Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for the Supply or Delivery of Fluids.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1900-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for the Supply or Delivery of
Fluids.
I, WALTER STAPLES, of 13, Stanmer Street, Battersea Park Road, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the supply or delivery of fluids in
exchange for coins inserted therein, and particularly to meters for the supply
of gas to consumers in predetermined quantities upon prepayment therefor, and
my said invention has for its object improved means for operating the mechanism
which opens the controlling valve of the meter and adjusts the mechanism which
determines the quantity of gas that shall be delivered.
In the Specification of prior Letters Patent No. 19780 of 1894 granted to me
for similar apparatus, I describe a sliding carriage for receiving the coin, and
an external knob or handle for moving said carriage and thus pressing the coin
into contact with the teeth of a ratchet wheel whereby said wheel is turned and
the quantity-mechanism thereby adjusted or set and the controlling valve opened.
By my present invention I substitute for this operating mechanism a revolving
carrier slotted to receive the coin, and working in combination with a wheel,
shaped like the concave driven wheel or disc of a Geneva stop. The coin when
inserted in the slot of the carrier projects beyond the periphery thereof and
answers the purpose of the tooth in the driving wheel of a Geneva stop, that is
to say, when the carrier is rotated, the 'coin engages with one of the slots or
notches in the periphery of the driven or concave stop wheel and turns said
wheel, thereby opening the controlling valve of the meter and adjusting the
quantity-mechanism through the medium of intervening gear similar to that
described in the above-mentioned specification. The corners of the slot in the
carrier are rounded to allow the carrier and Geneva stop wheel to turn properly.
I provide a safety locking catch to lock the Geneva stop wheel and prevent
the rotation of said wheel at those times when the carrier is in a position that the
stop wheel might otherwise turn freely. This catch is raised by the coin and
thereby releases the driven wheel when the carrier is rotated so that the stop
wheel is then free to be turned by the carrier.
I also provide a pivoted or other latch to engage with the coin and prevent
the return movement of the carrier when the latter has been partially rotated
to adjust the quantity-mechanism. This latch also serves the further purpose
of preventing the insertion of more than one coin at a time.
The carrier is suitably enclosed in a frame having a cover which is locked,
for example by the aforesaid latch, and which is slotted to allow of the insertion
of the coins, and the whole is enclosed in a case through the side of which the
handle for actuating the carrier projects. The slotted part of the aforesaid cover
also projects through an opening in the case. This construction prevents tamper-
ing with the mechanism. When the coin has actuated and passed the Geneva stop

page_text: wheel it falls into a suitable money receptacle provided for the purpose, and the
carrier can then be turned back to receive another coin. A stop is provided to
prevent the continuous rotation of the carrier in one direction.
T1 121 Owl1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Coin-freed Apparatus for the Supply or Delivery of
Fluids.
I, WALTER STAPLES, of 13, Stanmer Street, Battersea Park Road, in the County
of London, 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 relates to apparatus for the supply or delivery of fluids in
exchange for coins inserted therein, and particularly to meters for the supply
of gas to consumers in predetermined quantities upon prepayment therefor, and
my said invention has for its object improved means for operating the mechanism
which opens the controlling valve of the meter and adjusts the mechanism which
determines the quantity of gas that shall be delivered.
In the Specification of prior Letters Patent No. 19780 of 1894 granted to me
for similar apparatus, I describe a sliding carriage for receiving the coin, and
an external knob or handle for moving said carriage and thus pressing- the coin
into contact with the teeth of a ratchet wheel whereby said wheel is turned and
the quantity-mechanism thereby adjusted or set and the controlling valve opened.
By my present invention I substitute for this operating mechanism a revolving
carrier slotted to receive the coin, and working in combination with a wheel,
shaped like the concave driven wheel or disc of a Geneva stop. The coin when
inserted in the slot of the carrier projects beyond the periphery thereof and
answers the purpose of the tooth in the driving wheel of a Geneva stop, that is
to say, when the carrier is rotated, the coin engages with one of the slots or
notches in the periphery of the driven or concave wheel or disc and turns said
wheel, thereby opening the controlling valve of the meter and adjusting the
quantity-mechanism through the medium of intervening gear similar to that
described in the above-mentioned specification.
I provide a safety locking catch to lock the Geneva stop wheel and thus prevent
the rotation of said wheel at those times when the carrier is in that position in
which the stop wheel might otherwise turn freely, and I also provide a pivoted or
other latch to engage with the coin and prevent the return movement of the carrier
when the latter has been turned through a small angle away from the coin slot.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:
Figure 1 is a rear view of my improved apparatus with portions of the frame
and casing removed to show the operative parts.
Figure 2 is a section on the liner, Figure 1, looking towards the right.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the revolving carrier rotated
to bring the coin into engagement with the wheel or disc of the Geneva stop.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

