US1082422A - Fare-register. - Google Patents

Description

L. J. HARRIS.

FARE REGISTER.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 27. 1912.

^ Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ATTORNEYS L. J. HARRIS. FARB REGISTER. APPLICATION HALED Nov. 27, 1912.

1,082,422. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS J. HARRIS, 0F ALBANY, GEORGIA.

FARE-REGISTE R.

Application filed November 27, 1912.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Lnwis J. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Albany, in the county of Dougherty and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fare-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

l\/Iy invention relates to fare registers of a kind adapted for use upon passenger cars of various types, including street cars, and of peculiar service in recording the number of passengers carried, and if desired, recording also information as to the destination of the passengers.

My invention comprehencls mechanism controllable partly by the weight of the passenger entering the car, and partly by a voluntary or manual act of the passenger independently of his weight, for prepar-v ing a record of the number of passengers taken aboard at various stations, and also'y for indicating respectively the various desti` nations for which the several passengers are bound.

My invention further includes mechanism controllable automatically by the exit of passengers from the car for indicating at what stations and in what numbers the passengers leave the car.

My invention likewise comprehends means controllable by the crew alone as distin-` guished from passengers for designating the entrance or exit of members of the crew.

My invention further contemplates pro-V vision for preventing the conductors and other employees as well as unauthorized persons from unduly tampering with the mechanism in order to cause the latter to indica-te false returns.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which like letters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a pas-v senger car equipped with my invention, befv ing a section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2,

looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig.`

2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig.1, 3 is a rear elevation of the recorder; Fig` 4f is a fragmentary side elevation of the recording mechanism; Fig. 5 is a horizon` tal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 look'A ing in the direction of the arrow; Fig. (if is a substantially central vertical sectionl through the recording mechanism; Fig. 7

is a detail showing a portion of the record` Specification of Letters Iatent.

latented Dec. 23,1913.

Serial No. 733,799.

ing strip upon which is indicated the number of passengers and other respective designations; and, Fig. 8 is a detail showing in section on the line 8 3 of Fig. 2 the latch mechanism for normally holding the inner door closed.

All of the views illustrate mechanisms carried by a car which in this instance is a railway passenger car.

A wall or partition is shown at 4' and the car body at 7a. A door S, normally closed by a spring S, is located upon th-e threshold of the car, and at 9 is an inner door parallel with the door 3 and normally closed. rIhe doors 8 and 9 with the space between them constitute practically a vestibule. The car is provided with a fixed floor 10 and with a movable platform 11, the latter constituting a part of the floor, as will be understood from Fig. 1. The platform 11 is normally raised a little at one of its edges by springs, one of which is shown at 12. A bell crank lever 13 is journaled upon'a pivot pin 14e carried by a bracket 16 which extends downwardly from the fixed floor 10. Pivotally connected with the bell crank lever 13 is a link 15, which is also pivotally connected to the under side of the platform 11. A pitman 17 is connected with the bell crank lever 13 and with a rocking lever 13 disposed below and near the door 8. The rocking lever 18 is journaled upon a pivot 19 carried by a fork 20, the latter extending downwardly from the floor. The outer or free end of the lever 18 is connected with a clutch 21 having the form of a pin, and slidably mounted in a bracket 22, so as to extend through the same. The door 8 is clutched or held tixedly in position by the clutch 21 whenever the platform 11 is depressed by the weight of a passenger, that is, when a passenger steps upon the platform 11 so as to depress the same with his weight, motion is transmitted through the bell crank levers and link 15, and pitman 7, to the clutch 21, so as to cause the latter to rise and block the door 8, or at least to prevent this door from being free to open.

