereby stopping the
supply; and in addition, as the gas is being consumed, the perforated dial will also
revolve until the perforation is opposite a number which indicates the quantity of gas
paid for, and the quantity to consume before the valve stops the supply.
On depositing another coin or token and operating it as before described, the
supply valve is again opened, and the supply continued; the coins or tokens falling
into a receptacle under the control of the gas officials.
Dated this 24th day of January 1889
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for Allowing a Certain
Quantity of Gas to Pass Through a Meter.
I, JOHN LAYCOCK, of Sunny Mount, Keighley, in the County of York, Gas
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and assertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object the construction of a simple and positive apparatus,
and the novel combination of the same with a gas meter in such a manner that, on the
deposit of a coin or token of specific value, a supply valve is opened and gas allowed
to pass for consumption: and to so connect some portion of the valve with the opera-
tive mechanism of the meter, that by the time the quantity of gas equivalent to the
value of the deposited coin or token has been consumed, the opening through the
ונ..D

page_text: valve will have been closed and remain so until another deposit be made and con-
sists of an attachment fixed to a wet or dry meter, by preference to the back of the
index of such meter, the attachment being a cover or box divided into compartments,
two of which are gas tight, one being in connection with the gas outlet of the meter,
the other with the consumers fitting, and the third for the reception of coins or tokens,
into which they are placed one at a time, and held in a certain position until liberated
by a lever, on the operation of which the coin or token is brought into contact with,
and operates a sliding bar in connection with wheels and a valve; the latter of which
is opened on the deposit of a coin or token, and closed by a connection with one of
the rotating shafts of the meter.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1. represents a front view and Fig. 2. a side
view of a wet gas meter arranged according to my invention.
Fig. 3. a sectional detail through the casing or box shewing the three compartments
into which it is divided.
Fig. 4. a section through line. 2.
Fig. 5. an enlarged view of the valve plate and cover, and
Fig. 6. an enlarged sectional detail through the slot or shoot for the reception of the
coins or tokens.
To the upper part of the gas meter A. is secured a casing B. of suitable size and
shape, the interior being divided into three compartments, one of which at C. is shown
with an opening communicating with the interior of the meter: the compartment D.
is shown in connection with the outlet or consumers pipe P¹ whilst the division E.
containing the ordinary index dials and my additional operating mechanism is
arranged so that no gas can escape thereto, this being effected by a stuffing box and
gland at X. and the long bearing of shaft S. in hollow shaft O.
It will be easily understood by persons conversant with gas meters, that the duty
of the compartments C. and D. may be reversed; the compartment D. may have a
direct communication with the interior of the gas meter the same as C. providing
the latter compartment is connected to the ordinary outlet or consumers pipe P¹.
The compartment E. is prepared with a slot or shoot G. for the reception of coins
or tokens of specific value, the size of the slot or shoot being by preference such as to
receive a penny.
The slot or shoot G. is provided with a lever H. hinged on fulcrum, and when the
lever is in its normal position, is somewhat as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. On a
coin or token P. heing placed in the shoot G. the lever H. is moved to the position
shown by full lines: the coin or token passing forward into the lower shoot G¹ rests
on support at J. until liberated, and whilst in this position another coin cannot be
placed in the slot or shoot G. or that in lower shoot G¹ extracted therefrom by reason
of the coin P. resting against the bottom end of lever H. thereby causing the projec-
tion at its upper end to pass through an opening into the interior of the slot or shoot G.
as shown by Fig. 6.
On operating the lever K. in an upward direction, the lower shoot G³ containing
the coin or token P. is moved on its axle A' causing the upper portion of coin or
token P. to come in contact with the curved end of sliding rod L. so that before it
is allowed to pass forward, the sliding rod L. is moved in the direction of the arrow;
the pawl M. jointed to the sliding rod operates the ratchet wheel N. a distance equal
to one tooth, and by the ratchet wheel being secured on hollow shaft O. the revolving
valve plate Q. is turned a corresponding distance; so that some portion of the
opening is uncovered, thereby allowing gas to pass from the compartment C. to
the outlet D. and pipe P¹ connected thereto. The coin or token P. falls into the
receptacle U. the lever K. and lower shoot G¹ being moved back to their original
position by means of spiral spring S¹.
To the opposite end or on some portion of the hollow shaft O. is secured a spur
wheel W. gearing with wheel W supported by a fixed stud, the boss of the wheel
extending such a distance as to receive a finger pointer Y. which revolves along
with the said wheel on the operation of the revolving valve plate Q. in the manner as
hereinbefore described.

page_text: To the shaft S. is secured a similar wheel W2 gearing into wheel W³ the latter being
supported and free to revolve on the extended boss of wheel W the face of the
wheel W³ being graduated, so that on the operation of the wheel W and pointer Y.
by the deposit of one or more coins, the amount of gas in cubic feet that has been
paid for is indicated on the graduated dial of wheel W³.
The valve plate Q³ is secured on shaft S. and held against the revolving valve
plate Q. by means of a spiral spring arranged somewhat as shown, the surface of
valve plate Q3 working upon plate Q. being faced and ground gas tight; the opposite
side of valve plate Q. being also ground gas tight with the partition between C
and D.
The shaft S. is extended beyond the spur wheels and connected to some portion
of the rotating mechanism of the meter, by preference to the shaft S² of the ordinary
index T. which is operated in the usual manner; so that as the gas is consumed, the
supply valve plate Q3 gradually closes the opening Q' and operates the spur
wheels W2 and W3 and by the time the predetermined quantity of gas has been
consumed, it will have worked a sufficient distance to entirely close the opening,
thereby stopping the supply. As the gas is consumed the graduated wheel W³ is
rotated by the index mechanism T. and shaft S. in the direction towards the pointer Y.
thus showing at any time the quantity of gas still to be consumed before the necessity
of inserting more coins, and when the graduation zero on the wheel arrives
opposite the pointer, the faced cover plate Q will have closed the opening Q¹
thereby stopping the supply.
"
"
On depositing another coin or token, and operating the lever K. in the manner as
before described, the rotating valve plate Q. is again moved a sufficient distance to
uncover some portion of the opening Q₁ thereby continuing the supply: the coins
or tokens on leaving the bottom shoot G fall into the receptacle U. which may be
locked or otherwise secured under the control of the gas officials.
When applying my invention to dry meters, the divisions are arranged in the same
manner as hereinbefore described, and a connection between a shaft of the index
mechanism and shaft S. effected by suitable gearing to suit the position of the ordinary
index mechanism of the dry meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination with a gas meter of a revolving ground faced valve plate Q.
ground faced cover plate Q hollow shaft O. spur wheels and stuffing box X. all
arranged substantially in the manner shewn and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination with a gas meter of the shoots G and G with the levers H
and K. arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a gas meter of the shoot G lever K. sliding rod L.
pawl M. ratchet wheel N. valve plate Q. and cover Q³ substantially in the manner and
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of the index mechanism of a gas meter with the shaft S. and
valve cover Q3 for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 21st Jr. of A1000
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.