US1043381A

US1043381A - Taximeter.

Info

Publication number: US1043381A
Application number: US56986810A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter George Wolfe
Original assignee: FRANK VAN RAALTE
Current assignee: FRANK VAN RAALTE
Priority date: 1910-07-01
Filing date: 1910-07-01
Publication date: 1912-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1929-11-05

Description

W. G; WO'LPB.

TAXIMETER.'

APPLICATION FILED JULY l, 1910.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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W. G. WOLFE.

TAXIMETER. APPLICATION FILED' JULY 1, .1910.

l Patented --Nov. 5, 1912.

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mv 1 a NN.. v Y $\|TH NN QM NNW. f uw .I ww hw 15d Il Sm@ n @V1 W. G. WOLFE.

TAXIMBTER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1, 1916.

1,043,381 Patented Nov.5, 1912.

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W. G. WQLPL.

TAXIMETER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1910.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5. f

W. G. WOLFE.

TAXIMBTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY1, 1910.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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fmyerCJ-Qr, 7771K@ 77' if, M #11% Vl//SSES/ `To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

Y WALTER GEORGE WOLFE, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A-SSIGNORTO FRANK VAN RAALTE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

'raxmnrna Specieation of Letters Patent.

Application led J'uly 1, 1910. Serial No. 569,868.

Be it known that I, WLTER Gnonon lVoLFE, a citizen of the United States, re-l siding at `Wakefield, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented i certain `new and useful Improvements` in Taximeters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention,` such Vas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present4 invention relates to an improvement in taximeters.

The object of the invention is to produce an improved form of taximeter particularly intended to eliminate fraud by the driver either u on the fare or upon the owner of the-ve icle.

Further objects of the invention `are Vpointed out in connection with the descri tion of the taximeter hereinafter set fort To the above ends the present invention consists in the taximeter hereinafter declaims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one form ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3`of Fig. 2; Fig. 4-is a right hand end elevation; Fig. 5 is a sectional view` on the line 5-5 of' Fig. 2, illustrating the printing scribed and particularly pointed out in the mechanism for the mileage indicator; Fig,

6 is an end elevation of the counter viewed as seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the counter viewed from the right, as seen in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 isla sectional elevation on the line 8-8 ofFig. 3, illustrating the mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the counter with a vehicle wheel; Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 isa detail of the lower end of the signal lever; and Fig. 11 is a section on line 1111 of Fig. 10.

In describing the taximeter illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a general description of the whole machine will first be set forth, and then a detailed description of the various parts of the machine will follow.

As the object of the invention is to secure a taxiineter upon which the passenger or fare is willing implicitly to rely, and at the same time to secure an instrument which will secure for the vehicle owner the rethereby causing a movement of the counter to indicate the minimum charge andat the saine time connecting the4 mileage indicator with one of the front wheels.` With the travel of the vehicle, the counter is actuated to record, in fare equivalents of the distance, the charge to be made to the fare'. If now, without discharging the vehicle, the fare suspends travel, as .by paying a call, and the vehicle is kept waiting, the charge for the time during which the vehicle is lkept waiting is indicated by the driver, in the presence of the fare, by turning the waiting Patented Next5, 1912.

ceipt of all the money collected by they I I.

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charge indicator tothe amount determined by the length, of time during which the vehicle was kept waiting. Thereupon, with the journey resumed, the counter records the charge to be made for the distance traveled. At the end of the journey, when the vehicle is discharged, the4 driver takes hold of the signal and moves the signal from occupied to vacant position, which is the position indicated in Fig. 1. This movement of the signal causes the printing mechanism tov take an impression from the counter and waiting wheels of the amounts indicated v thereby. It also resets the counter wheelsv back to zero and 'disconnects the counter from the vehicle wheel, so that the driver may take the vehicle to his stand again without recording charges. The impression from the mileage and waiting-charge indicators having been made upon the paper, the driver turns the proper crank, which causes the machine to feed through a slot in the cover one of the two pieces of paper upon which theamount so stamped ap ears. Having fed a suilicient len h' o this stri through the cover, lthe river tears it o and hands it to the fare, who pays the sum of the amounts indicated by the mileage and waiting-charge indicators.

