GB510978A - Improvements in prepayment mechanism for meters - Google Patents

Abstract

510,978. Prepayment mechanism for meters. ENGLISH ELECTRIC CO., Ltd., TILSTONE, G., and DONELLY, J. F. April 5, 1938, No. 10448. [Class 27] Coin-discharging mechanism; returning coin.- An incorrect coin is discharged or returned merely by return movement of the operating handle to its initial position after a forward movement up to the position at which crediting normally commences. The invention is shown applied to the mechanism of Specification 498,306 wherein rotation of an operating shaft 2 first gauges a coin in a pocket 14, then establishes an appropriate credit, and finally displaces a slide 18 to discharge the coin. A disc 4 is secured to shaft 2 and has a projection 20 which rocks a bell crank 11 connected with the slide 18 to discharge the coin at the end of the crediting movement. A pawl 15 pivoted at 15a to the disc 4 is urged against a stop 17 by a spring 16 and slips past the bell-crank 11 during the initial coin-gauging movement of shaft 2. If the coin is incorrect, the shaft 2 is arrested at the end of this initial movement and by turning it back to its initial position the pawl 15 rocks the bell-crank 11 to discharge the incorrect coin. The disc 4 has ratchet teeth engaged by a full-stroke pawl 5 only during the crediting part of the movement so that the shaft 2 can be turned backwards and forwards freely over the initial part of its stroke. A slipping clutch is incorporated in the operating handle to prevent damage when the operating shaft is arrested.