An Automatic Apparatus to be Applied to Wet or Dry Gas Meters for the Purpose of Prepaying the Quantity of Gas to be Supplied.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 189)
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 23th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Apparatus to be Applied to Wet or Dry Gas Meters for
the Purpose of Prepaying the Quantity of Gas to be Supplied.
1 THOMAS ARTHUR GREENE of No. 155 Cannon Street in the City of London
Gas Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to the method of carrying out my invention, I employ a moving
carriage attached loosely to a stud fixed in a frame or plate, the front whereof is
furnished with a handle or knob with which to pull it forwards or push it back-
wards. In the top I cut a slot of sufficient size to receive the coin to be used, under
this slot I fix an apparatus slightly larger than the above slot into which the coin
falls and rests on a toothed segment the upper edge of the coin when the carriage
is in motion, moves another segment, hereinafter called the top segment, which is
also attached on the same stud as the moving carriage. The top segment moves over
(but is not attached to) a driving shaft which has a ratchet wheel fixed near to one
end, and on the other a toothed wheel which is geared into a long pinion screwed
internally. This long pinion travels on a plain rotating spindle, which is geared into
a worm on the main driving shaft of the meter and also having a worm fixed in
a suitable position so as to allow the long pinion to travel backwards and forwards
or it may be supplied with screwed hush pieces one at each end to pass over a
continuous screwed spindle. The long pinion is furnished with a flanged projection
at one end, which gears into an arm or crosshead secured to a vertical spindle
which actuates the automatic valve for the purpose of opening and closing the supply
of gas.
I may also use the above travelling long pinion for actuating a pointer for indicating
the quantity of gas to be purchased.
I also use an auxiliary arm radiating from the same centre or stud as that from
which the top segment radiates for the purpose of moving a pawl carrier to
regulate the quantity of gas to be prepaid which may be shewn by an indicator
fixed to the top end of the auxiliary arm, the pawl carrier when the moving carriage
is pushed in comes in contact with the frame of the carriage, and is prevented from
overshooting and thereby not allowing a greater quantity of gas to pass than that
for which the apparatus is adjusted.
Dated this 28th day of January 1896
An Automatic Apparatus to be Applied to Wet or Dry Gas Meters for
the Purpose of Prepaying the Quantity of Gas to be Supplied.
I, THOMAS ARTHUR GREENE, of 155 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of my invention is to effect inprovements in that class of apparatus

page_text: applied to wet and dry gas meters which works on the well known "penny in the
slot" system, whereby gas is supplied to the consumer on prepayment.
According to my invention 1 construct an apparatus which, although proof against
the usual fraudulent practices, can be easily worked by the low pressure of the gas
and without injury to the working parts of the meter, it being necessary that the
work to be effected by the meter should be as light as possible.
And in order that i said invention may be particularly describe and ascertaine.l,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar figures of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is a back view of the apparatus shown applied to a dry
meter.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of the coin operating mechanism.
Figs. 5. 6 and 7 are detail views.
10 is a moving carriage or cradle provided with a handle 11 the stem of which
passes through an opening in the frame 12. The cradle is loosely pivoted on a
stud 13 fixed to the frame 12 to which is also fixed the toothed segment 14 on
which the coin rests. 13 is a segmental arm loosely pivoted on the stud 13 and free
to act independently of the cradle 1", but is controlled thereby as hereinafter
described. The segmental arm 15 moves over a driving shaft 16 which carries a
ratchet wheel 17 and toothed wheel 18. On this shaft 16 a sleeve 19 is mounted
formed with two arms 21, 21, the arm 20 being provided with a pawl 22 and the
arm 21 with a stud 23. This stud projects through an opening in the segmental
arm 15 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by which means motion is communicated to the
ratchet wheel 17 and shaft 16, a pawl 24 being pivoted to the frame as shown to
prevent the ratchet wheel rotating in a backward direction. The shaft 16 is
preferably mounted at one end in a split bearing 25 whereby a greater or less
amount of friction may be applied to the shaft to prevent what is known as
"racing" and a stop 52 is formed in the frame for the same purpose.
It will thus be seen that on the handle 11 being pulled to the position shown in
Fig. 3, the cradle is immediately beneath the slot in the frame and ready for the
reception of the coin. The coin being inserted, the handle is pushed in, causing
the coin to come in contact with the segmental portion of the arm 15 and to move
the same a certain distance. The arm moves the stud arm 21 also a certain and
predeterminable distance and as the pawl arm 20 is integral therewith, it follows that
the ratchet wheel 17 is also rotated a certain distance which is governed by the "set."
of the stud arm 21. This is effected by a block 26 capable of sliding between two
extensions 27, 28 on the arm 15. A screw 29, provide with a milled head 3. at
one end and an indent wheel 31, or analogous device, at the other, is fitted, by means
of which the block 26 is adjusted whereby varying quantities of gas can be supplied
to suit the various prices per thousand cubic feet.
The toothed wheel 18 on the end of the shaft 16, is in gear with a long pinion 32,
Figs. 1 and 2, a portion of the teeth being also cut circumferentially to act as a rack
to the pinion 33 for indicating the amount of gas that has been paid for. This long
pinion 32 is mounted on a spindle 34 each being capable of rotating respectively in or
upon the other. The inner surface of the pinion 32 is screw threaded, and the spindle
is provided with a tooth or snug 35, Fig. 6, fitting the screw thread, whereby the
necessary motion is communicated as hereinafter described. The end of the spindle
is provided with a toothed wheel 36 which is suitably geared with the crank
spindle 37. One end of the pinion 32 is formed with a flange 38, which serves to
operate the lever 39 attached to the valve spindle 40, whereby the valve is opened
and shut.
In order to prevent more than a certain number of coins being inserted in the slot,
I provide a catch 41 mounted on a spindle 42 carried in bearings in the frame 12,
Figs. 1, 4 and 7, the other end of the spindle carrying a lever 43 having an inclined
portion as shown. When the long pinion 32 has not been moved by prepayment, the
lever 13 rests upon the flange 38 of the pinion; but when a certain number of coins
have been inserted in the slot and the mechanism operated, the pinion 32 becomes