page_text: a is a coin-carrier provided with a coin pocket b, and mounted in suitable
bearings to permit its rotation, the same being turned by means of the handle.
A wheel d having around its periphery concave portions e and tooth slots f, 15
fast on a spindle g, and a gear pinion h also fast on the same spindle engages
with a pinion which is coupled to the valve opening mechanism of the delivery
apparatus at k, through the extension of the spindle on which it is mounted. The
concave portions e of the wheel d are shaped to a curvature corresponding to
that of a circular portion of the coin carrier and engage therewith. The corners
of the slot in the circular portion of the carrier are rounded to allow the carrier a
and wheel d to turn properly.
A rocking arm m supported on a spindle p so that it can oscillate freely about
the same carries a pin q adapted to engage with one or other of the slots f and
thus prevent the rotation of the wheel 7. This catch is raised by the coin acting
on the arm n of the catch when the carrier is rotated so that the stop wheel is
then free to be turned by the coin in the carrier.
The carrier is suitably enclosed in a frame 1 having a cover 2 which has a
slot 3 to allow of the insertion of the coins, and the whole is enclosed in a case 4
through the side of which the handle < projects. The slotted part of the said
cover 2 also projects through an opening in the case. This con-
struction prevents tampering with the mechanism. A latch or pawl r extending
through a slot in the cover 2 into the path of the coin is also mounted free on the
said spindle p and is prevented from rising beyond a certain height by the pin
or stop s.
The pinions h, j, are secured to their respective spindles by nuts u, y, so that
they may be readily removed and replaced by similar pinions having a different
velocity ratio; and the pinion is adjustable through a small angle over the face
of the disc which is fast on the spindle k, by means of the slot w and set-
screwy, in order to bring the wheel and the quantity or valve opening mechanism
into agreement. Stops 5, 6 are provided to prevent the continuous rotation of the
carrier in one direction.
The operation of the device is as follows:-
A coin or token of a predetermined size is inserted into the coin pocket b
which is of such dimensions that a portion of the coin projects beyond the circum-
ference of the circular portion 7, and the handle is then turned to rotate the
carrier. The projecting edge of the coin strikes the bevelled edge of the latch
or pawl and raises the same in passing, the pawl thereafter falling so as to
prevent the return of the carrier to its initial position until the coin has been
discharged therefrom. The projecting edge of the coin next strikes the tail-
piece of the lever m and raises the pin g out of engagement with the wheel d
so that the latter is now free to move when the coin, in the further rotation of
the carrier, engages one of the tooth slots f of the wheel . During the rotation.
of the said wheel d the coin releases the lever m and its tail-piece n now swings
back behind the coin, interposing a further bar and effectually preventing the
return of the said coin to a position in front of the coin-slot.
Further rotation of the carrier frees the coin from the wheel and the said
coin is then discharged from the pocket b by gravity. At the same time the
wheel becomes locked by the pin g falling into the succeeding tooth-slot f and
also by the engagement of the circular portion of the carrier with a concave
recess of the sail wheel. The carrier can now be returned to bring the coin
pocket into position to receive another coin.
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. The improved mechanism, comprising a revolving carrier slotted to receive a
coin, and a wheel or disc of a Geneva stop gearing with the said carrier and

page_text: adapted to be rotated through one tooth space by the edge of the coin when
the carrier is rotated, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.
2. The combination, with the apparatus claimed in the preceding claim, of a
locking catch to prevent rotation of the wheel or disc of the Geneva stop when the
same is otherwise free to turn, and latches to prevent the return movement of the
carrier while containing a coin, substantially as described.
3. The improved mechanism constructed substantially as herein before described
with reference to the accompanying drawing, and operating as, and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th dow of Tul.. 1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.