Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in the United Kingdom), 26th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
Improvements in Prepayment Gas Meters.
1, THOMAS PHILLIPS of 5 Impasse du Sureau, Brussels, Belgium, Gas Meter
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what mauner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in what are known as prepayment gas
meters of the class adapted to take a number of coins and to pass gas until the
amount for which such coins have paid is delivered.
The invention comprises a closed chamber which is placed around the outlet of
any suitable gas meter, through which when tho valve is open, the gas is allowed
to pass in the ordinary way and mechanism which works from the ordinary spindle
of the index and is put into motion by the insertion of a coin or coins in order to
control said valve and pass the amount of gas proportionate to the number of coins
inserted.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the part of the mechanism by which the movement of
the coin controls the valve, a part of the registering mechanism of coins put in the
meter, and the registering mechanism showing the number of coins for which value
there is still gas unconsumed.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same and also a plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 which
is an elevation partly in section on line a-b (Fig. 2) of the mechanism which
transmits the movement from the gas meter to the wheel closing the valve when
the quantity of gas proportionate to the uumber of coins is exhausted.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details, Fig. 5 being a plan of Fig. 4.
The closed chamber A is soldered on the top and inside the gas meter as shown,
and from this the gas passes to the outlet of the mater. The gas coming from the
meter cannot enter this chamber until the valve B is opened to allow the gas to
pass. To this end the stem b of valve B is connected to a lever C secured to a
spindle D which passes through a stuffing box (not shown) into the mechanism
case. The spindle D is secured to the lever E, oue end of which is attached to a
spring e secured to the top of the meter case while the other end bears on the tooth
of a wheel hereafter described. F is a small drum which is turned from the outside
by means of a handle f, and has a slot into which the coin is passed. The
aperture of the slot being larger at one end than the other it holds the coin.
without allowing it to pass through the drum unless the coin is of insufficient
limensions when it passes through and bas no action on the mechanism. A ratchet
wheel with a pawl allows the drum to turn only in one direction. The:
coin Z projects through the drum as shown in Fig. 1 so that when the drum is
urned the coin raises a projection of a lever & against the pressure of the:

page_text: spring g. This lever G (Fig. 4) is pivoted on a spindle W and carries a pawi¸ g
which acts on a ratchet wheel H fixed on a spindle X which carries a wheel I having
a point i.
When the point i is on the top in the position shown in the drawing it
keeps the end of the lever E raised against the springe at the other end, and
When the coin
through the spindle D and the lever C keeps the valve B closed.
is put into the slot in the drum F the wheel I is turned through ratchet H and
pawl g to the left, and its point leaves the point of the lever E so that the
valve B is opened, and this allows the gas to pass through the chamber A to
the outlet. The lever G carries aleu a second pawl g held by a spring, which
pawl acts upon the ratchet wheel J which turns the first wheel of an index showing
the number of coins put into the slot. When the drum F is sufficiently turned the
projection is moved into the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1 and the coin is
pushed by the projection in the direction of the larger opening of the slot as
indicated by the arrow and is projected by the spring g out of the drum so that it
falls into a locked or sealed receiving box.
Loosely carried by the shaft X is a cog wheel K which engages with a pinion K¹
fixed on the same shaft as a cog wheel L, and by means of the pinions L' and the
angle wheels M.M', communicates with the spindle N which works the ordinary
meter index, and which in turn communicates motion to the parts abovo described.
When the coin is placed in the slot as mentioned and the wheel is turned a
lever O (having a sloping face) fixed upon the spindle W, by the rocking of the
spindle presses against a plate P having a sloping face, said plate being carried by
an arm P. The arm P is secured to the wheel I which in turn is secured to one
half of a toothed engaging wheel 1', these parts being capable of movement with
the shaft but free to slide thereon. This movement of the plate P' disengages the
halves of the wheel so that the wheel K being thus freed does not follow the
movement of the wheel I to the left. When the coin has passed, the levers G
and O come back to their original position, a spring p pushing back the plate P
and putting the parts of the wheel 1 into gear again, so that the mechanism is in
direct communication with the ordinary index spindle of the gas meter working
the angle wheels M, M, L, L', K, K', and the wheel I, so that as the gas is
consumed it turns to the right until the point i again presses against and raises the
end of the lever E and closes the valve B.
