GB510549A - Improvements in and relating to prepayment mechanism for gas and electricity and like meters - Google Patents

Abstract

510,549. Prepayment mechanism for meters. UNITED GAS INDUSTRIES, Ltd., SMITH, E. W., and CHARLES, A. Feb. 8, 1938, No. 3913. [Class 27] In prepayment meter mechanism, when the maximum allowable number of coins at a time has been inserted, a stop member is moved into the return push of an element of the coin holder to lock the coin holder substantially in the coin-discharging position after discharge of the last coin, until sufficient commodity has been consumed to release the stop and allow the coin holder to be returned for further prepayment. As applied to the coin-holder mechanism described in Specification 400,636 with transmission mechanism as described in Specifications 387,678 and 392,530, a cam c on the valve control element d actuates an arm e on a spindle f to cause a second arm g to move a pawl a through an opening in the coin holder casing b at the moment the coin holder is in alignment with the coin discharge slot in the casing. The pawl a, which is pivoted at a<1> inside the casing b, is engaged. with the striker that is moved by the lower value coin and prevents return of the coin holder to coinreceiving position. The pawl a is double-ended, one end acting as the coin-holder stop and the other operating to prevent backward rotation of one of the quantity wheels. In a modification, Fig. 4, instead of a pawl, a plunger i is moved into the casing against the action of a spring i<1> by an arm k on the spindle f.