0lutch.-The Iflexible shaft cover 10 leads verted U-shaped franie piece.

the flexible shaft from the front wheel of the machine to the worm shaft 11, carrying a worm which engages the worm wheel 12 mounted in a bearing 13 and supported on the frame of the machine. The worm wheel carries a striker 14 which engages the counter lever 49, by. which the counter is actuated to count the rotations of the worm wheel 12.v The worm wheel 11 is mounted in bearings 15 and 16 which are pivotally mounted, the former on the side 17 of an inverted tl-shaped frame piece and the lat- .ter at 18 on the opposite side 19 of said in- The above described arrangement is such that the bearings 15 and 16 may be swung about their pivots on the frame piece 17, 19 so as to throw the worm into and out of mesh with the worm wheel 12. This movement of the worm shaft is accomplished by means of a lever 2O pivotd at 21 to the side 19 of the frame piece, by the engagement of the end 22 of said lever to the under side of the bearing 16. When the lever 22 is turned by depressing the long arm, as viewed in F ig. 8, it lifts the worm shaft to throw the worm into mesh with the worm wheel. The longer arm 23 of the lever 20 is engaged by a spring 24 which normally tends to pull such arm down and by the end 25 of the lever 26 pivoted at 27 upon the back piece 28 of the frame of the machine. This lever 26 will, for eonvenience, be referred to hereafter as the clutch lever. Tt is adapted to be actuated by an other lever 119 hereafter referred to as the clutch and reset lever. The clutch and reset lever 119 in turn is actuated by a movement of the signal lever 98 in the direction to move it from occupied to vacant position.

Gaumen-The counter comprises the devices for counting the money units corresponding to the distance traveled and the minimum charge. ln general, in construction, organization and mode of operation, it conforms to the counter illustrated and described in the patent to Wolfe for'counters, No. 1,003,022, patented September 12, 1911. ln certain details of construction, however, it departs therefrom. lt will sufice, it is thought, to identify various parts of the counter herein illustrated with the corresponding partsY of the counter illustrated in said patent. The dime, dollar and eagle wheels are designated 29, 30 and 31 respectively, and correspond to the dime,

