Improvements in Coin-prepayment Gas Meters.
Year: 1894

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 18th day of February 1896.
Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Coin-prepayment Gas Meters.
I, DAVID BRUCE PEEBLES, of the Tay Works, Bonnington, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to construct and combine parts in an
improved manner to form simple, compact, fraud-resisting, and otherwise
satisfactory mechanism, to secure the delivery of gas through a meter in proportion
to prepayment by coins inserted in a slot or coin inlet.
In apparatus made according to my invention the coin inlet is formed in a piece
fixed on a disk which can be turned about a vertical axis by means of the inlet
piece as a handle. One side of the inlet piece is inclined and the slot is at the top
of the inclined side. After being completely entered the coin drops vertically,
whilst the introduction of a fraudulent instrument directly downwards is prevented
by a covering part of the inlet piece. The coin enters a slot formed across the
centre of the disk but with the middle of the slot eccentric to the disk so that the
coin projects more on one side than the other. A ring of ratchet teeth and a pawl
prevent the disk from being turned except in one direction. The inlet piece may
be in any position when the coin is inserted but it does not descend far enough to
act on the meter-freeing mechanism unless, or until after turning the inlet piece
with its disk, the slot in the disk coincides with a notch in a fixed ring or flange,
the laterally projecting side of the coin otherwise resting on the unnotched part of
the ring or flange. When the disk slot and side notch coincide the coin drops
down a sheath at the bottoni of which is fitted a small cross bolt, and the projecting
side of the coin engages between two teeth of an internally-toothed ring which has
also external teeth and which is turned by the coin on the inlet piece with its disk
being turned further round. On the turning having been continued a certain
distance round the cross bolt herein before mentioned is withdrawn and the coin
drops into the coin receptacle the turning of the toothed ring being thereupon
The bolt is with-
discontinued whether the inlet piece be turned further or not.
drawn by a stationary but adjustable annular cam guide, acting directly on it or
through a bell crank, this guide being adjustable so as to determine the effective
extent of the turning movement according to the price of the gas, or in other
words according to the quantity of gas to be delivered for each coin.
The external teeth of the toothed ring, either directly or through any convenient
gearing, act on one of two screw spindles arranged near and parallel to each other,
the second screw spindle being acted on directly or indirectly by the meter
apparatus as gas passes through it. Between the two screw spindles there is a

page_text: pinion gearing with them both its teeth being inclined like those of a worm wheel.
When what may be termed the coin spindle is turned it makes the pinion roll along
the other or meter spindle, and a pointer moved by the centre of the pinion (which
is suitably guided) shows on a scale the quantity of gas prepaid for. As the meter
passes gas the meter spindle makes the pinion roll back on the coin spindle so as to
return the scale pointer towards zero. The pinion or a part moving with it opens
the gas inlet when moving from the zero end, and on reaching the opposite end of its
travel causes a stop to prevent the further action of the coin mechanism. The
meter spindle may be arranged to act on counter mechanism to show the
aggregate quantity of gas passing through the meter; and the coin spindle may be
arranged to act on counter mechanism to show the aggregate amount of the coins
inserted.
One or more lock fast doors are provided to enable a gas official to collect coins,
and inspect the mechanism, and are arranged so that he can adjust the annular
can guide to suit the price of the gas, and so that he can turn the toothed ring to
set the scale pointer at zero.
Dated this Twelfth day of December 1894.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Coin-prepayment Gas Meters.
I, DAVID BRUCE PEEBLES, of the Tay Works, Bonnington, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gas 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, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to construct and combine parts in an
improved, mauner to form simple, compact, fraud-resisting, and otherwise
satisfactory mechanism, to secure the delivery of gas through a meter in proportion
to prepayment by coins inserted in a slot or coin inlet.
In apparatus made according to my invention the coin inlet is formed in a piece
fixed on a disk which can be turned about a vertical axis by means of the inlet
piece as a handle. The coin, descending, engages with an internally-toothed ring
and external teeth on the same ring gear with and drive a crown, or bevil wheel
on a horizontal spindle, which spindle moves a pointer so as to show on a scale
the quantity of gas paid for. As the gas passes through the meter the meter
mechanism moves the pointer backwards, and on approaching the zero point closes
a valve which allows gas to pass through the meter, and which was opened by the
mechanism actuated by means of the inserted coin. On the part acting by means
of the coin being turned through a certain distance the coin drops into a locket
receiving box; and the distance turned through depends on parts which can be
adjusted to correspond to the quantity of gas to be delivered for each coin, such as
a-penny, inserted-in-the-inlet slot.
And in order that the mechanism hereinbefore referred to and the necessary
accessory details may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of
explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to and representing the same.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a sectional elevation, and Figure, 2, is a sectional
plan. Figure, 3, is a vertical section as at right angles to part of Figure, 1; and
Figure, 4, is a sectional plan showing some parts not seen in Figure, 2.
Figure, 5, is a sectional elevation showing some parts not seen in Figures, 1,
or, 3.; and Figure, 6, shows a second modification of certain parts.
.
In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.

