Improvements in Coin Freed Gas Meters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Gas Meters.
I GEORGE CARTER, Index Maker, of 521 Liverpool Road, Islington, in the
County of London, 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 for improvements in coin freed gas meters relates to gas meters
fitted with coin controlled mechanism of the kind for which Letters Patent
No. 21819 dated 29th November 1892 were granted to me, and which, on the
insertion of one or more coins of predetermined size and value, such as a penny
or pennies, allows the gas measuring device to act so as to automatically deliver to
the purchaser a quantity of gas equal in value to the coin or coins so inserted, and
has for its principal object to arrange and construct such mechanism or apparatus,
capable of being applied to any ordinary wet or dry meter, in such a manner that
on the insertion of one or more proper coins of the predetermined value, it shall
automatically set the measuring device free to act so as to deliver to the purchaser
a quantity of gas equal in value to the inserted coin or coins and shall at all times
indicate the amount of gas, if any, to the credit of the purchaser, and which shall
also be capable of being readily adjusted to deliver any quantity of gas per unit
coin to suit any variation in price.
In the accompanying six sheets of illustrative drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a front sectional elevation of a coin freed gas meter
constructed according to this invention, the upper part of the front plate of the
casing being removed.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, a part of the casing of the coin operating mechanism
being removed.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the coin mechanism with the coin arm in
its initial position.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the coin mechanism casing on the line 1-1,
Fig. 3, and showing the rotary coin arm and operating ratchet wheel.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the coin mechanism showing the coin arm
in its final position for discharging the operating coin into its receptacle.
Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section at 2-2 Fig. 3, and showing the coin in
an inoperative position, as when first inserted into the coin arm.
Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6, but showing the coin when forced into its
operative position.
Fig. 8 represents a vertical section through the gas supply valve and showing
the said valve closed automatically when the gas paid for is exhausted.
Fig. 9 is a plan of the same, and
Fig. 10 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 8, but showing the supply valve
open.
Fig. 11 represents a back sectional elevation of the measuring and indicating
mechanism.
In the arrangement of coin freed gas meter shown, as applied to a dry meter,
a worm a is mounted on the unit index spindle or arbor band gears with a screw
threaded pinion e mounted on the threaded part of a sliding screwed rod d, the
said pinion being held in position laterally by suitable cheeks e so that, as it is
rotated, it imparts a longitudinal or axial motion to the said screwed rod.
.

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Connected to and partaking of the longitudinal sliding motion of the before
mentioned screwed rod is a sliding toothed rack gearing with a corresponding
toothed quadrant 9 mounted on an arbor / carrying an index pointer i working
over an indicating dial so that, as the screwed rod is slidden longitudinally in
either direction, the said index pointer is correspondingly rotated.
r
The back end of the sliding screwed rod d slides freely in the sleeve m of a
gathering wheel n, in which it is prevented from turning by a feather o in the said
sleeve, working in a corresponding keyway in it. The wheel n is of the crown
wheel type and is formed with ratchet teeth p on its outer circumference or
periphery, and also with ratchet teeth 2 on its lip or flange, both sets of teeth
facing in the same direction. On the sleeve m is mounted another sleeve r
terminating in a solid plugs which passes through the bearing t in the casing v,
and has securely mounted on it a milled disc w by which it is rotated when desired.
On the sleeve is mounted a coin receiver and feed operator comprising, a casing c
having a lever detent or bolt y pivoted at z and whose point a a is, in its normal position,
held free of the teeth q of the crown gathering wheel n by the spring ab pressing
upon its heel (Fig. 6) but which, when the coin is forced into the receiver, and the
lever a c thereby displaced, is forced outward by the said lever and engages with
one of the teeth y of the wheel n (Fig. 7). Secured to the coin receiver and
sleever is a circular shield ad having a flange or lip on the side next the wheel n
and which projects a little above the ratchet teeth p of the said wheel n.
object of this shield is to prevent the wheel n being tampered with from the money
slot on the top of the case v, and also to close the said slot, so that no money can
pass through the same when the receiver is not in its proper position to receive
coin.
