GB338882A - Improvements in or relating to prepayment mechanism for meters suitable for measuring gas, electricity, water and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

338,882. Sutherland, Ltd., A. G., and Mace, B. E. July 27, 1929. Gas &c., supplying by meter. - In prepayment meter mechanism of the kind having change speed mechanism between the meter driven shaft and the customary screwed shaft to enable the mechanism to be set for use with coins of two different denominations, the change speed mechanism comprises two spur wheels i, j mounted on a common spindle and adapted to mesh respectively with wheels b, e fixed to a boss f which is slidably mounted on a screwed sleeve surrounding the screwed shaft a. A worm k on a meter shaft l drives the wheel i. The screw a is moved in one direction to open the valve &c. by coin mechanism and in the other direction by rotation of the sleeve c from the meter. When the coin to be used is changed, the boss f is moved along the sleeve to disengage the wheels e, j and bring the wheel b into mesh with the wheel i. The boss f is moved by a fork g engaging a groove therein and actuated by a rod h, Fig. 4, parallel to the screw a. The rod h is held in adjusted position by a catch v engaging one or other of two grooves h' therein. A grooved collar n fixed to the shaft a engages a valve-operating arm p to open and close the valve; it also moves a slide m to cause a pin o to project into the casing of the coin mechanism and prevent operation of the latter, when a predetermined number of coins have been inserted. Indicators.-An arm r on the spindle g of the valve-operating arm p is connected by a, link s to an indicator t, the peripheral face u of which is visible from the front of the meter.