Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL DI LOITTOATTO
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Works,
WILLIAM COWAN, and WIL: AM HENRY COWAN, Buccleuch Street
Edinburgh, N.B. Gas air anufacturers etc do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follow:-
These improvements in Prepayment Coin Freed Gas Meters relate more
particularly to the coin actuating mechanism thereof, & especially to that form
which is described in our Specification No 13,200. of July 9th 1895. together
with the subsequent additions to, and modifications thereof, described in our
Provisional application, granted, & numbered 18,098,-of Aug 15th 1896.
Under the present invention, the coin does not, as hitherto, fall by gravity
from the plate carrier, or pocket, but is forcibly ejected therefrom by means of
a camp, which may be fixed in any desired position so as to determine the
quantity of gas to be applied for each coin, and, when necessary, to vary that
quantity as may be desired.
The coin carrier plate, or pocket, may be constructed with a guard at the top which
projects over the upper edge & comes down some little distance over the face of the
coin, so as to prevent it from falling forwards, whilst at the bottom of the carrier
plate, or pocket, there are two projections, or "toes," (one on either side of the
prepayment wheel), which are hent upwards over the face of the coin, to that it
cannot escape from gear with the wheel until forcibly ejected by the cam above
referred to. In some cases, the necessity for these lower guards or projections may
be superseded by constructing the carrier simply as a pocket,-if so desired. The
entrance for the coin into the carrier (whether pocket or plate) is at the side of the
operator, that is in the line of the shaft & at right angles to the prepayment
wheel.
The cam which removes the e in from the carrier forms part of an arm which is
placed inside the frame & at the back of the prepayment wheel to the shaft of which
it is pivotted & is thus capable of being moved round, and fixed at any one of the
As
holes in the frame by means of a thumbscrew, or in any other convenient way.
the holes in the frame are numbered & constitute a "graduated scale," whilst the
arm acts as a "pointer," the particular hole which is used for fixing the arm not only
determines the position of the cam, but also indicates the quantity of gas which that
particular position will allow to be supplied for the coin.
In some cases the coin operator will be so arranged, that the handle will only move
the shaft through a part of the circle forwards, & then have to be returned backwards
to the normal position. But, if desired, the operator might be so arranged that the
handle & shaft would, on each occasion, (& whatever the quantity of gas to be.
supplied for the coin), make a complete revolution, & thereby regain the normal
position without any backward movement; & in order to provide for this we prefer
to cut out a portion of the carrier plate, or pocket, so as to admit of its passing clear
of the cam when no coin is present, or when the coin has been discharged.
The teeth of the prepayment wheel may be, as hitherto, cut to an angle of about 45°
in which case a simple form of guard is desirable, in order to keep the coin from

page_text: moving outwards, from the carrier, during a small part of the lower division of the
circle it describes.
When the teeth of the prepayment wheel are cut in the ordinary "cog wheel"
form, it is desirable to bevel the base of the spaces downwards towards the inside of
the frame, so as to give the coin an inclination in that direction, & prevent any
tendency to come forward. But, in-as-much as this would not prevent such a
tendency when the coin was passing through the lower parts of the circle, a guard, at
or near the bottom, may be employed for the same purpose as above mentioned in
connection with the 45° angled teeth.
When the "cog wheel" form of teeth is employed the entrance for the coin may
be at the top; instead of at the side, of the pocket,-if desired. But, in this case, a
band encircling the operator, & only allowing a slot opening for admitting the coin
to the pocket, will be necessary, in order to keep the coin in position whilst it is
being carried round in the pocket.
Dated this 15th day of December 1896.
WILLIAM COWAN,
V. H. COWAN.
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
We, WILLIAM COWAN and WILLIAM HENRY COWAN of Buccleuch Street Works,
Edinburgh, N.B. Gas Meter Manufacturers, 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 improvements in prepayment coin freed gas meters, more
particularly to the coin actuating mechanism thereof and especially to that form
which is described in our Specification No. 13200 of July, 9th 1895 together with
the subsequent additions to, and modifications thereof, described in our Specification
No 18098 of August, 15th 1896.
Under the present invention, the coin does not, as hitherto, fall by gravity from the
plate carrier, or pocket but is forcibly ejected therefrom by means of a movable and
adjustable cam, which may be fixed in any desired position so as to determine the
quantity of gas to be supplied for each coin, and when necessary, to vary that
quantity as may be desired.
But in order that our said invention may be more readily understood and easily
earried into effect we will proceed to describe the same with the reference to the
accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation
Fig. 2 a plan and
Fig. 3 an end elevation of a portion of a gas meter shewing one method of carrying
out our present invention; the covers being removed for the sake of clearness.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation shewing the coin in position within the pocket.
Referring to the said drawings we employ a pocket A operated froin the outside of
the meter through the medium of the handle B; the entrance for the coin into the
carrier being at the side of the operator, that is in, or nearly in, the line of the
prepayment wheel shaft and at, or nearly at right angles to the prepayment wheel.
The cam C which removes the coin from the carrier or pocket forms part of an
arm c which is placed inside the frame A¹ at the front of the prepayment wheel; the
said arm being pivotted upon the shaft 6 of the handle B and connected to the arm D
by a pin d which passes through a semicircular slot d¹ in the frame; or in any other
convenient way; so that it is capable of being moved round, and fixed at any of the

