Improvements in and relating to Pre-payment Gas Meters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pre-payment Gas Meters.
I, JOHN ANDERSON, of 17 Wood Street, Dowanhill, Partick, Lanarkshire,
Gas Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction
or arrangement and combination of the parts of mechanism connected with
automatic coin-freed or pre-payment gas meters, specially suitable for small
householders, whereby on the insertion of a penny or other fixed coin in a slot
connected with the meter, a measured supply of gas will be obtained; and which
will be more simple and efficient than the pre-payment gas meters heretofore
in use.
The improvements consist, first, in utilizing the ordinary or equivalent gas meter
and bellows with valves and connected counting mechanism heretofore used in
ordinary supply dry gas meters, and in fitting a regulating valve in an inlet
chamber or duct through which the gas must pass, and which valve will be auto-
matically opened against the action of a spring to permit a measured quantity of
gas to pass to the meter on the insertion of a prescribed coin, the action of which
will put into motion intermediate mechanism that will actuate the valve spindle
and keep the valve open for the time space necessary to permit the prescribed
quantity of gas to pass.
Under one arrangement the measuring inlet valve is formed as a horizontal disc
valve working upwards against a circular gas passage seat in the inlet chamber or
duct, and is connected to the bottom end of a vertical spindle, passing out through
a stuffing box to the outer chamber of the mechanism, the lowering or raising of
which spindle respectively opens or closes the valve. A horizontal plate is fitted
in the upper part of the meter case carrying the improved mechanism and a
rotating vertical spindle is fitted between this plate and an overhung bracket above.
|A. spur or toothed wheel is keyed or fixed on this spindle and gears with a screw
worm formed on the end of the usual horizontal spindle connected with the meter
index mechanism and actuating the gearing wheels of the ordinary counting and
recording mechanism. A loose spur or toothed wheel is also mounted on this
vertical spindle below the fixed wheel, and the facing surfaces of both wheels are
each formed with a single angle faced lateral stop tooth, while a collar boss with
a vertical groove in it is formed or fitted on the upper axis of the loose wheel, so
as to permit of being raised up a certain distance on a projecting pin on the under
surface of the upper fixed wheel as hereinafter described. A. spring arm is fitted
on the bottom plate with a collar boss round the vertical spindle and having its
free end formed of a forked or slotted shape. This forked end of this arm bears
through a slot in the plate, on the upper boss end of the before mentioned gas
regulating valve spindle so as to depress said spindle and open the valve to permit
the measured quantity of gas to pass, after which the recoil of a spring arm
surrounding the upper part of the valve spindle will act on and raise the said
forked arm above the spindle, the slot of the loose wheel being in touch with the
pin on the upper fixed wheel at this period, during which the inlet valve is shut.
A spring pawl or detent is fitted to engage with the teeth of the loosely mounted
toothed wheel, and is connected preferably through a double armed lever and link
to a reciprocating crosshead. A longitudinal rod is attached to this crosshead so
as to reciprocate through guides behind it while a forward projecting plate or
arm is formed on or attached to the upper end of crosshead, and has a spring
attachment below to permit of a slight yielding movement of this plate when it

page_text: is acted on by the upper edge of a coin as hereinafter described. A horizontal
reciprocating tube or rod with a pushing knob on its outer end is fitted through a
socket or guide tube in the front of the meter case, and a vertical plate frame with
doubled or overlapping ends is fitted on the inner end of this rod to receive the
coin after it has dropped through the slot and guide it along the central stepped
or toothed horizontal stem of an under concave plate, the coin being received at
the inward travel of its motion into a lower curved or angled shoot which guides
it into the receiving portable box of a collecting chamber placed at the side of the
meter case and to which the cash box is locked by a padlock or other locking
device. A separate parallel acting index rod reciprocates in unison with a coin
pushing rod, and has an adjustable sliding plate secured over it. A pointer is
formed on or attached to this sliding plate, and the distance of travel is regulated
by the distance fixed between the end of the index rod and its sliding plate, which
is adjusted under one arrangement by a screw pin on the rod and a socket screwed
over it and bearing on the overlapping edges of the sliding plate. An index plate
with scale lineal divisions to indicate cubical measurements such as 10 to 40 feet
is placed on the meter along side of the pointer with inspection window in front
so that the distance of travel of the rod can be regulated according to these
measurements to suit the varying price of gas in any municipal district.
