An Improved Automatic Prepayment Apparatus for Gas Meter's.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Prepayment Apparatus for Gas Meter's.
I, JONATHAN BRIGHTMAN, of 66 Carlisle Street, Rotherham, Yorkshire, Engine
Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An apparatus attached to a gas meter; which apparatus is set in motion by
pushing a penny, or other coin, through an aperture (hereinaftor called tho "slot");
this slot is partly obstructed by (2) two rollers, one (No. 1) fixed at one end of the slot,
and the other (No. 2), attached to the end of a lever and situated at such a distance
from the fixed roller that the forcing in of the coin, moves (No. 2) roller to the
opposite end of the slot, thereby imparting all the motion required to open a valve,
and at the same time turning a circular cam, which retains the valve in an open
position.
The centre of the coin passos beyond the centre of the two rollers from above, and
falls into a box below; thereby releasing the roller No. 2 and its lever, which return
to their former position instantly.
The valve is closed by a spring, when the stipulated quantity of gas has passed
through the meter; the said spring being released by the action of the meter upon
the retaining cam.
An alternating or differential gear (composed of four bevel wheels), is used to
actuate the retaining cani, so that the aforesaid lever with roller, and the registering
spindle of the meter, act separately upon it, (the cam).
Dated this 22nd day of April 1896.
JONATHAN BRIGHTMAN.
I JONATHAN BRIGHTMAN, of 66 Carlisle Street, Rotherham, Yorkshire, Engine
Fitter, 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:-
An apparatus attached to a gas meter, which apparatus is actuated by pushing a
penny or other coin through a slot.
The arrangement and construction are as follows.
Two rollers B, and B, are placed at the back or undor side of the slot plate O, partly
obstructing the slot; one of the rollers is in a fixed position at the end of the slot; the
other roller is attached to a lever or arm A, and resting under the slot, a little past
the centre towards the opposite end, as shown on Sheet 8.
When a penny is placed edgewise in the slot, the edges of it rest upon the two
rollers B B; then by pushing the coin down through the slot, the lover A, is moved
radialy, until the distance between the two rollers B, B, is equal to the diameter of
the coin, which then falls through into a money box below.
Two small eccentric rollers M, M, (made of vulcanized indin-rubber, or other such
substance, that will not readily slip on the surface of the coin,) are placed in a plane

page_text: with the rollers B, B, at right angles to them, and attached to the slot plate by luga;
these rollers M, M, are so placed that as the coin passes down between them, it
slightly displaces, or partly turns thein, without any perceptible resistance; but the
coin cannot return, or be drawn upwards, being prevented by the eccentric form of
the rollers M, M.
The lever or arm A, is fastened on a spindle Q, and on the saine spindle are
fastened two other cranks or levers C, and D. The crank D, is connected to the
pulling rod F, and by it connected to the valve lever E in such a way that it pulls
levor E, but does not push on returning.
I, is a lover having its fulerum at R; one end is connected to the crank C, and the
other to a quadrant H, (slots are made in the lever I, for the studs to work in which
connect it to R and H,). It will be soon that the motion of the lever A, is thus
communicated to H, and E, at one and the same time.
The lever E is standing in a gap cut in the circular cam G, when the valve is
sbut; and roller B, in the position shown on Sheet 8: the movement of D, pulls
lever E, out of the gap, and thus opens the gas valve; at the same time quadrant H,
(conveying its motion through bevel quadrant L with pawl, and groove wheel J,)
moves cam G, so that E cannot return to the gap, but settles on the face of the cam
which causes the valve to remain open.
The weight of tho two quadrants H and L and the position of the two cranks, and
lever cause the arm A (with its roller) to return to its former position, the instant
the coin has passed the centre of the rollers; this returning action can be supple-
-mented by a spring acting downwards upon L if necesary. The operation can be
repeated, until caun G has completed a revolution except the width of the gap; the
rod F, sliding loosely over the valve lever.
The two bevol wheels T, and U, are loose, and act separately upon the spindle K,
by means of the cross har S, which is fast on K.
The spindle V is the indicating spindle of the meter, which (by means of two
worms W, and X, geared into wheels Y and Z, and connected by spindle 2,) causes
the working of the meter to move the cam G, in the opposite direction, until the gap
reachos lever E, which (by the pressure of the spring 3) is forced into the gap, and
thus closes the valve with which it is connected."
The roller 4 is intended to reduce the friction between G, and E.
The fulcrum R. is attached to a slide, held in position by the screw N, and can be
shifted along a slot in lever I, to regulate the imovement of quadrant H, and thus
measure the amount of gas for each coin put in.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declaro that what I
claim is :
1st. In a prepayment gas meter, the combination of rollers and levers, which are
actuated intirely by pushing a coin through a slot; thereby simultaneously opening
the gas valve and moving tho retaining cam, without any other action on the part of
the operator.
2nd. The arrangement of the several parts shown in the accompanying drawings,
and the combined action upon the meter, whether placed inside or outside of
the casing.
3rd. The adaptation of this particular form of differential gear, to serve in a
prepayment gas meter, and the substitution of the V grooved wheel J, and wedge
pawl, instead of a ratchet for the same purpose.
Dated this 25th day of June 1896.
JONATHAN BRIGHTMAN,
Applicant.