A parking meter is used on main roads in cities where parking spaces are limited and therefore must be paid for. For each space there is a meter into which money is inserted, and time is allocated for the amount inserted. A window in the parking meter allows the motorist to see the time scale allotted. If the allotted parking time expires and no more money is inserted, a penalty is incurred.
In 1932, Carl C. Magee from Oklahoma City applied to the US Patent Office with the designs for a parking meter. His first meter looked rather like a loaf of bread on a small pole. A glass window displayed the `vacant' sign.
The patent rights were granted in 1936, but in the previous year, Magee had already presented a second application which gave details of refinements he had made to his original device. This second prototype resembled the shape of a cobras head, and is the most commonly seen meter in many cities of the world.