dollar and eagle wheels 5, 6 and 7 of said patent. The wheels are each provided with clock springs for returning them to their zero positions. The wheels are each provided with ten ratchet teeth; the depth of the notches for nine of the teeth is the same, but for the tenth tooth a deep tripping ratchet notch is provided for the purpose of causing a variation in the operation of the pawl mechanism acting to throw the ratchet of the next higher wheel into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet of the next higher wheel. The dime wheel 29 is provided with a detent, adapted to engage a back-stopV vrotate backwardly until the detent strikes the back-stop. This is all as in the construction of said patent. The dime pawl 33 shown in front elevation in Fig. 7 corre` spends to the pawl 21 illustrated in said patent. It is pivotally mounted upon the paivl carrier 34, corresponding to the part 22 of said patent. The pawl carrier 34, in turn, is provided at its end with ears pivot ed at 35 to the arms 36 which in turn are pivoted at 37 to the uprights 38. These correspond to the pawl carrier 22 and arms 34 pivoted at 25 to the uprights 10 in said patent. A cross-bar 39 (corresponding to the cross-bar 26 of said patent) is also pivoted at 35 to the arms 36 and is provided with an ear 40 (corresponding to the ear 27 in said patent) to which at 41 is pivoted the link 42 pivoted at 43 to the uprights 44. Upon the upper surface of the link 42, above the pivot 41, a roller 45 rests, which is pivoted in the arms 46 which are pivotally mounted at their ends at 47 in the uprights 44. The outer end of the arms 46 carries a pin 48 upon which the counter actuating lever 49 bears. The counter lever 49 is pivoted at 50 to the uprights 44. ()scillations of the arm 49 impart precipitations to the pawlcarrier 34 which cause the actuation of the ratchet wheels. The above described arrangement is such that with each rotation of the worm wheel 12 the striker 14 causes an oscillation of the pawl-actuating lever 49 which causes the pawl-carrying bar 34 to be moved in the direction to cause the pawl to advance the dime wheel one tooth. The'pawl 33 is provided with a tooth-engaging portion which is adapted to engage the several teeth of the ratchet wheel 29. This pawl is also providediwith a tooth-engaging portion and also with an incline, corresponding respectively to the tooth-engaging portion 35 and the incline 36 of the construction of said patent. The pawl is pivoted on the pawlcarrier to permit lateral movement, as in said patent, and the same sort of a spring for holding it in normal position is provided. VVith each actuation of the pawlcarrier, the dime wheel is advanced onetenth of a rotation until nine teeth have been racked by, then with a return of the pawl to its upper position, it finds itself in the tripping ratchet notch, corresponding to the tripping ratchet notchl of said patment the pawl falls down into this tripping ratchet notch, a spring attached to the pawlcarrying bar pulling the pawl in the direction to enter said notch. This downward movement of the pawl brings the inclined surface thereof into engagement withthe outer inclined side of a tripping prong, corresponding in position and functionto the tripping prong 40 of said patent, which swings the pawl laterally against the' pressure of its spring out of engagement withY the ratchet wheel, thereby, so far as thepawl is concerned, releasing the ratchet wheel. The end of the pawl now bottoms on the releasing lever 51 and swings the left-hand end of that lever downward thereby causing the right-hand end 52 to rise. The ratchet wheell 29 is provided with ten retaining holes adapted to be engaged by a detent 53 mounted inthe end of a springarm 54 secured at 55 to the frame of the machine. The right-hand end 52 of the releasing lever 51 1s provided with a wedge head 56 which, when the releasing lever51 is oscillated in the manner above described, slides under the detent-car'rying arm 54, and lifts it so as to withdraw the detent y53 from the hole corresponding to the retaining hole in the ratchet disk 29. The downward motion of .the pawl, therefore, at the time when it enters the tripping ratchet notch,

operates tocause the bar to be withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet wheel, in the-manner above described, and at the same time to withdraw the detent from en.-

gagement with the ratchet wheel, so that the` ratchet wheel is entirely released from control either the retaining means or the pawl, and it then rotates backward under the influence of a clock spring to its origi- .pnal position, thereby bringing the figures on it indicating zero back to the bottom of the roll, the dime wheel then occupying the position illustrated in vFig.-` 7 and being ready to count another series of ten quarter miles. Each of the releasing levers 5l is provided with a spring 57 normally tending' to holdit in raised position, and corresponding in function to the spring 48 of said patent. Springs 58 attached to the cross-bar 39 are provided to lift the pawl-actuating lever and associated parts in the position` of the dime ratchet wheel, and. this added movement of the pawl-carrying bar 34 suffices to bring the dollar pawl 59 into engagement with the first tooth of the ratchet wheel .of the dollar wheel 30, and then with the completion of the forward movement of the pawl-carrying bar 34, the dollar wheel is advanced one tooth from a zero reading to a reading. of 1, as the dime wheel is released and' restored to its zero position.

Only when the pawl 33 enters the tripping ratchet notch of the dime wheel does the pawl 59 engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel ofthe dollar wheel. Similarly, only when the

pawls

33 and 59 engage the tripping ratchet notches of both the dime and dollar wheels, does't-he eagle pawl 60 engage the teeth of' they ratchet wheel of the eagle wheel 31. The depth of the notches in the dime wheel is so slight that except when the pawl 33 enters the tripping ratchet notch thereof, the pawl. 59 does not descend low enough to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel on the dollar wheel. So also with they other wheel, that is, the depth of the notches in the ratchet wheel of the dollar wheel is such as to hold the Lpaw-l-'carrying bar 34 so high that the pawl 60 cannot engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel of the-eagle wheel except when the pawls33 and 59` enter the tripping ratchet notches of 'both the dime and dollar wheels.- Itshould bevremarked, in passing, that the dime and-dollar pawls swing to the right, as viewed inwFig. 7, while the eagle pawl swings to the left. The releasing levers of the dime and dollar wheels are both located on the right-hand sides of the dime and dollar wheels, while the. releasing lever for the eagle wheelis located on the left-hand side thereof.

