Improvements in Coin Freed Meter Mechanism.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1898—Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Meter Mechanism.
I, THOMAS HERBERT MINSHALL, of Electric Light Station, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, 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:-
-
My invention relates to a construction of the mechanism of a coin freed fluid or
electric meter, in such a manner that, when a coin is introduced it starts the
meter by opening a valve or moving a switch, when the meter indicates delivery
of a quantity of fluid or electrical energy equivalent in value to the coin, the coin
is automatically discharged, and the meter and delivery are stopped, or, if other
coins are present, they are brought successively into action, continuing the move-
ment of the meter and the delivery of fluid or energy, as I shall describe referring
to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of mechanism according to my invention shewing the
position of the parts when the meter is in action but about to discharge the coin.
Fig. 2 is a like view shewing the parts in the position occupied by them when
the coin is discharged and the meter is stopped.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
A is the slot into which coins are introduced, it may be deep enough to contain a
number of coins superposed. B is a lever which is pivotted at 6 and has its one
end b¹ sloped to receive the coin; its other end 62 is loaded sufficiently to make the
lever when it is free take the position shewn in Fig. 2, and from this end b³ a
pin 63 projects upwards; C is another lever which is pivotted at c, and has at one
end, which is heaviest, an inclined slot c¹ and at its other end a pin c³ on which is
pivotted a peculiarly shaped lever D, having a tail d which bears against a pin c³
projecting laterally from C; also a pin projects laterally from 1) across the
pin 6. On the sides of the coin slot A are pivotted two arms E and F which are
connected by a link f. A pine projects from E into the slot c¹.
His a crank on a spindle h which is caused to revolve by gearing connecting it
to the counter mechanism of the meter, the gearing being such that the crank
makes one revolution while the meter registers the delivery of fluid or energy,
equivalent in value to one of the coins, for which the meter is adapted.
The lever B being connected to a suitable valve, in the case of a fluid meter,
or to a switch in the case of an electric meter, the mechanism operates as follows.
The parts being in the position shewn in Fig. 2, in which case the valve is closed
or the circuit is open, on introducing a coin Z the parts take the positions shewn in
Fig. 1, the coin depressing the end of the lever B whereby the valve is opened
or the switch is moved to close the circuit and the meter is put in action, causing
the crank H to move round from the position shewn in Fig. 2, which was the
position occupied by it when the meter stopped, towards the position shewn in
Fig. 1.
As the crank goes on, its pin, acting on the lever D, depresses the end of the
lever C and raises the slot c¹ whereby the arm E is moved outwards and the arm F

page_text: moved inwards. By the movement of E outwards the coin is allowed to slide off 6¹
and to drop into a receptacle below, and by the movement of F inwards a succeeding
coin is held up for a momentary period during which the lever B takes the position
shewn in Fig. 2 and its pin 63 disengages 1 from the crank H, whereupon the
lever C resumes the position shewn in Fig. 1, moving E inwards and F outwards,
so that the succeeding coin immediately takes the position of the former coin again
opening the valve or closing the circuit, without perceptible stoppage of the
meter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
Coin freed meter mechanism, arranged and operating substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.