Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug.. 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct.. 18:5
PROVISIONAL OF MULPTUATION.
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
We, WILLIAM COWAN and WILLIAM HENRY COWAN, both of Buccleuch
Street Works, Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, Scotland, Gas Meter
Manufacturers etc. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in prepayment gas meters of the type
described in the previous Specifications of the above named William Cowan and
William Henry Cowan but more especially to those of William Cowan No. 11537
of 23rd July 1890, and No. 24490 of 20th Decr. 1893, and ours No. 7988 of
23rd April 1894, and forms modifications of or additions to such applications. The
object of the present invention is to provide or construct a more efficient prepayment
or coin freed gas meter.
In carrying out our said invention we employ an arrangement of mech unism by
the use of which a predetermined quantity of gas will be placed at the disposal of
the consumer every time he or she places a coin or token in the money slot of the
meter and actuates an external handle or knob. That is to say, we employ an
externally screwed tube or rod, the one end of which is suitably geared with the
working parts of the meter's mechanism, so as to be driven or revolved by the
same during the consumption of gas; the said screwed tube or rod may be placed
either in the horizontal or vertical planes as desired. This screwed tube or rod is
carried in suitable journals, so as to prevent it moving lengthwise, and has mounted,
on it and concentric to it an internally screwed tube capable of being moved to and
fro lengthwise so as to be capable of actuating the supplementary valve or stop of
the meter. The said screwed moveable tube is mounted within an outer tube or
casing to which it is connected by means of a groove and feather or key, or slotted
opening and pin, that is to say the moveable tube has attached to its periphery a
projection, feather, key or pin which works up and down in a vertical groove or
slotted opening formed in the outer tube or casing, in such a manner, as to enable
the outer tube on being revolved to actuate the valve in a reverse direction to
that in which the inner tube or rod actuates the valve, by means of the screwed
moveable tube, through the medium of the coin-communicating part of the
mechanism revolving the outer tube or casing.
Or if desired we may cause the coin-communicating part of the mechanism to
actuate the screwed tube or rod, and the working of the mechanism of the meter,
during the consumption of gas, to actuate the outer tube or casing.
The connection between the said moveable tube or rod and the valve may be
effected by any suitable means, such as by one or more suitably shaped levers, and
the valve we preferably employ is a slide valve of the kind described in our former
Application for Letters Patent No. 7988 of 23rd April 1894.
The outer tube or casing may be actuated by the coin so as to open the valve,
by means of ratchet and pawl gearing and coin actuated or communicating
mechanism of the type described in the before mentioned Specification of William
Cowan No. 24490 of 20th Decr. 1893, or by any of the other arrangements or
modifications described in the before mentioned Specifications.
Or we may actuate the screwed rod or tube or the outer tube or casing, by
means of the coin engaging with the teeth of a wheel or disc attached to same, or

page_text: by any other convenient mode of transmitting motion through the intervention of a
coin from a person operating an outside handle or knob.
In either of the foregoing modifications or arrangements we may employ a
suitable guard or shutter for closing the money slot, or opening, in the meter case
during the time the mechanism is being operated.
It is to be understood that the foregoing improvements are equally applicable to
both wet and dry gas meters. Also we may employ a prepayment circle or dial and
pointer, for indicating the quantity of gas paid for by the coin or coins inserted of
the same type as is described and claimed in the before mentioned Specification
No. 11537 of 23rd July 1890.
Dated this 1st day of November 1894.
i
JOHNSONS.
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioners' Agents.
137
We, WILLIAM COWAN and WILLIAM HENRY COWAN, both of Buccleuch
Street Works, Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, Scotland, 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 in prepayment gas meters of the type
described in the previous Specifications of the above-named William Cowan and
William Henry Cowan, but more especially to those of William Cowan No. 11537
of 23rd July 1890 and No. 24490 of 20th Decr. 1893 and ours of 7988 of 23rd
April 1894, and forms modifications of or additions to such applications.
The object
of the present invention is to provide or construct a more efficient prepayment or
coin freed gas meter.
