GB256251A - Improvements relating to automatic prepayment meters - Google Patents

Abstract

256,251. Lulofs, W., and Hanson, A. F. E. July 30, 1925, [Convention date]. Electricity, gas, and liquids, supplying by meter; mechanism for prepaying rent of meter; price-change mechanism.-In a prepayment meter having a fixed tariff device, during the separate fixed tariff periods, the driving mechanism, that is independent of the load, is automatically disconnected from the prepayment mechanism during a definite time adjustable for each fixed tariff period so that the fixed tariff can be varied in the separate fixed tariff periods. As shown applied to a prepayment electricity meter, the rotation of a knob 2 after the insertion of coins closes a switch 4 and rotates a sun-wheel 5 to set forward the planet-wheel 6 of an epicyclicmechanism controlling the switch. The wheel 6 is returned by the sun-wheel 9 which is driven through gearing 10 by the planet-wheel 11 of an .epicyclic mechanism 11, 12, 13. The wheels 12, 13 rotate in opposite directions and are driven respectively from a shaft 23 of the consumption meter and from a shaft 24 of an operating mechanism working at constant speed independently of the load, for example, a clock, Ferraris motor, or a synchronized motor. A worm 15 engaging a worm-wheel 16 is also driven from the shaft 24. The wheel 16 carries a rental tariff wheel 17 which makes one revolution per .annum and is provided with a peripheral recess for each month, the width of each recess depending on the rental fee to be paid for that month. A lever 19 controlled by a spring 20 has a, projection 18 for engaging the recesses in turn. When the projection is in a recess the lever 19 raises a rod 21 thereby disengaging a gear wheel 22 of the train between the shaft 24 and the sunwheel 13, and allowing the planet-wheel to be returned by the action of the meter shaft 23 only. The sun-wheel 13 may be engaged and disengaged by a relay at a central station, the relay being automatically controlled by a tariff wheel of the type shown at 17. The consumption meter may have a price-change mechanism arranged so as to alter the gearing between the shaft 23 and the wheel 12 by means of a clock or a relay, or, in an electricity meter, resistance or choking coils may be provided for altering the constants of the meter to correspond with the price in force. The meter may also be one that is affected by the amount of the load, and is provided with several series of counting wheels to return the prepayment mechanism at different speeds.