Abstract: A system for controlled meter parking of road vehicles comprising a parking meter and a portable terminal for use by a checker of the controlled meter parking. A keyboard allows drivers to enter vehicle data. A parking time limit is calculated as the function of the amount of money paid. The parking meter then stores pairs of data items, where each pair contains a vehicle data item and an associated parking time limit. In one embodiment, the amount of money is read from a memory card to allow the driver to receive credit for any time not used upon return to pick up the car. The system includes a clock for comparison with the parking time limits. When the comparison with the clock indicates that a parking time limit has expired, the associated pair of data items are deleted from the parking meter memory. A portable terminal allows a checker to enter identification data corresponding to a vehicle actually parked in one of the parking spaces.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing smart cards, each card comprising a body, electrical contact tabs, and an integrated circuit placed in the card body and electrically connected to said tabs, said integrated circuit including storage means for storing monetary amounts unit-by-unit as the card is used, said apparatus comprising:processor means capable of processing data stored in a card and suitable for feeding electrical power to said integrated circuit;electrical connections suitable, when a card is in a determined position suitable for enabling data to be read from and/or written to said storage means, for inter-connecting said processor means and said integrated circuit in a card via said contact tabs; andmarker means under the control of said processor means for marking the body of a card with marks representative of the quantity of charge units in the card which have already been used up.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for interconnecting memory slot machines, for example parking meters or ticket vending machines. Each slot machine (B.sub.1, B.sub.2, . . . ) includes a circuit (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, . . . ) which receives data to be transferred. These circuits are interconnected by a seizure loop (18; 20, 22) and by a data transmission loop (26, 28). When information becomes available at a slot machine, this causes the seizure circuit to be powered up, thereby supplying power to the data transfer loop and to the data-receiving circuits (C.sub.1, C.sub.2, . . . ) of the other slot machines. Once the information has been transmitted to the other slot machines, the above-mentioned circuits are no longer powered.

Abstract: A gas meter includes a housing made of thermoplastic material having an inside wall defining two measuring chambers and a deformable membrane disposed between the two measuring chambers. The deformable membrane is formed from a film of thermoplastic elastomer material bonded to a synthetic fiber sheet. The periphery of the membrane is hot-welded to the wall between the two measuring chambers to form a gas-tight seal between the chambers. A mechanical drive train includes at least one lever having a hinged portion made from a thermoplastic material which is hot-welded to the middle of the membrane. The train drives a mechanical distributor disposed outside the housing.

Abstract: In oder to improve fixing between an electronic module (140) and the body (120) of a credit card made of plastic material, a housing (122, 134) is provided in the card body with bumps (130, 132) projecting into the housing. The electronic module (140) is pressed against the bumps (130, 132) while being raised to the softening temperature of the material from which the bumps are made. The module is pressed until its contact tabs (148) are level with the face (126) of the body. Fixing is completed by causing a glue to penetrate by capilarity between the bottom (124), the insulating substrate (142) of the electronic module, and the bumps (130, 132). The invention is particularly applicable to prepaid credit cards.

Abstract: The present apparatus concerns round monitoring and includes a portable recording device together with a plurality of keys for indicating different locations through which a watchman is to pass. In order to simplify the drive mechanism of the apparatus, the apparatus comprises a clock movement (20) having an hours shaft on which a disk (34) is mounted having time data print elements (36) disposed around its rear face. A strip of paper (50) is displaced between said print elements (34) and a print hammer (52).

Abstract: A card reader for electronic memory cards of the type which include a integrated circuit and integral electrical contact pads. The card reader includes a slot for introduction of the card. Within the slot are a series of contact elements for supplying power and information signals to the contact pads on the memory card. A card position detector, e.g. a microswitch, detects when the card is in the correct position, i.e. when the contact elements are contacting the electric contact pads of the memory card. When the card is so positioned, electric power and information signals are applied to the contact elements and then to the integrated circuit of the memory card via the electric contact pads.

Abstract: A single jet liquid meter comprises a cylindrical measuring chamber having first and second end walls perpendicular to the axis of the chamber, an injector and an ejector in communication with the measuring chamber, and a turbine having a hub and plurality of blades fixed to the hub. The hub has first and second end faces disposed opposite the first and second end walls, respectively. A pivot and shaft guide the turbine in rotation about the axis of the chamber. A set of radiating ribs are fixed to the first end wall and project into the chamber. The meter further includes an assembly consisting of an axial stop disposed adjacent the first end face and includes a pivot having a tapering point and an abutment which is in contact with the point when the liquid flow rate is zero. The meter is arranged such that the second end face is subjected to a pressure reduction effect produced by rotation of the liquid in the chamber.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a memory card comprises taking an electronic module, which includes an insulating substrate and an integrated circuit, and locally raising the temperature of the plastic material of the card to its softening point. The module is then applied, with pressure, on one side of the card at its softened location to embed the module in the plastic material.

Abstract: A four chamber gas meter comprises a distributor cover and a rotary distributor sliding on the distributor cover. The distributor is driven by a crank which is kinematically connected to the bellows of the gas meter. The hub of the crank is engaged with clearance in a sleeve of the distributor so that the tilting torque applied to the crank is not applied to the distributor itself.

Abstract: A pre-payment machine includes a strong-box intended for temporarily storing coins introduced into the machine prior to their collection by means of a connected collection device, this strong-box being especially designed in order to be protected against break-ins. The strong-box is made up of two sections: the first is a receptacle which forms an integral part of the housing itself of the machine and has a collection aperture usually closed by a seal; and the other is a lid secured to the receptacle by means controlled by the seal and disposed substantially within the receptacle. In one embodiment the securing means is a pin which engages the lid and the seal when in its closed position. In a second embodiment the securing means is one or more tabs formed integral with the slide which engage openings formed in a part of the lid, and one or more tabs formed integral with a part of the lid which engage openings formed in the bottom of the receptacle when the seal is in its closed position.

Abstract: In an electrical connection system between a payment card (10) including an integrated memory circuit (11), and an information transfer apparatus (15) for reading and writing data in the memory circuit, terminals (14) of the card (10) are covered with a protective layer of a plastic material (13) which is perforable and recoverable (self-healing), and the transfer apparatus is provided, for each terminal, with a projection (16) of hard metal ending at a point (17) to be urged with a defined force on to the corresponding terminal in the card through the protective layer.

Abstract: In order to compensate the hydrodynamic pressure on the turbine of a flowmeter, means are provided to create a zone of reduced pressure of constant value upstream of the turbine hub, together with means for creating a zone of pressure, on the downstream face of the hub, varying in a defined manner as a function of the axial position of the turbine. The pressure difference thus created on either side of the turbine hub produces a reaction force tending continuously to balance the hydrodynamic pressure of the fluid whatever the flow rate. The invention is particularly applicable to high flow rate water meters.

Abstract: A vortex fluid flowmeter adapted to measure the flowrate of fluid passing through a conduit by measuring the frequency of emission of alternating vortices generated by an obstacle extending across the conduit, comprises a mesh structure mounted upstream of the vortex-shedding obstacle. Said mesh structure is constituted by a grid made of bars of wires of rectangular cross-section. The distance between the grid and the obstacle is so chosen that the obstacle be in the efficient working range of the grid.