Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus suitable for Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus suitable for Gas Meters.
I, HAYDN THIES HARRISON, of 47 Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has reference to a construction of prepayment apparatus suitable
for meters intended to supply a given quantity of gas or other fluid (it may be
even electricity) for each appropriate coin or token (hereinafter called coin) inserted
and to stop delivering in a short time in the event of being so tampered with as to
have the gas valve or its equivalent (hereinafter referred to as the valve) opened
or caused to remain open otherwise than by a properly inserted coin, the arrange-
ment being such that then before the meter can be again caused to deliver by
insertion of a coin adjustment must be effected of certain parts to which access
cannot be gained without the use of a special key which it is proposed should be
in the custody of the vendors of the fluid delivered or their agents, as for example,
in charge of a gas company's inspector so as in this way to facilitate detection of
persons tampering with the meter. The mechanism comprises a part, which is
caused to travel all the time that the meter is delivering, and a device that is
connected to the valve and which so long as there is in the apparatus an appropriate
coin, full value for which has not yet been delivered, is kept out of the path of the
before mentioned travelling part, but, when the quantity of fluid paid for has
been delivered, the coin is caused to release the device connected to the valve, a por-
tion of which device thereupon moves into the path of the travelling part and if,
owing to the apparatus having been tampered with, the meter now continues to
deliver, the travelling part will come into contact with and so operate the device
that is connected to the valve as to move the latter into a position in which not
only will delivery be arrested but that in order to restore the valve into a position
in which it can again be operated by the insertion of an appropriate coin into the
apparatus, a key such as hereinabove referred to will have to be employed.
I construct meters embodying the feature above indicated in such a manner
that an appropriate coin introduced into coin chute will first cause the valve 'to
be moved into the open or delivering position and subsequently will cause the
before mentioned device connected to the valve to be moved out of, and will,
until the quantity of fluid corresponding to the value of the coin has been
delivered, keep the said device clear of the path of the travelling part as aforesaid.
Apparatus to operate on this principle may be variously constructed.
Conveniently the travelling part that actuates the device connected to the valve
when the meter is delivering fluid not paid for, is a projection on a wheel driven
through the meter mechanism actuated by the fluid; and the said device comprises
a couple of levers one of which is depressed by the coin whilst the other is linked
to it and connected to the valve and constitutes the medium through which the
projection on the wheel actuates the valve; and there is on the same wheel a

page_text: second projection which as it travels round under ordinary circumstances, actuates
releasing mechanism on the completion of the delivery of the quantity of fluid
paid for whereupon a spring causes the valve to assume a position in which
delivery is arrested.
In one construction of my apparatus suitable for use in connection with ordinary
wet or dry gas meter mechanism for delivering gas, a suitable valve, such as a
gridiron valve, is normally closed by a spring and is opened by the act of pressing
into the mouth of a coin chute the appropriate coin, which, as it is so introduced
acts against and displaces a suitable surface, such as that of an antifriction wheel
or roller, movably supported and connected to a lever adapted, when so moved, to
open the valve in opposition to the spring. There is also provided a pivoted bell-
crank lever one arin of which constitutes a paw! that is caused by a spring to
engage with the valve stem and lock the valve in the open position, whilst the
other arm of the bell crank lever is made with a curved edge and has pivoted to it
a cam with ratchet and pawl arrangement adapted to allow such cam to rotate in
one direction but not the other; near the curved edge of the bell crank lever arm
(beyond which the cam projects) there travels as hereinafter mentioned a pin
which projects laterally (from one arm of a lever (which I will call for distinction
the main lever) the end of whose other arm is opposite the lower end of the coin
chute and is connected by a link motion to another lever at the end of which is
mounted a pin, that stops the descent of the coin at the lower end of the chute.
As gas is delivered a pin projecting from a wheel driven by the meter mechanism
s is contact with a projection on the main lever-depresses it and thus a coin
is allowed to fall out of the chute into a coin receptacle. The depression of the
main lever imparts movement to the pin that stops the descent of the coin which
causes said pin to pass under the coin to its other side thus releasing it, and to
return to a position to arrest the next coin as it rolls down the chute. When the
pin on the meter driven wheel comes to the end of the projection on the main
lever, the main lever being controlled by a spring or weight makes a return move-
ment, but as it does so the pin holding the next coin is again moved so as to pass
under and release it; this coin however, does not drop completely out of the
chute, but meets and rests (until the main lever is again depressed) upon a pro-
jection or shoulder on the said main lever and thus prevents its returning quite to
its original position and cutting off the gas, as it would do in the absence of a coin.