Extending downwardly from the floor 10 is a bracket 23, and pivotally mounted upon the same is a lever 24;. A link 25 extends from one end of this lever to the lower face of the platform 11 with which it is connected. A pitman 26 is pivotally connected with the lever 2-1- and extends upwardly to a bell crank lever 28. This bell crank lever is a part of the recorder, which as a whole is shown at 27. Adjacent to the bell crank lever 2S is a ratchet wheel 29. Engaging this ratchet wheel is a spring pawl 30 to prevent backward movement of the movable parts of the register. ik pawl 3l is carried by the bell crank lever 2S and engages the ratchet wheel 29. A link 32 is pivotally connected with the bell crank lever 2S and also with an impression lever 33. This impression lever is journaled to rock and is provided at its lower or free end with a printing die 34, preferably of a form suitable to print a dot or stip-ple.

A. shaft 35 supports a pair of spool heads or disks and with the latter' constitutes practically a revoluble spool. This spool carries a record roll 37, that. is, a spiral roll of printing paper which when unwound appears as indicated atl 37 a. Below the spool is a platen roller 38, and engaging the latter is a traction roll-er 39 mounted upon a revoluble shaft tO, this shaft supporting the ratchet wheel 29 and being` turned step by step by movements of the latter, as will be understood from Fig. 4;.

Below the roll 37 and upon opposite sides thereof are brackets lll which support revoluble ribbon spools 42 carrying an ink ribbon 43, which is partially wound upon each of these two spools and crosses the record strip 3.7a at a point immediately adjacent to the platen roller 38, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 6. The ink ribbon 43 is for the purpose of enabling a record to be printed upon the record strip, the impressions being made as hereinafter described. The ink ribbon may be moved from time to time by hand for the purpose of supplying a new surface of the ink ribbon, or if desired it may be moved automatically step by step, as in a typewriter, or again it may be discarded altogether and a carbon strip wound with the record strip 37a upon the shaft 35 so that the printing is effected by impressions made through the carbon sheet upon the printing strip. Since, however, the inking ribbon and the carbon strip are both well known in this art `and constitute no essential part of my invention I will not further describe them.

The partition or wall 7, which is stationary, is provided with a horizontally extending slot or opening 44e, and mounted partially within this slot or opening is a casing 45 which is movable horizontally and carries wings 4:50, which always cover the opening 44. Suspended within the casing from a rod 45a are a number of printing levers 4G, 46a each lever being normally held in its outermost position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 6, by a leaf spring Ll5. Each lever 4G, 4G is provided with a printing slug L7-that is, a projection carrying letters or a type form and adapted to be moved against the ribbon a3 so as to force the latter against the adjacent surface of the record strip 37n and print the letters thereupon. The several printing slugs designate the names of stations along the route. Each printing lever is provided with a projectingknob or key 4S, the several knobs correspondingr to the designations of the stations. The printing lever 46, which is the one located to the left according to Fig. 2, is used by the train crew alone, the other printing levers being used by the passengers.

The casing l5 is provided with bearings elf) having the form of eyes and encircling a pair of stationary rods 50, the latter being supported by stationary brackets 49a. Each printing lever 4-6 carries a boss 5l integral with it and extending inwardly of the casing. The casing is also provided with guides 52 disposed in pairs, as indicated in Fig. G.

Mounted upon the wall 7 and parallel thereto is a rod 53 carrying at one of its ends a bolt 54, which is adapted to be thrust into an escutcheon 55 carried by the door 0. The rod is provided with a flattened portion 53a, this portion being resilient and serving to some extenty as a spring The flattened resilient portion 53n is secured directly to the wall 7 and is in alinement with the adjacent ends of the bosses 5l. lhencver the knob or key l-S is pressed inwardly in relation to the casing 45, the boss 51 carried by the lever 4G causes the bolt -il to be retracted from the escutcheon 55 and releases the door 9 so that the latter may be swung open by merely pressing against it. Each time a printing lever 416 is swung inwardly by pressure applied to the key or knob 4S, the printing slug 47 prints the name of a station upon the record strip 37a and at the same time the door 9 is unbolted or left free, as just explained.

