Improvements in or connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application. 15th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
We, LUCIEN GIROUD, Engineer, 27 Rue des Petits Hotels, Paris, France, and
MARCEL SAPPEY, Engineer, 77 Rue Chardon Lagache, Auteil (Seine), France, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with coin freed gas
meters, and has for object;
First Certain appliances or means by which coins of predetermined values can
after inserted into a receiver and on an appliance being moved by hand for the passage
of the lower or first inserted coin, the gas valve is open for flow and will continue
open until all the coins automatically and successively pass from the receiver but
singly as each quantity of gas is terminating its supply to that valve.
Secondly Certain means or appliances whereby an inspector at any time can check
the quantity of gas consumed and simultaneously shift the course or travel of the
succeeding falling coins to keep them separate from those which fell before the
inspector's visit.
Thus, if the returns of consumption from the inspector's note book be transferred
to the coin collector's book, the number of coins corresponding thereto should be
found in the till previously checked by the inspector. By this plan the inspector
does not touch the coins, nor does the collector check the consumption, so that
one checks the other, and pilfering is prevented and a true return obtained.
This second part of said invention is applicable, with slight changes, to all or
inost all coin freed gas meters, and can be fitted as desired.
For the purpose of our invention, the coin or coins placed in a shoot on edge
fall upon a plug in succession, said plug being part of a lever movable to start the
meter by a hand pull which becomes released after setting the plug lever.
The plug lever is connected to a diaphragm having the valve affixed to its
centre pin.
The plug has effect against the lower coin only and by a slotted plate on same
can be moved by wedges on a wheel of the index mechanism operable by the
uieter only, a distance sufficient to release the lower coin to fall into one compartment
of a double till hereafter referred to. The distance between the respective wedges of
the meter operable wheel determines the quantity of gas to be consumed for each
coin. The wheel has also a series of studs which remove a shutter and a platform
simultaneously in opposite directions for supporting and freeing the coins in
succession.
In the event of no coin being in position for the plug to press against, the
plug lever is locked by a weighted catch, capable of release only by the pressure
of an inserted coin against a nose piece.
The till is double or two tills are set in such a position in relation to the meter
that a plate moved over by an inspector's key will direct the coin into one or other
of them which for the time becomes locked and the other unlocked but which
unlocked till can alone be got at by a collector who has a different key and a
separate lock to open before he can remove the money, the amount of which should

page_text: tally with the index show of consumption taken at the date of the inspector's visit
and of which the collector has a copy.
Dated this 15th day of September 1896
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Lucien Giroud and Marcel Sappey.
Improvements in or connected with Coin Freed Gas Meters.
We, LUCIEN GIROUD, Engineer, 27 Rue des Petits Hotels, Paris, France, and
MARCEL SAPPEY, Engineer 77 Rue Chardon Lagache, Auteil (Seine), France, 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 relates to improvements in or connected with coin freed gas
meters, and has for its object,
First Certain appliances or means by which coins of predetermined values can
after insertion into a receiver and the lower one by its weight release a catch
permit of an appliance being moved by hand and thereby open the gas valve
which will continue open until all the coins automatically and successively pass from
the receiver.
Secondly Certain means or appliances whereby an inspector at any time can
check the quantity of gas consumed and simultaneously shift the course or travel
of the succeeding falling coins to keep thein separate from those which fell before
the inspector's visit. Thus, if the returns of consumption from the inspector's note
book be transferred to the coin collector's book, the number of coins corresponding
thereto should be found in the till previously checked by the inspector.
By this plan, the inspector does not touch the coins, nor does the collector check
the consumption so that one checks the other and pilfering is prevented and a true
return obtained.
This second part of said invention is applicable with slight changes to all or
most all coin freed gas meters and can be fitted as desired.
The invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 elevation of a gas meter with the front top or top face plate removed.
Figure 2 end elevation of said meter.
Figure 3 plan of mechanism in a normal condition.
Figure 4 plan of same in operable condition.
Figure 5 detached elevation of the coin receiver and releaser mechanism.
Figure 6 detached elevation of starting device.
Figure 7 perspective detail of money till locking appliance.
