GB474083A - Improvements in pre-payment meters for gas, electricity and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

474,083. Prepayment mechanism for meters. WILSON GASMETERS, Ltd., G., (in liquidation), WILSON, J. H., and POOLE, D. C. E. April 29, 1936, No. 12123. [Class 27] A prepayment meter for gas, electricity, &c. is associated with a coin-operated time control mechanism which controls means whereby the prepayment meter is automatically rendered inoperative at the end of a predetermined interval of time. As shown applied to a prepayment gas meter, a coin inserted in a coin pocket 4, rotatable by a knob 5, causes a projection 6 in the pocket to engage a toothed wheel 7, which is thereby rotated to wind up a clockwork 10. A wheel 11 on the shaft 9 of the wheel 7 meshes with a wheel 12 fixed to a nut 13, which is prevented from movement in an axial direction, the rotation of this nut moving a screw spindle 16 longitudinally to carry a locking finger 17 out of engagement with the coin wheel 7a of the prepayment meter mechanism. The meter mechanism can then be operated by inserting coins and rotating its knob 5a. The clockwork 10 slowly runs down rotating the nut 13 in the reverse direction and ultimately causing the finger 17 to re-engage the wheel 7a and render the prepayment meter mechanism inoperative, until the time control mechanism is again operated, after the insertion of another coin therein. Instead of locking the coin-wheel 7a, the screwed spindle 16 may close the coin slot of the prepayment meter at the end of the predetermined time. The coin wheel 7a, of the prepayment meter is an axially fixed nut engaging a screwed spindle 18, which has a grooved disc 19 for actuating the gas valve. During consumption of gas, the screw 18 is rotated from the meter through a worm drive 24, 25 to a sleeve 23 having a pin 22 engaging a groove 21 in the screw. The screw-and-nut mechanism 13, 16 may be replaced by an epicyclic mechanism.