PARKING METER ASSEMBLY

• US 3,770,090 A
• Filed: 07/10/1972
• Issued: 11/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarence D. Fayling, John W Van Horn, Philip M. Ray
• Original Assignee: Clarence D. Fayling, John W Van Horn, Philip M. Ray
• Inventors: Fayling, Clarence D., Van Horn, John W., Ray, Philip M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Application Number:
  US05/270,261
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 232/7,15,9,12,16 194/1B,DIG.21,DIG.22
• US Class Current: 194/350
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/248 Housing construction casings for coin-freed apparatus G07F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A twin parking meter mount comprising a coin vault mounting two or more parking meter heads, a coin receptacle received in the vault and serving both meter heads, a side access opening formed in the vault to provide for the removal and insertion of the coin receptacle, and a door secured to the coin receptacle and hingelessly and detachably mounted on the vault for selectively closing the access opening. Other features include an internal reinforcing liner arrangement for the coin vault and a coin vault top plate that reinforces walls of the vault.

Claims

1. A parking meter assembly comprising housing means defining a chamber, a plurality of coin-controlled parking meter mechanisms in which coins are adapted to be deposited, said parking meter mechanisms being supported on said housing means, a single coin receptacle movably disposed in said chamber for receiving coins deposited in said mechanisms, said housing means being formed (a) with passages for guiding coins from said mechanisms to said receptacle and (b) with a side access opening to provide for the removal of said receptacle from said chamber, a lockable door hingelessly and removably mounted on said housing means for selectively closing said opening, and means pivotally securing said receptacle to said door.

2. In a coin-controlled parking meter assembly, a hollow casing formed with a bottom wall and walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a cover on said casing at the upper ends of said upwardly extending walls and covering the top of the casing, said cover having at least one coin passage for directing coins into said interior of said casing, a coin collection receptacle disposed in said casing for receiving coins directed through said passage, said receptacle having upstanding wall portions that define a coin collection chamber, at least one housing mounted on said cover, a coin-controlled timing mechanism received in said housing, and passage means in said housing for directing deposited coins to said passage, the improvement comprising at least one rigid reinforcing liner disposed in said casing and removably trapped between said cover and said bottom wall to provide an interior barrier between one of said upwardly extending walls and said receptacle, a portion of said liner being approximately coextensive with one of said wall portions.

3. A coin-controlled parking meter assembly comprising a hollow casing formed with a bottom wall and at least one pair of opposed walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a cover on said casing at the upper ends of said opposed walls to provide a covering for said casing, said cover having at least one coin passage for directing coins into said interior of said casing, a coin collection receptacle disposed in said casing between said opposed wall for receiving coins directed through said passage, at least one housing mounted on said cover, a coin-controlled timing mechanism received in said housing, passage means in said housing for directing deposited coins to said passage, a first rigid reinforcing liner disposed in said casing between said receptacle and one of said opposed walls to provide a barrier between said receptacle and said one of said opposed walls, and a second rigid reinforcing liner disposed in said casing between said receptacle and the other of said opposed walls to provide a barrier between said receptacle and the other of said opposed walls, said first and second liners being trapped between said cover and said bottom wall.

4. A parking meter assembly comprising a hollow casing formed with a bottom wall portion, first and second opposed wall portions extending upwardly from said bottom wall portion and third and fourth opposed wall portions extending between said first and second wall portions and upwardly from said bottom wall portion, the widths for said third and fourth wall portions being smaller than the widths of said first and second wall portions, a cover on the top of said casing, a pair of coin-receiving housings mounted said cover on opposite sides of a plane transversely intersecting said first And second wall portions and extending between said third and fourth wall portions, a coin-controlled timing mechanism in each housing, coin discharge passage means in each housing, said cover having a through passage in registry with each coin discharge passage means to provide for the transfer of deposited coins to the interior of said casing, a coin collection receptacle in said casing for receiving coins entering said casing through each through passage, one of said third and fourth wall portions being formed with an access opening to provide for the removal of said receptacle from said casing, a lockable door selectively closing said access opening, first and second reinforcing liners disposed in said casing and formed separately of said casing and said receptacle, said first liner extending between said first wall portion and said receptacle to provide a barrier between said receptacle and said first wall portion, and said second reinforcing liner extending between said second wall portion and said receptacle to provide a barrier between said receptacle and said second wall portion.

5. A parking meter assembly comprising housing means defining a chamber, a plurality of coin-controlled parking meter mechanisms in which coins are adapted to be deposited, said parking meter mechanisms being supported on said housing means, a single coin receptacle removably disposed in said chamber for receiving coins deposited in said mechanisms, said housing means being formed (a) with passages for guiding coins from said mechanisms to said receptacle and (b) with a side access opening to provide for the removal of said receptacle from said chamber, a lockable door hinglessly and removably mounted on said housing means for selectively closing said opening, and means securing said receptacle to said door and providing for limited pivotal and rectilinear motion of said door relative to said receptacle to enable said door to be manipulated for effecting locking engagement and disengagement of said door with respect to said housing means.

