GB454252A - Improvements in prepayment meters for electricity, gas and the like commodities - Google Patents

Abstract

454,252. Prepayment mechanism for meters. WALL, G., Rhosneir, Stretford Road, Urmston, Manchester, and METROPOLITAN - VICKERS ELECTRICAL CO., Ltd., 1, Kingsway, London. March 26, 1935, No. 9454. [Class 27] In prepayment meter mechanism in which a variable-gear device for obtaining a progressive change of gear ratio is provided between the meter rotor, or the equivalent, and the commodity side of the prepayment differential, an auxiliary motor drives the commodity side of the differential through a variable gear device under the control of the meter rotor. An auxiliary motor, comprising a spring 38 wound by prepayment from the coin receiver mechanism 31 through gearing 40 .. 42, drives a shaft 2 under the control of an escapement 35, 36, the member 36 being driven through gearing 5 from the index spindle 6 which is driven by the meter rotor, and the member 35 having a pin 43 which engages notches 44 in the disc 36. The shaft 2 carries an arm 1 provided with a pawl 7 which during each revolution of the shaft meets a fixed stop 10 to engage it with a ratchet wheel 11 loose on the shaft, the pawl being disengaged by an adjustable stop 15, which is positioned by means of a locating disc 16. The pawl and ratchet constitutes a variable drive which is transmitted through a wheel 13 integral with the ratchet wheel and wheels 20, 21, 22, 23 to the commodity side 24 of a prepayment differential P, the other side 26 of which is set forward by the coin mechanism. As shown, the meter rotor may also be geared from the shaft 6 to one sun-wheel 45 of an auxiliary differential A, the other sun-wheel 46 of which is geared to the wheel 13. The planetary cage 47 of differential A is geared to the commodity side 24 of the differential P. In this case, the movement transmitted to the wheel 24 is the resultant of the movements imparted to the sun-wheel 45, 46 by the meter rotor and by the auxiliary motor, this resultant being the sum or difference of the movements of wheels 45, 46. The mechansm in this case is used to vary the price of the commodity above or below a normal price represented by the movement of the sun-wheel 45. A helical spring 54 may be provided to relieve the meter rotor of the work of driving the mechanism. The spring 38 may be wound by an auxiliary electric motor instead of by the coin-mechanism. Specification 253,997, [Class 27], is referred to.