GB296802A - Improvements in or relating to coin freed apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

296,802. Cheetham, G. A., Lister, H., and Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co., Ltd. June 7, 1927. Electricity &c., supplying by meter; mechanism for prepaying rent of meter. - In a prepayment, meter, the tripping. device, that retains the switch, tap, or the like in operative position, is connected with the differential mechanism by a releasable connection, such as a wedge, which is released by withdrawal or replacement of the coin receptacle, so that the switch &c. is thereby rendered inoperative, and which is reset only after a predetermined number of coins have been inserted. As applied to an electricity meter, the switch 33, which may be of the kind described in Specifications 253,242; and 274,559, [Class 38 (v), Electric switches &c.], is retained, closed by a tripping-device or detent 30, the detent being operated by a push rod 28 actuated by a differentiai mechanism 12, 22 as described in Specification 286,803. The rod 28 holds the detent 30 only when a wedge 34 carried by a lever 32 is interposed between them. The lever 32 has a stop 36 engaged by the coin receptacle so that, when the latter is withdrawn or replaced, the wedge is withdrawn and the switch opened. The lever 32 is also connected through rods 40, 42 to a swinging frame 43 which is thereby rocked to bring a star-wheel 46 on a shaft into co-operation with pins 48, 50 on a disc 52 carried by a coin shaft 10 which is connected to the differential through a train of gears and a friction clutch. The frame 43 also moves a bar 84 to apply a brake 86 to the disc 12 of the differential. The shaft 44 is normally biassed by a spring 70 to a zero position determined by the contact of a pin 72 thereon with a pin 74 on a gear wheel 54 loosely mounted on the shaft. To restore the wedge 34, coins representing fixed charges are irserted and the shaft 10 turned. The star wheel 46 is turned one tooth for each coin until a pin 78 carried by a flat spring 76 enters a hole 80 in the wheel 46. At the next revolution of the shaft 10, one of the pins 48, 50 engages the spring 76 and rocks the frame 43 to disengage the star-wheel from the coin shaft, thereby withdrawing the brake 86 and inserting the wedge 34 between the rod 28 and the detent 30. A fixed wedge 82 withdraws the pin 78 so that the shaft 44 can be returned to zero again by the spring 70. Indicators.-The number of coins for the fixed charges is shown on a dial 68 carried by a shaft 62 having a notched roller 64 and detent 66. A wheel 60 on the shaft through an idler wheel 58 rotates the wheel 54 to move the zero pin 74 to a position determined by the position to which the dial 68 is set. An indicator 98 is also connected to the rocking frame to show that the rent due has been paid. Coin-slit closing-devices.-A coin-slit closing- plunger 96 operated from the differential through a lever 94 is withdrawn to open the slot, when the rent falls due, by the swinging frame 43 causing a bar 18 to deflect a resilient portion 92 of the lever 94. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 277,667.