To operate the meter and obtain a measured supply of gas a penny or other
fixed coin is inserted through a vertical slot in the upper part of the meter case,
but the coin will not descend until the knob and reciprocating rod with the coin
receiving frame have been drawn under the slot, and the top spring plate ou
reciprocating crosshead has come forward and pushed back a spring plate under
the slot and permitted the coin to drop through. The outward travel of the coin
receiving frame will also have brought forward the reciprocating rod carrying the
index pointer to the zero position. An inward projection on this index carrying
rod will act on a projection on the reciprocating crosshead and bring it forward to
the required distance, and this forward movement of the crosshead will have acted
on the lever and made the pawl slip over the teeth of the toothed wheel the
distance of travel desired. After the coin has been properly inserted through the
slot into its carrying frame, the knob and frame are pushed inwards and the top
edge of the coin is held down by the reciprocating spring plate projecting from
crosshead, and its bottom edge slips over the central rack on bottom plate, (and is
prevented being drawn back by the rack teeth) until it has reached its extreme
inward position where it falls through an opening into an angled shoot which
delivers it into the locked collecting box. The inward travel of the reciprocating
crosshead by the action of the coin will have operated the pawl lever and turned
the lower toothed wheel round the distance of travel of the pawl and lever, and
this action will have freed the upper wheel, and have pressed down the forked arm
and valve spindle to open the inlet valve for the gas to pass into the gas holder.
The passage of the gas into the usual holder will through its usual valves and
mechanism operate the ordinary counting and recording mechanism, and the turning
of the horizontal main spindle will through the aforementioned additional worm on
its end operate the fixed toothed wheel on the vertical spindle and turn this wheel
until the projecting stop tooth on it comes against the corresponding tooth on the
loose wheel operating the inlet valve and the notch at its boss has entered the
groove in the boss of the loose wheel, when the inlet gas valve will be closed and
the measured supply of gas delivered into the gas holder for the consumers supply;
and this action will automatically go on intermittently and sequentially on the
insertion of each additional fixed coin. The usual indexes and pointers would be
mounted within a glass case in front of the meter to show that the quantity of
gas consumed agrees with the number of coins received in the box and that they
have not been tampered with.
Dated the 15th July 1805
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchauau Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pre-payment Gas Meters.
I, JOHN ANDERSON of 17 Wood Street, Dowanhill, Partick, Lanarkshire, Gas
Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing that is to say:
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the construction
or arrangement and combination of the parts of mechanism connected with
automatic coin-freed or pre-payment gas meters, specially suitable for small house-
holders, whereby on the insertion of a penny or other fixed coin in a slot connected
with the meter, a measured supply of gas will be obtained; and which will be more
simple and efficient than the pre-payment gas meters heretofore in use.
The improvements consist first in utilizing the ordinary or equivalent gas meter
and bellows with valves and connected counting mechanism heretofore used in
ordinary supply dry gas meters, and under one arrangement in fitting a regulating
valve in an inlet chamber or duct through which the gas must pass, and which
valve will be automatically opened against the action of a spring to permit a
measured quantity of gas to pass to the meter on the insertion of a prescribed
coin, the action of which coin will put into motion intermediate mechanism that
will actuate the valve spindle and keep the valve open for the time space necessary
to permit the prescribed quantity of gas to pass.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 are elevations at right angles to each other of a dry
gas meter showing the upper chamber in section in which is fitted the coin-freed
actuating mechanism in accordance with one arrangement of my improvements.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section corresponding to and as taken on the line 1—1.
of Figure 1.
