GB355403A - Improvements in or relating to coin-freed apparatus for meters - Google Patents

Abstract

355,403. Prepayment mechanism for meters. SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS CO., HART, C. A., and COLEMAN, E., 709, Old Kent Road, London. June 6, 1930, No., 17544. [Class 27.] Coin action, mechanical-connection and with delivery proportionate to value of coin.-In a coinfreed apparatus for meters which can be actuated by any one of a plurality of coins of different value, a penny P inserted into a tapering slot 1, Fig. 5, in a manually rotatable drum 2 protrudes from the slot to engage and drive directly a toothed wheel 6, Figs. 3 and 4, on a shaft 5. The penny may be located by a pin 41. A shilling S passes to the bottom of the slot and engages one of a number of radial grooves 21 in the flange 20 of a sleeve 18 rotatably mounted on a spindle 19 in which one end of the drum shaft 3 is supported. The sleeve 18 is geared through wheels 22, 23 to the shaft 5 which is rotated twelve times as much for a shilling as for a penny. The rotation of the drum 2 is limited by a slot 34 therein engaging a pin 32 on a front plate 33. After the drum is rotated the coins drop out through the mouth of the slot 1 to a money-box. The rotation of the shaft 5 is transmitted through gear wheels, one of which is a change-whee], to a parallel screwed shaft 11 on which a disc 13, mounted to slide on guide-rods 14, travels to open the valve. As gas is consumed, a meter shaft 37 rotates the rods 14 and disc 13, which returns to its initial position and closes the valve. A lever 26 provided with a pin 28 to enter between two teeth on the wheel 6 controls the movement of the shaft 5, a pin 29 on the lever being engaged by a cam 30 on the drum 2. A dwell 22 on the cam allows the pin 28 to engage the wheel 6. The lever 26 is also provided with an extension 36, which moves into the path of the disc 13 and engages this shortly before it comes to the end of its permissible travel. Price-changing mechanism.-The change-wheel is a wheel on the end of the shaft 11. This wheel is removably mounted on a squared end of the shaft and is held in position by a blade spring. Indicators.-The disc 13 carries an indicating pointer 40.