GB517145A - Improvements in and relating to prepayment mechanisms - Google Patents

Abstract

517,145. Prepayment mechanism for meters. ALDER & MACKAY, Ltd., and PEET, A. July 19, 1938, No. 21473. [Class 27] Price-changing mechanism.-In a prepayment meter having means for automatically changing the price of commodity after stated quantities have been consumed, two coin entry slots are rendered operative and inoperative respectively while the position of the price-change plate is unchanged. As applied to a prepayment gas meter having coin-pocket mechanism as described in Specification 224,143, [Class 27], the price change plate 2, Fig. 1, has two coin entry slots 5, 6 for preferential and normal tariffs respectively, the slot 5 being normally closed by a shutter 3 which is held in that position by a coiled spring attached to the shutter and to an arm 8 pivoted to the back of the plate 2. The shutter is located between the plate 2 and the coin pocket carrier plate 4 Fig. 4, being loose on the spindle of the plate 4. It has a gap 14 of width equal to the distance between the slots 5, 6, plus the width of one slot. On the front of the plate 4 is a rack 12 meshing with a pinion 29, which is rigid with a ratchet wheel 22, Fig. 2, on the rear of the plate. The rack has a ledge 32 which during normal tariff periods covers a gap 33 in raised portions 17 of the plate 4 and engages a stop 7 on the back of' the price change plate 2, to positionthe coin pocket opposite the slot 6. Each coin as it is inserted depresses the base 20 of the coin-pocket and the base through a lateral pin 25 engaging between 'two pins 26, 27a, on a lever 27, causes a driving pawl 23, on the lever 27, to rotate the ratchet wheel 22, through one tooth and so lower the rack 12. by a corresponding amount. After a predetermined number of coins has been inserted in the slot 6, the ledge 32 uncovers the gap 33, so that now the coin pocket is positioned in register with slot 5, by a pin 34, on the plate 4 engaging the fixed stop 7. Also a pin 99, on the plate 4, engages a pin 100 on the shutter to move the shutter to cover slot 6 and uncover slot 5. The shutter is retained in this position, until reset by the manual raising of the rack 12, by a nose 9, on the arm 8, engaging a notch 16 in the shutter. When the rack is raised, a nose 11 thereon coacts with an extension 10 of the arm 8, to keep the nose 9 out of engagement with the' notch 16.