Coin-freed Gas and other Fluid Meters.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Coin-freed Gas and other Fluid Meters.
I, CASTLE SMITH, of 54 Fleet Street, in the City and County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me from abroad by Lars Peter
Valdemar Madsen, Manager of the Copenhagen Gas Company, of 16 Martensenalle,
Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, to be particularly' described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to new or improved coin-freed apparatus for use in
connection with the supply of gas or other fluid, ef such construction that the
supply of such gas or other fluid to the point of consumption or utilization can only
take place after the insertion of a coin.
In the accompanying drawings is shown an automatic machine constructed
according to my invention and designed to be released and rendered capable of
operation by the insertion of one or any number (not exceeding 12) pennies, the
duration of operation being dependent upon the number of coins inserted.
Of these drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 a plan and Figs. 3 4 5 6, 7 8 9
& 10 details.
At
Mounted on the axis 1 is a cylinder a (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6) provided on its front
end at diametrically opposite points, with two projections a¹ a² and on its opposite
end with two pins a a³ also arranged diametrically opposite to one another.
diametrically opposite points two notches a³ are cut in the cylinder to receive
through a shoot as the penny a' or other coin by which the apparatus is designed
to be operated, said notches being connected together by an opening a" (Fig. 3) to
facilitate cleaning.
The axis 1 is provided with a handle outside the case of the apparatus, by means
of which it may be turned when freed.
Resting on the cylinder a (Figs. 1 6 7 & 8) is the bent free end of the stopper
lever a which, when the cylinder is revolved with a coin in it is raised by such
coin but otherwise engages with one of the notches a so preventing the useless
revolution of such cylinder. The spindle 1 is prevented from revolving in the
wrong direction by a toothed wheel having a cam engaging therewith or the like.
Mounted loosely on an axis 2 (Figs. 1 and 2) is a wheel b (a back view of which
is shown in Fig. 4), toothed on the greater part of its circumference-in this
example it has 45 teeth-and provided on its back with a projecting pin b¹. The
axis 2 has also mounted on, and secured to it a toothed wheel d gearing with a
wheel el on the axis 3, which axis also carries a toothed wheel e having gearing
therewith the screw threaded spindle 4 which is connected to and operated by
suitable clockwork of any ordinary construction.
The toothed wheel d carries a pawl d (Fig. 2) which engages with a wheel b
mounted on the hub of the wheel 6 in such a manner that this wheel 67, and with it
the wheel b are rotated in one direction through the medium of the wheel d when
the latter is rotated by the screw 4 but is free to be moved in the opposite direction
independently of said toothed wheel d or the mechanism connected with it.
The valve arrangement c which is to be governed consists of a three-armed lever
(shown detached in Fig. 5) pivoted at c¹ and having one of its arms connected to
the valve to be operated. The second arm c¹ of this lever, which is parallel to c²,
carries a counter-poise c³, whilst the third arm co, which is at right angles to the

page_text: other two, engages with the projecting pin b¹ on the wheel 6 in such a manner that
the valve is normally held thereby in a closed position. The arms ct and care
connected by a curved piece c' (Fig. 5) which serves as a support for the inclined
arm c³ carrying an adjustable screw c.
In operating an apparatus constructed as above described a coin is inserted
through the shoot a³ into one of the notches a³ in the cylinder a from which it
projects as shown in Fig. 3.
•
The cylinder is then rotated through one half of a revolution in the direction
indicated by the arrow by the aid of the handle on the axis 1, when the coin will
act upon the inclined plane a" on the under side of the stopper lever a³ and raise
the latter in such a manner that the projection a' can pass the narrow side a'. After
having passed the lever as the coin acts upon the first tooth of the wheel b at b*
Fig. 9 revolving this the distance of three teeth in the direction of the arrow y
Fig. 1 thereby disengaging the projection 6' from the arm and permitting the
counter-poise to operate the three armed lever and the latter to open the valve c³,
but not however until one of the projections a¹ or a² on the cylinder has passed the
screw carried by the arm c8, which happens immediately the coin has passed the
wbeel b and has consequently reached a point where the coin cannot be easily
removed. The screw in the end of the arme is provided so that the engagement
of it with one of the projections a¹ a² may be such as will permit the valve to open
slightly or not as required.
When the cylinder a has been turned through a half revolution the coin falls
into a sliding box, and another may be inserted in the other slot, and the wheel
again operated a distance of three teeth.
The wheel b has teeth only on part of its circumference and therefore cannot
be completely revolved, this provision being made as otherwise the projection b¹
would eventually assume a position on the wrong side of the arm cⓇ.
To obviate this, the blank portion of the wheel 62, 63, is shaped as shown in Figs. 4
and 6, the first portion being to permit the number of teeth on the wheel b being
modified according to the variation in the coins, and the price of the gas.
The second portion 66 acts as a check which prevents more coins than the
prearranged number catching on the wheel bas, when the wheel has been revolved
to the prearranged limit, such portion assumes the position shown in Fig. 10 and
so prevents the cylinder a being revolved should another coin be placed in it.
With a wheel as shown having 45 teeth it will be seen that one may purchase
shilling's worth of gas or even more at once.
AL
The pawl d prevents the wheel 6 turning backwards but allows said wheel being
returned to its starting point and the valve closed when the gas paid for has been
consumed, as the axis c is geared to the operating clockwork which operates it at
such speed that the wheel d will be turned back through a distance of three teeth
during the time a pennyworth of gas is being consumed.
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.) A coin-freed gas meter consisting of a cylinder a with slot for the coin, a
lever a fixed over said cylinder, a wheel b with teeth on part of its circumference
operated by a coin placed in the cylinder in such a manner that a projection b¹
gearing with a lever c, which in its normal position keeps the gas valve closed
frees this lever and allows the valve to open, and a toothed communication between
the operating clockwork and the wheel 6 whereby the latter is returned to its
original position and the valve closed when the gas paid for has been consumed the
whole arranged and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
(2.) In a coin-freed gas meter as above claimed a three-armed lever (c³ c* c)
carrying the gas valve, a counter-poise c³, and the arm c of which prevents the

page_text: opening of the valve until the wheel b is turned, whilst the arm has the effect of
allowing this opening only when the coin has passed the teeth of the wheel b.
Dated this 31st day of August 1895.
€6
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54 Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54 Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.