HALLS TOT Meters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
ORT HALLS TOT Meters.
We, THE CALIFORNIA PREPAYMENT METER COMPANY, a corporation duly
organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of California,
U.S.A., and located at No. 207 Sansome Street, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.,.
and HUGH WEBSTER WILLIAMS, of San Francisco, California, U.S.A., Inventor,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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 meters, whereby they are operated and
regulated by the deposit of a coin. The objects are, first, to produce an efficient
mechanism wbich, upon the deposit of any given coin, will open the controlling
valve of gas and water meters, and make the circuit current of an electric meter,..
and permit the commodity to flow through the meter, corresponding in value to
the value of the coin deposited and on the expiration of that quantity, to then
automatically cut off the supply, and consequently stop the meter. Second, to
construct the mechanism in such a way that it may be easily changed without
removing the parts of the machine, so as to adapt the mechanism to different. ;
coins, and permit a quantity of the commodity to be sold, corresponding in value
to the coin which the machine is prepared to receive, and which is deposited.
before the said commodity can be delivered. Third, to construct the mechanism.
so as to give reasonable warning to the customers when the quantity of the
commodity corresponding in value to the coin last deposited is about to expire.
To these ends the invention consists in the construction, combination and!.
arrangement of parts which shall be hereafter fully described and claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
-
Figure 1 is an exterior view showing the attachment applied to the meter.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation.
Figure 3 is a top view.
Figure 4 is an end view
Figure 5
Figure 5
Time y-y of Figure 3.
A is a meter of any suitable character, and for any purpose, either a gas, water
or electric meter. For the sake of illustration, it may be a gas meter as its shape
indicates.
B is the inlet to the meter and C the outlet connection. In the inlet B is inserted
a stop or barrier D, (Figures 2 and 3) which extends outwardly, and divides a
short casing E into two passages e e¹, the former of which communicates with the
inlet above the barrier or stop, and the latter communicates with the inlet below
the barrier or stop, said passages communicating at their other ends through a .
port e 2 which is controlled by a valve F.
When the valve is raised, the communication is open to the meter, and when it :
s closed, the communication is shut off.
On top of the meter is a casing G having a slot g in its top for the insertion
f a coin, a door g¹ in its front for the inspection of the adjustment indicators,
nd a slide or door g 2 in its end, for the removal of the deposited coins.
Within this casing is a fraine H which supports a coin chute I, the upper end'
I Price Sd.]

page_text: of which aligns with the coin opening or slot g in the casing G. The lower end
of this chute communicates with a directing chute i to pass the coin on down
into the bottom of the casing.
In the inner side of the chute, at its lower end, is a swinging or movable plate K,
which forms the inner lower wall of said chute, and said plate is secured to the
short arm of an elbow lever L which is itself fixed at its angle to a pivotal
shaft, and said lever has its outer end connected with the stem of the valve F.
On the face of the chute is secured a sleeve or housing M which extends outwardly
through the casing G.
Within this housing is fitted and adapted to slide a push rod N having a head n
upon its outer end,. and controlled by a spring n whereby said rod is held
projected outwardly. The inner. end of this push rod is adapted to traverse the
lower end of the coin chute, and if no coin intervenes, to pass through a hole in
the plate K, so that when the coin is absent, if the push rod be forced in, it has
no effect upon the swinging plate, as it passes freely into the hole in the plate,
but by the interposition of a coin within the chute the push rod will by coming
in contact with said coin, force the coin to swing the plate K, which movement
of the plate will, through the elbow lever L, cause the valve F to rise and so open
the communicating port of the meter.
When the push rod is released, its spring will throw it out again, and the coin
will drop down into the casing while the swinging plate will return to its closed
position under the weight of the parts, and the valve F will automatically close and
cut off the communication with the meter.
In the frame H is mounted a rotatable shaft O, upon which is fitted a screw P,
so arranged upon the shaft that it will rotate with said shaft, and may also have
an independent sliding movement lengthwise upon the shaft, which latter movement
is effected by means of a feed screw Q, engaging a nut q which engages one end of
the screw.
The shaft is driven by means of power-transmitting connections from the
operating parts of the meter itself. These parts need not be herein shewn, it
being only necessary to indicate a worm which may be said to be driven by the
meter, said worm engaging with a worm-pinion o' on a vertical shaft o2 extending
upwardly through the meter top into the casing G, and geared at o3 to a
counter-shaft o 4 which has a pinion o 5 upon it, meshing with a pinion o 6 upon the
shaft O.
Secured upon one end of the pivotal shaft is an outwardly extending arm
between the extremity of which and the long arm of the elbow lever L extends a
guide rod or bar R, upon which is mounted and adapted to slide a sleeve S which
has a downwardly extending finger s adapted to play in the groove between the
threads of the screw P below.
The depth of this groove is such that when the finger s rests in it, the lever L is
held up and the valve is kept open, but said groove at its extremity terminates
in a depression deep enough that when the finger s emerges into it, the lever L drops
and the valve F closes. A spring s tends to throw the sleeve S over against the
long arm of the elbow lever L.
Extending outwardly from the nut 9 which engages with the feed screw Q, is an
arm T guided in a slot in the front of the frame H and having on its outer end an
indicator which plays over a dial t' adapted to be seen through the door g' in the
casing G. This dial has marked upon it a scale of figures indicating the value of
the commodity to be dispensed, and the number of feet at varying rates per
thousand, which can be had for a given sum.
Now by operating the feed screw Q so as to slide the screw P along the shaft O,
the indicator will also move correspondingly to the figures representing the
value of the coin for which the machine is to be adjusted, say, for a 25 cent
piece.
This movement of the screw will also, by the impingement of its end thread
upon the fingers of the sliding sleeve S, bodily force said finger along the guide