Just below the opening` la (see Figs. 5 and G) is a stationary guide bar all, which is provided with a single notch dit". This notch is of course stationary, and is so shaped and so located that the boss 5l of any lever 4G may pass through it, provided the casing` t5 be moved by hand into a position suitable for the registry of the particular lever 4G and the notch 44;". The arrangement is such that only one lever il@ at a time can be actuated, and that only one legend, indicating the name of a station, can be printed at a time.

Just below the printing lever 4G which is used as above stated by the crew alone, is a lock 57 provided with a bolt 5S, the printing lever 4G being` provided with a notch 59 for receiving this bolt. Each member of the crew is provided with a pocket key 60 fitting the lock 57. By inserting the key (E0 into the lock any member of the crew can cause the bolt 58 to be dr wn downwardly and out of the notch 59 so as to leave the printing distinctive mark of the printing lever 46a shows from the record that it is a member of the crew and not a passenger who has just entered the car. The passengers are unable to interfere with the printing lever used by the crew, it being normal as above indicated.

As a rule the apparatus above described is duplicated for each car and the passengers enter the car at one of the ends thereof and leave it by passing out at the opposite end. I do not deem it necessary to illustrate or describe the mechanism at the two ends of the car for the reason just indicated, to wit, that the mechanism at one end is exactly like that at the other end. Vhen, however the cars are constructed as just indicated, the levers 46 and keys or knobs 48 are used only at the end of the car serving for purposes of admitting the passengers, whereas at the discharge end of the car, the levers 46 and their keys or knobs are for the time being idle, though the platform 11 is actuated by the passengers stepping upon it, and the record strip at this end of the car has printed upon it in succession a number of dots or stipples, each representing the exit of one passenger,

The casing 45 is provided with a peep hole 56 through which the conductor can observe the record strip 37a. A door 57a is maintained normally locked being under the control of some officer of the company who may open it for the purpose of enabling him to inspect the mechanism. hleither the conductor, the train crew, nor the passengers can open this door.

The shaft 40 is provided with a knob 40a which extends into the vestibule and is accessible to the conductor. By grasping this knob and turning the shaft 40 the record strip 37a is drawn or fed downwardly. The conductor, however, has no means at his disposal for causing the record strip to move in the opposite direction. The record strip 37a is provided with a number of distinguishing marks 37b, the space between one of these marks and the next successive mark indicating the number of passengers and crew members entering the car (or leaving the car as the case may be) at the given station.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being assembled and arranged as above described, and the recorder 27 being provided with a new record roll 37, the apparatus is in condition for the journey of the car to begin. A passenger desiring to enter the car pulls open the door 8, which being in its normal condition is free to swing open, the clutch 21 being now in its lowermost or idle position. The passenger passes into the vestibule and the door 8 closes behind him. His weight upon the platform 1l actuates the various movable members connected with the clutch 2l and causes this clutch to rise. This prevents the door 8 from being opened for the moment by the next successive passenger. The downward movement of the .platform 1l by actuating the link 25, lever 24 and pitman 26 causes the bell crank lever Q8 to rock, and this transmits motion through the link 32 to the lever 33, thus causing the impression point 34 to print upon the record strip a dot or stipple 58, as indicated at the right of F ig. 7 The passenger now finds it impracticable to open the inner door 9 until h e records the station to which he is going. He thereupon selects the appropriate knob or key 48 bearing the name or destination of the station in question and moves the casing 45 to the right or left to such an extent as to bring the particular knob or key 48 he has chosen into proper alinement with the recording strip 37a. Until the particular lever 46 in question has been brought to the proper position relatively to the recording strip 87 it cannot be fully depressed. thus depressed, however', the boss 51 by bending the flat resilient portion 53a of the rod 53 withdraws the bolt 54 and unlocks the inner door, as above described. At the same time the printing slug 47 prints upon the reco-rd strip the destination to which the passenger is going. The inner door 9 being now free because of the disengagement of the bolt 54 from it, is pushed open by the passenger, who walks into the body of the car. As the passenger leaves the platform l1 the latter, acting under pressure of the spring l2, moves upwardly into its normal position and the pitman 26 now descends so that the lever 38 rocks into its normal position, indicated by full lines in Fig. 4. The rocking of the bell crank lever 28 causes the ratchet wheel Q9 to turn and this moves the traction roller 39 step by step, the movements of the record strip taking place during the time intervals when all of the printing mechanism is idle. The next successive passenger now finds the outer door 8 unclutched or free to open, whereupon he pushes it open, enters the vestibule, and repeats the process just described with reference to the rst passenger to enter. Each passenger thus entering the car first causes a dot or stipple 58 to be impressed upon the record strip 37a, thus indicating the entry lVhen it is of the passenger and each passenger registers his destination, Which is printer. in alinement with the stipple associated With this particular passenger, as indicated in Fig. 7. After the passengers have all entered the car and the train is ready to proceed to another station the conductor, looking through the peep hole and examining the record strip 87, grasps the record strip with his hand, as above described, and dravfs it downward until it reaches such a point that another distinguishing mark 37b is brought to view. The mechanism is nonv in condition to record the entry ot passengers when the train arrives at the nent successive stations, when the operations above described are repeated.

