An Apparatus for Receiving Coin or an Equivalent and Supplying Gas in Exchange.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Receiving Coin or an Equivalent and Supplying
Gas in Exchange.
CHARLES MIDDLEBROOK 101 Teviot Street Bromley E. in the County of Middlesex
Weigh Clerk in the employ of the Gas Light & Coke Company do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is an apparatus to combine with a gas meter for receiving cash and
only allowing the said gas meter to pass the value in gas, thereby enabling the con-
sumer to have what is paid for and the gas company to be paid for what gas they
supply.
I so construct my apparatus that when combined with a gas meter, gas cannot
pass through the said gas meter unless my apparatus contains a coin or equivalent, I
use a money slot for containing coin which will not retain a half-penny or any coin
smaller then a half-penny. At one end is an aperture to drop coin into at the other
end and underneath the money slot is the end of a lever fitting loosely into the money
slot which is worked up and down by the united weight of a coin on top and part of a
wheel beneath, in the money slot and over this part of the lever is what I call a
divider and each coin must pass under this divider when the lever is down and be
lifted up again by the lever before it can pass through an aperture into a receptacle
provided for the purpose, the value in gas will then have passed through the meter, as
my part wheel is connected with and worked by the action of the meter so as to make
one complete revolution for the required quantity of gas in exchange for the necessary
coin. Should there be more then one coin in the money slot, when the first coin
passes under the divider the next will immediately follow the first on to the lever, but
on the lever rising again the divider will seperate the coins one being on the receptacle
side and the other on the money slot side, thereby only allowing one coin to pass into the
receptacle, this will continue so long as the money slot is kept supplied with coin,
otherwise, as soon as the last coin has passed into the receptacle the lever will rise by
its own action and the other part of it will come in contact with an arm connected
with and worked by the action of the meter and stop the same.
Above the money
slot is another lever only used after the meter has been at rest, to assist the first coin
that rests upon the lever below to release the aforesaid arm.
In each case where I mention a coin I refer to a coin or an equivalent.
1000
CHARLES MIDDLEBROOK.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Receiving Coin or an Equivalent and Supplying
Gas in Exchange.
I, CHARLES MIDDLEBROOK, of 101 Teviot Street, Bromley, E. in the County of
Middlesex, Weigh Clerk, in the employ of the Gas Light and Coke Company, 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 new or improved apparatus for receiving coin or an
equivalent such as any suitable pieces of metal (hereinafter included in the expression
coin"), and supplying gas in exchange therefor, and particularly to that class of
apparatus for these purposes in which locking and releasing mechanism is so combined
with a gas meter of any suitable construction that by the introduction of a coin, the
meter will be released, and allowed to deliver a given quantity or measurement of gas,
Price Rd

page_text: and then will be automatically arrested and locked so as to cease delivery until again
released by another coin and so on. In my apparatus there is combined with the gas
meter, mechanism of novel construction as hereinafter described which mechanism com-
prises a lever so arranged in relation to a coin shoot or passage and to a device or part
operated by the meter when the latter is delivering gas that the lever when not
depressed by a coin forms a stop and prevents the working of the meter; but when a
coin is introduced so as to depress one end of said lever the before mentioned device
is no longer obstructed and the meter being thus released, goes on delivering gas
until the quantity of gas to be supplied in exchange for the coin or coins that was or
were on the lever has been supplied, whereupon the said coin or the last one if there
has been several, will be caused to pass into a coin receptacle, and the lever will assume
a position in which it will again lock the meter until another coin or coins is or are
inserted into the machine and so on. And in order that the nature of my invention
may be readily understood I will proceed to explain the same more fully by reference
to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which,
Fig. 1 shews in side elevation an apparatus according to this invention for receiving
coin or equivalent and supplying gas in exchange therefor, certain parts of the
apparatus being removed for the sake of clearness.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus with covers and coin shoot removed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of part of the apparatus, on the line a a Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a separate view of the coin lever in side elevation.
Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the apparatus.
In the example shewn, the gas meter A is a dry one, provided with measuring
bellows that oscillate two vertical spindles 1, 1" upon which are fixed lever arms 2, 2",
respectively, by which motion is transmitted from the spindles to the worm wheel 3 on
the shaft 4 of the counting mechanism 5, through links 6 and 7, pin 8, adjustable
nut 9, crank arm 10, shaft 11 and worm 12. 13 is the inlet for gas and 14 the outlet.
The construction and operation of these parts are well known, and of themselves
form no part of this invention. The coin receiving mechanism for use with this meter
comprises an inclined coin shoot 15 below which is a lever 16 pivoted at 17. One
end of this lever is arranged below the lower opened end of the shoot and the other
end, which is weighted, is recessed at 18 to form a stop for an arm 19, when the
lever 16 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The arm 19 is fixed to the spindle 1 and
is oscillated thereby when the meter is in action, but when its motion is arrested, it
stops the working of the meter. In lieu of the arm 19 any other suitable device or
part operated by the meter when the same is delivering gas can be used.
20 is a starting lever so formed and arranged that its lower end which works
through an opening 15 in the roof 15" of the shoot, will be caused to exert pressure
through a coin B to depress the lever 16 and disengage it from the arm 19 should this
be pressed so tightly against the lever by the pressure of the gas acting upon the
internal mechanism of the meter, when the meter is locked, as not to be released by
the weight of the coin alone. As will be seen this starting lever 20 and the roof of
the shoot are so relatively arranged that the starting lever can only operate the coin
lever 16 when a coin B is located between them. 21 is a shoot. through which a coin
passes into a suitable receptacle, after it has unlocked the meter and kept it unlocked
whilst the equivalent quantity of gas is being delivered. 22 is a projection, hereinafter
called a divider, arranged within and near the inner end of the shoot 15. 23 is a
projection, part, or cam, hereinafter referred to as a cam, carried by a toothed
wheel 24 which is rotated from the worm 12 by a worm wheel 25 shaft 25°, pinion 26,
toothed wheel 27 shaft 28 and toothed wheel 29. 30 is a fixed plate for supporting
the outer ends of the shafts carrying the toothed wheels 24, 26, 27 and 29.
30 is a
similar plate to carry the inner ends of these shafts, excepting that of the pinion 26.
21 (Fig. 1) is an abutment or coin stop in front of which the lower end of the
lever 16 moves when being depressed, and against which the coin rests, so as to
maintain the lever in its depressed position, until this lever is raised by the cam 23 as
hereinafter described. In lieu of the cam 23 any other suitable device, operated by
the meter, and arranged to act against the coin lever in opposition to the weight of