page_text: 5
od R and thus compress the controlling spring s¹, and this movement of
inger will be equivalent in distance to the movement of the indicator on the
lial.
The device is now ready for operation.
Now a 25 cent piece is dropped into the chute I, and by means of the push
rod N, the swinging plate or wall K is forced inwardly through the intervention of
the coin, and said plate will lift the elbow lever L and open the valve F. This
rise of the elbow lever L will cause the rise of the guide rod R which is secured
to it, and the consequent lifting of the fingers from behind the end thread of the
screw P, and as soon as the finger is free, the spring s will force the sliding
sleeve S over to its limit against the elbow lever L, and thereby cause the' finger s
to move over and free of the top of the screw to a distance equal to that to
which it had been forced sideways, as the screw was moved along to its initial.
adjustment.
Now, as soon as the coin is dropped from the chute, the plate K aud the elbow
lever L return partially, but the screw groove is not deep enough to allow the
fingers to come far enough down to permit the valve F to close entirely, so that
the said valve is still open and remains so as long as the finger is in engagement
hetween the threads of the screw.
is
As the valve F is now open, and the meter starts to operate, the shaft
revolved and with it the screw, which now begins to feed the fingers out again to
its initial position.
During this feed of the finger, and the operation of the screw, and as long as the
finger remains in engagement between the threads of the screw, the valve F is held
But when the finger reaches the end
open and the gas passes through the meter.
of the thread groove, it drops out into the depression at the end, thereby allowing
the valve to descend and cut off the connection, and at this time the value of the
commodity equals the value of the coin.
The finger is now in a pressed over position, ready to return to its engagement
with the screw when,-upon the deposit of a coin,-the operation is repeated.
It will be readily understood that the speed of rotation of the screw, the pitch
of its thread and its sliding movement along its shaft, are all properly initially
determined and made to accord with the number of feet of gas, at a given price,
which it is intended a given coin shall purchase.
If it be desired to set the device for the sale of 50 cents worth of the commodity,
the screw is slid endwise until the indicator shows fifty on the dial scale. This
provides for a greater length of thread to engage with the finger and hold the valve
open, and consequently more gas is supplied. The coin chute will of course be
adjusted to a fifty cent coin.
0 Now in order that warning may be given a proper period previous to the
expiration of the time of the commodity supply, it is provided that the extremity
of the screw-thread groove shall gradually deepen ou a descending inclined plane,
as is shewn at p, whereby as the fingers gets into this gradually deepening portion
of the groove, the elbow lever L will be permitted to move down gradually, and
15 by making the valve F conical in shape, it will gradually cut off the port
until the finger gets entirely out of the groove, when the port will be fully
cut off.
50
This operation can be continued in time to such length as may be desired to
give fair warning of the expiration of the supply.
Now in order to adapt this attachment for adjustments both with relation to the
different sizes of coins which may be deposited, and with relation to the different
prices per thousand at which the gas or other commodity may be supplied, there
are the following constructions:
Partially traversing the base of the chute I is a rest bar U which is formed with
55 a slide body u adapted to be fed by means of a feed screw u¹, said body having
extending outwardly from it an arm u 2 carrying an indicator u 3 playing over the

