Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and Delivery of Gas.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and
Delivery of Gas.
We JOHN Gow, of 60 Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, Foreman, and THE
GAS METER COMPANY LIMITED of 238 Kingsland Road, Gas Engineers, both
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
This invention for Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic
Sale and Delivery of Gas relates to improvements in apparatus for which Letters
Patent No. 13037 dated 15th July 1892 were granted to us and has for its object
to provide a device or apparatus which may be applied to any ordinary wet or dry
gas meter and so arranged and constructed that on the insertion of one or more
coins of predetermined value, a definite amount of gas of equivalent value can be
passed through the ineter and delivered to the consumer; and consists essentially
in so cor.structing the gas inlet valve and connecting it and the drum or other
measuring part of the meter to the coin freed mechanism that the insertion of
a proper coin or coins, opens the said valve and releases the drum or its
equivalent in which conditions they are retained until a quantity of gas of
equivalent value to the coin or coius inserted has been delivered.
In an apparatus constructed according to this invention, the prepaid coin is
inserted in a slot, and passing down a shoot engages with a star or lobe wheel
mounted on an arbor, on which is also mounted a pinion gearing with a spur
wheel secured to or forming part of an indicating dial on which the values of
the coins inserted are indicated. In the beforementioned shoot is a plunger which,
on being raised, allows the coin to pass it and fall between two adjacent teeth or
lobes of the star wheel so that on again depressing the said plunger, the coin is
forced through the shoot into a receptacle, and in its passage rotates the star wheel
through one division, causing the beforementioned indicating dial to also rotate
through a corresponding unit division. A spring pawl or cam engaging with the
star wheel causes it to always occupy a determinate position after the passage of a
coin ready for a succeeding operation and any backward motion of the said wheel is
prevented by a pawl which engages with a ratchet wheel mounted on the star
wheel arbor.
A sleeve secured to or forming part of the indicating dial and its spur wheel is
screw threaded internally and mounted on a corresponding screw threaded arbor
having a limited longitudinal movement, and carrying on one end a pointer working
over the face of the indicating dial, while its remote end projects through its
bearing and engages by means of a rack and pinion, or other suitable connection,
with a lever connected to the gas inlet valve in such manner that on sliding the
said arbor longitudinally forwards or backwards the gas inlet valve is closed or
opened. On the beforementioned sliding arbor which constitutes the main or
central arbor of the controlling mechanism, is rigidly mounted a spur wheel
connected by suitable gearing to the drum of the meter, or its equivalent, so that
on the passage of gas through the meter the said sliding arbor is rotated by it, the
relative velocities of the said measuring device determining the quantity of gas
supplied per unit coin inserted.
In the event of the maximum prepaid amount of coin for which the apparatus is
arranged being passed through the coin shoot before any of the equivalent gas is
consumed, the passage of further coin is prevented until the unit quantity of gas

page_text: has been delivered, by means of a suitable stop, operated automatically from the
controlling mechanism.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The inlet gas valve being closed, and the meter drum or its equivalent being
quiescent, a suitable coin is inserted and passes down the coin shoot, the raising of
the coin plunger allowing it to fall between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star
wheel. The subsequent descent of the plunger forces the coin out of the shoot
into the coin receptacle and rotates the star wheel through one division, the
indicating dial being by this means also rotated through one division. This rotary
movement causes the main arbor to slide longitudinally on its axis and operates
through the beforementioned lever and connections to open the gas inlet valve,
thereby admitting gas to the meter, while the gradual consumption of gas causes
the screw threaded sleeve mounted on the main arbor to rotate thereon and thereby
return it to its initial position and again close the inlet valve. The gas inlet valve
is preferably of the rotary disc type, and is arranged to close its orifice gradually
so that the near approach of the exhaustion of the supply paid for is indicated by
a gradual diminution of light.
The indicating dial is divided into a number of parts, each division representing
the angle traversed by it on the passage of a coin, and as several coins may be
passed through the apparatus successively, the position of the index pointer on
the indicating dial indicates the value and quantity of gas to the credit of the
purchaser.
The relative angular motions of the coin star wheel and indicating dial being
constant the quantity of gas supplied per unit coin may be varied by suitably
proportioning the gearing connecting the main arbor to the meter drum or its
equivalent.
Dated this 15th day of February 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic Sale and
Delivery of Gas.
We JOHN Gow of 60 Dumont Road Stoke Newington, Foreman, and THE
GAS METER COMPANY LIMITED, of 238 Kingsland Road, Gas Engineers, both
in the County of Middlesex, 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 for Improvements in Coin Freed Apparatus for the Automatic
Sale and Delivery of Gas relates to improvements in apparatus for which Letters
Patent No. 13037 dated 15th July 1892 were granted to us, and has for its object
to provide a device or apparatus which may be applied to any ordinary wet or dry
gas meter and so arranged and constructed that on the insertion of one or more
coins of predetermined value, a definite amount of gas of equivalent value can be
passed through the meter and delivered to the consumer; and consists essentially
in so constructing the gas inlet valve and connecting it and the drum or other
measuring part of the meter to the coin freed mechanism that the passage of a
proper coin or coins opens the said valve and releases the drum or its equivalent, in
which conditions they are retained until a quantity of gas of equivalent valve to
the coin or coins inserted has been delivered.