6. A parking meter assembly comprising housing means defining a chamber, a plurality of coin-controlled parking meter mechanisms in which coins are adapted to be deposited, said parking meter mechanisms being supported on said housing means, a single coin receptacle removably disposed in said chamber for receiving coins deposited in said mechanisms, said housing means being formed (a) with passages for guiding coins from said mechanisms to said receptacle and (b) with a side access opening to provide for the removal of said receptacle from said chamber, a lockable door hinglessly and removably mounted on said housing means for selectively closing said opening, and means securing said receptacle to said door and providing for limited pivotal and rectilinear motion of said door relative to said receptacle.

7. The parking meter defined in claim 1 comprising means securing said receptacle to said door to provide for the removal of said receptacle and door as a unit from said housing means.

8. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means comprises a hollow casing receiving said receptacle and having an open top and a cover mounted on said casing for covering said open top, said casing having opposed front and back walls and opposed side walls extending between said front and back walls, said parking meter mechanisms being supported on said cover and being disposed on opposite sides of a plane transversely intersecting said front and back walls, said passages being formed through said cover, and said access opening being formed through one of said side walls to provide for the removal of said receptacle laterally of said plane.

9. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 8 wherein said parking meter mechanisms are received in separate meter casings that fixed to said cover.

10. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 8 wherein said passages are on opposite sides of said plane, and wherein said receptacle has separate coin inlet openings respectively registering with said passages when said receptacle is positioned in said chamber.

11. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 8 wherein said casing is elongated in a direction to provide said front and back walls with widths that are greater than the widths of said side walls.

12. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 8 wherein said door is secured to said receptacle to provide for the removal of said receptacle from said chamber by withdrawing it through said access opening upon removal of said door, wherein said casing is formed with a bottom wall, and wherein said receptacle rests on said bottom wall when it is disposed in said chamber to receive coins passing through said passages.

13. In a coin-controlled parking meter assembly, a hollow casing having an open top and being formed with a bottom wall and walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, a cover detachably mounted on said casing at the upper ends of said upwardly extending walls to provide a covering for said open top, said cover having at least one coin passage for directing coins into said interior of said casing, a coin collection receptacle disposed in said casing for receiving coins directed through said passage, at least one housing mounted on said cover, a coin-controlled timing mechanism received in said housing, and passage means in said housing for directing deposited coins to said passage, the improvement comprising at least one rigid reinforcing liner disposed in said casing and removably trapped between said cover and said bottom wall to provide an interior barrier between one of said upwardly extending walls and said receptacle.

14. The coin-controlled parking meter assembly defined in claim 13 wherein said bottom wall is formed with an upwardly opening groove in which the lower edge of said liner is seated.

15. The coin-controlled parking meter assembly defined in claim 13 wherein the top of said receptacle is spaced below the upper edges of said upwardly extending walls, and wherein said cover has a depending portion disposed over said receptacle and extending into the space between the top of said receptacle and the upper edges of said upwardly extending walls.

16. The coin-controlled parking meter assembly defined in claim 13 wherein the upper portion of said liner is confined between said depending portion and said one of said upwardly extending walls.

17. The coin-controlled parking meter assembly defined in claim 15 comprising means extending through an opening in said liner and spanning the space between said depending portion and said one of said upwardly extending walls for limiting sideward movement of said liner in said casing.

18. A parking meter assembly comprising a hollow casing having an open top, said casing being formed with a bottom wall portion, first and second opposed wall portions extending upwardly from said bottom wall portion and third and fourth opposed wall portions extending between said first and second wall portions and upwardly from said bottom wall portions, a cover detachably mounted on said casing to cover said open top, a plurality of meter housing mounted on said cover for receiving deposited coins, a coin-controlled timing mechanism in each housing, coin discharge passage means in each housing, said cover having a through passage in registry with each coin discharge passage means to provide for the transfer of deposited coins to the interior of said casing, coin collection receptacle means in said casing for receiving coins entering said casing through each through passage, a first reinforcing liner removably trapped between said bottom wall portion and said cover and extending between said first wall portion and said receptacle means, and a second reinforcing liner removably trapped between said cover and said bottom wall portion and extending between said second wall portion and said receptacle means.

19. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 18, there being two of said Housings, one on each side of a plane transversely intersecting said first and second walls.

20. A parking meter assembly comprising a hollow casing having an open top, a cover mounted on said casing and covering said open top, a pair of housings mounted on said cover for receiving deposited coins, a coin-controlled timing mechanism in each housing, coin discharge passage means in each housing, said cover having a through passage in registry with each coin discharge passage means to provide for the transfer of deposited coins to the interior of said casing, coin collection receptacle means in said casing for receiving the coins entering the casing through each through passage, the top of said receptacle means being spaced below the upper edge of said casing at said open top, and said cover having a depending portion disposed over said receptacle means and extending into the casing space between the top of said receptacle means and the upper edge of said casing, said depending portion being adjacent to wall portions of said casing in the region of said upper edge to reinforce said wall portions.

21. The parking meter assembly defined in claim 20, wherein each of said passages in said cover is formed through said depending portion.