A, case of meter. B, valve box, here shown at inlet. C, outlet port. D, valve rod
attached to a diaphragm E by which the valve box is rendered gas proof, said rod
carrying a plate D₁ which is notched at F for the reception of a plate G standing
up from a lever H and by which said valve is operated.
The lever H is fulcrumed at 1, its opposite end having an extension J for connection
with a light spring K by which the lever H is returned to its normal position when
all the contained coins have passed into the till and thus close the valve and shut
off the flow of gas. The plate G has a branch G' at right angles and this is also
notched for the passage of wedge shaped studs L which there are three standing
up from the surface of the wheel M, the periphery of which is toothed for the
engagement of the indexing pinion N. This wheel is operated by the meter

page_text: mechanism during the passage of gas through it. Each arm of this wheel has a pin P
depending therefrom and these are in the path of a blade Q projecting from a
lever R pivoted at S, the opposite end of said lever forming a platform S' on
which the lower of the coins rests for the time being.
The pivoting part of the lever R is as a sleeve on the pivot pin S and the
upper end of this sleeve has a plate T projecting to lodge within a slot of the
coin shoot U and forms a support for the upper coins which are in the hopper V,
this being preferably of curved formation to reduce the height it would otherwise be
if many coins be put in. The platform S' and the plate T have a halance weight Ti
to return them to their normal positions when the blade Q has been cleared of
contact with the pins l', P, P.
The hopper V has a series of holes so that the number of coins in it can be seen
at any time and there is a hole in the shoot into which a plug W of the lever H
can enter and pinch the lowest coin, its pressure preventing the spring K drawing
the lever H to a distance that would allow the gas valve to close.
X is a nose of a lever Y which in one position i.e. when the catch Z is in a
vertical slot of the shoot U locks the lever H supposing there is no coin in the
shoot but as a coin falls down the hopper into the shoot it presses the catch Z
outwardly, this movement causes the nose X to move clear of the lever H, the coin
then resting on the plug W. The lever Y has a balance weight a to return it to
its normal position.
The free end of the lever H is provided with a vertically sliding bolt which is so
situated in connection with an angular slotted plate e that its upper end forms a stop
against the movement of a hand pull d by which the meter after the reception of
a coin can be started but which hand pull after it has travelled a given distance
becomes released from the stop bolt by the descent of the stop bolt down the
incline of the angular slot.
The hand pull is outside the casing A and its inner end has a slip paul e to
bear against the bolt while it moves down the slot. but which slips free when the
lever H has been pulled far enough by it simultaneously with this movement the
plug W is drawn out and the coin last resting on it falls on to the platform 8',
the lever H being then held by the contact of its plug with the coin.
I have for the sake of connecting the money tills with a meter having the
foregoing coin freed mechanism shown the second part of my invention on
Figures 1, 2 and 7 of the drawings but it will be readily understood as before
mentioned that such second part is or may be applicable to other coin freed meters.
This second part consists of a money box provided with a central vertical partition f
thereby forming two tills g g'. The upper part has a tumbler plate in the throat
for guiding the coins into either side chambers, coverable by shutters g g when the
tumbler plate A is moved over by a key. The tumbler à is in connection with a
locking pin i which can he shot to either side for locking the shutter of either of
the two tills.
Both shutters are also locked by a cross barj or other device and the key for
unlocking said bar to enable the money to be removed from the money charged till
is or should be under the care of a responsible person other than the one who has
the key for shifting the position of the tumbler plate for instance an inspector when
taking a return of the gas consumption shifts the tumbler by his key, by this action
the lower leg h' throws the locking pin i from the catch of the shutter g thus
unlocking the charged till and locking the shutter of the empty till the throw over
of the locking pin to engage the shutter of the empty till so that the collector who
has the key of the cross bar is able to open the unlocked till only and withdraw the
money the other till remaining locked and containing the money that has been
inserted between the date of the inspector's reading and the collectors call, and
which can only be got at after the inspectors next reading and insertion of the key
to turn the tumbler plate over, the drop paul k by falling into a notch of a screen
plate locks the tumbler & in either position to which the inspector's key may have "
turned it.

