Improvements in Apparatus for Prepaying Gas Supply.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Prepaying Gas Supply.
I, JOHN DANIEL FORSTER, of 22 Trafalgar Road, Old Kent Road, London, S.E.,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The gas
According to this invention a weighted or spring valve is used, normally held
closed, but released for a certain period by the insertion of a coin.
from the main passes through this valve, and through the meter to the consumer.
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-
Within a suitable framework is a pinion revolved from index of gas meter, this
pinion gears with a tooth wheel having a crank arm or crank pin to which is
pivotted one end of a connecting rod, the other end being pivotted to a sliding
bar working in suitable guides. This sliding bar has attached to it a pivotted
weighted lever, the front of this pivotted lever in its normal position meets the
head of the valve stem thereby keeping the valve closed by the pressure imparted
from the meter index. The back end of the pivotted weighted lever is turned up
for the coin inserted to rest upon to depress it, thereby lifting the front clear of
the head of valve stem, consequently allowing gas to pass through. valve. The
coin is inserted in a circular receiver in which is a plunger with head at bottom
which rests upon top of the coin or coins inserted. An opening is made in bottom
of coin receptacle sufficient for a coin to pass through but which is held partially
closed by a sliding plate operated from the sliding bar. When the pivotted lever
is depressed by a coin and takes a full stroke, the sliding plate moves past the
bottom coin and on the return stroke pushes the coin out. To prevent moro
than one coin being pushed out at a time, a pivotted weighted stop meets the
second coin.
Dated this 9th day of Documber 1806
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFIC
Improvements in Apparatus for Prepaying Gas Supply.
I, JOHN DANIEL FORSTER, of 22 Trafalgar Road, Old Kent Road, London, S.E.,
Gas 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 refers to improved mechanism acting in conjunction with any
ordinary or useful meter or measuring apparatus, whereby a predetermined volume
of gas is allowed to pass for the use of the consumer, the mechanism being brought
[Price d

page_text: into action by or through the insertion of a coin or token, the latter acting to
free the moveable parts, which continue in motion until the proper quantity of
gas has been delivered. The mechanism then causes the coin to pass into a suit-
able receptacle and shuts off the gas supply, it being necessary to insert another
coin to cause the mechanism to again act and deliver a second measured quantity,
several coins may be inserted at one time and the mechanism thereby caused to
act continuously until a quantity of gas is delivered proportionately to the number
of coins placed in a container.
The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings which illustrate an example of construction.
Fig. 1 being a side elevation of the mechanism.
Fig. 2 a plan of same.
Fig. 3 a side sectional elevation of the coin container.
Fig. 4 a plan view of the parts shewn in Fig. 3 but with the coin container
itself removed.
Fig. 5 a cross section on the line X. Y. of Fig. 4, and
Fig. 6 a side elevation of some of the parts shewn at Fig. 1, but in an inter-
mediate position.
Referring to the drawings, 'gas from the main, passes into a cylinder A, by the
passage A, and by a passage A2, it passes therefrom through the gas meter, for
the consumers' use; in the cylinder A, there is a division having an aperture
controlled by a valve A, as shewn by dotted lines and this valve normally closes
the passage between the entrance and exit passages A', and A2, the valve A³,
is mounted on a spindle A, passing to the exterior of the cylinder A, and is held
open for the passage of the gas by a spring A5, acting against a conical head A",
on the valve spindle. In connection with and operated by the operative mechanism
of the gas meter index (not illustrated in the accompanying drawings) is a shaft B,
Fig. 2, carrying a pinion B1 gearing with a tooth wheel G, (carried in suitable
bearings) which latter has a crank arm C, and crank pin C, the latter being thus
revolved at a speed proportional to that of the index mechanism of the gas meter.
