GB455620A - Improvements in or relating to prepayment meters - Google Patents

Abstract

455,620. Prepayment mechanism for meters. GRASEBY, R. C., Venner Works, Kingston By-pass Road, New Malden, Surrey. April 23, 1935, No. 12171. [Class 27] In prepayment meter mechanism in which coins of different diameters are inserted through a single slot into a turntable receiver and the diameters gauged to determine the extent the mechanism is set forward, the coin gauging means comprises two elements which are each movable in the direction of the width of the coin so that they can be opened to receive the coin between them and closed on the coin to gauge it and which are turnable with the receiver. The coins are inserted through a slot 2 at the top of a casing 1, Figs. 1 and 2, into a receiver formed by a drum 4 provided with a coin-pocket 5, switch closing means 6 and actuating means 7 operable by a handle. Most of one-half of the drum is cut away but enough is left to form one wall 4a, of the pocket 5. To the external face of the wall 4a rockers 8, 9 extending downwardly are pivoted and each has a spring 11 which tends to move it towards the other, the spring of the rocker 9 being stronger than that of rocker 8. The rockers are guided in their movement by rods 10 and each has a lug 8a, 9a respectively, extending through the wall 4a, the two lugs acting conjointly to gauge the coin. The free ends of the rockers co-operate with fixed cams 12a, so that when the drum is in the position shown in Fig. 1, to receive a coin or turned halfa revolution therefrom, the rockers are moved apart. When the drum is turned through 90‹ the cams allow the springs 11 to move the rockers towards each other. If a penny 17 is inserted, Fig. 3, the rocker 9 acts through the penny and, since its spring 11 is the stronger, moves the rocker 8 until this is stopped by the end of the drum. The diameter of a penny is such that the end of rocker 9 then engages a star-wheel 15 and during the remaining rotation of the drum rotates this wheel 15. When a shilling is inserted, the rocker 9 pushes the rocker 8 as before until rocker 9 meets an inner stop formed by a bridge piece 4c. The end of the rocker 8 is then in position to engage and rotate a star-wheel 14. The star-wheels 14, 15 rotate a shaft 13, one twelve times as much as the other, through an epicyclic gear comprising a compound planet wheel constituted by a pinion 20 and a crown-wheel 21 meshing respectively with a crown-wheel 22 and pinion 23 secured to the star-wheels 14, 15. The planet-wheel is on a stub-shaft fixed to the shaft 13. To prevent backward rotation of the drum with a coin therein after a star-wheel has been actuated, a spring- pressed detent 25 is pivoted to the casing 1 at 24, Fig. 2, the free end of the detent being provided with teeth 27 which engage the edge of the coin. The drum has a transverse slot 26 which allows the requisite movement of the detent.