In the accompanying three sheets of illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of one arrangement of coin controlling and
indicating mechanism constructed according to this invention as applied to an
ordinary dry gas meter, the outer casing being removed.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the same, the back plate of the coin shoot being
removed in order to show the passage of the coin through the apparatus.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation some of the parts being removed.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the main arbor on line 1, 1 Fig. 1 and
Fig. 5, is a general plan of the same.
g
In the arrangement shown as applied to a dry meter a coin a (Fig. 2) is inserted*
in a slot 6 and passing down a shoot c engages with a star or lobe wheel d mounted
on an arbor e on which is also mounted a pinion f (Fig. 1) gearing through the
pinion with a spur wheel secured to or forming part of an indicating dial i on
which the value of the gas to the credit of the consumer is indicated. In the
beforementioned shoot c is a plunger which on being raised allows the coin to pass
it and fall between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star wheel d so that on again
depressing the said plunger, the coin is forced through the shoot and falls into a
receptacle m and in its passage rotates the star wheel d through one division
causing the beforementioned indicating dial, i by means of the toothed gearing
wheels f g h, to also rotate through a corresponding unit division. A spring pawl
or cam engaging with the star wheel d causes it to always occupy a determinate
position after the passage of a coin ready for a succeeding operation, and any
backward motion of the said wheel is prevented by a pawl or pawls o which engage
with a ratchet wheel p mounted on the star wheel arbor.
2°
A sleeve g (Figs. 3, 4, 5) secured to or forming part of the indicating dial i and
its spur wheel his screw threaded internally and mounted on a corresponding
screw threaded arbor having a limited longitudinal movement and carrying on
one end a pointers working over the face of the indicating dial i while its remote
end projects through its bearing in the plate t and operates, by means of a rack v
and toothed segment to mounted on the shaft a, a lever y connected to the gas valve
by the crank z, spindle a¹ and lever 6, the crank pin c sliding freely in the slot d¹
in the said lever y, so that on sliding the said arbor longitudinally forwards or
backwards the gas inlet valve z¹ is opened or closed as will be readily understood,
a spring e on the spindle always pressing the segment teeth against the rack in
one direction so as to prevent backlash, and thereby causing the action of the valve
to immediately respond to any axial motion of the main arbor. On the before-
mentioned sliding arbor r, which constitutes the main or central arbor of the
controlling mechanism, is rigidly mounted a spur wheel f' connected through the
pinions g, h, ¹, l', m³, n², o', spindle p', pinion g', worm r¹ and the ordinary
mechanism with the measuring device of the meter, so that on the passage of gas.
through the meter the said sliding arbor is rotated by it, the relative velocities of
the said measuring device and main arbor determining the quantity of gas supplied
per unit coin inserted. In the event of the maximum prepaid amount of coin for
which the apparatus is arranged (ten pennies in the apparatus shown) being passed
through the coin shoot before any of the equivalent gas is consumed, the passage of
further coin is prevented until the unit quantity of gas has been delivered, by means
of a stop lever s pivoted at t and whose end v projects into the shoot c. So long
as any number of coins less than ten pennies have been passed through and stand to
the credit of the purchaser the stop is held out of the path of the coin by the
spring but on the passage of the tenth coin the wheel f¹ on the sliding main
arbor r, engaging with the heel of the stop lever s', forces the end v' across the
coin shoot and thus prevents the passage of a further coin until by the consumption
of a sufficient quantity of gas the rotation and consequent axial displacement of the
arbor and wheel f' permits the levers' to resume its normal position.
7"
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The gas valve being closed, and the meter drum or its equivalent being
quiescent, a suitable coin a is inserted in the slot and passes down the coin
shoot c the raising of the coin plunger allowing it to fall into an operative position
between two adjacent teeth or lobes of the star wheel d. The subsequent descent
of the plunger forces the coin out of the shoot into the coin receptacle m and rotates
the star wheel through one division, the indicating dial i being by this means also

page_text: rotated through one division. This rotary movement of the indicating dial and
sleeve causes the main arbor r, by means of the screw y', to slide longitudinally
on its axis and operate, through the beforementioned lever y and its connections, to
open the gas inlet valve z and thereby admit gas to the meter, while the gradual
consumption of gas causes the said screw threaded main arbor r to rotate in the
sleeve and screw itself back to its initial position and again close the inlet valve,
the sleeve q being meanwhile held fixed. The gas inlet valve is preferably of the
rotary disc type as shown, and is arranged to close its orifice gradually so that
the near approach of the exhaustion of the supply paid for is indicated by the
gradual diminution of the flame at the burners.
The indicating dial is divided into ten parts as shown, each division representing
the angle traversed by it on the passage of a coin; and as several coins may be
passed through the apparatus successively the position of the index pointer on
the indicating dial indicates the value and quantity of gas to the credit of the
purchaser.
The relative angular motion of the coin star wheel and indicating dial being
constant the quantity of gas supplied per unit coin may be varied by suitably
proportioning the gearing connecting the main arbor to the meter drum or its
equivalent. For this purpose the two connecting pinions are made changeable
so that they may be removed and replaced by others to give the requisite velocity-
ratio.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of the star wheel d ratchet wheel p pawls or detents o and
pawl or cam n substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the screwed sleeve 9 with indicating dial i rotated
from the star wheel d screwed arbor r with pointers and rack v. operated by
the gas measuring device and toothed segment w connected to the gas valve all
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. The means for operating the gas valve comprising the segment w gearing
with the rack v lever y connected by the slot d', pin c', arm z and lever b₁ to the
valve substantially as described.
4. The arrangement and construction of coin freed apparatus for the automatic
sale and delivery of gas substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of April 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.