Improvements in or connected with Gas-meters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gas-meters.
I, CHARLES GRANTLEY BEECHEY, of 7, Kremlin Drive, Stoneycroft, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference, more particularly, to that class of gas meters in
which the act of placing a coin or the like in it, will free or allow the meter to
pass a given quantity of gas, and which after such a volume of gas has passed
through it, automatically becomes locked, and no more gas can be passed until
another coin, or the like, or a number of same, are placed in the apparatus.
The main object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the above class
which shall be simple, efficient, and sensitive and certain in their operation.
According to this invention, there is combined with a moving part of the meter
(such as one of the spindles thereof, say a spindle operated from the dial spindle),
a spring, weight, or their equivalent, which, the meter winds up, or actuates, when
it sets in motion said moving part, so as to accumulate force; and this force
accumulating device, by the insertion of a coin or the like, or a number of them,
in the meter, is adapted to be released, and its stored or accumulated force
expended, in which action it operates a stop or cut off means or mechanism and
frees the meter, that is, puts it in such a condition that gas may be passed through
it. And it is so arranged that it sets the meter, so that when the quantity or
value of gas paid for, or equivalent to the coin or coins, or the like, placed in the
meter, is passed through it, it becomes locked and no more gas can then pass.
A
To effect this, by one arrangement, the coin or the like placed in the machine,
moves into or onto a wheel, lever, or other suitable device, and sets or regulates
the motor to allow a certain quantity of gas, and no more, to pass through it.
governor, such as a fly, or other suitable device, may be used to govern the rate of
action of the parts. The movement of the meter, in passing this quantity of gas,
through a suitable moving part of same, moves back or follows the freeing or gas
admission mechanism to the point or condition to which it was set or actuated by
the placing of the coin, or the like, in it, and stops or locks it, or cuts off the gas,
so that no gas can then flow. This movement may be effected through screw,
worm, tooth, or other gear.
The flow, and cessation of supply, of the gas, may be effected by employing a
special valve on the supply or delivery side of the meter, or within it. Or, by
controlling any existing valve therein. Or, by a mechanical stop and release
mechanism. Or, by any other suitable and equivalent, means. The cutting off or
stopping of this supply may be adapted to take place slowly, so as to give notice
to the users that a cessation of supply is about to take place.
This invention may be modified, carried out, and the parts employed therein, in
various ways without departing from the general object, and nature of same,
hereinabove specified.
Dated this 2nd dow of May 1809

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gas-meters.
F
I, CHARLES GRANTLEY BEECHEY, of 7, Kremlin Drive, Stoneycroft, in the
County of Lancaster, 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 :-
This invention has reference, more particularly, to that class of gas meters in
which the act of placing a coin or the like in it, will free or allow the meter to
pass a given quantity of gas, and which after such a volume of gas has been passed
through it, automatically becomes locked, and no more gas can be passed until
another coin, or the like, or a number of same, are placed in the apparatus.
The main object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the above class
which shall be simple, efficient and sensitive, and certain in their operation.
According to this invention, there is combined with a moving part of the meter
(such as one of the spindles thereof, say a spindle operated from the dial spindle or
other part), a spring, weight, or their equivalent, which the meter winds up, or
compresses, or actuates, when it sets in motion said moving part, so as to
accumulate power; and this power so accumulated, by the insertion of a coin or
the like, or a number of them, in the meter, is adapted to be released, and
expended, in which action it operates a stop or cut-off means or mechanism and
"gets
the meter, that is, puts it in such a condition that gas may be passed
through it. And it is so arranged that it "sets" the meter, so that when the
quantity or value of gas paid for, or equivalent to the coin or coins, or the like,
placed in it, is passed through it, it becomes locked and no more gas can then pass.
