US2509480A - Coin actuated clockless parking meter - Google Patents

Description

May 30, 1950 H. P. COMPTON com ACTUATED CLOCKLESS PARKING METER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1948 39 INVENTOR.

y 0 195.0 H. P. COMPTON 2,50 8

COIN ACTUATED CLOCKLESS PARKING METER Filed Dec. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

BY .Wmflifya.

Patented May 30, 1950 FESI OFF LCEL COIN AGTUATED CLOCKIJE SS PARKING METER Henry-Burl Compton, Abilene, Tex.

AnplicationDecember 16, 1948, Serial N 0. 65,560

3-;Glaimsl (Cl. 232-1) This invention relates to parking'meters.

An-object of this invention is to provide a receiver for mounting on a curb for receiving coins deposited bymotorists, the receiver being provided'with means whereby an attendant'having-a key may determine whether a coin -ha-s been deposited and upon removal of the key the coin will drop into the collector.

In" certain towns -andcities,itis desirable that motorists be charged for parking vehicl'esat the curb, and that means be 'provided which may be produced at small cost and-which willproducean income-at a minimum operating cost.

While inmany areas employing parking meters it is desirable or necessary *to limit theparking;

time Of a vehicle to a stated period, asfor-exam ple, an hour or half hour in congested urban localities, in other areas the converse is true"; For example, in suburban-or village -areas-a large number of Vehicles maypark ina specific locality; as in front oi -the post officeOI' various stores-in the course of an hour. meters are used the firstuser to; park "deposits a coin actuating the meter for a specified time "and! all subsequent users during'suchtime may-enioy must deposit a coin regardlessof tlie length of time th space may have ibeenwoccupied b his predecessor.

With the above and other objects in viewwmy invention consists in" the arrangement, combina-, tion and details of construction disclosed in l the drawings and-specification;andthBn more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of a parking meter constructed according to an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the upper portion of the meter with the closure in open position,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 deslgnates generally an upright housing formed of a body ll having a front Wall I2, right angularly If conventional timed disposed side walls l-3, anda top wall [4. Theside walls It converge toward each other'at t'heir lower portions as shown in Figure l, and an earli'r is formed at the lower portion of the housing ID on the opposite sides of which a pair ofears I6 carried by-a'closur ll, which comprises the rear wall of thehousing; is adapted to be-pivotally 'IheclOsure in the present instance stationaryancl maybe secured to an upright supportby any suitable 'fasteningmeans, while the housing is=movable aboutthe pivot l-Sfor the purpose of removing coins deposited therein in a manner to i be hereinafter described.

The housing member i l is'adapted to be locked relative-to the closur W, by means of aboltlB carried'by 'a key operated shaft 20; and thebolt I9 is adapted to engage in a keeper groove 2| carried by-a keeper lug 22 which is fixed to orformed integral with the closure IT; The top "Wall I4is formed with a coin slot 23 anda channel-shaped coin guiding chute 2 extendsdownwardlyand'inwardlyfrom the slot 2 3i The chut z l includes a"plate25 andan oifset flange 26 which is adapted to be "secured by asiiigle fastening' member 21 to a-lug or projection 21% which is carried by the" adjacent side wall i F3.

The wall I2 of the housing His formed with an elongated rib 29 which is curved downwardly and inwardly at its-lower portion, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2; and forms with thel ower'portion of the chute 25 a coin guiding meansrffor guiding the released coin into an offsetreceiver or chamber tl 'whic'his formed in the lower; portion of the housing l l In sorder 'to' provide a means whereby" the coin which" i is inserted into the "slot 23 -w ill be heldagainst dropping into the receiver 3 l I have provided a coin holding lug 32 which is carried by a plate 33 pivotally mounted on a pivot member 34. The pivot member 34 extends through the inner wall of the chute 24 so that it will form a part of the chute for assembly purposes. The holding lug 32 extends through an arcuate slot :35 formed in the lower portion of the chute 24 and when the lug 32 is in holding position, this lug will project into the chute 24. When the lug 32 is in released position, this lug is adapted to be swung laterally into a slot 36 which is formed in the upper portion of the rig l9 (see Fig. 2)..