page_text: dial, which has upon it scale figures representing different sizes of coin. Now by
turning the feed screw u¹ so as to cause the slide body to move inwardly until the
indicating finger reaches the figures 25-representing a 25 cent coin, the rest
bar U will be thereby moved into the chute far enough to diminish the width of
said chute to less than the diameter of a 25 cent coin, so that said coin will be
supported within the chute temporarily, and until the push bar or rod can engage
it and force it over against the swinging plate K, as heretofore described; and said
plate yielding inwardly will afford enough room when the push rod is released,
to permit the coin to drop down past the rest bar into the directing chute
below.
In like manner, by moving the feed screw until the indicating finger shall reach
the figures 50,-representing a 50 cent coin, the rest bar will be withdrawn from
the chute sufficiently to just support a 50 cent piece, but it will leave the chute too
wide to support a 25 cent piece, so that any attempt to operate the device by the
latter coin, will result in failure, for the reason that said coin will merely drop
through at once.
Likewise the adjustment can be made to other sizes of coin, as-say for
example a dollar piece.
Now although a single long screw might be used to adjust the machine for
different rates per thousand, such an arrangement would have the disadvantage
of confusing the dial, and to avoid this the following construction has been
adopted.
The dial, as will be seen, is marked with a plurality of scales of the same figures,
indicating the values of coins, and these sets of scales represent respectively the
different rates per thousand at which the gas is sold.
For example, one set may represent a rate of $1.50 per thousand, another $2,
another $2.50 per thousand, and another $3, and the individual lines of these sets
are arranged closer together or further apart, according to the values they
represent per thousand, so that the consequent movement of the screw will
correspond and furnish a greater or less length of its thread as may be required.
The screw is divided in furtherance of this object into a plurality of distinct
sections, as shewn, with intervening deep terminals. One of these sections if
brought by means of the feed screw into operative relation with the sliding finger,
will represent the furnishing of the commodity at one rate per thousand, and
another at another rate, and so on, corresponding with the divisions on the dial.
Thus if the gas be as cheap as $1.50 per thousand, the screw will be fed over until
its end section is brought into operative relation with the sliding finger, and the
indicator will likewise be brought over to that portion of the dial which represents
that rate. Then, as the lines on this portion of the dial are far apart, it follows
that in moving the indicator between these marks, a corresponding length of thread
on that section of the screw will be supplied to feed the sliding fingers and so on,
throughout the several sections.
This adjustment is of course made in the first instance according to the rate, and
to facilitate the movement of the screw to this adjustment, a short handle bar 12
may project from the arm l' so that the operator can readily raise and hold the
sliding fingers above the screw while he is adjusting it.
Also the coin adjustment, by means of the sliding rest bar is regulated in the
first instance according to the desires of the customer as to whether he wishes to
make a practice of buying 25 cents worth of the commodity or 50 cents worth
or what not. The casing G is locked down so that no tampering can be had with
the attachment after the adjustment is effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1st. A prepayment attachment for meters having the following parts in com

page_text: bination, to wit,—a normally closed valve for controlling the meter connection, a
means dependent upon the deposit of a coin for opening said valve, a rotatable screw
and a spring actuated slidable finger controlled by said screw and adapted to hold.
said valve open and to permit it to close at the expiration of a given time.
:
2nd. A prepayment attachment for meters consisting of a normally closed valve.
for controlling the meter connection, a means dependent upon the deposit of a coin
for opening said valve, a screw and power transmitting connections from the
operating parts of the meter to rotate said screw, and a spring-actuated slidable
finger controlled by said screw for holding said valve open and permitting it to close.
at the expiration of a given time.
3rd. In a prepayment attachment for meters having a normally closed valve.
adapted by suitable means to be held open and to be permitted to again close at
the expiration of a given time, said valve controlling the meter connection, a.
means dependent upon the deposit of a coin for opening said valve consisting of a
coin chute having one of its walls composed of a movable plate, a push rod
for forcing the coin against said plate to move it, and a lever connected with
the plate and with the valve to open the latter upon the movement of the
former.
4th. In a prepayment attachment for meters having a normally closed valve
controlling the meter connection, a spring-controlled sliding finger adapted by its.
position to hold said valve open, and a rotating screw adapted to engage said
finger to maintain its position and to feed it to its disengagement to permit the
valve to open.
5th. In a prepayment attachment for meters having a normally closed valve for
controlling the meter connection, said valve being adapted to be opened by the
deposit of a coin, a rotating screw, a spring-actuated slidable finger controlled by
said screw for holding said valve open and permitting it to close at the expiration
of a given time, and means for varying the position of the screw relatively to the
devices it controls whereby the length of time the valve is kept open may be.
varied.
6th. In a prepayment attachment for meters having the controlling coin-operated:
valve, the rotatable screw and the spring-controlled slidable finger engaging said
screw for the purpose described, a means for sliding the screw to vary the length.
of time of its engagement with said finger.
7th. In a prepayment attachment for meters having the controlling coin-operated.
valve, the combination of a rotating screw composed of a plurality of distinct
sections, devices controlled by the screw and its rotation for holding the valve open
and permitting it to close at the expiration of a given time, and means for varying
the position of the screw relatively to the devices it controls, whereby any of its.
sections may be brought into operative relation with said devices.
8th. In a prepayment attachment for meters having the controlling coin-operated:
valve, the combination of a rotating screw composed of a plurality of distinct
sections, devices controlled by the screw and by its rotation for holding the valve
open and permitting it to close at the expiration of a given time, means for varying
the position of the screw relatively to the devices it controls whereby any of its
sections may be brought into operative relation with said devices, an indicator
operated by the adjustment of the screw and a plurality of distinct scales over
which the indicator plays, whereby the adjustment of the screw may be varied in
accordance with the correspondence of its sections with said distinct scales.
9th. In a prepayment attachment for meters such as described, the coin chute-
having the swinging wall, the push rod adapted through the intervention of the coin..
to swing the wall, and connections from said wall to open the controlling valve of
the meter connection, and a movable rest bar adapted to partially traverse said.
chute and by its movement to narrow or widen the chute, to receive and
temporarily support different sizes of coins.
10th. In a prepayment attachment for meters, the controlling valve, the rotating
screw and the sliding finger as described, said screw having the extremity of its.

page_text: spiral groove formed with a descending inclined plane whereby the finger is
gradually fed down the incline to cause the gradual closing of the controlling
valve.
For the Applicants,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.