Hence if there he no coin in the chute, the main lever will complete. its return
stroke and as it does so the pin on its other arm will come in contact with the
cam and as the latter cannot then rotate, will thereby move the bell crank lever
and disengage the pawl from the valve stem and allow the valve to be closed by
its spring.
Connected to the valve stem, for example by being pivoted to the lever which
opens the valve when moved by the antifriction wheel or roller, is the upper of a
couple of levers forming part of the device hereinabove referred to for closing the
valve after it has been opened improperly. The end of this lever is normally
held in the path of a projection extending from the periphery of the meter driven
wheel, which depresses the main lever, by a spring, and is linked to another lever
the end of which projects above the floor of the coin chute in such a manner that
a coin passed down the chute will rest thereon and will by its weight depress it
and thus remove the upper lever from the path of the travelling projection.
Should the apparatus have been tampered with so as to open the valve without the
use of a coin the lower lever will not be depressed and consequently the projection
as the meter driven wheel continues to rotate will force back the upper lever and
so close the valve. The weight of another penny inserted in the chute will not
then be sufficient to depress the levers, owing to the upper lever being
held by frictional contact with the projection as well as by its spring.
To enable the apparatus to be restored to a working condition, an
arm connected to the lower lever is so arranged with its free end extending
into the receptacle for the coins, which, of course, can only be opened by

page_text: a duly authorised person possessing a key, that it can be pressed down by hand.
on the coin receptacle being opened.
With apparatus according to my invention the insertion of the proper coin and
the weight of the coin when inside suffice to free the meter, thereby enabling
handles, pushers and the like to be dispensed with. Moreover my apparatus can
be adapted to register the number of inserted coins for which an equivalent
quantity of gas has not been delivered by connecting to the lever which opens the
valve when moved by the insertion of the coin a pawl adapted to move a ratchet
wheel connected by a friction clutch to a spindle on the end of which is a pointer
moving round a suitably engraved dial; on the same spindle is rigidly fixed a cog
wheel which is moved an equal amount in the opposite direction by a single tooth
mounted on a wheel which rotates once during the delivery of the determined
quantity of gas per coin inserted and which may be mounted on the spindle of the
lever which depresses the main lever. Thus by looking at the pointer or dial the
consumer can see at a glance when it is necessary to insert another coin in order
to obviate arrest of the gas supply.
The quantity supplied per coin inserted may be varied by providing change
wheels for changing the ratio of the gear wheels through which the wheel with
the single tooth, is driven from the meter mechanism and which gearing I prefer
to place in an easily accessible position in front of the meter.
Dated this 30th day of November, 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Prepayment Apparatus suitable for Gas Meters.
I, HAYDN THIES HARRISON, of 47 Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
London, 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 has reference to a construction of prepayment apparatus suitable
for meters intended to supply a given quantity of gas or other fluid (it may be
even electricity) for each appropriate coin or token (hereinafter called coin) inserted
and to stop delivering in a short time in the event of being so tampered with as to
have the gas valve or its equivalent (hereinafter referred to as the valve) opened
or caused to remain open otherwise than by a properly inserted coin, the arrange-
ment being such that then before the meter can be again caused to deliver by
insertion of a coin adjustment must be effected of certain parts to which access
cannot be gained without the use of a special key which it is proposed should be
in the custody of the vendors of the fluid delivered or their agents, as for example,
in charge of a gas company's inspector so as in this way to facilitate detection of
persons tampering with the meter. The mechanism comprises a part, which is
caused to travel all the time that the meter is delivering, and a device that is
connected to the valve and which so long as there is in the apparatus an appropriate
coin, full value for which has not yet been delivered, is kept out of the path of the
before mentioned travelling part, but, when the quantity of fluid paid for has
been delivered, the coin is caused to release the device connected to the valve, a
tion of which device thereupon moves into the path of the travelling part and if,
owing to the apparatus having been tampered with, the meter now continues to
por-

page_text: deliver, the travelling part will core into contact with and so operate the device
that is connected to the valve as to move the latter into a position in which not
only will delivery be arrested but that in order to restore the valve into a position
in which it can again be operated by the insertion of an appropriate coin into the
apparatus, a key such as hereinabove referred to will have to be employed.
I construct meters embodying the feature above indicated in such a manner
that an appropriate coin introduced into a coin chute will first cause the valve to
be moved into the open or delivering position and subsequently will cause the
before mentioned device connected to the valve to be moved out of, and will,
until the quantity of fluid corresponding to the value of the coin has been
delivered, keep the said device clear of the path of the travelling part as aforesaid.
