Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus applicable to Gas-meters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1895-Accepted, 14th Sept.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LUDWIG HAAS, of 10 Alleestrasse, Mainz, in the
Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus applicable to Gas-meters.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus especially applicable to gas-meters
and is based upon the principle that an inserted coin acts as an abutment for a
mechanism actuated by weight or spring power; the coin being carried to its point
of action either by its own weight or under an additional pressure; the above
mentioned mechanism actuated by weight or spring power is, when no coin is
present, forced into that position which causes the closing of the gas conduit, and
on the other hand when a coin is inserted the mechanism is under pressure exerted
upon the coin-which pressure may also force the coin to its point of action-moved
into the opening position. The time during which the coin remains at the point of
action is so fixed that the coin is at its point of action supported by a movable
member which latter is connected to the counting mechanism of the gas meter;
the said movable member either carrying the coin gradually away as the
counting mechanism advances or causing the coin to drop after a certain time has
elapsed.
Two constructional forms of the invention are hereinafter described which differ
from one another in the means by which the coin is held in position as well as in
the means by which the pressure is exerted upon the coin.
This automatic device is especially suitable for the direct actuation of the gas
valves or cocks, because it operates under direct weight-pressure and because the coin
is not caused to act by its weight but is used as a resistible intermediate piece, which
during its operation forms part of the apparatus.
The coin dropped through a slot of the slide-casing into a slide is by pulling a
handle of the slide, carried over the coin channel, provided with openings for
inspection and falls into said channel, which latter may be charged with a certain
number of coins. By means of a pin fixed laterally to the slide the lever having a
weight is simultaneously turned upward on its pivot to such an extent that the coin
inserted is enabled to fall in front of the lower striking-surface of the lever and to
present itself opposite the lower extremity of the channel.
The coin thereby also arrives opposite the lower striking surface of the valve
lever which is in the position corresponding to the closure of the valve.
By releasing the handle the weight will fall so that the lever will by the aid of
the coin turn the lever and open the gas valve. During this movement the lever
presses the coin downward completely into the rounded striking surface of the lever
and against a pin of a disc which is turned by the counting mechanism of the gas
meter which pin now serves as a lower support for the coin.
As soon as the said pin slides from below the coin the latter will drop down and
the valve lever will be free to fall. To ensure the falling down of the coin at a
given moment, the following arrangement is made which serves at the same time to
prevent any further coins that may be stored in the coin channel from dropping.
away unintentionally.

page_text: At the periphery of the said disc the said pins are arranged at uniform distances
apart in such a manner as to strike against the lower end of the valve lever and to
finally turn the said lever aside owing to the movement of the disc, thus still
further lifting the valve without however increasing or decreasing the delivery of
gas. The coin follows this return movement of the lever until it finds besides the
pin which forms the first point of support, a second point of support by a pin fixed
to the casing, the said latter pin projecting over the periphery of the disc. As soon
as the pin on the disc has approached the pin in the casing to a sufficient extent, the
coin turning to the left hand drops down and gradually takes up a position by sliding
down along a fixed guide and is finally on the further turning movement of the wheel,
thrown out.
When falling down from the pins on the disc and the pin in the casing the coin
drops first between one of the former pins and the upper edge of the fixed guide so
that the said coin when in this position can serve as a support for any other coins
that may follow and is not removed from this position until the adjacent pin on the
disc has passed by the lower edge of the lever and this latter has fallen back and
thereby caught hold of the next following coin between itself and a projection.
Whereas in this gas meter the valve is initially opened by the pressure transferred
from the coin, at the end of the one period the counting mechanism itself will effect
the holding in the open position of the valve, in order to thus liberate the coin from
the pressure and to allow of the free passage of the next coin; this free passage
would not be possible if the said coin were to force its way into its place.
This forcing in takes place in conformity with the construction in which the coin
is passed from above to the point of operation under a pressure sufficient to over-
come the pressure of the valve lever, to force the coin along the latter and thus to
open the valve.
The coin here slides through a channel downward and arrives in the coin channel
after the plate, which closes the entrance opening of the channel by its own weight,
has been raised thereby that the weight which is guided vertically and which grips
with a projection extending through a slot into the coin-chaunel and underneath the
plate, is lifted by the handle.