page_text: The coin inlet is formed in a piece, A, formned or fixed on a disk, A 1, which
can be turned about a vertical axis by means of the inlet piece, A, as a handle,
the disk being fitted in the upper part of a hollow cylindrical body case, B, and
being retained in position by a cover, B1, made in halves and fixed by small
screws. One side of the inlet passage is normally inclined being formed on a
piece. A 2, mounted on a horizontal axis but weighted so as to assume the position
in which it is shown in Figure, 1. When a coin has been inserted and is wholly
within the piece, A, the part, A 2, is by pressure of thumb or finger on its upper-
outer end made to assume a position in which its guiding surface is vertical; and.
the part, A 2, whilst obstructing the top inlet opening uncovers a slot, A 3, formed
across the centre of the disk, A 1, and extending downwards in a part projecting.
down from the underside of the disk. This arrangement is intended to prevent.
the fraudulent introduction of a wire or instrument. The middle of the slot as seen.
in Figure, 3, is not concentric with the disk, and the coin when in the slot projects.
more on one side than on the other. The inlet piece, A, may be in any position
when the coin is inserted but the coin does not descend far enough to act on the
meter-freeing mechanism unless or until after turning the inlet piece with its disk,.
the slot in the disk coincides with a notch, B 2, in the cover, B 1, the laterally
projecting side of the coin otherwise resting on the unnotched part of the ring or
flange forming the cover, B 1. When the disk slot, A 3, and cover slot, B2,
coincide the coin drops down to the position indicated by a dotted circle in
Figure, 3, and is there retained by a small cross bolt, C, and the projecting side of
the coin engages between two internal teeth of a ring, D, which is made with both.
internal and external teeth and is fitted loosely in a groove made for it in the body
case, B, whilst a ring, D 1, lying upon it and prevented from turning by a pin at.
one side prevents this ring, D, from being turned frictionally by the disk, A 1.
When the ring, D, has been turned a certain distance round the cross bolt, C, is.
withdrawn and the coin drops into the coin receptacle, E, the turning of the
toothed ring, D, being thereupon discontinued whether the inlet piece, A, be
turned further or not. The bolt, C, is formed on the vertical arm of a bellcrank.
having a horizontal arm, C 1, the outer end of which moves in contact with the
underside of an inward flange, C 2, formed on a cylindrical ring, C 3, and which
flange, C 2, has at one part of it a cam projection indicated by a dotted line, C 4, in.
Figure, 3. When the bellcrank arm, C 1, in turning round encounters the cam
projection, C4, the bolt, C, becomes drawn in so as to release the coin; and it
follows that the position of the cam projection, C4, will determine the extent of
rotation which can be imparted by means of each coin. To further insure the
proper limitation of the rotation the ring, C3, has fixed to it a stop arm, C 5,..
extending up inside the body case, B, and which is encountered by the coin when
in turning it reaches the position at which it should stop, this stop arm preventing
further rotation of the coin, and being so placed that as the coin reaches it the
bolt, C, is withdrawn and the coin can drop into the receptacle, E. If preferred
the stop arm, C5, may be arranged to be encountered by the sheath in which the
coin is retained, in which case the piece, A, must be turned back after each:
operation, and a stop may be provided to determine the position to which it has to
be so turned.
A scale is marked on the outside of the ring, C 3, as shown in Figure, 5, and a.
number of holes are formed in the ring into one or other of which a screw, C6, can
be screwed to fix the ring in a position corresponding to the price of gas or in other
words to the quantity to be delivered for each coin. A slot, B 3, is formed in the
body case, B, at a part to give access to a few of the external teeth of the ring, D,
to enable a gas officer to adjust the mechanism to zero or other position by means
of any suitable instrument. All the parts, with the exception of the upper part of
the inlet piece, A, are enclosed in the casing of the receptacle, E, which is fitted
with a door with lock and key.
The mechanism which has been so far, described with references to the drawings-
may be combined with the meter mechanism by means of any suitable one of the:

