US155282A - Improvement in fare-boxes - Google Patents

Description

3 SHeets--Sheet EFL H. BELFIELD &'w. H. suown Fare-Bnxes.v

Patented Sept. 22, 1874.

WTNESSE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. HENRY BELFIELD AND VILLIAM H. SNOWDEN,'OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,282, dated September 22, 1874; application filed April 11,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY BELFIELD and WILLIAM H. SNowDEN, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fare Boxes or Receivers 5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompalnying drawings making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved device as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inner side of the section which contains the operative and recording` mechanism. Fig. 3 is a like view ofthe same with the bell and indexes removed, so as to show the mechanism beneath. Pigs. 4 and 5 are vertical central sections upon line a0 @vof Fig. 2, showing, respectively, the normal po sition of the mechanism, and its position when the mouth of the receiver is opened to receive a fare. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the inner face of the reciprocating slide employed for operatin g the mechanism, and Fig. 7 is a like view of the inner face of the pivoted stop which closes the mouth of the receiver.

Letters of like naine and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of our invention is to prevent pilfering by conductors and others who receive fares; and it consists, principally, in a portable tare-receiver, in which is combined automatic registering mechanism, au automatic alarm, and a stop that alternately closes the outer and inner ends of the entrance-passage to the receiver, and must be moved to one side before a ticket can be inserted within said passage, and returned to position again so as to close the entrance to said passage before said ticket can tall into said receiver, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter speciied. It consists, further, in the means employed for inclosing alternately the upper and lower ends of the entrance or throat ofthe receiver, so as thereby to prevent fares from passing into the latter while the upper end of y said throat is open, and also to prevent the withdrawal of fares through said throat, substantially as is hereinafter shown. It consists,

further, in the means employed for registei1d ing the fares received, substantially as is hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A and Al represent the sections of our casing, hinged together at their lower ends, and having, when closed, a pear-shaped lower portion, surmounted by aneck, which terminates in a bell-shaped mouth, a., said mouth being formed entirely upon one section, A', while the other section, A, terminates just below said neck in a semil spherical enlargement, a', the object of which will be hereinafter explained. Across the inner open side of the neck of the section A is secured a plate, B, upon the rear side of which, near its vertical center, are provided two semi-cylindrical lugs or ears, b and b, to or between which are pivoted two similar lugs, c and c, that are attached to or upon one side of a second plate, C. The plate (l (shown in Pig. 7) has substantially the same width as the throat a ot' the casing, at it upper end is turned outward at a right angle, and at its lower end is slitted longitudinally, so as to form a series of lingers, c and c, that are alternately lcurved outward, as shown. As thus constructed and pivoted, the plate (l may have its upper end turnedgouward, so as to entirely close the opening or throat a, as shown in Fig. 4, or may be caused to occupy the position shown in Fig. 5, in which latter case said plate forms a continuation of said throat, which, however, is now inclosed at the lower end ot' said plate by the fingers c and c', that curve outward to or near the side ot the casing A. Two thin curved lugs, a and af, extend outward from the inner face of said section A at points midway be tween said lingers c and ef, and more effectually close the lower end of said throat. It will be seen that when the pivote-d plate occupies the position shown in Fig. 4, fare-tickets or coin could not be passed into the casing, as the upper end of said plate eiectually closes the entrance thereto 5 but if said plate is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5,tick ets or coin may be dropped downward until they rest upon and are held by the lingers c and c', and there remain until the upper end of said plate or stop is again thrown forward and said lin gers suliiciently removed from the lugs af and am to permit said articles to drop downward.

This arrangement serves'two purposes, the principal ot' which is to prevent the contents of the receiver from being removed through the throat, by causing the same to be at all times closed at some portion, while the second purpose is to cause a ticket or coin to be retained within said throat and in sight ot' the passenger and conductor, until itis permitted to drop into the receiver, a-nd thereby prevent disputes as to whether or not the passenger deposited a fare.

The plate C is operated by means of a bar, D, that passes inward through a suitable opening in one edge of the section A, and works against the inner face of the plate B, the iiiiier end of said bar being bifurcated, so as to enable it to pass upon the upper and lower sides ot the lugs b and c. Upon the rear face ot' the divided portions l and d of the bar D are formed relatively opposite inclines, which bear against two lugs, c and c, that are provided upon the front side of the stop-plate C, and, as said bar D is moved longitudinally, siinnltaneonsly press one of said lugs outward and permit the other lng to move rearward, the motion of said lugs and plate being thus reversed at each opposite movement ot' said bar. A lever, E, pivoted at one end to or upon the outer side of the lower portion of the receiver, and at its opposite upper end upon the outer end of the bar D, enables the latter to be moved inward by the hand of the operator, while a spring, F, attached to the inner side of said casing, with its upper free end bearing against the inner end of said bar D, presses the latter outward when said lever is released.

The receiver thus constructed is to be carried by the conductor in his hand, its weight being supported by a strap that passes through a-ii eye, G, (that is attached to or near the upper end of the neck,) and around the neck of the conductor. The passengers being required to deposit their ares within the mouth of the receiver, and the latter securely closed and locked, it will be seen that peculation will be practically impossible; but in order to render the matter still more secure, the following-described checks are added:

A toothed disk, H, is journaled upon a stud, I, that is secured within and extends outward from the face of the plate B, and is provided with a hub, h, upon which is jonrnaled a second disk, H', which corresponds in exterior shape and dimensions to said disk H. Each disk H and H is provided with a spiiiigpawl, 7L', that engages with the teeth upon its lower side and prevents motion in but one direction, while a second spring-pawl, K, is pivoted to or upon a stud, d', that extends from the sliding bar D outward through an opening in the plate B, and engages with the teeth upon the upper side of said disk, and, when said bar D is moved inward, rotates said disk a distance equal to one tooth. Upon the return movenientof the bar D, the pawl K passes over a tooth and falls into engagement again. The inner portion of the hooked end of the pawl K is so much longer than its outer portion as to prevent the latter from engaging with the teeth of the outer disk H', except when said inner portion drops into a notch, 7i, that is cut at one point within thc periphery otl the inner disk H, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,) at which time said pawl will move said outer disk forward one notch, and will repeat such operation at each complete revolution ot' said inner disk. An annular dial, L, siibdivided upon its face to correspond to the immber of the teeth of the disk Il', is secured to or upon the outer face of the latter, while a second similarly-divided dial, L, is attached to or upon tlie end ot the hub h, and rotates inside ofthe central opening in said dial L. A pointer, M, attached to or upon the plate D, and extending in front of the dials and directly over the hooked end of the pawl K, completes the recording mechanism, which operates as follows:

Upon each inward movement of the lever E, the central dial L is rotated one point, and, as the subdivisions are consecutively numbered, records the number of fares as the same are taken, until said dial has made a complete revolution, when the outer disk (before arranged so as to bring zero under the pointer) will be rotated one point, and will continue to record one for each revolution of said inner disk.

It being desirable that the movement of the outer dial should be arrested when it has made a complete revolution, one of the teeth of its disk H is removed, so as to leave a space, (seen in Fig. 3,) which, being the length of the movement ofthe operatiiig-pawl, prevents the latter from engaging with said disk whenever it falls into said space.

In order that the attention of passengers may be called to the operation of receiving and registering each fare, a bell, N, is attached to the front side and upper end ofthe plate B, and provided with a spriiig-liainmcr, O, the curved tail o of which is notched upon its lower side, and engages with a spring-pawl, P, that is attached to and moves with the sliding bar D, the arrangement being such as to cause said pawl, upon its forward movement, to engage with said hammer-tail and raise said hammer, and then slip out of engagement, so as to permit the latter to impinge upon and ring the bell. Upon its return motion, said pawl passes over said hammer-tail and falls into engagement with its notch once more.

The device is now completed, and as a whole operates as follows: In presenting the receiver to a passenger, the conductor presses inward upon the operating-lever, so as to open the mouth and permit ot' the insertion of a fare, and at the same time causes the register to move forward and the bell to sound. Upon releasing the lever, the mouth of the receiver is closed, the fare just inserted is permitted to drop into the lower portion ot' said receiver,

and the operating;` mechanism resumes its normal position again.

As the mechanism for operating the stop and register and for sounding the alarm are entirely beyond the control, of the conductor, it is impracticable for him to open the mouth of the receiver Without moving the register, so that there Would then be no object gained by the Withdrawal ofthe fare inserted 5' While from the peculiar shape and operation of the stop itis not possible to shake a fare from the receiver into the neck Without movin g said stop sufficiently to operate said register, and thus increase the number of recorded fares which must be accounted for.

In practice, it is intended that the receiver shall be locked and sealed at the or'iice or' the company using` the invention, and after each round trip shall be opened, the fares removed and compared with the register', and the latter set at zero, ready for use again. v

Having thus fully set forth the nature a-nd merits of our invention, what We claim as new 1s- 1. A portable rare-receiver, in Which is combined automatic registering` mechanism, an

automatic alarm, and a stop that alternately closes the outer and inner ends of the entrancepassage to the receiver, and must be moved to one side before a ticket can be inserted Within said passage, and returned to its position again so as to close the entrance to said passage before said ticket can fall into said receiver, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The stop C, c, c', and c, constructed as shown, pivoted to or upon the plate B, and caused to oscillate Within the throat a by means of the lever E and sliding` bar D, having a divided inner end, fl and d, which is provided With relatively opposite inclines, that engage with the lugs c and c" of said stop, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our hands this 9th day of April, 1874.

HENRY BELFIELD.

W'. H. SNOWDEN. Witnesses:

BURGEss EBERT, J Aeon R. MAssEY.

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