vWaiting indicatiom--1`l1e waiting dime wheel 61 and the waiting dollar wheel 62 are mounted, the former in the upright 63 and the latter in the upright 64. Their adjacent surfaces ,are provided with star recesses, similar to those illustrated in said patent. Avloose. shaft 65 extends through both the dime and dollar waiting wheels and carries a star Wheel 66 adapted to be engaged with either the one or the other thereof, as in said patent. The knurled head 67 secured-to the star shaft 65 affords provision for turning the waiting wheels. Ratchet wheels 68- and lspace 76, the opening 77 in the plate there being provided to permit the strips to be pressed upward against the wheels. of the.

counter, when the impression is taken therefrom. Fig. 5 illustrates the construction -of the printing mechanism for printingk thel amount indicated by the counter and which consists of a platen 78 mounted upon a vertical stem 79 carried in a sleeve 8O and actuated by a lever 81 pivoted at 82 to the frame of the machine, the opposite end of the lever being pivotally connected with a stud 83 by means of a pin 84 which extends outward in opposite directions from the said stud and engages the lever 81 on the one side and the lever 85 of the printing mechanism for the waiting wheels on theother side. Suitable framework is provided for the parts illustrated in Fig. 5. A spring 86 under the stud 83 normally holds the platen down. rlhe two printing mechanisms, the one for the counter and the other for the waiting wheels are identical in construction. The feed rollers 72 and 73 and the receiving spool 74 are connected by a link-belt 87, the sprocket wheel 88 on the feed roller 73 being secured to the shaft of such roller, while the sprocket wheel 89 of the shaft of the receiving spool 74 is loosely mounted on such shaft, being journaled in the stand 90 and frictionally connected with the receiving spool74 by means of a friction clutch con-4 trivance consisting of a star spring 91 which is secured to the sprocket wheel 89 and adapted to bear with frictional pressure4 upon the 4side of the receiving spool 74. The supply spool is provided with a similar star spring to hold it from overrunning. A.

strips.

while the duplicate thereof is to be wound up upon the receiving spool 74.