In carrying out our said invention we employ an arrangement of mechanism by
the use of which a pre-determined quantity of gas will he placed at the disposal of
the consumer every time he or she places a coin or token in the money slot of the
meter and actuates an external handle or knob.
But in order that our said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect, we will describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 a front sectional elevation, Figure 3 a
sectional end elevation, and Figure 4 a sectional plan of a dry gas meter, shewing
one method of carrying out our improvements.
Figures 5 and 6 are part elevation and part end elevation shewing a modifi-
cation-and
Figures 7 and 8 are detail views of a further modification.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the said drawings, we employ an externally
screwed tube or rod A, the one end a of which is suitably geared with the working
parts of the prepayment mechanism B, so as to be driven or revolved by the same
on the insertion of a coin or coins, the said screwed tube or rod A may be placed
either in the horizontal or vertical planes as desired. This screwed tube or rod A
is carried in suitable journals a', a³, so as to prevent it moving lengthwise, and has
mounted on it and concentric to it an internally screwed tube C capable of being
moved to and fro lengthwise so as to be capable of actuating the supplementary
valve D or, it may be, stop of the meter. The said screwed moveable tube C is
mounted within an outer tube or casing E to which it is connected by means of a
groove and feather or key or slotted opening and pin: that is to say, the moveable
tube C has attached to its periphery a projection e, feather, key or pin which works

page_text: in a groove or slotted opening el formed in the outer tube or casing E in such a
manner as to enable the said outer tube E on being revolved by the meter
mechanism B¹ to actuate the valve D, or stop, in a reverse direction to that in
which the inner tube or rod C actuates the valve D or stop, by means of the screwed
moveable tube or rod C through the medium of the meter's mechanism (hereinafter
referred to) revolving the outer tube or casing E.
Or, if desired, we may cause the meter's mechanism during the consumption of
gas to actuate the screwed tube or rod A, and the working of the coin communi-
cating part of the meter's mechanism to actuate the outer tube or casing E.
When the moveable tube or rod C is employed to actuate a valve D, the connec-
tion between the said moveable tube or rod and the valve D may be effected by
any suitable meaus, such as by one or more suitably shaped levers, and the valve
we preferably employ is a slite valve of the kind described in our former Application
for Letters Patent No. 7988 of 23rd April 1894.
Though, as shown in the drawings, we may employ a circular drop valve D
mounted within a valve box or chamber d said valve D being actuated through
the medium of a projecting arm or lever F, the one end of which works in a groove
or recess c in the moveable tube or rod C: the other end of the said lever F engages
with the one end of an auxiliary screwed rod or rack G which gears into a spur
pinion o said spur pinion g being keyed on the prepayment circle or dial shaft H
which has the valve operating wheel H mounted on it said wheel actuating the
crank d' of the valve's cross shaft 2 by means of the notch and projection
described in the before mentioned Specification.
as
Or as shewn in Figures 5 and 6 we may actuate the valve D by means of the
moveable rod or tube C through the medium of the track Q which is formed or
provided with a notch or recess 7 and projection q' which engage with the crank
pin d of the valve D or stop when the amount of gas paid for has been consumed
and at the same time leave the valve or stop free to be immediately opened whenever
the moveable tube or rod C moves forward: the said track Q being rigidly secured
to the projecting arm or lever F by any suitable means. The rack G in this case
only actuates the pointer M' in front of the prepayment circle or dial Mas
shewn.
The outer tube or casing E may be actuated by the coin so as to open the
valve D by means of ratchet and pawl gearing and coin actuated or communi-
cating mechanism of the type described in the before-mentioned Specification of
William Cowan No. 24490 of 20th December 1893 or by any of the other
arrangements or modifications described in the before-mentioned Specifications.
Though by preference we prefer to employ the mechanism as shewn, that is to
say, we employ the eccentric track and coin carrier arrangement J, as described
in the said Specification, as the coin communicating part of the mechanism. The
pawl J of which gears into the prepayment wheel J2 which in this case is geared,
by means of a spur wheel and pinion K, with the rod or tube A, though if
desired, the said wheel J2 may be mounted on the end of said rod or tube A,
or it may be geared with or mounted on the tube or casing E. The said coin
part of the mechanism is also provided with the modified form of price changing
apparatus consisting of the graduated scale L and pointer L' which may be set to
any desired position by means of the quadrant and binding screw P.
