Tuesday 24th May 1938

A US patent was issued for a Coin Controlled Parking Meter to Carl C. McGee of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (No. 2,118,318). The invention was designed for “measuring the time of occupancy or use of parking or other space, for the use of which it is desirous an incidental charge be made upon a time basis.” One or more coins were to be inserted, and a signal would indicate when a predetermined period of time after that had elapsed. (In this patent description, this time signal was designed to disappear from view when time expired.) The coin remained in an operative position until a clockwork spring was properly wound to drive the mechanism. The display was graduated to show time remaining.