GB1504213A - Parking meter construction - Google Patents

Abstract

1504213 Parking meters QONAAR CORP 17 Feb 1975 [21 Feb 1974] 27148/77 Divided out of 1504212 Heading G4V A parking meter has a housing 10, a check carrier 22 movable after the deposit of a check for purposes of purchasing time, and detecting means, pawl 47, carried by the check carrier and having protrusions 48 for sensing holes in washers and for sensing thin slugs, positioned in the carrier, said carrier supporting pawl means adapted to engage a time purchasing mechanism, sensing of a hole or thin slug holding said pawl means out of position for a time purchase operation, means for normally holding said protrusions out of a sensing position until after movement of said carrier, said holding means comprising a bearing member 68 and a bearing surface adapted to be engaged by said member 68 when the carrier is in position to receive checks, said bearing member moving out of engagement with the bearing surface after movement of the check carrier to thereby free said detecting means for movement into a sensing position. The meter has a handle 12 and an indicator dial 16 and, coins are inserted through slots 20 into openings 23 in the carrier. A ratchet 26 has teeth 28 which are engageable by a separate pawl 56, Fig. 9, to prevent return movement of the carrier. Return movement so that the carrier abuts post 25 is caused by a spring (not shown). Integral with the carrier is a shield 27 that blocks off slots 20 when the carrier is rotated. A check entering the slots is held vertically positioned when engaging one of set-screws 32, 34 or 36 and a pin 38 as shown in Fig. 8. Slugs that are too small fall through the gap and are returned to the customer. The pins and screws may have V-sections cut in their free ends so that slugs that are too thin can drop through the gap for return. Slots 20 are dimensioned to prevent acceptance of slugs that are of excessive diameter or thickness. Operation of pawl 42 to engage winding ring 24 and pawl 56 to engage the ratchet mechanism is controlled by pawl 50. This pawl has surfaces 58, 60, 62 that engage the check as soon as the carrier is rotated, as shown in Fig. 8. The pawls rotate with the carrier so that the checks rotate on the inner surface of wall 10 until they engage cams 30. The shape of the different cams determines the time entered. Pawl 47 detects if checks have a central hole or are too thin. The protrusions 48 align with slots 23. During initial insertion of checks this is undesirable. Therefore the pawl has an extension 66 with roller 68 that engages plate 70 which, in the initial position of the carrier, forces the pawl to the left against spring 46. As the carrier is rotated the pawl is released. If it detects a slug then pawl 42 is prevented from engaging winding ring 24. At the completion of winding the roller engages bearing member 68 so that the checks or slugs are released. Fig. 10 shows an arrangement whereby a short time period can be entered without the insertion of a proper check. A drive element 74 is loosely mounted on shaft 78 which has the winding ring 24 attached thereto. A bent-up section 80 of the element lies in the path of post 82 mounted on the carrier. The element can also engage a tab 84 on a winding ring 24. Engagement of post 82 with element 74, and element 74 with tab 84 occurs only when the carrier has been rotated a considerable distance towards its limit.