To effect this, by one arrangement, the coin or the like placed in the machine
moves into or onto a wheel, lever, or other suitable device, and through the spring
or equivalent device sets or regulates the meter to allow a certain quantity of gas,
and no more, to pass through it. A governor, such as a flyer or other suitable
device, may be used to govern the rate of action of the parts. The movement of
the meter, in passing this quantity of gas, through a suitable moving part of same,
moves back or follows the gas admission mechanism to the point or condition to
which it was set or actuated before the placing of the coin, or the like, in it, and
stops or locks it, or cuts off the gas, so that no gas can then flow. This movement
may be effected through screw, worm, tooth, or other gear.
The flow, and cessation of supply, of the gas, may be effected by employing a
special valve on the supply or delivery side of the meter, or within it. Or, by con-
trolling any existing valve therein. Or, by a mechanical stop and release
mechanism. Or, by any other suitable and equivalent means. The cutting off or
stopping of this supply may be adapted to take place slowly, so as to give notice
to users that a cessation of supply is about to take place.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention I shew in Figures 1
and 2 improvements according thereto applied to a
$6 wet" meter,
Figure 1 being a sectional elevation thereof and
Figure 2 a section at A A Figure 1.
o
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 4 is a sectional back view of a
modification under my invention.
The same letters and figures of reference are used to denote the same or
equivalent parts throughout the drawings.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a is a tube or conduit adapted to receive
and convey the pennies, coins or tokens to the mechanism, a slot being pro-
vided in the top of the meter through which the coin or token is inserted.
is a

page_text: wheel with pockets 6' on its periphery adapted to receive the coins or tokens, and
by which the automatic mechanism is freed. c is a detent, hinged at c¹, and having
a counter-balance c; by which the wheel b is held and freed or released. d is a
worm or threaded shaft worked from the meter as hereinafter described, the ends
of the worm being mounted and held in the meter in suitable brackets p plas
shewn. is a screwed boss on the wheel b, serving as a screwed nut and adapted
to move the worm shaft & longitudinally, viz. in cutting off the gas in one direction
when the wheel b is rotated. e is a sleeve working on the worm shaft d; and el is
a key which works in a corresponding keyway e² in the sleeve e. d' is a driving
sprocket wheel on the sleeve e. f is a lever fulcrummed at f' on the middle part of
which one end of the shaft d abuts, whilst the upper end is connected to the gas
controlling valve, through the crank 9, rod g', levers g³ fulcrummed at 92, and float
rod h. is the gas inlet valve, which is the ordinary gas admission valve of a wet
meter controlled by the float * thereof. s is the power accumulating spring (a
helical one), one end of which is connected to the sleeve e and the other to the
flange on the wheel b. is the ordinary gas inlet conduit. The sleeve e is
driven by the sprocket wheel d', sprocket chain j, sprocket wheel j¹, the shaft ³,
worm wheel and the worm j, this latter being formed on the lower part of the
existing spindle of the unit wheel of the ordinary "wet" gas meter.
The coin or token wheel has its pockets arranged in the same plane as the
wheel, and the coin or token conduit a has a twist in it of 90°.
The freeing detent lever c holds the wheel by the parts 6, which are formed
on the plate 6 of the pockets 63, and it is itself disengaged from this part by the
coin or token coming in contact with it and resting on it, when dropped into
the meter.
The operation of the apparatus just specified is as follows
:-
Assume the springs to be wound up and have power so accumulated in it. Then
upon the insertion of a coin, say a penny, or token, in the slot (the detent c having
its active end at the point shewn in Figures 1 and 4. engaged with and holding the
wheel by the corner piece of metal 6), it falls from the conduit a into one of
the pockets ³ (which are always co-incident with or directly under the conduit a
when the payment is not being made); and strikes and rests upon the free end of
the detent lever c. This lever is thus disengaged or freed from the part 6² of the
wheel. In this condition the accumulated power of the spring 8, acting upon
the wheel, causes it to make a partial revolution. By this partial revolution, the
boss will be revolved to a similar extent, and will thereby have moved the worm
shaft d by its thread longitudinally thereon, and away from the lever, thus
allowing the float to be lifted by the water in the meter, and the gas valve / to
open. After the pocket 63, charged with a penny or coin leaves the catch or
detent c, the latter is lifted by its counterbalance weight e into such a position that
when the next pocket comes up to it, the next part 6 thereof will strike it, and the
wheel will be stopped and held, and cannot move until the insertion of another
coin or token in the slot. When the pockets have passed the shield they fall
out by gravity into the drawer k in the bottom of the meter.