page_text: moved longitudinally, along the spin llo 34 a distance sufficient to allow the lever 43
to drop. The catch 41 drops simultaneously therewith, and catching the carriage
prevents the carriage or cradle 10 being pulled under the slot in the case.
The two armed sleeve 19, carrying the pawl 22, is encircled by a friction clamp or
brako 44 formed on an arm 45 (carrying a segmental slot 46,) secured to the frame
at 47. The slot 46 is provided with an a ljustable pin 48 to govern the return
distance or throw of the pawl 22. By these means, any attempt at "racing," that is,.
forcing the pawl arm 20 through a greater are than that which gives the correct
quantity of gas, is frustrate.l.
The apparatus is operated as follows:
A coin is inserted in the slot and falls into the cradle 10 resting upon the
serrated segment 14. The handle 11 is then pushed in, causing the surface of the
coin to come in contact with the segmental lever 15, whereby the same is move.
This acts upon the two armed sleeve 19, the pawl of which is in gear with and
rotates the ratchet wheel 17, whereby the toothed wheel 18 is also rotated. The
long pinion 32 is thereby rotated, and being screw threaded, internally, also moves
longitudinally along the spindle 34 a distance corresponding to the supply of the
predetermined quantity of gas. This movement of the pinion 32 opens the valvo
and also indicates, on a suitable scale on the outside of the meter case, the amount of
gas paid for by means of the pinion 33 and a pointer. Gas is now free to flow, the
gearing from the crank spindle 37 rotating the spin ile 34 and driving the long
pinion 32 back to zero, when the valve is again closed.
Before inserting another coin in the slot, it is necessary to pull the handle 11
outward and thus bring the cradle immediately beneath the slot. This operation
simultaneously brings the segmental lever 15 forward, the lugs 49 en the cradle
frame abutting against the lugs 50) on the segmental frame as shown in Figs. 3
and 4.
The handle 11 and cradle 10 are free to move backward and forward without the
insertion of a coin in the slot, but no movement is conveyed thereby to the
segmental arm 15 the latter only being moved by contact with a coin or token
acting as the driving surface.
Suitable guides or fingers 51, 51 are attached to the cra lle 10 and brake clamp 44
for guiding the coin clear of the mechanism into a suitable receptacle.
By a modification the long pinion 32 may be provided with one or more teeth or
snugs gearing with a male screw thread formed upon the spindle 34, in which case
the inner surface of the pinion is smooth and slides over the thread of the spindle,
the teeth on the ends of the pinion serving the purpose of the tooth 35 on the
spindle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In prepayment wet or dry gas meters, the application and use of a long pinion 32,
cut circumferentially so as to form teeth acting as racks and formed with an internal
screw thread, in combination with a spindle 34 formed with a tooth, snug or portion of a
male thread 35; and the equivalent reverse modification of the same device,.
operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
2. In prepayment gas meters, the combination with the cradle 10 of the segmental
lever 15 provided with an adjustable block 26, the two armed sleeve 19 carrying
the pawl 22, the ratchet wheel 17, brake clamp 44 and stop 48, severally operating
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. In combination with the mechanism forming the subject of Claim 2 the
application and use of a block 26, screw 29, detent wheel 31, for governing the throw
of the pawl arm 20, whereby varying quantities of gas may be supplied according
to fluctuation in price, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.

page_text: 4. In prepayment gas meters of the description aforesaid, the combination, with the
mechanism claimed in Claim 1, of the means for governing the number of coins inserted
in the slot for prepayment as described and shown by the drawings.
5. The improved apparatus applicable to wet or dry meters for delivery on
prepayment predetermined quantities of gas, substantially as set forth.
Dated 27th November 1896.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.