The coin channel thus receives or may receive a certain number of coins, the
lowermost of which, forced down by the weight is pressed between the disc rotated
by the counting mechanism on the one hand and the extremity of the valve lever
on the other hand. The disc is provided with pins fixed at smaller distances than
the diameter of the coin used, and of such dimensions that the penetration of the
coin effects in every position of the disc a sufficient return motion of the lever for
producing an entire opening of the valve and that coins of too small a diameter are
dropped. During the rotation each coin slides between two pins of the disc, is
passed round therewith and finally withdrawn from underneath the lever, which
latter then places itself immediately against the next coin.
Dated this 16th day of April 100%
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus applicable to Gas-meters.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 coin freed apparatus especially applicable to gas-meters

page_text: and is based upon the principle that an inserted coin acts as an abutment for a
mechanism actuated by weight or spring power; the coin being carried to its point
of action either by its own weight or under an additional pressure; the above
mentioned mechanism actuated by weight or spring power is, when no coin is
present, forced into that position which causes the closing of the gas conduit, and
on the other hand when a coin is inserted the mechanism is under pressure exerted
upon the coin-which pressure may also force the coin to its point of action-
moved into the opening position.
The time during which the coin remains at the point of action is so fixed that
the coin is at its point of action supported by a movable member which latter is
connected to the counting mechanism of the gas meter; the said movable member
either carrying the coin gradually away as the counting mechanism advances or
causing the coin to drop after a certain time has elapsed.
Two constructional forms of the invention are hereinafter described, which differ
from one another in the means by which the coin is held in position as well as in
the means by which the pressure is exerted upon the coin.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how the said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section showing the arrangement of the
apparatus in connection with a dry gas meter.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show front elevations of the automatic device in three
different positions and
Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent a modification.
This automatic device is especially suitable for the direct actuation of the gas
valves or cocks, because it operates under direct weight-pressure and because the
coin is not caused to act by its weight but is used as a resistible intermediate piece,
which during its operation forms part of the apparatus.
The coin which is dropped through a slot c of the slide-casing b into a slide a
is, by pulling a handle d of the slide, carried over the coin channel e, provided
with openings for inspection and falls into said channel, which latter may be
charged with a certain number of coins. By means of a pin ƒ fixed laterally to
the slide a the lever having a weight i is simultaneously turned upward on its
pivot g to such an extent that the coin inserted is enabled to fall in front of the
lower striking-surface of the lever and to present itself opposite the lower extremity
of the channel as shown in Figure 2.
The coin thereby also arrives opposite the lower striking surface of the valve
lever k which is in the position corresponding to the closed position of the valve v..
By releasing the handle d the weight i will fall so that the lever h will by the
aid of the coin turn the lever k and open the gas valve v as shown in Figure 3.
During this movement the lever presses the coin o downward completely into the
rounded striking surface of the lever and against a pin s of a disc r, which is
turned by the counting mechanism of the gas meter as shown in Figure 3 which
pin now serves as a lower support for the coin. As soon as the said pin & slides
from below the coin the latter will drop down and the valve lever k will be free to
fall. To ensure the falling down of the coin at a given moment, the following
arrangement is made which serves at the same time to prevent any further coins,
that may be stored in the coin channel from dropping away unintentionally.
At the periphery of the said disc r the said pins s are arranged at uniform
distances apart in such a manner as to strike against the lower end of the valve
lever k and to finally turn the said lever aside owing to the movement of the disc,
thus still further lifting the valve without however increasing or decreasing the
delivery of gas. The coin follows this return movement of the lever k until it
finds beside the pin &, which forms the first point of support, a second point of
support by a pin n fixed to the casing, the said pin n projecting over the periphery
of the disc r. As soon as the pins has approached the pin n to a sufficient extent,
the coin turning to the left hand drops down and gradually takes up a position
:

page_text: shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 by sliding down along a fixed guide m and is
finally on the further turning movement of the wheel, thrown out.
When falling down from the pins & aud n the coin drops first below one of the
former pins & and the upper edge of the fixed guide m so that the said coin when
in this position can serve as a support for any other coins that may follow and is
not removed from this position until the adjacent pin & has passed by the lower
edge of the lever k and this latter has fallen back and thereby caught hold of the
next following coin between itself and a projection t.
