Improvements in and relating to Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Prepayment Gas Meters.
I, JOHN ANDERSON, of 5, Hazelbank Terrace, in the City and County of
Edinburgh, Gas Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to coin freed or
prepayment automatic working gas meters.
According to my improvements a hollow spindle extends from the coin turn-
ing barrel, and through it works a screw threaded spindle with crosshead end and
a pin projecting through a longitudinal slot in hollow spindle. The screw threaded
spindle works through the internal screw threaded boss of a bevel wheel mounted
on it, and in the forward motion of spindle said wheel is prevented from turning
by the connected wheel gearing hereinafter described. A spindle is mounted in
bearings parallel to the screw spindle and the forked end of a radial arm from same
embraces the disc end of screw spindle, so that when the latter is turned by the
pin in slot of hollow spindle and made to traverse forward, the parallel spindle
is given a corresponding extent of longitudinal movement. The forked end of an
arm at the opposite end of parallel spindle embraces the spindle of the gas con-
trolling valve, so that said valve receives corresponding motions. While a pro-
jecting pin from this arm or from the spindle works in a spiral slot or groove
formed on the barrel of a parallel spindle on which is mounted a pointer that works
over a dial in front of meter case to indicate the number of coins for which prepaid
gas has to be vended, and a projecting pin on this barrel is made to tilt a lever to
close or obstruct the coin depositing slot, when the maximum number of coins
have been deposited at a time for prepaid gas.
A bevel wheel is mounted on a vertical spindle and gears with the aforementioned
wheel on horizontal screw spindle and an adjustable spur wheel on this spindle
gears into a screw worm on a horizontal spindle from which ordinary gear con-
nections are taken to the counting mechanism of meter.
A bell crank or tilting lever is fitted from below coin operated barrel to keep
coin in position and permit of varying thicknesses of coin operating barrel.
As prepaid gas is being consumed the ordinary mechanism operates the bevel
wheel on screw spindle, and the parallel spindle is traversed in the opposite
direction to that given by the insertion of a coin so that when all the prepaid
gas has been consumed the gas controlling valve is automatically closed, the
spindle of same being always moved in one direction while coins are being
inserted and in the opposite direction while gas is being consumed.
T
the 11th day of November 1897.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Prepayment Gas Meters.
I, JOHN ANDERSON, of New Grange Works, Gorgie Road, in the City and
County of Edinburgh, Gas Meter Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to coin freed
or prepayment automatic working gas meters.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of ex-
planatory drawings in which the same reference letters are used to indicate
like parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 a
side elevation and Figure 3 a transverse section of the mechanism for operating
the gas controlling valve in accordance with my improvements. Referring to
these drawings:-
According to my improvements a hollow spindle A¹ extends from the coin
turning barrel A and through it works a screw threaded spindle B with cross-
head end B and a pin B2 projecting through a longitudinal slot A2 in hollow
spindle A. The screw threaded spindle B works through the in-
ternal screw threaded boss C of a bevel wheel C mounted on it, and
in the forward motion of spindle B said wheel C is prevented from turning by
the connected wheel gearing hereinafter described. A spindle D is mounted
in bearings parallel to the screw spindle and the forked end of a radial arm D¹
from same embraces the disc end of screw spindle B so that when the latter is
turned by the pin B2 in slot A2 of hollow spindle A¹ and made to traverse for-
ward, the parallel spindle D is given a corresponding extent of longitudinal
movement. The forked end of an arm D² at the opposite end of parallel spindle I)
embraces the spindle E of the gas controlling valve, so that said valve receives
corresponding motions. While a projecting pin e from this arm D² or from
the spindle, works in a spiral slot or groove formed on the barrel e¹ of a parallel
spindle on which is mounted a pointer ³ that works over a dial e in front of
meter case to indicate the number of coins for which prepaid gas has to be
vended, and a projecting pin on this barrel is made to tilt a lever. E¹ to close
or obstruct the coin depositing slot when the maximum number of coins have
been deposited at a time for prepaid gas.
A bevel wheel Fis mounted on a vertical spindle F1 and gears with the afore-
mentioned wheel C on horizontal screw spindle B and an adjustable spur wheel F
on this spindle gears into a screw worm G on a horizontal spindle G from which
ordinary gear connections are taken, to the counting mechanism of meter.
A bell crank or tilting lever H is fitted from below coin operated barrel to
keep coin in position and permit of varying thicknesses of coin operating barrel.
As prepaid gas is being consumed the ordinary mechanism operates the bevel
wheel C on screw spindle B and the parallel spindle D is traversed in the opposite
direction to that given by the insertion of a coin, so that when all the prepaid
gas has been consumed the gas. controlling valve is automatically closed, the
spindle E of same being always moved in one direction while coins are being
inserted and in the opposite direction through the worm and bevel gear while
gas is being consumed.
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:
In prepayment gas meters the arrangement in combination of parallel moving

page_text: spindles and screw and bevel gear for operating the gas controlling valve sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
.
Dated the 10th day of August 1808
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.