Figures 4 and 5 are detached sectional views at right angles to each other
showing the details of the coin receiving mechanism.
Figure 6 on Sheet 2 is a sectional end elevation of the meter as taken through
the money receiving chamber, and showing the appliances for regulating the
quantity of gas to be supplied for each coin inserted.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation showing detached, and to an enlarged scale the
gas controlling mechanism looking from the opposite end to Figures 2 and 4; and
Figure 8 is a corresponding plan view with the top wheel removed, while Figure 9
is a detached view showing the wheels and B2 which operate and control the gas
supply mechanism,
Figure 10 is a detached sectional elevation of the valve for admitting the gas
supply to the meter.
Figures 11 and 12 are a detached elevation and plan view respectively showing
an alternative arrangement of tangent mechanism by which the gas is controlled
without the use of the valve shown in Figure 10.
Referring to these drawings Figures 1 to 10:-
Under this arrangement the measuring inlet valve is formed as shown particularly
in Figure 10, as a horizontal disc valve a working upwards against a circular gas
passage seat al in the inlet chamber or duct a² and jointed to the bottom end of
a vertical spindle all preferably passing out through a stuffing box a³ to the outer
chamber of the mechanism and having a spring a and adjustable screw nut a³ on
top, the lowering or raising of which spindle a" respectively opens or closes the
valve a.
A horizontal plate A is fitted on the top of standards A' in the upper
part of the meter case carrying the improved mechanism, and a rotating vertical

page_text: spindle B is fitted in bearings between this plate A and an overhung bracket B₁
above screwed to the plate A at B".
A spur or toothed wheel B2 is keyed or fixed on this spindle B and gears with a
screw worm ³ formed or secured on the end of the usual horizontal spindle B
actuating the first motion spindle 13 of the meter index mechanism, and actuating
the gearing wheels of the ordinary counting and recording mechanism. This
shaft B is operated as usual by a screw wheel 1 from the worm 2 on the usual
valve shaft 3 and "tangent" rotated by the links 5 of the usual levers 6 actuated
from the bellows of the meter. A loose spur or toothed wheel is also mounted
on this vertical spindle B below the fixed wheel B and the facing surfaces of both
wheels B and are each formed with a lateral stop pin and respectively as
seen particularly in Figure 9, while a collar boss with a vertical groove or notch b
in it is formed or fitted on the upper face of the loose wheel so as to permit of
being raised up a certain distance on the spindle B through a projecting pin 63 on
the axis and under surface of the upper fixed wheel B2 entering the notch b² as
hereinafter described. A spring arm C is fitted loose at its one end on a pin at C₁
on the bottom plate A with a collar boss C round the vertical spindle B and
having its free end C formed of a forked or slotted shape.. This forked end C of
this arm bears through a recess in the plate A on the upper mut end of the
before mentioned gas regulating valve spindle a", Figure 10 so as to depress said
spindle a against the power of the spring a' and open the valve a to permit the
measured quantity of gas to pass, through the duct a to the valve chamber 31 after
which the recoil of the spring a will act on and raise the said forked arm C above
the spindle a the notch 2 of the loose wheel & being in touch with the pin 6³ on
the spindle B of the upper fixed wheel B2 at this period, during which the inlet
valve a is shut. A spring pawl or detent D is mounted on a stud on the end of the
lever D, which is fitted loose on the spindle B and connected by a link D" to the
free end of a second lever D2 which is made in the form of a bow and fulcrumed'
at its other end at D in the bracket B' and plate A, and connected near the
centre by a link D³ to a crosshead D on the horizontal reciprocating rod d. The
wheel is turned in the direction of the arrow in measuring the gas to be used, by
the spring pawl D and is prevented from turning backwards by the spring pawl
all as hereinafter described. The rod d is made to reciprocate through guides at d
while a forward projecting plate or arm d¹ is jointed at to the upper front end
of the crosshead D', and is depressed by its own weight or it might be by a light
spring attachment to permit of a slight yielding movement of this plate when it is
acted on by the upper edge of a coin as hereinafter described and as particularly
shown in Figures 4 and 5. A horizontal reciprocating tube or rod E with a
pushing knob on its outer end is fitted through a socket or guide tube at E in the
