Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for Electric and Fluid Meters.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for Electric and Fluid Meters.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered' l'atent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me
fiom abroad by Société Anonyme Continentale pour la Fabrication des Compteurs
a Gaz et Autres Appareils, of 9, Rue Pétrelle, Paris, France), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of com fieed apparatus for meters of
electricity and gas or other fluid so arranged that by inserting a coin and turning
a handle two operations are performed by the movement given to the coin, that
18 to say, first the circuit of an electric meter is closed on the valve of a fluid meter
18 opened, and then clock work is wound up, which after moving for a time deter-
mined according to the value of the coin and the price of the energy or fluid,
opens the circuit or closes the valve and comes to iest
For this purpose the coin when introduced through a slot enters a notch in
the collar of a spindle which is turned partly round by an external handle. By
its evolution a shutter is moved across the slot preventing the introduction of
another coin, and the coin that had been introduced withdraws a pawl and
becomes engaged with the teeth of a ratchet wheel which it turns one tooth, and
then it drops into a receptacle below The handle being then returned by a
spring to its original position, a number of coins may be similarly introduced in
succession, each turning the ratchet wheel one tooth. The spindle on which the
ratchet wheel is fixed is connected through bevil wheel differential gear to the
spindle of a clock spring or weight The first portion of the movement of the
atchet wheel acts through the differential gear to partly tuin a disc by which a
lever is moved making contacts and so closing the circuit in the case of an
electric meter, or opening a valve in the case of a fluid meter, the lever itself
being then held by a catch. the rest of the movement of the ratchet wheel winds
up the sping or weight which moves the clockwork, which is provided with a
suitable escapement When the clockwork has moved for a time determined
by the extent to which its spring or weight had been wound, it releases the lever
which made the contact or opened the valve, and the meter as well as the clock-
work is stopped In the case of an electric meter, the clockwork may be released
by an electromagnet which is energised when contact is made, also with either
the electic or the fluid meter may be combined a counter, giving the total of
the energy or fluid consumed in a given time
Dated this 28th day of December 1898
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for Electric and Fluid Meters.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me
from abroad by Société Anonyme Continentale pour la Fabrication des Compteurs
a Gaz et Autres Appareils, of 9, Rue Pétrelle, Paris, France), 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 a construction of coin freed apparatus for meters of
electricity and gas or other fluid so aanged that by inserting a coin and tuining
a handle two operations are performed by the movement given to the coin, that
18 to say, first the circuit of an electric meter is closed or the valve of a fluid meter
is opened, and then clock work is wound up, which after moving for a time deter-
mined according to the value of the com and the price of the energy or fluid,
opens the circuit or closes the valve and comes to iest
For this purpose the apparatus 18 constructed and operated as I shall describe
referring to the accompanying diawings
Fig. is an elevation of the whole, Fig 2 is a transverse section of the clock-
work, Figs 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig 2 respectively,
Fig. 5 is a plan, Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a longitudinal and a transverse
section shewing the parts immediately acted on by the coin
The coin M when introduced through a slot C enteis a notch D in the collar I
of a spindle G which is tuned partly round by an external handle H By its
revolution a shutter J is moved across the slot C preventing the introduction of
another coin. The shutter J acting on a lever aim N withdraws a pawl K and
the coin becomes engaged with the teeth of a ratchet wheel B which it tuins
one tooth and then it drops into a receptacle T below The handle H being then
returned by hand or by a sping to its original position, a number of coins may
be similarly introduced in succession each turning the ratchet wheel one tooth.
The spindle on which the ratchet wheel is fixed 18 connected through bevil wheel
differential gear to the spindle of a clock spring or weight.
The ratchet wheel B has on its spindle a bevil pinion E geaning with a pinion P
which in its tuin gears with another pinion F and is pivotted at right angles on
separate axis A to which one end of a spring R 18 attached, the other end being
fixed to the framing. As the ratchet wheel B turns while F 18 stationary the
sping is wound up by the axis A carried round by P. The pinion F 18 on a
sleeve geared to a frain of wheels a and pinions b governed by clock work, which
18 moved by the spring, and which tuins the axis A. backwards and also the
pinion F while the pinion E is stationary, the amount of movement backwards
being equivalent to that forwards effected by the number of coins introduced,
The clockwork 18 controlled by an escapement which consists of an anchor c
acted on by a pin d projecting from a disc e driven by the clockwork The
anchor which is pivotted at f has a forked lever aim g engaging a stud h on a
disc on the axis of a wheel which is moved by the counter of the meter Each
tun of the wheel causes a to and fio oscillation of the anchor allowing the
pin d to escape so that the wheel e makes a revolution allowing the spring to
unwind. When it is unwound as much as it had been wound by the act of
introducing coins, the mechanism stops
When the apparatus is applied to an electric meter, the circuit is closed by a
blade which is caused to enter between a pair of spring contacts m. The
blade is connected to a stirrup n having unequal arms.
The lower arm o

page_text: carries a pin which when the apparatus is at rest is engaged in a notch 2 in
the circumference of a disc r which being fixed on the spindle A is turned in
the direction of the arrow by the handle H so that the pins and stirrup are drawn
forward to the position indicated by the dotted lines, where a notch in the arm o
becomes engaged on a fixed stud u holding the stirrup and freeing the disc which
can then turn winding up the spring. The advance of the stirrup moves the
blade forwards causing it to engage the contacts m.
When the disc r is turned
back by the clockwork, a stud v raises the upper aim of the stirrup so releasing
the lower arm from the stud u, whereupon a blade spring moves the blade
back breaking the contact. The stud v serves also to limit the motion of r by
coming against the end of the upper arm of the stirrup during the winding up
movement which is thus stopped, the number of coins introduced being thus
limited.
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 Coin freed apparatus for a meter comprising clockwork which is wound
up by the operator on introducing a coin, in combination with an escapement
actuated by the meter, the fluid or energy measured having no action on the
moving mechanism
2 In the apparatus above referred to, the use of differential gear, substantially
as described.
3 The combination of sturup, notched disc and contact lever substantially
as described with reference to Fig. 3
Dated this 18th day of September 1899
ABEL & INRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.