Improvements connected with Coin Freed Apparatus for the Sale of Gas in Fixed Quantities.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Coin Freed Apparatus for the Sale of
Gas in Fixed Quantities.
We, RICHARD THOMAS GLOVER, and JOHN GEORGE GLOVER, trading as
Thomas Glover & Co., of 214 to 222 St. John Street, Clerkenwell, London, Gas
Meter Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements connected with coin freed apparatus for
the sale of gas in fixed quantities, and consists of a notched plate fixed to a square,
or other shaped shaft above a stationary shield, into a given notch of which plate a
coin can be placed through a slot of a movable bar to rest upon the shield to enable
the notched plate to be rotated by means of a handle, or other suitable contrivance for
raising a valve a proportionate distance from its seating to allow of the passage of a
given quantity of gas from the meter to the service pipes, said valve being in direct
gear with a screw traveller operated by the meter mechanism consequent upon the
passage of the gas to gradually return the valve upon its seating without the
intervention of any connecting lever or levers.
In carrying our invention into practice, we preferably arrange a valve in
connection with a screw collar fitting loosely a square, or other shaped shaft.
This screw collar is in gear with a threaded post capable of being turned by the
meter mechanism. The upper end of the square, or like shaft has a handle, or
other appliance by which it can be moved to elevate, or shift the valve from the
gas issue opening from the meter.
A collar on the shaft carries a notched plate which can be fitted with a spring,
or stop to hold it in its proper position, and below this is a shell with indications
on it capable of being adjusted to suit the fixed quantity of gas which shall be
purchased for a given value of money, say, a penny. The shaft projects beyond
the top of the notched plate upon which a movable bar is loosely mounted and
provided with a slot, into which the coin, say, a penny can be placed, said coin
lodging in a notch of the notched plate, and resting on the division plate. The
indicator plate has a slot in it, and a shield, against which when the handle
is turned, the penny can be pressed for it to slip from the notched plate into the till.
The turning of the handle due to the locking of movable arm with the notched
plate, as before mentioned, causes the valve to lift from its seating and the gas to
pass through into the service pipes, the meter mechanism being free to work will
cause another threaded wheel, post, or bar to rotate, and in doing so will gradually
move lower the valve to its seating and shut off the supply.
The notched plate can be moved by other mechanism, such as by the penny
resting in the link of a chain which has to be moved a given distance, or the coin
may fall upon a wing, or two wings of wheels to overbalance it, or them, and
discharge itself, the movement of the wheel, or wheels moving the valve from its
seat, which valve is capable of being returned when the required quantity of gas
has passed from the meter.
We have described the apparatus as being arranged in a vertical position but it
may be arranged horizontally, the valve screw being supported by guide bars for

page_text: Any kind of recording or registering mechanism can be fitted to show the
amount of money received, and the amount of gas unconsumed.
Dated this 11th day of January 1894
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said R. T. and J. G. Glover.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Coin Freed Apparatus for the Sale of
Gas in Fixed Quantities.
We, RICHARD THOMAS GLOVER, and JOHN GEORGE GLOVER, trading as
Thomas Glover & Co., of 214 to 222 St. John Street, Clerkenwell, London, Gas
Meter Manufacturers, 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 connected with coin freed apparatus for
the sale of gas in fixed quantities, and consists of a notched plate fixed to a square
or other shaped shaft above a stationary shield, into a given notch of which plate
a coin can be placed through a slot of a movable bar to rest upon the shield to
thereby enable the notched plate to be rotated by means of a handle, or other
suitable contrivance for raising a valve a proportionate distance from its seating,
and allow the passage of a given quantity of gas from the meter to the service
pipe, said valve being in direct gear with a screw traveller operated by the meter
mechanism consequent upon the passage of gas, which operates said mechanism
and screw traveller to gradually return the valve upon its seating without the
intervention of any connecting lever or levers.
Our invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying
sheets of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a coin freed apparatus attached to the top of
an ordinary dry gas meter.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the notched plate and movable money bar.
Figure 3 is a plan of the shield showing the coin escape slot and stop.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the notched plate and adjustable table.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the traveller
screw.
Figures 6 and 7 are front and side sectional views respectively showing the form
of notch plate and accessories when the apparatus is horizontally fixed.
The essential feature of this invention consists in forming the plate A with a
number of notches, recesses, or divisions B equally divided and disposed around its
circumference in the manner indicated in Figures 2, 6, and 7 which, in conjunction
with the movable money bar C its tube D and the shield or table E, can, with its
escape slot and stop F and G respectively, after the insertion of a coin of given
value and size be rotated by means of a handle F' a given distance, said distance
being adjustable by turning the table E to move the escape slot and stop F and G
a further distance from or nearer to the starting point of the money tube D, thereby
varying the circumferential distance the coin will travel before it falls by its own
weight through the slot F into the till H, which is conveniently placed to receive
the coins as they fall.