page_text: The collector's key preferably fits a padlock suspended from the cross bar ; by
which the doors or shutters of both tills are independently locked, in addition to one
of them being locked by the movement of the inspector's key.
The mouth of the hopper V has a double shutter with spring, so arranged that as
each coin is placed in, the button m has to be pressed to temporarily open the outlet
and close the inlet.
The action is as follows; the drawing Figure 3 showing the mechanical parts in
their respective normal positions. A single or several coins are passed singly and
successively on edge through a slot in the top of the box or receiver and as each one
is inserted a pressure on the button head m allows them to roll down the shoot V
and move the nose piece Z to release the catch X from the lever H to allow the gas
valve to be opened, the coins lodging on one another and with the lower one resting
on the plug W. The lever H is now moved by pressure exerted on the knob d
of the hand pull by reason of the inner end of d which carries a slip paule bearing
against the upper end of the vertical slider bolt b, said bolt being gradually slid
downwards by its lower end riding in the slot c until its top end escapes from the
contact of the slip paul e. The plug W by the movement of the lever H comes into
the position shown at Figure 4 i.e. away from under the lowest coin which
consequently falls onto the platform S¹, the face of the plug by the release of the
lever H then pressing by the spring K against the side of the same coin which was
released from above.
The pull forward movement of the lever H by the knob d as just explained and
by the connection of the lever H with the plate D by the plate G, the valve is
removed from its seat and the port opened for flow of gas from the gas main to the
meter, the plate G' having been brought over the face of the wheel M for its notch to
be in line with the point of the wedge L.
So soon as the gas is lighted the bellows or drum of the meter is set in motion
and by the usual flag wire and crank the index mechanism is set going to register
the consumption.
The meter mechanism is in connection with the wheel M and as this wheel rotates
in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3) the wedges L force their way into the notch
in succession by the working pressure of the gas and pulls the lever H a little
farther, i.e. sufficient to let go its hold against the coin which still remains on the
platform S'.
During the movement of each wedge L through the slot of the plate G¹, the
pin P presses against the blade Q of the lever R and turns it sufficiently far on its
pivot pin S as to withdraw the platform from under the first coin which now drops
into the till, the plate T entering the slot to retain the remaining coins in the shoot.
As the pin P escapes from the blade Q, the platform S' and the plate T return to
their normal positions under the care of the balance weight T¹ for a repeat action
from the wheel M, the wedge L having by this time nearly got clear of the notch in
the lever H which then by the spring K is drawn back for its plug W to press
against the succeeding or now bottom coin to keep the gas valve open, the fore-
going operations in sequence being effected for each coin left in the shoot V.
So soon as the last coin drops from the shoot V, the plug W having nothing to
press against is drawn by its spring K farther into the hole in the shoot in which
it has a lodgment, the gas valve being by this extended motion closed again and
the flow shut off into the meter.
The paul X by reason of there being now no coin in the slot for it to engage
against assumes its normal position and the lever H in returning rides over the nose
of and engages with the catch X to be thereby become locked and prevented from
being moved by the knob d until a fresh coin be inserted and falls down the shoot V,
said coin by its pressure and weight in the drop pushing the nose piece Z
outwardly, as at Figure 5, and the lock X from contact with the lever H. The
nose piece Z and lock X are part of the weighted lever a, and it is only when a coin
is in position and resting upon the plug W can the lever H be moved by the
knob d.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In a coin freed gas meter, the combination of appliances and their method of
operation for 1, Automatic passage of coins from receiver to till, the non-closing of
gas valve until the last coin of the series has passed into the till, 2. The appliance
for effecting the direction of falling coins into separate tills by an inspector previous
to withdrawal by a collector, together with the means by which an effectual
checking of the gas consumption and of the officials duties are ensured, all as
set forth.
2. The employment of the appliances last referred to in the preceding claim to any
kind of coin freed gas meter as an attachment thereto whereby the coins passed into
one of the meter tills can at any date be unlocked by one official for checking
consumption and another till be simultaneously locked for the next succeeding series
of falling coin, said tills being otherwise independently locked until a second official,.
say, a money collector by a separate key opens the first till to withdraw the money,
as described.
800
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Lucien Giroud and Marcel Sappey.