The front wall 12 of the housing II is formed with a circular window 31 which is disposed below the horizontal plane of the lug 32 so that when the lug 32 is in coin holding position, the coin engaged thereby will not be visible through the window 31. The lug 32 with the plate 33 is adapted to be swung laterally to released position by means of a releasing finger 38 which is carried by a key operated shaft 39. The shaft 39 extends through the front wall I2 of the housing H and the finger 38 is disposed loosely between a pair of spaced apart lugs it! and 4! which are struck or bent inwardly from the plate 33 below the lug 32.

A second coin holding lug s2 is bent forwardly from the plate 33 below the lug 32 and the Window 31, and is laterally olfset from the lug 32 so that when the plate 33 is swung to coin releasing position, lug i2 will be disposed within the chute 24 and below the window 31. At this time the coin which was held by the upper or first ing 32 will drop downwardly and engage the second or lower lug 32. The coin at this time will be exposed through the window 31.

The shaft 33 with its key mechanism is then rotated to a key releasing position which also swings the plate 33 to a coin depositing position wherein the lower lug 42 is moved out of the path of the coin and out of coin chute 24, permitting the coin to drop downwardly into the chamber or receiver 3i. In the operation of the device it is contemplated that an attendant or polic ofiicer be provided with a key for rotating shaft 39, and that such individual inspect all meters at regular or irregular intervals. Upon rotation of shaft 39 if a coin is exposed in Window 3? the motorist is considered to be parked legally. If no coin is exposed the parking is illegal. Since each coin may be exposed only once at the window upon rotation of the shaft it will be understood that the duration of even a voluntarily unlawful parking may be determined by the interval between visits of the attendant. Since no coin will be visible except to the attendant when using the key one proposing to park will have no way of knowing whether or not a coin is in the meter other than by depositing one.

In view of the fact that these meters eliminate the spring operated flag mechanism, the meter can be produced at small cost so that a substantial number of these meters or collectors may be placed at predetermined positions either along the curb or on a parking lot.

I do not mean to confine myself to th exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A parking meter comprising a housing having a coin slot, a coin guiding chute in said housing extending from said slot, said housing hav ing a window between the ends of said chute, a

coin holding member pivotally carried by said housing projecting into said slot adjacent said window for holding an inserted coin against movement past said window, a second coin holding member fixed relative to said first coin holding member positioned below said window whereby upon movement of said first coin holding member to released position the coin will be held in a position confronting said window, and a common operating means for said coin holding members.

2. A parking meter comprising a housing having a coin slot, a coin guiding chute in said housing extending downwardl from said slot, said housing having a window between the ends of said chute, a plate pivotally carried by said housing, a coin holding lug carried by said plate and projecting into said slot for holding a coin above said window, a second coin holding lug carried by said plate disposed below said window and positioned laterally of said first lug, said second lug being disposed in released position when said first ing is in operative position and adapted to be disposed in operative position within said chute when said first lug is in released position, and operating means for said plate carried b said housing.

3. A parking meter comprising a housing having a coin slot, a coin guiding chute in said housing extending downwardly from said slot, said housing having a Window between the ends of said chute, a plate pivotally carried by said housing, a coin holding lug carried by said plate and projecting into said slot for holding a coin above said window, a second coin holding lug carried by said plate disposed below said Window and positioned laterally of said first lug, said second lug being disposed in released position-when said first lug is in operative position and adapted to be disposed in operative position withinsaid chute when said first lug is in released position, a pair of parallel lugs extending from said plate, a plate operating arm engaging between said pair of lugs, and key operated means connected with said arm for swinging the latter.

HENRY PURL COMPTON.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the

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