On the back of the casing is secured a stop ae which ensures the stoppage
of the coin receiver, after displacement, in a proper position to receive a
fresh coin.
The
Immediately above the coin receiver, when in its initial position, is the coin
slot af passing through the slide casing ag (in the casing v) in which slides a bolt
or plunger a h which, when a coin is placed in the slot, forces it, in the act of
closing, into the coin receiver, causing it to depress the lever ac and thereby press
out the bolt lever y so as to cause its point a a to engage with the teeth 9 of the
gathering wheel n. By this means the coin receiver and gathering wheel are
rigidly locked together until the coin is released from the receiver as will be
readily understood.
A strip ai secured to, or forming a part of, the outer casing retains the coin
in its operative position in the receiver during its rotation so as to keep the lever
bolt y in engagement with the wheel n until released therefrom, as will be presently
described.
ay
into
In order to regulate and vary the angle swept through by the coin receiver at
each operation, and, with it, the traverse of the gathering wheel n, and thereby
vary the forward movement of the controlling mechanism and consequently the
amount of gas set forward to the credit of the consumer per unit coin inserted, a
stop al is provided at the end of a split plate am an fitting the casing v and
guided in position by curved guide strips ao ap so that by sliding the plate am an
round in the casing so as to vary the length of the arc between the stop al and the
coin slot af, the angular travel of the coin receiver is correspondingly varied.
When the coin receiver strikes the stop al the coin falls through the slot
the coin receptacle ar, the end a a of the lever bolt y being then disengaged from
the teeth of the wheel n and the coin receiver being free to return to its initial
position for a fresh operation. In order to set the stop al for any desired quantity
of gas per unit coin the plate am is divided and perforated at equal intervals by
tapped holes into which a set screw as passing through the casing is inserted to
rigidly secure it in any position to the casing v, the socket at being then sealed
with wax to prevent tampering. On the plate an are numbers corresponding to
the division holes in the plate a m, which serve to indicate the quantity of gas per
unit coin which the apparatus for the time being is set to deliver, the said number

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being readily observed through an appropriate opening at in the casing v.
gathering wheel n is prevented from rotating in a backward direction by two
detents aw of unequal lengths in order to increase the fineness of subdivision.
The coin on leaving the receiver x passes through the slot aq into a coin
receptacle or drawer ar which is secured to the casing v by a swivel lever ax
fulcrummed on the stud ay and which engages with a hook or latch az and is
finally locked by means of a padlock passing through holes in the lugs ba, bb.
In order to shut off the gas when the whole quantity paid for has been consumed,
and to prevent the straining of the automatic mechanism when in this condition, in
the event of leakage of gas past the inlet valve, the hereinafter described mechanism
is employed.
A conical valve bc is fixed over the inlet channel of the meter, situated between
the two ordinary valves or gratings, and consists of a socket bd soldered to the
plate be of the inlet channel and into which is screwed the valve seat bf above
which is a tubular extension bg soldered to the plate bh and having holes bi for
the outlet of gas.
The valve be opens against the pressure of the gas and is
connected by a spindle b passing through the stuffing box bm and gland bn to a
crosshead bo, itself connected by a crank pin bp to a crank bq mounted on or
forming part of, a spindle br, the said crosshead having an elongated hole in which
the crank pin bp works. A lever bs is connected to a crank bt mounted on the
spindle br by a knuckle joint which is kept pressed in an open position, as shown,
by a spring bv, the length of the lever being such that, when elevated, its outer end
is projected into the path of the tangent arm b w of the meter. On the outer end of
the spindle br is mounted a short crank be at right angles to the crank b 9 and
having a pin by which, so long as there is any unconsumed gas to the credit of the
consumer, rests upon the straight plane edge bz of the rod ca connected by the
notch cb to a projection cc on the traversing rack slide f, the end of the lever bs
being held thereby, in the position shown in Fig. 10, out of the path of the tangent
When however the whole of the gas paid for is becoming exhausted the screwed
rod d gradually recedes, carrying with it the sliding rack f, and rod ca, the crank
pin by riding along the plane edge bz until the hooked end cd strikes it and rotates
the spindle br, the pin by entering the recess or notch ce and the end of the lever bc
being placed in the path of the tangent bw, while the valve bc is raised and closes
on its seat and is firmly pressed thereon by the pressure of the tangent on the end
of the levers all as clearly shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
In case of leakage through the inlet valve be the motion of the meter is resisted
by the lever bs pressing against the tangent bw, which pressure tends to close the
valve more tightly on its seat and prevent the communication of prejudicial strains
to the working parts of the automatic mechanism.