front of the meter case, and a vertical plate frame E' with doubled or overlapping
ends is fitted on the inner end of this rod E and forms a socket E2 to receive the
coin after it has dropped through the slot in the top of the meter case, and
guide it along the central stepped or toothed horizontal plate E³ the coin being
received at the inward travel of its motion into a lower curved or angled shoot E*
which guides it into the collecting chamber E³ placed at the side of the meter
case, and which is locked by a sliding door and padlock or other locking device
at E. The serrated teeth in the plate E³ prevents the drawing out of the handle E
and socket E until the coin has dropped out. A separate parallel acting index
rod is attached at F" to and reciprocates in unison with the coin pushing rod d
and has an adjustable sliding plate secured on it, working out through a slot in
the case. A pointer is formed on or attached to this sliding plate F to control by its
distance of travel the quantity of gas which shall be delivered for a pre-determined,
coin and the distance of travel is regulated by the distance between the end of the
index rod F and the end of the sliding plate F. This is adjusted under one
arrangement as shown by a screw pin F carried ou the sliding plate F' working into
a stem Ffixed on the rod F. An index plate with scale lineal divisions to
indicate cubical measurements such as 0 to 35 feet is placed as shown in Figure 6
=

page_text: on the meter along side of the pointer with inspection window in front on a closing
in case F Figures 1 and 3, screwed at F to the top of the money chamber E' so
that the distance of travel of the pointer can be regulated according to these
measurements by adjusting the plate F by the screw to suit the varying prices
of gas in any municipal district.
To operate the meter and obtain a measured supply of gas a penny or other
fixed coin is inserted through the vertical slot in the upper part of the meter
case, but the coin will rest on the free end of a spring plate 2 Figure 2, and not
descend until the knob and reciprocating rod E with the coin receiving socket
frame E have been drawn under the slot and depressed the spring when the
coin will drop into the case E2 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The outward travel
of the coin receiving frame E³ will also have brought forward the reciprocating
plates F, F, carrying the index pointer to the zero position. An inward
projection on the outer end of the rod "F, will be acted on, by the socket
frame E in its outward motion to travel the rod F to the required distance and
this outward movement of the rod F will through the crosshead D' and the links D³
have actel on the lever D³ and made the pawl D slip over the teeth of the toothed
wheel in the backward direction the distance of travel desired. After the coin
has been properly inserted through the slot into its carrying frame E2 the
knob E and frame E2 are pushed inwards and the top edge of the coin raises
the reciprocating plate d projecting from crosshead D' and this plate and
crosshead D are pushed inwards by the frame E' and the bottom edge of coin
slips over the central rack on bottom plate E3 (and is prevented being drawn back
by the rack teeth) until it has reached its extreme inward position where it falls
through an opening into the angled shoot E which delivers it into the locked
collecting box E. This inward travel of the reciprocating crosshead D by the
action of the coin z and frame E will have operated the pawl lever D D and
turned the lower toothed wheel & round the distance of travel of the pawl D and
lever D' in the forward direction as indicated by the arrow, against a stop arm 6,
and this action will have freed the upper wheel B2 by taking the pin forward
from the pin and have pressed down the lower wheel and forked arm C and
valve spindle a to open the inlet valve a for the gas to pass into the valve
chamber 3 and gas holder as indicated by the arrows in Figure 10. The
passage of the gas into the usual holder will through its usual valves and
mechanism operate the ordinary counting and recording mechanism and the
turning of the horizontal main spindle B will through the aforementioned
additional worm B3 on its end operate the fixed toothed wheel B2 on the vertical
spindle B and turn this wheel until the projecting stop pin on it, comes
against the corresponding stop pin on the loose wheel, and the projection
or pin at its boss enters the notch or groove 62 in the boss of the loose wheel b,
when it is raised through the forked lever C by the recoil of the spring a and the
inlet gas valve a will be closed, the measured prepaid supply of gas will then have
been delivered to the consumer, and this action will automatically go on
intermittently and sequentially on the insertion of each additional fixed coin.