When gas is consumed, after the "setting" of the meter by the action of the
boss of the wheel b on the screwed worm, d, the latter comes in contact with
the lever and presses that lever back. This action through the bell crank
lever 9,
rod g¹, lever g³, and rod h' closes the ordinary existing float actuated
valve h of the meter, by pulling down the rod thereof and the float /², when all
the gas for which prepayment has been made has been consumed. In setting the
meter to give a supply of gas, of course the reverse action takes place, and through
the levers and parts just specified, the float h² is allowed to lift and the valve h
lifted, and the meter so becomes "set" to allow gas to pass through it.
By this construction it is provided that the apparatus would be capable of
receiving a number of coins or tokens one after the other, each of which will release
the wheel b, which will thereupon be rotated by the coiled up spring s, and will
thereby move the shaft d outwards a certain part of its possible stroke, and allow

page_text: the gas valve to open a certain amount. When the limit of outward longitudinal
movement or stroke of the sleeve e is reached, no more coins inserted in the meter
will effect the operation thereof.
A meter having been "set" as described, that is, its gas valve opened by the
insertion of one or more coins or tokens, gas may then be passed through the meter
and burned. When this is done, directly consumption takes place, and the meter
begins to move, the shaft or spindle commences to operate, that is rotate, the
worm shaft d by the rotation of the sleeve e and key e¹; and to work it back
horizontally through the boss b' of the wheel b; and simultaneously therewith, to
wind up or coil up the spring s, and so again accumulate power, the rotation of the
boss itself in this action being prevented by the wheel & being held. When this
longitudinal movement reaches the point from which the shaft d started, from the
first insertion of the coin or token, the valve h will have become closed and no more
gas can pass, and the meter stops, and the exact amount of gas for which pre-
payment has been made by the coins inserted, will have passed through the
meter.
It will be seen that the mechanism described is an automatic supply and cut off.
whereby, on the one hand, by the insertion of a coin or token, power accumulated
in a spring is free to act, and operates and "sets" the meter to give an equivalent
supply of gas to the token or coin; and on the other hand, by the consumption of
the gas so paid for, this mechanism is worked back by the meter as the gas is
consumed, and brings it back to the point at which it started, thereby shutting off
the gas and stopping the meter, and winding up and storing or accumulating power
in so doing.
The rod g' passes through a tube glx, the lower end of which dips into the liquid
in the chamber in which a liquid seal is formed between this chamber and the
chamber without it.
In some cases the automatic mechanism herein described may be contained in a
separate case, and be connected as a whole to meters, and so coupled up thereto as
to operate and effect the ends hercin specified.
In the modification shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the detent freeing device c is
actuated by the coin or token through an intermediate lever c* connected with
said detent, and the wheel bis rotated by the stored energy of the spring above,
i.e. without the assistance of the weight of the coins or tokens, which are not
received by the wheel in this case.
In this arrangement the detent and freeing pawl c is fulcrummed at c¹ (which is
the same point at which the lever c¹ is fulcrummed), and is connected with the
lever c*. Its outer end works in a channel in the periphery of the wheel b, and
after each freeing action by the insertion of a coin or token, the wheel 6 is rotated
by the springs and said end of the lever c is guided into the position shewn in full
lines in the figure, and catches the part 62 of the wheel b as it revolves, and stops
it. The wheel is then held until another coin or token is inserted in the meter,
when the mechanism is again freed by the insertion of a. coin or token.
