Improvements relating to Prepayment Meters for Gas and other Fluids.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application; 4th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Prepayment Meters for Gas and other
Fluids.
I, HENRY NIELD BICKERTON, of 6 Richmond Street. Ashton under Lyne,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to prepayment meters for the supply of gas or other
fluids, and has for object the construction of such meters so as to give greater
security against fraud than those at present in use. Hitherto this class of meters
have been constructed in such manner that when the supply of gas or other fluid
is stopped, after the quantity paid for has been supplied, there is required either
the attention of a company's official to again start the meter, or they have been
constructed to automatically re-start themselves, by the introduction of a coin of
the value of the gas or other fluid to be supplied.
The repeated attention of an official for such purpose is often inconvenient, and
it is easy to find substitutes for coins, the shape and size being readily imitated,
which facts form difficulties or objections to the use of this class of meters.
To remedy these evils, and to effect my improvements, I employ cheques or keys
of sufficiently intricate shape and construction, and, by preference, designed so as
to be difficult of manufacture, and. with slots, perforations, or wards formed
therein or thereon. These cheques or keys may bear, if desired, in addition to
the company's stamp, a private mark, known only to the officials, and may be
employed in various sizes, representing different amounts of gas or other Huid.
These cheques or keys may be sold to the consumer by the company, or their
agents, for the obtaining of gas or other fluid from prepayment meters constructed
suitable for the purpose.
I construct the starting arrangement of the meters for which the cheques are
used, by preference somewhat like unto a lock with wards or projections and levers
to correspond with the cheques or keys aforesaid. These, after being inserted and
used to start the mechanism, fall into and are retained within a receptacle formed
in or connected with the meter to be cleared or collected by the official in his
ordinary rounds. The cheques or keys may be caused to act on locks or releasing
mechanism by being formed as pusli keys, or as turning keys or otherwise, and
may have, or not, but by preference have, a removable handle for use therewith.
whereby the cheques or keys may be inserted into the lock or releasing mechanism
of the meter and left there to fall into the receptacle by withdrawing such handle.
Various kinds of releasing mechanisms may be employed, and the improvements
may be applied to those mechanisms which start and stop the measuring or meter
apparatus, or to mechanisms which actuate a valve for regulating the supply of
gas or other fluid to the meter. Variations in detail, such as the shape and size
of the cheques or keys, and consequently of the mechanisms on which they act,
may be made without departing from the peculiar character of the invention,
which mainly consists in the employment of warded, slotted or perforated cheques
or keys, in lieu of coin, in prepayment meters for the supply of gas and other
fluids.
13
1
1
"
ր
1000
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Prepayment Meters for Gas and other
Fluids.
1, HENRY NIELD BICKERTON, of 6 Richmond Street, Ashton under Lyne,
Engineer, 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:
The invention relates to prepayment meters for the supply of gas or other fluids,
and has for object the construction of such meters so as to give greater security
against fraud than those at present in use. Hitherto this class of meters have been
constructed in such manner that when the supply of gas or other fluid is stopped
after the quantity paid for has been supplied, there is required either the attention
of a company's official to again siart the meter, or they have been constructed to
automatically re-start themselves by the introduction of a coin of the value of
the gas or other Huid to be supplied.
The repeated attention of an official for such purpose is often inconvenient, and
it is easy to find substitutes for coins, the shape and size being readily imitated,
which facts form difliculties or objections to the use of this class of meters.
To remedy these evils and to effect my improvements, I employ cheques or keys
of sufficiently intricate shape and construction, and, by preference, designed so
as to be difficult of manufacture, and with slots, perforations, or wards formed
therein or thereon.
These cheques or keys may bear, if desired, in addition to the company's stamp,
a private mark, known only to the officials, and may be employed in various sizes
representing different amounts of gas or other fluid. These cheques or keys may
be sold to the consumer by the company, or their agents, for the obtaining of
gas or other fluid from prepayment meters constructed suitably for the purpose.
I construct the starting arrangement of the meters for which the cheques are
used by preference somewhat like unto a lock with wards or projections, and levers
to correspond, with the cheques or keys aforesaid. These, after being inserted
and used to start the mechanism fall into and are retained within a receptacle
formed in or connected with the meter, to be cleared or collected by the official
in his ordinary rounds.