The crank pin C, passes through a slot D, in a pivotted and sliding bar D', the
slotted end of the bar being somewhat heavier or more weighted than its opposite
end. At the lowest extremity of the slotted end of the bar D', there is a projec-
tion D, which when the gas is shut off, as shewn at Fig. 1, is in contact with the
conical end A6, of the spindle of the valve A3, to retain the latter in its closed
position.
The bar D', is pivotted at 13, to a horizontally moveable slide E, and the end I)*
of the bar extends upwards (when the gas is shut off) through an aperture E
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 in the said slide E. Above the slide E, which is carried by a
guide plate F, is mounted a circular coin receiver G, containing a plunger H,
from which an operating handle H extends to the exterior of the receiver G.
The plunger H, is formed on its under face with downwardly extending side arms
or wings H, which wings when there is no coin beneath the plunge, rest on the
guide F, of the slide E, and prevent the under face of the plunger H, from coming
into contact with the upwardly extending part 1 of the arm 1) of the bar 11.
It is preferred to attach the plunger rod to plunger by the intermediate spring H³.
The front end of the slide E, is cut away sufficiently to allow the coin to pass
between its two arms while the guide plate Fat the part beneath the coin
receiver G although partly cut away as shewn by dotted lines F1 Fig. 4, will
still retain a coin, but such opening (as in dotted line F) is increased in size
forward of the receiver G, so that although the coin will not fall away when
laying upon the guide plate F, immediately beneath the receiver G, upon the
slide E, being drawn away, yet such coin will pass through upon being pushed
by a forward motion of, the slide E, from beneath the receiver G. The coins are
inserted into the receiver G by the aperture G¹.
The action is as follows: supposing the gas to be cut off and no coins being
in the coin container:

page_text: The plunger H is first lifted, a coin is then inserted beneath same through the
aperture G this coin falls to the bottom of the container resting upon the up-
turned end D6 of the bar D. The plunger H is then lowered, its wings H2 act
upon the coin which latter by pressure forces the end De downwards. The bar D
is rocking on its pivot D3, the projection D2, raised, the valve thereby being
released, the gas supply pipe opened and the meter mechanism released for action.
The shaft B Fig. 2 revolved from the meter index mechanism actuates the crank
pin C, by the gearing in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1 and lifts the bar
eventually drawing it rearwards and allowing the projection D2 to rest on a guide
plate J, as is shewn at Fig. 6. The bar and its projection 12 moving in the
direction of the arrow Fig. 6 upon leaving the guide J falls in front of the valve
spindle and a further motion of the parts closes the valve thereby.
During this operation the slide E, has been withdrawn from beneath the coin,
the latter has fallen on to the guide plate F, and just before the closing of the
valve A3, the slide E, in its return motion has forced the coin so far forward as
to allow it to fall through the aperture of the guide plate F. When a number
of coins are inserted at one time in the container the described operations are
repeated with regard to the bottom coin but with the exception that the end De
of the bar D is held downwards by the next upper coin and consequently the
not cut off as long as a coin remains in the container. So that supposing four coins
are placed one upon the other in the coin container four times the. volume of gas
will be continually delivered.
is
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In apparatus for prepaying gas supply, a crank pin revolved by the index
mechanism of a meter, a bar operated by the crank pin, a projection on the bar
acting to open and close a gas supply pipe from the main to the meter trunnions
on the bar pivotting on a delivery slide of coin controlled mechanism and an exten-
sion of the bar by which the latter may be rocked to open the valve and allow the
meter mechanism to act, such rocking of the bar being effected by a plunger through
the medium of an inserted coin, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In apparatus for the prepayment gas supply, the combination with the crank
pin C, operated from the meter index mechanism, the bar D' to which motion is
given by the crank pin C and the valve A controlled by the bar D¹ of the slide D³
to which the bar is pivot and the coin controlling and delivery mechanism in
connection therewith, substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus for prepaying gas supply, the plunger H connected to the
handle H by intermediate spring H².
Dated th 7th of 190z
FREDERIC PRINCE,
37 Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for Applicant.