page_text: coin thereon, as hereinafter described, can be used. Such a device is included in the
generic expression "cam" hereinafter used.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
A coin B say a penny dropped into the shoot 15 through the money slot
at 15° (Fig. 1) will roll down the shoot and on to the lower end of the coin lever 16.
The weight of the coin, aided by pressure exerted through the coin by the starting
lever 20, will depress the lower end of the lever on to the top of the cam 23 thereby
raising the other end of the lever sufficiently to release the arm 19 and unlock the
meter. On the further falling of the cam lever 16 as the cam 23 rotates from under
it, the coin upon it will fall with it, but does not pass out of contact with the divider 22
until the extreme lower end of the lever is at such a distance below the top edge of the
abutment 21 that this abutment will prevent the coin, when it rolls under the livider,
from passing into the shoot 21.
The meter will then supply gas until the lower end of the lever 16 is partly raised,
by the cam 23 assuming its uppermost position, when the coin will be raised
sufficiently by the lever to clear the abutment 21ª and roll into the shoot 21..
One coin only can pass into the shoot 21 at a time, and should there be more than
one in the money slot, the first coin will pass under the divider 22, and the second
coin will, on the partial rising of the lever 16, be separated from the first by the
divider 22, the first coin being on the side of the divider nearest the shoot 21, whilst
the next coin will be on the opposite side. The lever 16 is so weighted or pivoted
that when no coin rests upon its lower end, this end will rise, and the upper end will
fall sufficiently to come into the path of the arm 19, and so stop the meter, but so long
as there is a coin present to act upon the lower end of the lever 16, neither the
weight of the upper end of the lever, or the cam 23 will cause tho lever to assume a
position in which it will lock the arm 19 and stop the delivery of gas. The gearing
for driving the cam 23 from the worm 12, is so proportioned that the cam makes one
complete revolution whilst the quantity of gas to be delivered in exchange for a coin
is passing through the meter.
At one portion of its length the outer wall of the coin shoot 15, is formed with an
opening 31 (Fig. 3) and at this part the bottom of the shoot, on which a coin rolls, is
slightly rounded off or bevelled as shown at 32, so that a coin passing down the shoot
has a tendency to slip sideways through the opening before reaching the lower end
of the coin lever 16. The width of the shoot 15, and the depth of the opening 31 are
so proportioned that a penny will not slip out owing to its diameter being too great,
but a halfpenny or less coin will do so, and fall through the shoot 33 so that it cannot
be used to start the meter. To assist this action, the side wall of the shoot 15 is
inclined to the vertical as shown in Fig. 3, and the inner wall is also formed with an
opening 31ª, that will allow a coin smaller than the proper one to become inclined
sufficiently to fall through the opening 31. The starting lever 20 need only be used
after the meter has been at rest, to assist the first coin resting on the lever 16, to
release the upper end of this lever from the arm 19. The starting lever 20 can be
moved by means of the small projecting knob 20. 34 is a cover that encloses the
coin receiving apparatus, excepting the coin slot at 15° and the upper end of the
starting lever 20.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for receiving coin or an equivalent and supplying gas in
exchange therefor, the combination with a meter of coin receiving mechanism
comprising a coin lever arranged to serve when not depressed by a coin as a stop to
the meter, a coin stop adapted to prevent a coin from prematurely leaving the said
lever, and a cam actuated by the meter and arranged to act at the required time
directly upon the coin lever in such a manner as to move it into a position in which a
coin on it will no longer be retained by the coin stop and will consequently leave the
lever thus enabling it to assume an attitude in which it will arrest the meter and stop

page_text: the delivery of gas unless depressed by other coin, substantially as herein described
for the purpose specified.
2. In an apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claim for receiving coin or
an equivalent and supplying gas in exchange therefor, a divider so arranged in relation
to the coin lever and to the shoots that conduct coin to and from the coin lever that
when the cam moves the coin lever into a position in which coin to the value of
which gas has been delivered will leave the coin lever any other coin thereon
will be arrested thus allowing the meter to go on delivering gas substantially as
described.
3. In an apparatus such as referred to in claim 1, for receiving coin or an
equivalent and supplying gas in exchange therefor, the construction of the coin
receiving mechanism with an inclined coin shoot 15 having its side walls inclined to
a vertical plane, and formed with openings 31, 31, and the portion of its
bottom adjacent to the opening 31 rounded off or bevelled sideways, substantially as
herein described with reference to and shewn in the drawings annexed for the purpose
specified.
4. My improved apparatus as shewn in and described with reference to the
drawings annexed, for receiving coin or an equivalent and supplying gas in exchange
therefor, as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of August 1890
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.