The cheques or keys may be caused to act on locks or releasing mehanism by
being formed as push keys, or as turning keys or otherwise, and may have, or not,
but by preference have a removable handle for use therewith whereby the cheques
or keys may be inserted into the lock or releasing mehanism of the meter and
left there to fall into the receptacle by withdrawing such handle.
Various kinds of releasing mechanisms may be emploved, and the improvements
may be applied to those mechanisms which start and stop the measuring or meter
apparatus, or to mechanisms which actuate a valve for regulating the supply of
gas or other fluid to the meter. But that the improvements may be better under-
stood. will by the aid of the accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to
describe means employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. shows a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2. a plan view, partly in section, of
the index portion of one form of meter, with one example of apparatus arranged
in accordance with my improvements, and Figs. 3 and 4, shew some details of the
various parts of such apparatus.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a. a, is a star-wheel mounted to turn on the shaft or spindle a¹, a, and is
arranged with suitably formed teeth or projections as at ², ². b, b, is a key or
cheque, which may be of any device, and is inserted, from the outside of the
apparatus, through a correspondingly formed key hole, provided with wards or
projections into which the key fits. This key b, b, is inserted into the apparatus
by means of the handle e, cupon the end of which the key is temporarily placed

page_text: for the purpose. Upon the key being turned in what may be termed the lock,
the lever d, d, is first lifted, and with it the locking projection thereon d', d', thus
enabling the star wheel to be turned one tooth by the further turning of the key.
It will thus be seen that one key can only turn the star wheel the distance of
one tooth or division.
There are also mounted to turn on the spindle a. a', before named, a cam
wheel e, c, and a tooth wheel f, f.
The star wheel a, a, and the toothed wheel f. f, are both capable of communi-
cating motion to the cam wheel e, c, by means of clutches g. g. or similar means.
Upon the key unlocking and moving forward the star wheel a, a, the motion is
communicated to the cam wheel to the same extent, and the raised portion of the
cam presses forward the valve spindle h, h, thus opening the valve j,j, and letting
gas into the meter. Upon the gas being used, the ordinary mechanism of the
meter is put in motion along the toothed wheel f, f, which starts on its journey
to the position of the cam wheel e, e. Upon this being accomplished, gas of the
value represented by the key or cheque, has been used, and the toothed wheel
sets the cam wheel in further motion for à short distance, allowing the spring k, k,
to force the valve spindle point into the depression of the cam, and so close the
valve, and cut off the further supply of gas, until a new key or cheque is inserted,
and the star wheel and cam moved a second section. Once the key is turned in
the key hole of the lock it cannot be returned; but upon the handle being with-
drawn the key head or cheque falls into a receptacle for the purpose formed
within the casing. Several keys may be inserted, one after the other so that if
desired more gas than the value of one key may be prepaid.
In the example shewn the cam is formed with step depressions so that the lights
are not immediately extinguished on the limit of the prepaid supply being
reached but are turned low by way of warning, which if disregarded, further
use will close the valve at the next step in the cam. Nevertheless the cam may be
formed to close the valve suddenly if found desirable.
Although one form of apparatus is shewn to which the keys or cheques are
applicable, it will readily be seen that variations may be made in the detail of
such apparatus without departing from the peculiar character of the invention,
which is applicable to various forms of gas or other fluid meters.
It is also obvious that a modification of the mechanism shewn and described
may be arranged to act upon suitable catches or stops on the working parts of
a meter so as to stop or release the same by means of the keys or cheques, in lieu
of acting upon the gas valve.
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. In gas or other fluid meters, the combination of keys, or cheques, formed with
slotted or projecting devices therein or thereon, with spacing apparatus, actuating
the inlet valve, for the purpose and in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
2. In gas or other fluid meters the combination of keys or cheques formed
with slotted or projecting devices therein or thereon, with spacing apparatus
arranged to release and to hold the ordinary mechanisni of the meter for the
purpose and in manner substantially as herein described.
3. In gas or other fluid meters, the combination of keys or cheques having
slotted or projecting devices therein or thereon with the moving parts or the
valve of the meter for the purpose and in manner as herein described.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1890.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.