Improvements in and connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
We, RICHARD THOMAS GLOVER, and JOHN GEORGE GLOVER, trading as Thomas
Glover and Company, of 214 to 222 St. John Street, Clerkenwell, London, Gas
Meter Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to: be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the mechanism of coin freed apparatus,
whereby the operative parts can be adjusted to deliver any desired fractional quantity
of a cubic foot of gas after the insertion of a coin and moving a handle or lever
by a consumer, the principal object of this invention being to ensure that the notches
and the notched wheel or plate into which the coin drops can be so regulated in
its movement as to impart any desired fractional movement to the mechanism that
operates the supply valve, the point of discharge of the coin being fixed and not
variable.
To carry our invention into practice, we therefore arrange that the notch plate
has a multiplied motion which may be more or less according to the minuteness
of the fractional quantities of gas it is required that the mechanism shall be capable
of adjusting to.
The multiplied motion of the notched plate may be obtained in various ways,
such as by worm wheel and worm of suitable pitch but preferably by mounting
the notch plate upon a separate axis, either parallel with or at right angles to the
spindle it is required to rotate for operating the supply valve, and upon which is
mounted a crown or spur wheel for gearing with the notched plate.
The notched plate is in connection with the coin pocket for operation thereby,
an adjustable stop being provided against which the coin pocket or the carriage
in which the notched plate spindle and gear (if any) is mounted, abuts, when
turned back for the reception of a coin which is passed through an adjustable coin
slot in the cover of the apparatus, the action being such that when a coin is inserted
into the coin pocket it rests in one of the notches of the notched plate, and prevents
same from turning upon its own axis when the handle is turned by the consumer, but
by being geared to the crown or spur wheel it turns the spindle operating the
valve to which said crown or spur wheel is fixed, suitable means such as a geared
ratchet or cam being provided to prevent back turning of said valve operating
spindle.
When the coin is discharged by gravity into the till, the coin pocket is turned
back and causes the notched plate to travel over the teeth of the crown or spur wheel
and freely rotate on its own axis until it abuts against the stop when one of the
notches will be opposite the adjustable coin slot for the reception of another coin.
The adjustable stop is fixed on the inside of our price changer plate, and is used to
obtain the required fractional quantity of a cubic foot of gas but the units are obtained.
by altering the position of the price changer plate.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Thomas Glover and John George Glover.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
We, RICHARD THOMAS GLOVER and JOHN GEORGE GLOVER, trading as Thomas
Glover and Company, of 214 to 222 St. John Street, Clerkenwell, London, 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 the mechanisin of coin freed apparatus
whereby the operative parts can be adjusted to deliver any desired fractional
quantity of a cubic foot of gas after the insertion of a coin and moving a handle
or lever by a consumer, the principal object of this invention being to ensure that
the notches and the notched wheel or plate into which the coin drops can be so
regulated in its movement as to impart only desired fractional movement to the
mechanism that operates the supply valve.
The point of discharge of the coin is fixed and not variable as in our Patent
No. 16271 dated 30th August 1895.
To carry our invention into practice, we arrange that the notch plate has a
multiplied motion which may be more or less according to the minuteness of the
fractional quantities of gas it is required that the mechanism shall be capable of
adjusting to.
The multiplied motion of the notched plate may be obtained in various ways, such
as by worin wheel and worm of suitable pitch but preferably by mounting the notch
plate upon a separate axis, either parallel with or at right angles to the spindle it is
required to rotate for operating the supply valve, and upon which is mounted a crown
and spur wheel for gearing with the notched plate.
The notched plate is in connection with the coin pocket for operation thereby, an
adjustable stop being provided, against which the coin pocket or the carriage in
which the notched plate spindle and gear (if any) is mounted abuts when turned back
for the reception of a coin which is passed through an adjustable coin slot in the
cover of the apparatus.
Our invention will be clearly understood by the example shown in the annexed
drawings.
Figure 1 internal face view.
Figure 2 side elevation partly in section.
Figure 3 plan.
by
A is the coin slot in the front plate B this being adjustable on the stop
moving and hanging said plate from any of the holes D according to the quantity of
gas to be delivered for the value of the inserted coin.
The plate B can be locked by any device and a private seal impressed as a security
against fraud. E is a shield on the boss F of the coin receiving pocket G to close the
slot A except when the pocket G is in the proper position for a coin to be passed
into it.
The pocket G is an extension of the boss F and from this extension is an arm H in
which a notched or toothed wheel I is pivoted. The axle J of said wheel I is stepped
into a loosely fitted collar K of a frame K' at its lower end, so that the collar K has
a free motion on the shaft L, the front end M of which is supported by the boss F
but otherwise is free for independent rotation. The axle J has a pinion N on it in
gear with the crown wheel P which is fixed on the shaft L and by which the valve of
the meter is opened through internal gear in a manner well known. Qis a fixed
stop of the casing R against which the coin impinges for it to drop freely from the
pocket when turned or brought round by an exposed lever or handle fixed on the

page_text: square end T of the boss F, the delivery of the coin from the pocket G into
the money till being always from the same spot.
U is a drop cam for bearing against the periphery of the toothed crown wheel P to
prevent back rotation and as a means of fixing said wheel except for rotation by a
coin engaged in a notch of the wheel I when the outside handle is turned.
The action is such that when a coin is inserted into the coin pocket it rests in one
of the notches of the notched plate and prevents same from turning upon its own axis
when the handle is turned by the consumer but by being in gear with the crown or
spur wheel it turns the spindle operating the valve to which said crown or spur
wheel is fixed.
When the coin is discharged by gravity into the till, the coin pocket is turned back
and causes the notched plate to travel over the teeth of the crown or spur wheel and
freely rotate on its own axis until it abuts against the stop when one of the notches
will be opposite the adjustable coin slot for the reception of another coin.
The adjustable stop V is fixed on the inside of our price changer plate and is used
to obtain the required fractional quantity of a cubic foot of gas but the units are
obtained by altering the position of the price changer plate B. For instance, if the
notches in the wheel I are so multiplied by the gear of the pinion N in the crown
wheel P as to represent say 10th of a cubic foot then it follows after the price
changer plate has been set to give the required units, the stop V can be so adjusted
as to give any number of tenths of a cubic foot and at the same time ensure that any
given notch is in register with the coin pocket for the reception of a coin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a coin freed gas meter, the employment in combination with a price changer
plate of an adjustable stop acting upon the coin receiver for ensuring the delivery
of a fractional quantity of a cubic foot of gas and the register of a given tooth
of the notched wheel or plate with the coin pocket, as set forth.
2. In a coin freed gas meter, the combination of notched wheel I, axle J, boss K,
and pinion N supported by shaft L, said pinion N being in gear with crown wheel P
for operation of shaft L in the manner and for the purposes described.
3. In a coin freed gas meter, the arrangement of mechanism as shown on the
annexed drawings, as and for the purposes set forth.
1 1007
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Thomas Glover and John George Glover.