Apparatus to operate on this principle may be variously constructed.
Conveniently the travelling part that actuates the device connected to the valve.
when the meter is delivering fluid not paid for, is a projection on a wheel driven
through the meter mechanism actuated by the fluid; and the said device comprises.
a couple of levers one of which is depressed by the coin whilst the other is linked
to it and connected to the valve and constitutes the medium through which the
projection on the wheel actuates the valve; and there is on the same wheel a
second projection which as it travels round under ordinary circumstances, actuates
releasing mechanism on the completion of the delivery of the quantity of fluid
paid for whereupon a spring causes the valve to assume a position in which
delivery is arrested.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in plan but with its cover removed,
an ordinary wet or dry gas meter with one construction of prepayment apparatus
according to this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the
upper part thereof on the line z z of Fig. 1 as seen from the front; and Fig. 3 is
a sectional elevation on the line y y of Fig. 1 as seen from the back of the meter.
In this construction, 1 is a suitable valve, such as a gridiron slide valve, arranged
This valve is
to control the flow of gas through the pipe 1 to the meter A.
normally closed by a spring 2 and is opened by the act of pressing into the mouth 3
of a coin chute 3 the appropriate coin, which, as it is so introduced, acts against
and displaces a suitable surface, such as that of an antifriction wheel or roller 4,
movably supported and connected as by a link 5 to a lever 6 adapted, when so moved,
to open the valve in opposition to the spring. For this purpose the lever 6 is fixed
upon a rock shaft 6" to which is also fixed a lever Gb that is arranged to extend
through a slot 1b in the valve stem 1° so that when the shaft 6" is rocked in one
direction it will close or open the valve or on being further rocked, will close the
valve as desired. G is a spring that serves to normally holu the levers 6, 6b and
roller 4 in the position shown. There is also provided a pivoted bell-crank lever
one arm 7 of which constitutes a pawl that is caused by a spring 8 to engage with
a projection 9 on the valve stem 1° and lock the valve 1 in the open position. The
other arm 7 of the bell crank lever which is made separate from the arm 7 and
fixed upon a rock shaft 7* common to them, is made with a curved edge 7b and has
pivoted to it a cam 10 consisting sey of four projecting parts in connection with
which is a ratchet wheel 11 with which engages a spring pawl or detent 12 that
will allow the wheel and cam to rotate in one direction but not the other. Near
the curved edge 7 of the bell crank lever arm 7" (beyond which one or other of
the parts of the cam 10 projects as shown), there travels, as hereinafter mentioned,
a pin 13 which projects laterally from one arm 14 of a lever (which I will call for
distinction the main lever) which is pivoted at 14 and the end of whose other
arm 16 is opposite the lower end of the coin chute 3. This end of the lever is
connected by a link 16 to another lever 17 pivoted at 17* and at the free end of
which is mounted a pin 17" that stops the descent of a coin at the lower end of the
chute as hereinafter described. 18 is a wheel that is rotated, when gas is being
delivered by suitable change wheels or gearing 19 from the meter mechanism as
for example from the driving shaft 20 of the ordinary counting mechanism at 21
The gearing is so arranged that the wheel 18 will be rotated once for each coin

page_text: inserted into the apparatus. 18 is a pin projecting from the wheel 18 and so
arranged that as the said wheel rotates, it will come in contact with a projection 22
on the main lever 14-15 and depresses the arm 15 thereof.
Connected to the valve stem 1, for example by being pivoted to the lever 6,
is one of a couple of levers 23 24 forming part of the device hereinabove referred
to for closing the valve after it has been opened improperly. The lower end of
this lever 23 is normally held in the path of a projection 25 extending from the
periphery of the meter driven wheel 18 by a spring 27 and is connected
by a link 28 to the lever 24 the end 24" of which projects above the floor of
the coin chute 3 in such a manner that a coin passed down the chute will rest
thereon and will by its weight depress it and thus remove the lever 23 from the
path of the travelling projection 25.
On inserting a enin into the mouth 3 of the chute 3 it presses back the roller 4
and through the link 5 and levers 6 and 6 opens the valve 1.