Interconnect/ing wicca-Starting with the vehicle waiting for a fare, with the signal in the position indicated in Fig. 1, thatl is, the vacant position, the driver throws the signal down to the occupied position. rl `his operates to cause the counting of the minimumfare and to close the clutch connection with the vehicle wheel. The signal statt 93 is provided with a by-pass pawlv94 pivoted at 95 to the stada 93, and provided with a spring 96 to return it to the image1 position illustrated in F ig. 10. This bypass pawl may be called the minimum-fare pawl, as it engages the horn 97 of the lever 98 pivoted at 99 to depress the same and thereby cause its end 100 to engage the end 101 of the cross-lever 102 pivoted at 103, the opposite end 104 of which engages the end 105 of the lever 106 pivoted at 107, the opposite end 108 of which is provided with a pin 109 secured in the vertical rod 110 supported in a bar 111 secured to the frame of the machine, and normally h'eld in raised position by the spring 112. The upper end of the rod 110 carries. the counter-lever engaging arm 113 which engages the end 114 of the counter-lever 49. The above described arrangement is such that when the signal is thrown from the vacant position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the occupied position at right angles thereto, the minimum-fare pawl 94 operates to cause a quarter mile actuation of the counter, ,to thereby cause it to register the minimum fare. The lever 98 through the cross-lever 102 actuates the lever 106 to cause the rod 110 to be depressed, so that its 'end 113 shall cause the movement of the counter-lever 49. Upon the movement of the signal lever to the vacant position, the minimum-fare pawl 94, being pivotally mounted on the staff 93, passes the horn 97 without operation thereof.A A spring 115 attached to the end 105 of the lever 106 normally tends to hold the parts, in position with the end 113 raised to the top of its backward movement. A. spring 116 holds A the end 100 of the lever 98 down on the end 101 of the cross-lever 102. The same mo'vement of the signal from-the vacant to the occupied position carries the rolleri 117 mounted on the staff of the signal lever from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 downward to the right. The staff 93 is pivoted at 118 upon a part of the frame of the machine. and the curvature of the surface of the clutch-and-reset lever 119 is such that this movement ofl the roller 117 permits the lever 119 to rise. The clutch-and-reset lever 119 bears upon its rear side the boss 120 which rests'upon the end 121 of the clutch lever 26, so, therefore, when the clutch-and-reset lever 119 rises, it permits thehend 121 of the lever 26 to be raised through the medium of the spring 24 which pulls down the end 23 of the lever 20 resting upon the end 25 of the lever 26, the opposite ',end 22 of the'le've'r 20 at the san'ie time raising the worm into engagement with the worm wheel 12, thereby closing the clutch' and connectingthe striker-actuating mechanism with the vehicle wheel. Thus it is seen that when the signal, is moved from 'the vacant to the occupied position, it operates to cause the registration of the minimum fare and to clutch the counter to the vehicle wheel. The movement of the signal in the opposite direction, from the-occupied to the vacant position, does two things. First, the roller 117, by engagement with the clutchand-reset lever 119, causes the opening of the clutch, and therefore, the disconnection of the counter from the vehicle wheel. In passing, it may be observed that this movement of the signal has no effect upon the minimumv fare connections. This movement 1g of the signal lever from the occupied to the vacant position also prints the fare and resets the counter. The actuation of the printing devices is secured by Ameans of the printing pawl 122 pivotally mounted on the 15. lower end of the staff 93 of the signal lever. This pawl is a by-pass pawl, being provided withl a spring 123-normally holding it in the position illustrated in Fig. 10, but permitting it to swing to the right, as viewed'in said figure, during the Amovement of the signal from they vacant to the occupied position, so that no actuation of the printing mechanism occurs at this time. This printing pawl 122, when the signal is thrown from vacant to occupied position, passes by the horn 124 of the printing lever 125 pivoted at 126 to the frame of the machine, so that during the time the vehicle is occupied the pawl 122 rests upon the upper surface 127 of the horn 124. The lever 125 bears upon the pin 128 secured in the stud 83 of the printing mechanism. The above described arrangement is such that when the, signal is thrown from occupied to vacant position the pawl 122 g5 engages the surface 127 of the horn 124 of the printing lever 125 and swings such lever downward, causing it to depress the pin 128 connected with the stud 83, whereby the platens-of the printing devices areraised and an impression from the wheels of the counter and the waiting wheels is made upon the check strips.

Passing now to the resetting of the counter, which is an operation required to be .45 performed after the printing of the amount indicated thereby'. The clutch-and-reset lever 119 bears upon its ronbside the-boss 129 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is connectedv with the resetting devices ior the counter. This boss 129 engages the projection 130 (Fig. 3) of the reset slide 131 which is slotted at 132 (Fig. 1) and secured by'screws 133 to the standard 134 rising from the base of the machine. A spring 135 (Fig. 1) secured vto the standard 134 at 136 extends downward and is secured at its lower end to the slide 131 which it thereby normally tends to hold in raised position. The upper end of the slide 131 is provided with a table 137 (Fig. 30 1) which engages a pin 138 (Fig. 4) which is connected to the vertical slide 139 at one end and to the vertical slide 140 at the other end. The slide 140 is slotted at 141 (Fig. 4) and slidingly secured to a part ot' the frame of the machine 142 by means of the screws 143. The slide 140 communicates motion to the pawl carrier 34 for the purpose of lifting the same, and the slide 139 communicates motion to the releasinglever.