rThe foregoing remarks apply mainly to the operation of the device under conditions Where the passengers are entering. Where they are leaving, however, the operation though comparatively simple is in part as above described. The clutch 2l and the latch 54 are removed or rendered idle at the end oi the car from which the passengers are making their exit. Each passenger' preparatory to leaving the car Walks upon the movable platform ll and causes the same to tilt slightly, as above described. This causes the impression lever 33 to be actuated so that it makes the impression of a stipple 5S upon the record strip 37a. Each passenger in leaving the car causes the ratchet Wheel 29 to turn as above described, and a step by step motion is thus given to the record strip. `Whenever a member of the creiv enters the car his vveight or' course causes the printing mechanism to print a stipple or dot upon the record, and the peculiar mark or designation made by the key 46a upon the record strip indicates that the person thus registering is a member oi" the creiv and not a passenger.

there the apparatus is used for street cars, the printing mechanis n relative to the names et' the stationo may remain idle or even discarded entirely, the entrance and exit being recorded in the torni ot stipples or dots upon the record strip.

As will be understood from the foregoing description the device automatically makes a record as to the number of passengers and a somewhat independent record, under control of the passengers both records appearing on the same record strip and being beyond the control of the conductor, in so far as the entry ot passengers is concerned.

lWhere the full equipment is employed there is a. record of all passengers taken aboard and also a record ot all passengers discharged.

l do not limit my improvements to the precise construction shown, as variations may be made in the form oli my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim i. .fr device of the character described, comprising a record strip, means controllable by movements of passengers for actuating said record strip step by step, a trame movable relativelj to said record strip, a plurality of printing levers carried by said frame, mechanism carried by each printing lever for printing upon said record strip, a door, bolt for normally maintaining said door locked, and mechanism controllable by any one ot said printing levers tor actuating said bolt in order to unlock said door.

2. A device of the character described comprising a recorder provided With a movable recording strip, means controllable by passengers successively entering a car tor advancing said recording strip step by step, mechanism controllable automatically by the respect-ive Weights ot said passengers tor placing indicating marks upon said recording strip, and means controllable automatically by each passenger tor enabling him to indicate his destination upon said recording strip.

3. A device ot the character described comprising a record strip, means controllable by movements of passengers for actuating said record strip step by step, a trame movable bodily along said strip in a direction parallel with the direction ot travel oi said strip, a plurality of printing levers carrie-d by said frame, mechanism carried by each printing lever tor printing dillerent legends upon said record strip, a door, a bolt tor normally maintaining said door locked, said bolt being provided vvith a flexible portion disposed across the general path ci" travel ot said printing levers as the same are depressed in order to print said record strip, said bolt being t'ree to move ont of engagement with said door When said lier-Libie portion of said bolt is pressed upon by any one ot said printing levers.

L. J. HARRIS.

Vilitnesses:

Vf. 0. Png-inscri, UT. L. PEAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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