page_text: holes e in the frame by means of the thumbscrew E, As the holes e in the frame
are numbered and constitute a "graduated scale" whilst the arm D acts as a
pointer" the particular hole which is used for fixing the arm not only determines
the position of the cam, but also indicates the quantity of gas which that particular
position will allow to be supplied for the coin.
The pocket A is formed with alot or aperture a as shewn more particularly in
fig. 4 which allows the cam C to come in contact with and gradually force out the
coin the said pocket being prevented from travelling further by reason of the stop cl
upon the cam coming in contact with the face of the pocket. The handle, as will
readily be seen, only moves the shaft through a part of the circle forward, and has
then to be returned backwards to the normal position. But, if desired, the operator
may be so arranged that the handle and shaft will, on each occasion (and whatever
the quantity of gas to be supplied for the coin) make a complete revolution, and
thereby regain the normal position without any backward movement. To effect this
we remove the stop c² from the cain and make the aperture in the pocket of sufficient
size to admit of its passing clear of the cam when no coin is present, or when the
coin has been discharged.
A stop F is provided at any convenient part of the frame to prevent the coin from
slipping sideways out of the pocket prior to the commencement of its travel.
In place of employing a pocket as shewn we may employ a carrier plate constructed
with a guard at the top, which projects over the upper edge and extends down some
little distance over the face of the coin, so as to prevent it from falling forwards,
whilst at the bottom of the carrier plate, or pocket, there are two projections or
"toes" (one or either side of the prepayment wheel), which are bent upwards over
the face of the coin so that it cannot escape from gear with the wheel until forcibly
ejected by thu cam above referred to.
The teeth of the prepayment wheel may be, as hitherto, cut to an angle of
about 45° in which case a simple form of guard may be employed, in order to keep
the coin from moving outward from the carrier, during a small part of the lower
division of the circle it describes.
When the teeth of the prepayment wheel are cut in the ordinary "cog wheel "
form, it is desirable to bevel the base of the spaces downwards towards the inside of
the frame so as to give an inclination in that direction and prevent any tendency to
go forward. But, inasmuch as this would not prevent such a tendency when the coin
was passing through the lower parts of the circle, a guard, at or near the bottom, may
be employed for the same purpose as above mentioned in connection with the 45°
angled teeth.
As shewn in the drawing the upper part of the pocket is slightly angled so that the
coin, whilst the pocket occupies a position below the horizontal, will tend to come
forward and rest upon the circular guard G.
When the cog wheel form of teeth is employed the entrance for the coin may be
at the top; instead of at the side, of the pocket, if desired. But, in this case a band
encircling the operator, and only allowing a slot opening for admitting the coin to
the pocket, will be necessary, in order to keep the coin in position whilst it is being
carried round in the pocket.
In order to prevent the insertion of a coin after the coin carrier has commenced its
travel and to prevent the possibility of straining or deranging the mechanism by
actuating it after the full number of coins have been inserted we provide a shutter й
arranged to cover or close the slot in the frame every time the handle is actuated,
and be held closed after the insertion of all the coins by a rod J which advances
through the medium of the screwed rod or tube A for actuating the valve or stop
of the meter as described in the specification of our prior Patent No. 21108 of
3rd Novr. 1894, until a quantity of the gas at least equal to the amount supplied for
a coin, has been consumed when the slot is again opened.
This shutter H is shaped as shewn and secured to a short pivotting tube à so that
when the coin carrier is in its normal position the shutter by its own weight occupies
the position illustrated and leaves the slot uncovered. Immediately however that the

page_text: handle B is turned a guard K moving with the coin carrier and having a detent or
inclined portion k acts upon a pin h¹ of the shutter which gradually rises and
closes the slot; the said guard keeping it in this position until the carrier is turned
back.
After the full amount of gas capable of being supplied at one time has been paid
for, the rod J advances and acting on the cam L upon the pivotting tube h raises the
shutter thus preventing the mechanisın from being deranged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In prepayment gas meters having a circularly moving coin carrier or carriage,
the employment of the movable or adjustable cam C so arranged as to act through
the coin pocket slot or opening a and forcibly eject the coin from the pocket A when
the prepayment wheel has been actuated to the extent necessary to supply the
quantity of gas paid for by that coin, substantially as herein before described and
shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In prepayment gas meters having a circularly moving coin carrier or carriage,
forming the cam C as part of or attaching it to the arm or "pointer" D of the
graduated scale whereby the cam can be set to determine and vary the quantity of
gas to be supplied for each coin, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in
he accompanying drawings.
t'
Dated this 8th day of October 1897
JOHNSONS
Applicants' Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.