51 for the purpose of releasing the counter 70 wheels. The lower end of the slide 140 is provided with a projection 144 (Figs. 2 and 7) which engages oneend of the lever 145 pivoted at 146 (Fig. 2) on a portion of the frame, of the machine. The other end of the lever 145 engages a -slot in the vertical slide -pin 147 (Fig. 7) supported in the barl 148 -to the frame of the machine and which engages at its upper end the left-hand end of the pawl carrier 34 (Fig. 7), thereby act- 30 ing, -when it rises, to raise the pawl carrier and disengage the pawls from the ratchet wheels of the several 'counteriwheels The slide-139 is slotted at 149 (Fig. l) and secured by screws passing through suchslots to a portion of the frame of the machine, and it bears at its lower end against the lefthand end, as viewed in Fig. 7, of the releasecontrolling lever 150 (Fig. 6) pivoted at opposite sides of the frame of the machine, at the right-hand end at 151 (Fig. 6) and at the left-hand end at a similar place on the s opposite side. This release-controlling lever 150 h'as a lip 152 (Figs. 6 and 7) which engages the ends of the releasing levers, so that when the release-controlling lever 150 is depressed, its lip 152 engages the ends of the releasing levers 51 for the dime wheel, 153 for the dollar wheel and 154 for the eagle wheel, so as thereby to release all of these wheels and permit their return to zero.' A spring 155 (Figs. 6 and7) secured at one end to the frame of the machine and at the other end to the release-controlling lever 150 normally tends to support that lever in its raised position.

To revert to the movement of the signal from occupied to vacant position, we observe now that such movement first causes the rinting mechanism to stamp the amounts indicated by the counter and waiting wheels upon the check strips and then releases the counter wheels by the lifting of they pawls and the raising of the detents from engagement with the holes in the counter wheels.

The operation of the machine has been described in connection with the descrip tion of the various parts thereof, and it is deemed unnecessary here to repeat such operation.

It is to be understood that this machine is to be inclosed in a suitable casing or s hell so as to prevent the access of the driver thereto. It is also to be understood that Whiley the embodiment illustrated in the drawings is that which the applicant has produced and which erforms the o eration hereinbefore describec, and is, there ore, the best embodiment which the applicant has yet made, his invention is not limited to such specific embodiment as it may be embodied in other and different forms within the contemplation of t-he invention Adened in the claims.

While in the foregoing specication the counter has been referred to by that name alone, it is to be understood that such counter is intended to make an indication in money of the distance which the vehicle has carried the fare, so, therefore, in some of the claims the counter has been referred to as a mileage indicator. Similarly, the wheels which indicate the charge for the time during which the machine is kept waiting, may conveniently be referred to as the waiting charge indicator.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. A taXimeter, having, in combination, a counter, a signal formed by a pivoted arm, means for connecting the counter to a vehicle Wheel, minimum charge devices, a lever for operating the said minimum charge devices, and a pawl on the signal arm adapted to engage said lever when the arm is thrown from vacant to occupied position and cause said counter to register the mini` mum charge.

2. A taXimeter, having, in combination, counting wheels, holding means and actuating means for the counting wheels, a signal formed by a pivoted arm, means for operating the counteractuating means from a ve.- hicle wheel, -nieans operated by the signal when moved from vacant to occupied -position to actuate the counting wheels and register the minimum charge, means for guiding a record'strip beneath the counting wheels, a platen, a pawl carried by the signal, and a lever connected to the platen and adapted to be moved by the pawl when the signal is thrown from occupied to vacant position to press the strip into contact with the counting wheels.

Y3. A taximeter, having, in combination, counting Wheels, holding means and actuating means for the counting Wheels, a signal, means for operating the counter actuating means from va vehicle wheel, means operated by the signal when moved from vacant to occupied position to actuate the counting wheels and register the minimum charge, a pair of rolls adapted to carry a record strip, means connecting said rolls together whereby the record strip willr be wound from one roll to the other, means for guiding the record strip beneath the counting wheels, a platen, a lever connected to the platen, and means carried by the signal adapted to engage the lever when the signal is thrown from occupied to vacant position to operate the platen.

4. A taximeter, having, in combination, counting Wheels, actuating means for the counting wheels, a signal for indicating Whether the vehicle is occupied or vacant,

means for operating the counter actuating means fro-ni a vehicle wheel, means operated by the movement o-f the signal from vacant Ito occupied position for turning the counting wheels to register a minimum charge, and means acting automatically for returning the counting wheels to zero position when the signal is thrown from occupied to vacantposition.

