Improvements in or connected with Coin Freed Mechanism for Meters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Coin Freed Mechanism
for Meters.
We, JOHN GREENALL, of 24 Harehills Avenue, Leeds, in the County of
York, Gas Engineer, and THOMAS TANNETT HEATON, of 59 Athenlay Road,
Nunhead, in the County of Kent, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of our invention is to construct mechanism whereby given quantities
of gas may be allowed to pass through a gas meter on the insertion of a coin: or
coins into the apparatus, and mechanism constructed as hereafter described is more
simple in its construction and more efficient in its working than apparatus hitherto
constructed for the same purpose.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood, we will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, Figure 2 a sectional side view, and Figure 3 a
sectional plan, of an apparatus constructed according to our invention, and Figure 4
is a detail view of a portion of the said apparatus.
A is the gas inlet which is connected to the gas main, and B is the gas outlet of
the apparatus which is connected with the inlet of the meter for measuring the
gas, and the said inlet A and outlet B are connected together by the passage C.
E is a sliding valve carrying a washer E' on its outer end, and the said valve E
works in a stuffing box and gland F, which prevents the gas escaping into the
interior of the coin freed mechanism and a spiral spring D tends to keep the
valve E in the open position. G is a screw having four of its sides flattened by
milling or by other suitable means, and H is a nut in which the screw G turns.
J is a spur wheel, which is attached to the nut H, and the said nut H is carried in
bearings situated in a casing K, a split plate K' being employed to keep the
nut Hin a stationary position. L is a weighted disc the central portion L' of
which has a square interior, and the disc L may be adjusted in position relatively
to the portion L' and there fixed by means of the set screw L. M is a disc,
which is carried on a hollow spindle M', and M' is a handle which is keyed to the
hollow spindle M. L' and M³ are slots, which, when the discs L and M are at
rest, are exactly side by side to each other, and N is a shoot for the passage of a
coin to the said slots L and M', N' being an opening at the back of the passage,
which allows a coin to fall through, should it be under the required size.
P is a
worm which is actuated from the indicating mechanism.W (see Figure 3) of the
meter by means of the bevil wheels and the spindle P¹, and R is a spur wheel
which transmits motion from the worm P to the wheel J before referred to. The
wheel R is mounted on an adjustable centre S mounted in a slide S¹. T is an
incline, best seen at Figure 4, and V is an opening in the cover of the casing K.
When it is desired to obtain a prepaid quantity of gas, a coin is placed in the
shoot N, and should the said coin not be of the prescribed size. it will fall through
the opening N and thus into the casing instead of into the mechanism for freeing
the meter. Should, however, the coin be of the prescribed size, it will travel
down the shoot N and enter the slots L' and M³, thereby locking the discs L
and M together. By turning the handle M', the hollow spindle M, the disc M
and the disc L are rotated, and the portion L' of the disc L having a square
interior, the screw G is rotated and is thus turned and moved back in the nut H.
During this rotation of the parts above mentioned, the coin which is in the slots L³

page_text: and M', holds the discs I. and M firmly together, and this continues until the coin
reaches the incline T where it becomes forced from its position in the slots L'
and M and is finally ejected into the casing through the opening V. Thus, one
coin can only serve the purpose of locking the discs L and M together for one
revolution, so the screw G is only withdrawn a single pitch for a single coin; but
several coins may be inserted in the apparatus one after the other, a rotation of
the handle M' being effected to each coin, and the screw may be thus withdrawn
the distance of a number of threads by successive turns of the screw.
The shoulder inside the hollow spindle M' regulates the maximum quantity of
coins which may be inserted before gas is consumed. The withdrawal of the
screw allows the spring D to press the valve E away from its seat, so as to open
the passage C, to permit of gas passing from the inlet A to the outlet B and thence
to the meter.
During the consumption of gas, the worm P is rotated by its spindle P¹ con-
Decting it to the indicating mechanism of the meter, and the rotation of the
worm P turns the wheel R which in its turn transmits its motion to the spur
wheel J, and the latter being firmly connected to the nut H, turns the latter and
so advances the screw G. In this way as the gas becomes consumed the screw G
is gradually advanced, until it presses the valve E against its seat, thereby cutting
off the passage of the gas.
The adjustment of the centre of the wheel R enables it to be set in the right
position to engage properly with the wheel J, which latter is a change wheel, and
it will be readily seen that by changing the said wheel J for one with more or
with less teeth, the quantity of gas supplied for one coin may be increased or
diminished as desired.
By passing a gauge through the hollow end of the spindle M', the position of
the screw G in the said spindle may be ascertained, thus indicating the quantity of
gas remaining prepaid. The said gauge may be a graduated rod or it may be
made in any other suitable form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The inlet A, outlet B, passage C, spring D and valve E, the latter actuated
by coin freed mechanism substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The wheel R, mounted in adjustable bearings, whereby the quantity of gas
delivered for each coin received may be readily altered according to the price of
the gas, substantially as described.
3. The screw G, moved in one direction by the turning of a handle on the
insertion of a coin into the apparatus, and returned to its normal position by the
rotation of a nut which is actuated by suitable mechanism from the gas meter,
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
4. The valve E working in stuffing box F, in combination with the screw G
nut H, disc L with portion L1, disc M, spindle M', and handle M', substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
5. The combination of the shoot N having opening N' in same, the discs L and M
having slots L' and M' in same, the casing K, the incline T and the opening V
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. The combination of the valve E, stuffing box F, screw G, nut H, wheel J
casing K, split plate K', disc L, central portion L', set screw L', disc M, spindle M
handle M', slots L and M', worm P and wheel R substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1896.
BREWEK & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicants.