US158072A - Improvement in station-tickets for railroads - Google Patents

Description

c. w. HAnvEY. station-Tickets for nailrnads.

PATENT rricn.

CHARLES W. HARVEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO THOMAS A. JEBB, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-TICKETS FOR RAILROADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,072, dated December 22, 1874; application filed December 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HARVEY of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Station-Tickets forRailroads, Steamboats, and other Conveyances, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of tickets generally designated as stationtickets, which are bought by the passengers before entering the ear or boat, and afterward taken up or lifted by the conductor. These tickets are required to be punched or otherwise defaced by the conductors when presented by the passenger, in order to prevent such tickets being resold by the conductor, or the agent who sold the same, or other person in collusion with him.

The object of my invention is the construction of a ticket which is designed to necessitate the defacing of the ticket, in order to ascertain the terminal station of the trip for which the ticket is issued.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a face view of my improved ticket. Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof` with the end flap sealed so as to conceal the point of destination. Fig. 3 is a view of the ticket after it has been de- 'aced by the conductor; and Fig. 4, a similar view with the several divisions of the road passed over canceled by different punch-marks.

Like letters of reference designate like parts in each of the gures.

A is the main portion of the ticket, on the face side of which is printed the name of the railroad or other company by which the ticket is issued, (being New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in the igure,) the startingpoint of the trip or station at which it is sold being New York, the number of the ticket, the name of the ticket-agent by whom it is sold, and a list of the stations of the road. The portion A is provided with a ilap or extension, A', designed to be folded over and secured to the rear side of the portion A, as shown in Fig. 2. The name of the terminal station of the trip for which the ticket is sold, or a number representing the same, (being 20 in the drawing,) is printed on the reverse side of the flap A', or of that part of the ticket A which is covered by said flap, so that by securing the latter, as shown in Fig. 2, said name or figure will be concealed from view. This name or figure is preferably arranged near the folded edge a of the ticket, and around the same the ticket is perforated, as indicated at c', so th at the portion of the ticket inclosed by the perforations c', and having the end station of the trip indicated on its inner side, may be readily separated from the ticket by the conductor, as shown in Fig. 3. This terminal station may, however, be printed on the ticket and concealed in any other suitable manner, which compels the conductor detaching or exposing to view the name or number of said station by defacing the ticket. B is a coupon formed with the main portionv A of the ticket, and designed as a check upon the ticket-agent. It has printed upon its face the name of the railroad corresponding with that on the portion A, the number of the main portion of the ticket, (being 568 in the drawing,) the starting-point and terminal station of the trip for which the ticket is good, (New York to Albanyin the drawing,) andthe price ($3.00) of the ticket. It also contains a direction for the ticket-agent to return this coupon to the main office with the daily collections or report of tickets sold. C is a secondary coupon or check, arranged 011 the outer side of the coupon B, and having printed on its face simply the name of the terminal station for which the fare has been paid, being Albany in the drawing.

My improved tickets, being numbered conseeutively, and having the aps A secured to the rear side of the portion A, are delivered to the ticket-agent. The latter, when selling a ticket, detaches the coupons C and B from the main portion A, and hands the latter and the coupon C to the purchaser, while he retains the coupon B. The check C is simply designed to inform the passenger of the name of the terminal station concealed 0n the ticket.

The passenger presents the ticket A to the conductor, who,in order to ascertain the point of destination, is compelled to detach the portion inclosed by the perforations c', when the number 20 is exposed on theinner side thereof,

which represents the station of Albany. The

2 reame conductor now marks in the list of the stations the starting and terminal stations of the trip, as indicated in Fig. 3, and returns the ticket to the passenger, Who retains the same until it is lifted at the end of the trip. The ticket so marked or defaced answers all the purposes of the ordinary station-ticket be tween the stations punched.

The passenger is supposed not to present the coupon C to the conductor; but in case the same should be presented with the ticket it Will not furnish any reliable information to the conductor as to Whether it correctly represents the terminal station concealed on the ticket, as the passenger may have picked up a discarded coupon with the name of a station beyond that to which he has paid his fare.

-Y .n The agents coupon B being returned to the main office, and having the number of the ticket and price paid therefor printed thereon, enables the company, by comparing it with the ticket returned by the conductor, to determine Whether the latter has discharged his duty and properly punched the ticket. By thus compelling the conductor to deface the ticket when first presented by the passenger, it is evident that the resale of the ticket and the loss resulting to the company therefrom is etfectually prevented. rlhe return of the tickets lifted by the conductor to the office of the company will furnish a means for determining Whether the agent has discharged his duty by returning the coupon B detached therefrom at the time ofthe sale of the ticket. By this .means the conductor and agent each actas a check upon the other against fraud.

The coupon C containing, the name of the terminal station to which the fare has been paid, is, however, not essential, and may be dispensed with, as that station is indicated on the main ticket. The stations being generally designated by numbers, in the business language of the railroads, it is of advantage to indicate the terminal station on the ticket by its number, as the meaning of the number is readily understood by the railroad officials, while it would be unintelligible to the general public, and thus furnish an additional safeguard against the resale of tickets.

My improved ticket is also applicable to roads consisting of several divisions, or as a through ticket for routes including several railroads. The conductor of the first division or road marks the terminal station by two punch-marks, and then punches the stations of his part of the route as they are passed, as Well as each of the succeeding conductors, until the ticket is lifted, as indicated in Fig. 4. As each conductor has a peculiar or individual punch-mark, it can be readily determined Whether they have discharged their duty and properly punched the ticket.

What I claim as my invention is- A passenger-ticket printed With a list of stations, together With the initial station from Where the passenger pays his fare, exposed to view, While the number or name of the terminal station printed thereon is concealed from View, by means substantially as described, so as to require the ticket to -he defaced by the conductor, in order to determine the terminal station and enable him to properly punch the same, substantially as hereinbet'ore set forth.

G. XV. HARVEY. Witnesses:

EDWARD XVILHELM, JNO. J. BONNER.

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