GB413371A - Improvements in the prepayment mechanism of gas and like meters - Google Patents

Abstract

413,371. Prepayment mechanism for gas &c. meters. METERS, Ltd., and SIDES, H., Blackfriars House, Parsonage, Manchester. Jan. 20, 1933, No. 1896. [Class 27.] In prepayment mechanism for gas &c. meters having two quantity wheels operable respectively by coins of different denominations, e.g. pennies and shillings, a wheel b actuated after insertion of a shilling, is fixed to a shaft d to which is pinned a planet pinion carrier h, the planet pinion i meshing with a sun-wheel j loose on the shaft and with one set of teeth of a double sun-wheel o also loose on the shaft. The other set of teeth of the wheel o mesh with a planet pinion p mounted in a carrier q having an extended boss r to which is secured a member v to move intermittently by a Maltese cross action a quadrant w operating the gas control valve. The planet pinion p forms part of an epicyclic quantity mechanism, the other sunwheel s of which is loosely mounted on the sleeve r and is rotated by the meter through worm gearing t. The penny wheel a is fixed to a sleeve c which is rotatable on the shaft d and drives the sun-wheel j through reduction gearing k, l, m, n. Reverse rotation of the wheels a, b is prevented by pawls engaging ratchet teeth on the wheel a and a ratchet wheel f pinned to the shaft d. When a shilling is used, the carrier h is rotated directly through the same angle as the wheel w, and when a penny is used the sun-wheel j is rotated through the reduction gearing, thereby rotating the member v through one twelfth the amount it was rotated by the insertion of a shilling. Indicators.-A scroll x on the planet carrier q rotates a quadrant on a vertical spindle z geared through wheels 3, 4 to an indicator drum 5.