1,2
The detent lever c is so moved by the lever c¹ that its end is drawn outwards
from the axis of the wheel b, and leaves the part thereof, whereupon the wheel
is free to make another partial revolution. The mechanism or means for receiving
the coins or tokens and actuating the detent or freeing lever c is as follows:-The
coin or token is conducted down a conduit consisting of two channel bars a disposed
at a slight angle to the vertical plane, and the lower end of the lever c passes
through, and normally projects through, the plane in which the conduit a lies, so
that the coin or token, in falling down the conduit, strikes the lower part of the
lever c, and moves it downwards and outwards away from the conduit, thereby
moving the detent or freeing lever c (which is connected to it) out of the short
radially disposed portion of the channel 6 of the wheel b, and freeing it from
the part against which its end bore, thus freeing the wheel b. This wheel
revolves until the next inwardly turned part 6 of the channel 6* reaches the end
of the detent c, when the wheel is again stopped.

page_text: While the wheel is revolving past the detent o from one stopping part b² to
another, the lever c will be held down with its upper end projecting through the
plane in which the conduit a lies, the circular arcs of the channels 6 of the wheel b
keeping the detent lever c down and the upper end of the lever c inwards of its
normal position. In this position any coins or tokens introduced into the apparatus,
in falling down the conduit a will fall out of the guides or channels thereof through
spaces cut out of the under side thereof, shewn in dotted lines. Likewise when the
mechanism is fully set," that is the valve h fully open, and the worm shaft d at
the extremity of its outward stroke, all coins or tokens introduced into the
mechanism will fall out of the guides a, as the wheel b cannot then revolve, and
the upper end of the lever c will take the positions just above specified, either by
the wheel being stopped while the detent lever is in the channel 6, or by the
insertion of a coin when the lever c is in a part 6 which forces the lever into said
position. All coins thus falling out of the conduit a are conveyed by a suitable
conduit or guide out of the machine and returned to the user, until gas is consumed,
and the end of the detent lever centers the next inwardly curved part of the
channel, when it will be forced inwards by the outer wall or side of such
channel, and so move the head of the lever et back into its normal position.
Another coin or token introduced will cause the mechanism to be actuated.
In this modification is also shewn the "flyer" device by which the velocity of
rotation of the wheel b, from starting to stopping point, is regulated. It consists
of ordinary vanes o mounted on a suitable stationary part, viz. one of the supporting
brackets p p¹, and operated from the tooth wheel I on the wheel b, through the
pinion 2, on the flyer vane spindle. This device may be also used in conjunction
with the meter mechanism shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or on any revolving part of
any kind of automatic prepayment gas meter for the purpose of regulating the
velocity of a part or parts thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, it is to be stated that the features
of this invention (hereinafter more particularly specified or pointed out in the
claiming clauses concluding this Specification) may be used singly or in any
combination in connection with automatic prepayment gas meters which differ
radically from that, herein before set forth with reference to the drawings; and
that the parts herein described and shewn may be modified, or equivalents thereof
used, without departing from the legitimate scope of this invention; and what is
claimed in respect of the herein described invention is :-
:-
1. A prepayment gas meter in which the actuation of the means or part by
which gas is supplied by or through the meter is effected by accumulated or stored
power, the accumulation or storing of which is effected by the working of the
meter, in supplying gas, through a spring, weight, compressed fluid, or equivalent
means.
2. A prepayment gas meter adapted, substantially as described, to accumulate or
store power and to utilize or apply, automatically, such power to actuate the meter,
or parts thereof, to set same, so that gas may be supplied by or upon the
introduction or insertion of a coin or token in it for the purposes set forth.
6
"
3. In a prepayment gas meter, a spring in connection with and actuated by the
counter mechanism or gearing thereof or connected therewith; and a mechanism
connected with said spring, and also actuated thereby-and with, and controlling,
the device or means by which the supply of gas to or from said meter is effected;
and a detent device by which said mechanism is freed by the introduction or
insertion of a coin or token in the apparatus: for the purpose set forth.
"
4. The combination of spring s with the gas "cut off" device, and the "setting
device, as set forth with reference to and shewn in the drawings for the purposes
specified.
5. In a prepayment gas meter, the combination with the spring, actuated by
the working of the meter supplying gas, of a lever and detent device actuated by

page_text: the falling of a coin or token introduced into the apparatus; substantially as set
forth with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated the 3rd day of February 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.