{
  "patent_number": "US 2118318",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How the First Coin-Operated Parking Meter Works",
  "original_title": "Coin controlled parking meter",
  "summary": "Carl Magee's 1935 invention of the mechanical parking meter, which introduced the concept of paying for temporary street parking using a coin-activated timer.",
  "what_it_does": "The device functions as a mechanical timer housed in a weather-resistant casing. When a user inserts a coin, it engages a gear mechanism that physically rotates a dial or pointer to show the remaining time. As time passes, the internal clockwork mechanism slowly moves the pointer back to zero, at which point the parking time expires. This provided a way for cities to regulate curb space by physically limiting how long a vehicle could occupy a specific spot.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover electronic or digital payment systems like credit card readers or mobile apps.",
    "Does not cover networked systems that communicate with a central server to track occupancy.",
    "Does not cover sensors that detect the presence of a vehicle to start or stop the timer automatically."
  ],
  "filed": "1935-05-13",
  "granted": "1938-05-24",
  "expires": "1955-05-24",
  "status": "expired",
  "holder": "DUAL PARKING METER Co",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/dual-parking-meter-co",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Carl C Magee",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/carl-c-magee"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 15,
  "tags": [
    "mechanical",
    "automotive"
  ],
  "abstract": null,
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2118318/parking-meter-magee",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2118318/parking-meter-magee/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US2118318",
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}