Or it may be with the arrangement shewn in Figures and 6 in which case the
graduated scale L is flat and is so mounted as to be readable from the side of the
meter and the pointer L' is formed as a prolongation of the quadrant and
platform said pointer I being also set to any desired position by means of the
quadrant and binding screw .
Also we employ a prepayment circle or dial M and pointer M¹ for indicating
the quantity of gas paid for by the coin or coins inserted of the same type
as is described and claimed in the before-mentioned Specification No. 11537 of
23rd July 1890

page_text: As a modification we may actuate the rod or tube A or the tube or casing E by
means of the coin engaging with the teeth of a wheel or disc attached to same, or
by any other convenient mode of transmitting motion through the intervention
of a coin from a person operating an outside handle or knob.
In either of the foregoing modifications or arrangements we may employ a
suitable guard or shutter for closing the money slot, or opening, in the meter case
during the time the mechanism is being operated, that is to say, the said guard or
shutter would just come into action or closing position when the meter had its full
quantity of coins or tokens inserted. One form of the foregoing is shewn in the
accompanying drawings, and consists of a swinging guard or shutter N which is
mounted on the top end of a small upright spindle n the lower end of which is
provided with an arm n¹ and hook or bend portion n² against which a hanging
weight n³ acts and so retains the guard or shutter N out of the path of the slot of
the meter until it is required to be in such position: the said guard or shutter N
being placed in such closed position by means of a projection or pin g¹ on the end
of the rack G coming against the arm n when the rack G reaches the end of its
forward movement, and thereby brings the guard or shutter N into the path of the
slot of the meter.
As a modification of the tube arrangement we may employ the central or inner
tube and the outer tube or casing to revolve only, and the main rod or tube to
move lengthwise-that is to say, we proceed as is shewn in detail Figures 7 and 8,
and in which case we dispense with the screwing of the main rod or tube P and
provide it with a projection or pin p which works in a spiral slot p' formed in the
inner rod or tube P1 and in a straight groove or slot p² formed in the outer tube or
casing P2 the said arrangement being such, that on the coin actuating mechanism
revolving the inner tube P' the main rod or tube P is moved longitudinally owing
to the groove or slot p² of the outer tube P2 keeping it from being revolved:
said tube P² being itself kept from revolving by means of the meter's mechanism.
If desired, the coin actuating mechanism may be connected to the outer tube and
the meter's mechanism to the inner tube.
It is to be understood that the foregoing improvements are equally applicable to
both wet and dry gas meters.
Having now particularly described our said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. In prepayment gas meters, an externally screwed rod or tube with two
tubes concentric to it, the inner one being wholly or partially screwed internally
and connected to the outer tube or casing by a pin or feather working in a
groove or slot formed in the said outer tube: the externally screwed rod or tube
being held between journals so as to be capable of a rotary motion only, whilst
the inner tube is capable of beth rotary and longitudinal motions and the outer
tube of a rotary motion only, the whole being so arranged that two out of
three of the component parts move together, whilst the third part remains
quiescent or stationary or the modifications of the same, substantially as herein-
before described and shewn in the accompanying explanatory sheets of drawings.
2nd. In prepayment gas meters, the arrangement and combination of the parts,
whereby the rods or tubes A, C and E are enabled to actuate a supplementary
valve or stop, and prepayment pointer which works in front of a prepayment
circle or dial, or the modification of the same, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In prepayment gas meters, the arrangement and combination with a valve
or stop actuating mechanism as described in Claim 1, of coin actuating mechanism,
having an eccentric carrier and ratchet and pawl gearing, substantially as
hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
4th. In prepayment gas meters, the general arrangement, construction and
combination of the various parts constituting our improvements, all substantially

page_text: as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying
explanatory sheets of drawings.
Dated this 31st day of July 1895.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.