5. A taximeter, having, in combination, counting mechanism, an actuating lever connected thereto, means for turning the lever to actuate the counting mechanism from a vehicle wheel including a wheel having a striker adapted to contact with said lever, and means adapted to Contact with and turn the lever independently of said striker for registering the minimum charge on the counting mechanism.

G. A taXimeter, having, in combination, counting wheels, means for actuating the counting wheels from a vehicle wheel including a clutch, means for resetting the counting wheels to Zero, a signal lever for indicating Whether the vehicle is occupied or vacant, a clutch-and-reset-,lever adapted to be turned when the signal lever is turned from occupied tov vacant position, conne'ctions between the clutch-and-reset-lever and the clutch acting to disengage the clutch when the signal lever is thrown from occupied to vacant position, and connections between the clutch-and-reset-lever` and the resetting means acting to allow-the resetting means to turn the counting wheels to zero when the signal lever is thrown from occupied to vacant position.

7 A taximeter, having, in combination, counting wheels, actuating means for the counting wheels, means for operating the counter actuating means from a vehicle wheel, a signal lever for indicating whether the vehicle is occupied or vacant, means for guiding a record strip beneath the counting wheels, a platen, a 'pawl carried by the signal lever, a lever connected to the platen and adapted to -be moved by the'pawl when the signal lever is thrown from occupied to vacant position to press the strip into contact with the counting wheels, means for resetting the counting wheels to Zero, a lever connected to said resetting means and having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the signal lever so as to actuate the resetting means after the platen has pressed the strip against the counting wheels.

8. A taximeter having, in combination, a counting wheel, mechanism for turning the counting wheel, means including a clutch for actuating the counting wheel turning mechanism from a vehicle wheel to register a mileage charge, a signal lever for indicating whether the vehicle is occupied or vacant, means including a pawl and ratchet connection with the signal lever for actuating the counting wheel 4turning mechanism to register a minimum charge when the signal leyer is moved from vacant .to occupied position, means including a pawl and ratchet connection with the signal'lever for making a printed record of the chargeindicated by the counting wheel, holding and resetting means for the counting wheel, and mechanism including a cl'utch-and-reset-lever actuated by movement of the signal lever from occupied to vacant position for disengaging the clutch and for releasing the holding. means and allowing the counting wheel to vbe turned to zero by the resettingmeans 9. A taximeter, having, in l'combinatiorn counting wheels, actuating means for the counting wheels, a clutch for connecting said counting wheels to a vehicle wheel, a spring normally tending to hold said clutch engaged, holding means for the counting wheels, a spring normally holding said holding means in engagement with the counting wheels, mechanism for taking a printedrecord from the counting wheels, mechanism for turning the counting wheels to indicate a minimum charge, a slgnal for indicating whether the vehicle is occupied or vacant', connecting means between the signal and the printing mechanism including a pawl adapted to actuate the printing mechanism when the signal is thrown from occupied to' vacant position, connecting means between the sig-i nal and the minimum charge mechanism including a pawl adapted to actuate the minimum charge mechanism when the signal is vthrown from vacant to occupied position,

l 10. A taximeter, having, in combination,

counting Wheels, means for actuating the counting wheels. from a vehicle wheel, a" waiting charge lndicator wheel, means for operating the waiting charge indicator wheel to indicate the amount of such waiting charge, two platens adapted to coperate with the counting wheel and the waiting vcharge wheel respectively, means for guid` inga record strip over both platens, a spring for each platen acting to withdraw the platens from their respective Wheels, levers connected to the platens, a signal lever for indicating whether` the vehicle. is occupied or vacant, andv connections between the platen levers andthe signal lever acting to move the platens to' press the strip into contact yv'ith the counting and waiting charge wheels when the signal leveriis thrown from 1 occupiedto vacant position.. y y

WALTR GEORGE WoLFE. -Witnesses:

HORACE VAN EVEREN, l A.AcKRoYD.