GB1022817A - Parking arrangements - Google Patents

Abstract

1,022,817. Coin-freed parking. H. I. A. RUDBERG. Oct. 26, 1964 [Oct. 31, 1963; April 9, 1964], No. 43644/64. Heading G4V. A garage has a parking meter in each parking space, a gate preventing removal of a car until a fee shown on the meter is paid, and means for indicating the presence of a car, the meter receiving timed impulses from a central location whereby the time of parking may be indicated. In the figure, the meter is mounted on a resilient connection 19, so as not to be damaged by impact, and detects the presence of a car by interruption of a light beam from source 13, reflected by mirror 15 to a photo-cell 14. The light source is energized periodically by the timing impulses, say every minute, and the photo-cell and its circuitry are energized at the same time, but for a shorter period wholly within the period of energization of the source. Alternatively, the presence of a car may be detected by mechanical closure of electrical contacts by the car, or by a switch sensitive to the iron mass of the car. A counter 8 records the minute impulses when a car is parked, and every, say, thirty minutes, advances a feecharging counter 3 one step. On collection of the car, the driver inserts coins into slot 2, to advance a counter 4. When counters 3 and 4 tally, the gate 12 is lowered, and both counters are zeroized. The gate is raised after three minutes if the car is not removed. Counters 10 and 11 limit the fee to preset maxima for day parking and night parking respectively. The central location has lamps indicating those parking spaces which are vacant, those which are charging maximum fees, and when a meter has been impacted.