The coin rolls
down the chute, depresses the end 24 of the lever 24, the lever 23 being thus
moved from out of the path of the projection 25 on the wheel 18, the coin finally
coming to rest upon the pin 17" of the lever 17. As gas is delivered the pin 18" oil
the wheel 18, which rotates in the direction of the arrow, comes in contact with the
projection 22 on the main lever 14-15 and depresses the arm 15.
descends, the lever arm 17 is operated by the link 16 so as to move the pin 17ª
slightly to the left and permit the coin to fall on to a projection or shoulder 15"
on the lever arm 15. This arm with the coin thereon continues to descend,, and
through the link 16 and lever arm 17 moves the pin 17 into a position to arrest
the next coin as it rolls down the chute, the arm 15 ultimately assumes a position
in which the coin thereon is free to roll into a money receptacle 29. When the
pin 18 comes to the end of the projection 22 on the main lever, the main
fever under the action of a weight 14" (or spring) makes a return movement, but
as it does so, the pin 17 holding the next coin is again moved to the left so as to
pass under and release it. This coin however, does not drop completely out of the
chute, but meets and rests (until the main lever is again depressed), upon the pro-
jection or shoulder 15" on the said main lever and by pressing against a shoulder
or stop 3 in the chute prevents the lever returning quite to its original position
If there be no coin
and cutting off the gas, as it would do in the absence of a coin.
in the chute, the main lever will complete its return stroke and as it does so the
pin 13 on its other arm 14 will come in contact with the arm. 10 and as the latter
cannot then rotate by reason of the pawl or detent 12 engaging the ratchet
wheel 11, will thereby move the bell crank lever 7 7 and disengage the pawl arm 7
from the valve stem 1° and allow the valve 1 to lie closed by its spring 2.
Should the apparatus have been tampered with so as to open the valve without
the use of a coin, the end 24" of the lever 24 will not be depressed and consequently
the projection 25 as the meter driven wheel 18 continues to rotate, will act against
and force back 'the lever 23 and so close the valve 1. The weight of another penny
inserted in the chute will not then be sufficient to depress the levers 24, 23, owing
to the lever 23 being held by frictional contact with the projection 25. To enable
the apparatus to be restored to a working condition, an arm connected to the
lever 23 is so arranged with its free end extending into the coin receptacle 29
which of course, can only be opened by a duly authorised person possessing a
key, that it can be pressed down by hand on the coin receptacle being opened."
In the example now being described the said arm 30 is pivoted to the projec
tion 22 on the main lever and connected to an arm 30° which, when the arm 30
is depressed, acts against a pin 24 on the lever 24 and by depressing this lever,
disengages the lever 23 from the projection 25 on the wheel 18 and so frees this
wheel. 31 is a stop to limit the downward movement of the lever 24.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing a modified arrangement in which the
levers 23 and 24 connected by a link 28 are as shown differently arranged to those
herein before described but act in the same manner to prevent the apparatus being
restored, except by an authorised person, to its working condition, after the valve

page_text: Emprovements in
repayment apparatus suitable for Gas Meters.
has been opened without the use of a coin. The lever 30 for withdrawing the
lever 23 from the projection or shoulder 25 on the wheel 18 is in this arrangement
fxed to a spindle 32 to which the lever 24 is also fixed. 33 and 34 are two verti-
cally guided slide rods the upper ends of which are jointed to two levers 33 and 34"
which are respectively raised against the action of gravity by the pin on the
wheel 18 and a projection 18 at the back of this wheel. The arrangement is
such that with the parts in the positions shown the lower end of the bar 33 projects
into the coin shoot and serves to hold a coin therein upon the projecting
part 24" of the lever 24 until by the rotation of the pin 18" the lever 33 is raised
to permit the coin to roll into the coin receptacle previous to which the rod 34 will
have descended to arrest the descent of the next coin until the rod 33 again descends
into the shoot when it is raised, the two rods thus acting alternately to allow only
one coin at a time to pass to the coin receptacle. The main lever 14-15 after its
arm 15 has been depressed by the action of the pin 18" on the projection 22 is
prevented from returning to its normal position and cutting off the supply of gas,
whilst the amount paid for has been wholly delivered, by a spring stop 35 that is
moved into a position to prevent the complete return of the main lever by the
weight of the last coin in the chute acting upon the weighted arm 36 of a bell
crank lever to the other arm 36" of which the stop is connected. When the coin
is finally released and the main lever is again pressed down, the
bell crank lever automatically moves into a position to
to move the spring
stop 35 out of the path of the main lever and permit it to complete its
return movement and in so doing to operate the lever arm 7" of the bell crank
lever and disengage its other arm 7 (Fig. 2) from the valve 1 which is then closed
as before. In this example, the lever arm 7" is provided with a spring plate 11"
that will permit the pin 13 on the lever arm 14 to pass upward 'between it and the
curved surface 7b but which upon the downward movement of the said arm when