The usual indexes and pointers would be mounted within a glass case in front of
the meter to show that the quantity of gas consumed agrees with the number of
coins received in the box and that they have not been tampered with.
Referring to the alternative arrangement of the improved mechanisın shown in
elevation and plan in Figures 11 and 12 the gear wheel B2 and ratchet wheel b and
mode of actuating the latter by the coin pusher and lever mechanism are all
substantially the same as described in reference to Figures 1 to 8, except that it is
the upper wheel B2 that is raised and lowered to set on the supply of gas or cut it
off, in this case by stopping the action of the meter, without the intervention of the
inlet valve a shown in Figure 10, the gas passing direct into the usual valve
chamber 3 from the pipe a in which the valve spindle 3 actuates the usual valves
of the two bellows. In this arrangement a small beam lever y. g¹ is mounted on a
fulcrum stud g projecting up from the bracket B, so that the end g of this

page_text: ";
lever is pressed down by a spring on the top of the spindle B to stop the
further motion of the wheel B2, when the lateral pin comes against the pin 6"
in the wheel and the pin 3 enters the notch 2 of the wheel and thus stops
further passage of gas by allowing the end gl of the lever to rise to the position
shown in Figures 11 and 12 in the path of the "tangent" or lever 4 on the
valve spindle 3, and thus stop the further action of the valve spindle 3 and
meter until another coin is inserted into the slot when the action of pushing
the rod E in again turns the lever mechanism D to D' and rotates the wheel b
to the extent of the number of coins, as one, two, three or more inserted in
successive order. This turning of the wheel braises the wheel B2 and in
doing so depresses the end of the lever and allows the tangent or lever 4 of
the valve spindle 3 of the meter to move on in the direction of the arrow, and
deliver the measured quantity of gas until stopped by the pin 1 coming against
the pin and the pin again falling into the notch &, and thus lowering the
wheel B and arm g of the lever and raising the arm g' to stop the meter as
herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. In a gas meter the construction or arrangement and combination of the
parts of coin-freed mechanism which will on the insertion of a coin automatically
operate and deliver a measured quantity of gas to the consumer, substantially as
and in the manner herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In a coin-freed or prepayment gas meter, the arrangement and use of
a valve on the inlet chamber which will through intermediate mechanism be
automatically operated by the insertion of a coin, to keep open for a limited time
sufficient to deliver a measured quantity of gas, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In a coin-freed or pre-payment gas meter, the fitting and use of a vertical
rotating spindle with fixed and loose toothed wheels, acting in combination with,
and operated by a pawl or detent and adjustable lever mechanism connected to a
reciprocating rod which is actuated through an outer pushing rod by the insertion
of each coin through a slot in the meter, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a coin-freed or pre-payment gas meter the fitting and use of a fixed
screw wheel and a loose ratchet pawl wheel with engaging and disengaging stop
pins and notches respectively for setting on, and stopping the mechanism and
meter to deliver the measured quantity of gas to consumer, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In a coin-freed or pre-payment gas meter, the arrangement and use of a
parallel acting index rod reciprocating in unison with the coin pushing rod, and
having an adjustable sliding plate and pointer, so as to regulate the quantity of gas
which shall be delivered to consumer for each coin inserted through slot in meter,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
1
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.