Whereas in this gas meter the valve is initially opened by the pressure
transferred from the coin, at the end of the one period the counting mechanism
itself will effect the holding in the open position of the valve, in order to thus
liberate the coin from the pressure and to allow of the free passage of the next
coin; this free passage would not be possible if the said coin were to force its way
into its place.
This forcing in takes place in conformity with the construction shown in
Figures 5, 6 and 7 in which the coin is passed from above to the point of operation
under a pressure sufficient to overcome the pressure of the valve lever, to force
the coin along the latter and thus to open the valve.
The coin here slides through a channel c downward and arrives in the coin
channel e, after the plate p, which closes the entrance opening of the channel e by
its own weight, has been raised owing to the fact that the weight i, which is guided
vertically and which has a projection extending through a slot into the coin-
channel and engaging underneath the plate p, is lifted by the handle d.
The coin channel thus receives or may receive a certain number of coins, the
lowermost of which, forced down by the weight i, is pressed between the disc r
rotated by the counting mechanism on the one hand and the extremity of the valve
lever on the other hand. The disc r is provided with pins fixed at smaller
distances than the diameter of the coin used, and of such dimensions that the
penetration of the coin effects in every position of the disc a sufficient return
motion of the lever for producing an entire opening of the valve and that coins
of too small a diameter are dropped. During the rotation each coin slides
between two pins of the disc, is passed round therewith and finally withdrawn from
underneath the lever k, which latter then moves into position against the next
coin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a gas meter a coin freed apparatus in which the inserted coin is passed
against the striking surface of a lever or slide in such a manner that a pressure
exerted upon the coin by weight or spring power, causes the lever to turn whereby
the coin is, owing to the revolution of the counting mechanism of the gas meter,
either carried away from its point of action or the point of support is withdrawn
from the coin so that the latter in every case will set free the lever after a certain
time has elapsed.
2. A constructional form of the arrangement described in the first claim,
according to which the coin at its point of action is subjected to the pressure of a
weight which for the purpose of forcing the coin into the coin channel is raised by
a handle from the outside.
3. A constructional form of the arrangement described in the first two claims,
in which the coin is forced by means of a weight to the point of action between a
disc rotated by the counting mechanism of the gas meter and the extremity of a
lever under displacement of the latter and is pushed forth by the movement of the
disc thus started and finally again removed from the point of action.
4. The constructional form of the arrangement described in the first, second and
third claims, in which the pressure upon the coin is effected by a weighted slide

page_text: reaching into the coin channel and in which the action of several coius is successively
effected by introducing the same through a channel having its entrance orifice
laterally above, the exit orifice of which is locked by a plate to be lifted
simultaneously with the weight acting on the slide, so that the weighted slide will
rest upon the uppermost of the coins and force one after the other to the point of
action.
5. A constructional form of the arrangement described in the first and second
claims, in which the coin falls between the striking surface of the lever or slide to
be turned or moved and the striking surface of a weighted lever or slide and is
held in the position of action by the pin of a disc rotated by the counting
mechanism, so that said coin on the turning of said wheel or disc will lose its point
of support.
6. A constructional form of the arrangement described in the first, second and
fifth claim characterized by the fact that the turning of the lever is initially
effected in the manner described in the first and second claims, whereupon a pin of
the rotating wheel or disc places itself against the lever, turning the latter to such
an extent that the coin presents itself freely upon a point of support offered by the
rotating disc or wheel and a fixed pin so that the coin is not prevented from
dropping by the friction produced on the levers.
7. The mechanism referred to in the sixth claim for the purpose of causing
a second coin to slide down after the first has been used, consisting of the arrange-
ment of a channel or passage in such a manner that the coin so falls between the
outlet orifice of said passage and a projection moving in connection with the
counting mechanism that the said coin when in this position can serve as a point of
support to the following coin which support is only withdrawn by the further
rotation of the disc or wheel at that moment when the striking pin described in
the sixth claim has passed the lever, moved by the said pin.
Tlated this 17th day of Jul 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.