the same completely returns to its normal position under the action of the
spring 14 will act against the said spring plate and force the lever arm 7 to the
right so as to release the valve and permit it to close under the action of its spring.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement like that shown in Fig. 4 but the two levers 23
and 24 in that arrangement are replaced by a lever 24 pivoted to the lever 6,
provided with an arm 23 and extending into the coin receptacle so that it can
be depressed from this point by an authorised person to withdraw the arm 23*
from the projection or shoulder 25 after the meter has heen tampered with. The
projection 22 on the main lever 14-15 is provided with a supplementary projec-
tion 22 which upon the pin 18" slipping over the edge of the projection 22, after
the said main levor 14-15 has been released owing to the stop 35 having been moved
out of the way by the passing of the last coin into the money receptacle, will permit
the lever to return to a sufficient extent to cut off say one half the usual supply of
the gas and so give a visible indication by the resulting drop in the size of the gas
flame, that the gas paid for has been nearly consumed and will be shortly cut off
if another coin be not inserted. In this case the pawl 7 used to hold open the gas
valve 1 is arranged to normally engage the end of the projection 9 of the valve
stem and hold the valve fully open as shown in the detail view Fig. 6 but upon
being partly depressed by the partial return of the main lever to its cutting off
position to release the valve and permit it to be partly closed by its spring 2 and be
held in the partly closed position by the pawl engaging a tooth 9 on the
projection 9 as shown in Fig. 7.
With apparatus according to my invention the insertion of the proper coin and
the weight of the enin when inside, suffice to free the meter, thereby enabling
handles, pushers, and the like to be dispensed with. Moreover my apparatus can
be adapted to register the number of inserted coins for which an equivalent
quantity of gas has not been delivered by connecting to the lever 6 which opens
the valve when moved by the insertices of the coin, a pawl 37 (Fig. 4) adapted to
move a toothed wheel 38 connected to a spindle 39 on the end of which is a pointer
moving round a suitably engraved dial. The toothed wheel 38 is moved an equal

page_text: amount in the opposite direction by the single tooth 18b mounted on the wheel 18
which rotates once during the delivery of the determined quantity of gas per coin
inserted. Thus by looking at the pointer or dial, the consumer can see at a glance
when it is necessary to insert another coin in order to obviate arrest of the gas
supply without waiting until the supply of gas is partly cut off as hereinbefore
explained.
The quantity supplied per coin inserted may be varied by changing the ratio of
the gear wheels 19 through which the wheel 18 is driven from the meter mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what L
claim is:
1. Prepayment apparatus suitable for gas and other meters wherein there is used
in conjunction with a valve or its equivalent and a part that is caused to travel when
the meter is delivering fluid, a detecting device so constructed and arranged that, on
the proper insertion of a coin into the apparatus, it will be moved out of the path
of the travelling part so as to permit the same to move hut, if the apparatus be
tampered with so as to cause it to deliver fluid, the said detecting device will be
moved into a position to be operated by the said travelling part so as to stop the
delivery of fluid and lock the apparatus in such a way that before the meter can be
again caused by the insertion of a coin to deliver fluid adjustment will be
necessary by an authorised person, as set forth.
2. Apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim so arranged that
an appropriate coin introduced into a coin chute will first cause the valve or
equivalent part to be moved into open or delivery position and subsequently will
cause the detecting device to be moved out of engagement with and, until the
quantity of fluid corresponding to the value of the coin has been delivered, to be
kept clear of the travelling part, as set forth.
3. In prepayment apparatus suitable for a gas meter, the combination with the
gas valve or equivalent and a lever for operating the same of a suitably shaped
body, wheel or roller movably supported in the coin chute and connected to the
said lever, the arrangement being such that upon pressing an appropriate coin into
the coin chute, it will act against and displace the said body so as to open the valve,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In prepayment apparatus suitable for a gas meter a pair of levers connected
together and one of which is connected to the valve controlling the delivery of gras,
valve releasing mechanism, and a wheel driven through the meter mechanism
actuated by the fluid delivered and provided with two projections one of which is
adapted in a certain position of the pair of levers to act upon one of the levers and
close the valve and the other of which, as it travels round under ordinary circum-
stances will actuate the releasing mechanism on the completion of the delivery of
the quantity of fluid paid for and permit the valve to assume, under the action
of a spring or equivalent, a position in which delivery of fluid will be arrested,
substantially as described.
5. Prepayment apparatus for gas meters, constructed arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 3
inclusive of the annexed drawings or modified as set forth.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.