More than one coin can be put into the apparatus at the same time according to
the amount of gas required. Each coin through the handle operates the lever G,
wheel H and the wheel I one tooth to the left. The apparatus can be arranged to
receive any number of coins at a single time (for convenience 10 is taken as shown
in this drawing). This number is indicated by the figures on the dial Q carried
on the shaft X and turning with the wheel I. The figures are shown through &
small opening in the casing containing the mechanism. This dial shows 0 when
the tooth i is on the top and the valve B is closed, 1 when a single coin has been
dropped in so as to turn the shaft X one tooth of the wheel to the left, 2 if two
coins have been dropped in and turned the shaft ✗ two teeth and so on.
As the passage of the gas causes the shaft X to be turned in the contrary
direction the opposite movement of the dial Q reverses the order in which the
figures are exhibited at the opening, and thus indicates the quantity of gas (or
value) that remains to be consumed before the valve closes.
In order to be sure that the shaft X will turn so as to give a uniform quantity
of gas for each coin put in the slot there is fixed on this shaft X a star shaped
wheel Q controlled by a spring Q' fixed on the wheel K, and which always has a
tendency to drop into the teeth of this star wheel. When a coin has been put in
the apparatus and the wheel I is disengaged from the wheel K should the coin not
be ejected from the drum F the valve is kept closed by another motion, thereby
making it necessary that the drum containing the coin should make a completo
revolution before the gas is allowed to pass. This is done as follows:-
Secured to the lever O is an arm S having a slot in the opposite end which
works on a pin fixed to a pawl R pivoted to the lever E. When the lever O is by

page_text: the pressure of a coin forced towards the left it pushes the ratchet R against a
ratchet wheel R¹ fixed on the same spindle as the pinion L' and prevents this
ratchet wheel from turning, after the movement of same has through ratohet R
drawn down levers E and C and valve B and consequently keeps the valve closed
and no gas passes.
The advantages of this system are as follows:-
During the time the gas passes, the meter having only to work the train of
wheels M, M', L, L', K, K, and the wheel I has little resistance against it, thus
securing great exactitude in working with very little friction. It allows the gas
meter to work at its fullest capacity until within half a foot of the value of the last
coin when the light gradually diminishes as the end of the lever E is gradually
raised by the tooth i until valve is entirely closed.
The valve being placed on the outlet of the meter gives greater security against
explosion by leakage. The valve is preferably of metal and will thus last much
longer than the leather valves generally used. The mechanism of the prepayment
apparatus can be placed on most gas meters without requiring any important
changes.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A coin-freed apparatus for gas meters wherein the coin upon being inserted
into a revolving drum acts as a lever by pressing a pawl into gear with a ratchet
wheel which imparts motion to another wheel, the tooth of which by releasing the
end of a levor enables the same to move under the action of a spring, thereby
opening a valve and affording a passage for the gas issuing from the meter, after
which the coin is dropped into a closed box or till, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the coin-freed apparatus referred to in the preceding
claim, a tightly closed chamber internally secured to the upper part of the meter,
through which chamber the gas passes on its way to the distributing piping, only
after passing the valve, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the coin-freed apparatus hereinbefore referred to,
mechanism consisting of toothed wheels and pinions connecting the meter proper
with a spindle carrying the toothed wheel, so as to cause such wheel to turn in
proportion to the amount of gas passing until the tooth of such wheel causes the
delivery valve to close, which will occur when the quantity of gas proportionate to
the sum paid has been consumed, substantially as described.
4. In combination with the coin-freed apparatus herein before claimed, a pawl
combined with a ratchet wheel and adapted to set in operation a counting device
which indicates the number of coins dropped into the apparatus.
5. In combination with the coin-freed apparatus hereinbefore claimed, a disc or
dial mounted on the same spindle as the toothed wheel, the figures marked on the
dial being arranged to come before an aperture in the casing so as to be exposed to
view and indicate the number of coins corresponding to the quantity of gas still
remaining at the consumer's disposal, substantially as described.
6. In combination with the coin-freed apparatus herein before claimed, a slotted
rod which wheu a drum carrying a coin is set in motion moves a pawl pivoted to
the valve-operating lever into engagement with a ratchet wheel connected with the
gas meter proper, so as to close the valve and arrest such meter whilst the coin
remains in the apparatus, substantially as described.
Dated the 25th day of August 1896.
For the Applicant,
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.