page_text: many known devices which have been applied or proposed for that purpose. The
device shown in Figures, 1, and 2, of the drawings is one which I believed to be
new when I applied for a Patent, but which I have since ascertained was not so
then, and I therefore make no claim in respect of it by itself. In this device the
external teeth of the ring, D, gears with and drives a crown or bevil wheel, F 1, on
a screw spindle, F, parallel to which there is a second screw spindle, G, the latter.
being acted on by the meter mechanism through a worm, G1, gearing with a
worm wheel, G 2, on the spindle, G. Between the two screw spindles, F, G, there
is a pinion. H, gearing with them both its teeth being inclined like those of a
wormwheel. When what may be termed the coin spindle, F, is turned, it makes
the pinion, H, roll along the meter or other spindle, G, and a pointer, J, moved
by the centre of the pinion shows on a scale, J1, the quantity of gas prepaid for.
As the meter passes gas the meter spindle, G, makes the pinion, H, roll back on the
coin spindle, F, so as to return the scale pointer, J, towards zero. The pinion, H,
is held in a small box, H 1, which is fitted to slide on a fixed guide rod, H 2, and
a pin, H 3, fixed in the box, H 1, engages with the forked end of a lever, K, the
other end of which acts on the spindle, K 1, of the gas-inlet valve of the meter.
The pinion box, H 1, has fixed to it a stop, H 4, projecting upwards, and which
when the scale pointer, J, approaches the maximum end of the scale acts on a flat
bar, L, which then prevents the introduction of additional coins by partially closing
the notch, B 2, in the cover, B 1.
The meter spindle, G, may be arranged to act on counter mechanism to show the
aggregate quantity of gas passing through the meter; and the coin spindle, F, may
be arranged to act on counter mechanism to show the aggregate amount of the
coins inserted.
In Figure, 6, is shown a somewhat simplified device for combining the coin-
actuated mechanism with the meter mechanism. In this device a single screw
spindle, M, is made to serve the purposes of the two spindles, F, G, of the
modification herein before described. The spindle, M, has on it an internally
screwed block, N, which is suitably guided and is moved along by rotation of the
spindle. The scale pointer, J, is fixed to the block, N, which has also on it a
projection, N 1, which on the block approaching the zero position encounters a
lever, N 2, and this lever, N 2, acting on the valve spindle, K 1, closes the inlet
valve. The worm, G 1, actuated by the meter mechanism drives a worm wheel, G 2,
fitted loosely on the spindle, M, and which has in the same piece with it a ratchet-
-toothed disk, M 1, adapted to engage with a similar ratchet-toothed disk, M2,
movable along the spindle a short distance but turned by it by means of a pin and
slot. A belical spring, M 3, presses the disk, M 2, against the disk, M 1.
the spindle, M, is turned by the coin-actuated mechanism it moves the block, N, along
and with it the scale pointer, J, but it cannot turn the worm-wheel, G 2, and the
clutch disk, M 2, slips round over the disk, M 1; but when the meter turns the
wormwheel, G 2, the disk, M1, keeps engaged with the disk, M2, and the spindle, M,
becomes turned-in-the-direction_to_move the block, N, and scale pointer, J, back
towards zero.
When
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I am aware
of William Alexander and William. Edward Thompson's Specification No. 20475
of 1895 and I do not claim anything comprised in that Specification, but what I
claim is :
1. In a coin-prepayment gas meter the construction and combination of parts

page_text: 3. The arrangement and mode of operating of the bolt, C, in combination with
the adjustable ring, C 3, and cam projection, C4, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this Eleventh day of September 1895.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.