GB1277844A - A combined multi-journey ticket dispense and cancellation unit - Google Patents

Abstract

1277844 Ticket cancelling and dispensing LANCASHIRE UNITED TRANSPORT Ltd and R BAILEY 20 April 1971 [1 April 1970] 15326/70 Heading G4T A multi-use prepaid ticket cancellation unit, particularly for use with travel tickets, comprises a ticket inlet 43, a cancellation device 11, means 21, 22 for conveying a ticket from the inlet to the device, means 38a to 38f for manually selecting the value of the cancellation to be effected, means responsive to the manual selection means for actuating the device to cancel the ticket in respect of the selected value by reducing the width of the ticket progressively along its length with successive cancellations, and means for sensing a ticket which is fully cancelled on insertion or whose remaining credit before cancellation is less than the selected value. In the embodiment described the unit also comprises a coin operated ticket dispenser 9, the tickets 17 dispensed being passed directly to the cancelling device 11 by means of a reciprocating plate 18 and the conveyer belt 21, the driving motor 24 of which is switched on by the leading edge of the ticket engaging lever 25 and operating microswitch 26. The cancellation device comprises a fixed printing block 27 and a ram 28 connected to a solenoid 29 (see also Figs. 3 and 4, not shown). The printing block carries a column of figures corresponding to the fares, a machine number, and manually adjustable fare stage printing wheels 30. The ram has a pair of cutting blades (36) with a spacing slightly greater than the width of the block 27 and six pairs of apertures (35) through which pass stops 42. The leading pair of stops are urged downwardly and the other stops urged upwardly by springs and each pair of stops is connected to a corresponding pair of solenoids 39a-39f. The stops when lowered contact the forward end of the ticket adjacent each longitudinal edge. The operation of the push-button 38a corresponding to the lowest fare energizes the solenoid 29 immediately provided that the trailing end of the ticket is in contact with microswitches 20, lowering the ram 28 to sever a portion of length proportional to the fare from each side of the ticket. After a delay the solenoids 39a are energized to raise the leading stops 42 and the ticket is delivered to an exit slot 47. When a push-button 38b-38f is depressed the solenoids 39a and the corresponding pair of solenoids 39b-39f are energized immediately, to raise the leading stops and lower another pair, and the solenoid 29 is energized after a delay. When a previously used ticket is inserted through slot 43 the driving motor 24 is energized through lever 45 and microswitch 46 to deliver the ticket to the cancellation device. The stops 42 then engage the ends of the recesses formed in the ticket during the previous cancellation. If the stops 42 depressed correspond to a greater value than the remaining credit of the ticket, the ticket will be stopped in such a position that microswitches 20 are not operated and the circuit to solenoid 29 will be diverted to a buzzer.