GB1258913A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,258,913. Checking public transport passengers. COUNTY BOROUGH OF BRIGHTON. 31 Oct., 1969 [5 Aug., 1968], No. 37291/68. Heading G4T. A device for indicating when the number of passengers on board a public transport vehicle exceeds the number of unexpired fares comprises a passenger counter adapted to register the number of people on board the vehicle at any time, a fares counter adapted to register the individual totals of people whose fares expire at each of a number of fare stages, a total fares counter adapted to register the total number of fares, a control device operable to cause the total registered by the total fares counter to be reduced by the number associated with each individual fare stage in turn, and means enabling the totals stored in the passenger and total fares counters to be compared. As shown, operation of a ticket machine T or a reading device R causes G to generate a pulse which a distributer DS directs to one of a number of sections CF1-CFn of the fares counter CF. The distributer selects the particular section in dependence upon the position of the stage switch S, which is operated either manually or automatically when the vehicle passes each fare stage, and in dependence upon the denomination of the fare. The number recorded in each counter CF r is the number of passengers who have paid for travel to fare stage r. When the vehicle reaches fare stage r, operation of S clears CF r and subtracts its total from the total fares counter CT. The totals in CT and the passenger counter CP may be compared by device E (a lamp may be energized if CP's total exceeds that of CT) or the totals may be displayed for comparison. The passenger detector D operating CP may be in the form of a turnstile, a photosensitive device or pressure pads in the vehicle stairs, Fig. 4 (not shown). The whole device may be electro-mechanical, Fig. 2 (not shown). In an alternative and electronically operated embodiment, Fig. 3 (not shown), each section CF r of the fares counter is adapted to record the number of rth denomination fares paid. At each operation of the stage switch, the total in each CF r is transferred to CF r-1 and the total in the lowest order CF section is subtracted from the total fares counter.