GB1371382A - Ticket issuing and acceptance mechanisms - Google Patents

Abstract

1371382 Coin-freed ticket-issuing machines; ticket verifying machines FARETAKER Ltd 18 Aug 1972 [8 June 1971] 19312/71 Headings G4T and G4V A ticket issuing machine, e.g. for public transport systems, comprises a box 18 for receiving coins of any of a number of denominations, counters 16 corresponding one to each of the denominations, means (not shown) responsive to an inserted coin to send a pulse to the corresponding counter 16, a totalizer 10 for receiving the values held in the counters 16, a number of stops 14 spaced alongside the path of a ticket web 40, solenoids (Fig. 4, not shown) for projecting into the web path a particular stop 14 depending upon the value held in totalizer 10, and a guillotine 44 for cutting off a ticket whose length is a function of the inserted coin's value. In the preferred embodiment (Fig. 1, not shown) the ticket length is a fixed length n plus (a + b) increments of length, a being the number of travel stages paid for and b the number of transport stages the vehicle had travelled from its starting point before being boarded by the passenger concerned. The value b is entered into the totalizer 10 by the driver and updated as the vehicle proceeds along its route. After each ticket issuing operation, totalizer 10 is returned to value b, rather than zeroized. The totalizer 10 may also serve as the units counter 16, pulses from the 1p channel passing direct to the totalizer to be subsequently augmented by the values from the other three counters. The totalizer and counters may be rotary switches. The totalizer switch may include a first bank of contacts acting as the totalizer, a second bank whose contacts are connected to corresponding solenoids for stops 14, a third bank rendered operative when a child's ticket (half price) is required and whose nth contact is connected to the 2nth solenoid, a fourth bank having bridged contacts for rapidly resetting the totalizer, and a fifth bank through which the driver enters value b. A child's ticket is notched by a punch. During busy times or when a passenger has no change, depression of a "free" ticket button 20 results in stop 14 corresponding to the value b held in the totalizer becoming operative, the fare being paid on alighting from the vehicle. The ticket feed mechanism 42 folds the web 40 longitudinally into a V-section. On abutting a stop 14, the web shifts the whole stop assembly slightly to close a switch (Fig. 5, not shown) energizing the guillotine. After severing, a lever (Fig. 4) resets the set stop 14 and displaces the severed ticket into a shoot. A photo-cell guarding the delivery end of the shoot frees a turnstile when the ticket is removed from this delivery end. Checking ticket when passenger alights.-The ticket is moved along a channel 82 between lamps 70, 72 and corresponding fibre optic conductors 83. The lamp 72 and one of the lamps 70 corresponding to the travel stage reached are illuminated. A ticket whose length entitles travel to or beyond this stage masks the two illuminated lamps simultaneously and this event is registered through the conductors 83 and circuitry (not shown) to operate a solenoid 86 which moves a gate 84 to the solid line position shown and a barrier or turnstile is freed. For a ticket which does not mask both lamps simultaneously, the gate 84 will remain in the broken line position and the ticket will pass into space 88 for inspection by the driver.