The handle movable bar and tube C, D, together with the shutter plate I
which closes the penny slot, are loosely mounted upon the top end of a square
shaft J, so that same can, when there is no coin inserted, be turned about freely
without affecting any of the other parts of the mechanism.
Upon the insertion of a coin through a slot K provided in the meter case L it

page_text: will if the handle be moved to its right position to bring the money tube D
immediately under said slot, fall into the tube D and one of the notches B of the
plate A and rest upon the edge of the table E in the manner shown at Figure 1,
the coin being partly in the tube D and partly in one of the notches B of the
plate A, whereby the handle F', tube D, and plate A become locked, and move
together when turned, and as the plate A is fixed by a screw or other means to the
square shaft J it follows that this will also turn.
This turning movement which is limited by the tube D making contact with the
stop G causes the screw collar M (that acts as a valve to close the gas issue
opening N) to lift a distance proportionate to the amount prepaid by reason of its
thread engaging with the threads of the stationary screw traveller P, and so allow
of the entry of gas from the main to the closed chamber Q by way of the pipe R
and orifice N. The gas then passes down the pipe S into the meter bellows, which
in the well known manner operates the registering mechanism. Any suitable gear
may be employed in connection with said registering mechanism, such as a worm,
that, gearing into the wheel T secured to the reduced end U of the traveller P, will
rotate same for its thread to gear into the stationary valve thread M as in a rack
to gradually return the valve upon its seating and cut off the supply of gas. The
gears are so calculated that a certain number of revolutions of the registering and
connected mechanism is required to allow of a quantity of gas proportionate to the
amount prepaid to pass through before the valve is closed upon its seating.
The table E is preferably slotted in the manner shown at Figure 4, and is
secured in a given position by a set screw V. Each division is marked preferably
from 1 to 50, so that the attendant can set this table to deliver the number of
cubic feet of gas it may be determined to supply for a given coin by adjusting the
table and inserting the screw in the slot designated by the number corresponding
to the amount to be supplied. To prevent any back turning of the plate A, a
spring pawl. W engages the notches B, so that said plate can only move in one
direction.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the penny is made the means for
actuating the notched plate by its lodgement in one of the circumferential notches
of said plate A which is prevented from falling out by its weight being borne by
the adjustable table, upon the edge of which it rides until it reaches the escape
slot F to fall by gravity into the till H.
If however, the apparatus is required to work in a horizontal position, as
indicated in Figure 7, the notches B are preferably cut or formed on the crown of
the plate A, as at Figure 6, or they may be otherwise placed as may be required
by circumstances but in all cases the coin being partly in the pocket or tube D and
partly in the notch of the plate A is made the medium by which the respective
parts become locked together for actuating the valve when the handle is turned,
the coin being at the same time prevented from falling out by the adjustable
table E, either as in Figure 1, or by the flanged table as in Figure 7, the slot F
and stop G of which in the latter figure can be varied in position for the coin to
fall out by gravity anywhere between the dotted lines marked a a.
In some cases, the valve nut M instead of being externally threaded to gear
with an external traveller can be internally threaded and be screwed upon a
Ecrew P, as in Figure 5, the screw shaft in this case is dispensed with.
The nut is formed with teeth X and slides upon two or more wires Y, Y,
connected at top and bottom to discs Z, Z, suitably held but free to rotate in the
chamber Q. The nut by its teeth X is in gear with a long pinion A¹ which is
operated by the meter mechanism in any suitable manner.
When the screw P is rotated by the handle F₁ it lifts the nut M off its seating,
it being prevented from turning by the wires Y, Y, and pinion A' but when the
meter mechanism turns the pinion A' it rotates the nut M and cage Y, Z, around
the screw P which being stationary causes the nut to move down upon its seating
and shut off the supply.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improvements connected with coin freed apparatus for the sale of gas in
fixed quantities herein before described and as shown in the annexed drawings.
2. A coin freed apparatus for the sale of gas in fixed quantities, consisting of a
loosely mounted money tube or pocket, an adjustable table having an escape slot
and stop, a notched plate fixed to a square, or other shaped shaft, or to a screw for
communicating motion to a valve, to move same off its seating by a turning move-
ment after the insertion of a coin of given value and size, said valve being closed
upon its seating to cut off the supply by the action of the meter mechanism after
the amount prepaid has passed through in the manner and by the means substantially
as described with reference to Figures 1 and 5.
3. In coin freed apparatus requiring a variable and adjustable rotative or semi-
rotative movement, the notched plate A fixed to the part to be moved, and the
combination therewith of a loosely mounted arm C and money tube D, and an
adjustable table E having an escape slot and stop F, G, and arranging the foregoing
either in the manner shown in Figure 4, or substantially as in Figure 7, so that a
coin of given size when inserted will act as a key to lock the money tube D and
notched plate A and cause same to move together when turned, the amount of said
turning movement being limited by contact of the tube D with the stop G for the
coin to fall by its own weight through the slot F', as described.
4. The means for varying and limiting the turning movement of the money tube
and for effecting the release of the coin, as described.
1001
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Thomas Glover and John George Glover.