The mode of operating the apparatus is as follows:-Assuming that there is no
gas to the credit of the customer, the inlet valve be will be closed as shown in
Figs. 8 and 9, the screw rod d will be at the end of its traverse and the pointer i
will indicate zero.
The slide a h is withdrawn, the coin receiver . is turned to its initial position and
a proper coin is inserted; the slide a is then closed which forces the coin down
the receiver case and depresses the cam lever ac which forces the end a a of the
lever y into engagement with a tooth q of the wheel n. The coin receiver is now
rotated by means of the milled head w, until it strikes the stop a 1, when the coin
falls into the receptacle ar, and the lever y is disengaged from the wheel n and is
free to be again operated. The rotation of the wheel n, and with it the screw d,
will have now caused the latter to advance a corresponding distance forwards,
carrying with it the sliding rack f, displacing the crank be, lever bs, and crank bg
and thereby opening the inlet valve bc for the admission of gas, the translation of
the rack falso causing the index pointer i to advance and indicate the quantity of
gas placed to the credit of the purchaser. Several coins may be inserted
consecutively until the greatest quantity allowed for is standing to the credit of
the purchaser, that is, until the rod d has been advanced as far as it will go.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In coin freed gas meters; the combination with the index spindle, the
longitudinally sliding screwed rod d, the worm a and toothed pinion e operatively
connecting the said index spindle and screw rod, of the means for revolving the
said rod whereby it is moved longitudinally to permit the said index spindle to
revolve and return the said parts to their normal positions substantially as set
forth.
2. In coin freed gas meters; the combination with the revolvable screwed rod d
turning with and sliding in the sleeve m and the gathering wheel n prevented from
turning backwards by the detents a w, of the pawl lever y pivoted in the coin
receiver a substantially as described.
3. In coin freed gas meters; the combination with the gathering wheel n, of a
rotary coin receiver a, a pawl lever y pivoted to the coin receiver and capable of
engaging with the wheel n and a lever ac which, when depressed by a coin, causes
the point a a to engage with the teeth of the gathering wheel, the whole
substantially as set forth.
4. In coin freed gas meters; the combination of the flanged shield ad with the
coin receiver a substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
5. In coin freed gas meters; a bolt or plunger a sliding in a casing ag which,
after the insertion of a coin in the receiver x, presses it downwards, depressing the
lever ac and causing the bolt lever or detent y to engage with the wheel n
substantially as set forth.
6. In coin freed gas meters; a price varying device comprising a circular
plate am an sliding in the casing and having a stop al which limits the angular
travel of the coin receiver a, the whole substantially as set forth.
7. In coin freed gas meters; the combination of a valve bc, socket bd, valve
seat bf extension bg with holes bi and spindle b1, stuffing box 6 m and gland bn,
the whole substantially as set forth.
8. In coin freed gas meters; the gas inlet valve controlling mechanism
comprising a lever bs connected to the valve bc by a knuckle joint, the spindle br
and crank b and also connected by the crank bx and rod ca to the traversing
rack slide f, the whole arranged constructed and operating, substantially as set
forth.
9. The combination with the tangent arm bw of a gas meter, of a valve
operating mechanism, the whole arranged constructed and operating substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.