US233915A - Fare-register - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. BENTON. Pare Register flit-moss ca;

N.PE|'RS, PHOIO-LITHUGRAPHER. WASMNGTOM. D C

J. B. BENTON.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Tara Register.

Patented Nov. 2, 1880.

@emfmu 177,06 r-aio-r;

UNITED STATES PATENT rrr-cre,

JOHN B. BENTON, OF ROSELLE, NE JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILWAY REGISTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEIV YORK.

FARE-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,915, dated November 2, 1880. Application filed January 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, JQHN B. BENTON, of Roselle, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering or Counting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus more particularly designed for registering or tallying the number of fares collected by conductors on cars or other public passenger-vehicles, whereby, as the collector is required to operate the register each time he receives a fare and sound an alarm, fraud and cheating by false returns are prevented.

My improvements belong more especially to fare-registers of the class embodying in their structure and organization, first, mechanism for registering, recording, or tallying the number of fares received, or actuations of the mechanism made during a single trip of the car or vehicle, and capable of being set to zero or the starting-point at the end of the trip, usually termed a trip-register, second, mechanism for registering, recording, or tallying the same actuations that the trip-register does, and also continuously counting or tallying the whole number of fares for a large number of consecutive trips, usually termed a general, permanent, or continuouslycounting register, and which is not adapted to be reset or brought to zero at the end of each trip; third, mechanism for registering, recording, or tallying the number of times the trip register has been set to zero, usually termed a zero-register and, fourth, mechanism for sounding an alarm each time the trip and general registers are actuated, whereby the passenger is notified of the proper registry of his fare.

lllypresentinvention constitutes an improvement upon the mechanism and upon the organization of parts shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 167,057, granted to me August 24, 1875, the object of my invention being to improve the construction of such registers.

The subject-matter claimed will hereinafter specifically be designated, and then pointed out at the close of the specification.

'5, a view of the zero-register from the back,

and Fig. 6 a view of the trip-hand with its friction carrying-spring.

My present register resembles in its general features the well-known Monitor fare-register, shown in reissued Letters Patent No. 7,290, granted to H. E. Towle and myself, jointly, September 5, 1876, and in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 167,057. It will therefore be unnecessary to show in the drawings or describe herein in detail all the parts necessary to a complete machine, inasmuch as they are fully and elaborately shown and described in said patents, and I will, consequently, content myself with a detail description of the mechanism so far only as is necessary to a complete understanding of my present improvements.

The prime mover or actuator consists, in this instance, of a pivoted or vibrating lever, A, extending through a slot in the edge of the case, and may be operated either directly by the hand or through some intermediate attachment, as fully described in the aforesaid patents. The lever is provided with an actuating-pawl, P, (shown in Fig. 2,) which engages with a ratchet-wheel, IV, the said lever, in this instance, through the medium of this wheel WV, serving to actuate simultaneously, or nearly so, the trip-register, the general register, and the alarm.

The ratchet-wheel IV is mounted upon and keyed to a central axis or main shaft, M, with which it turns, the rear end of said shaft being 5 fitted in a suitable bearing in the back or base plate of the casing, while it is also fitted, near its front end, in a suitable bearing in a supporting-plate or cross-bar resting upon or secured to suitable posts rising from the baseplate, as usual. The said shaft carries upon its front end, in front of said supporting-plate, index fingers or pointers T and F, which constitute, in connection with a graduated dial or indicator-disk, D, the trip-register and general register, respectively, the finger T being the pointer or index-finger of the trip-register, while the fingerF is the pointer or index-finger of the general register.

The fingers T F project from disks .r S, respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. 1., the-disk 00 being below or behind the disk S. Said disk 00 is also provided at its back with, or securely connected to, a ratchet-wheel, It, having its teeth running in the opposite direction to those on the wheel W, both the disk and its ratchetwheel being loosely mounted upon the main shaft, while the disk S, earring the pointer of the general register,is firmly secured (screwed or keyed) to the said shaft, so as to turn positively therewith.

In order to compel the trip-hand, thus loosely mounted upon the main shaft, to turn with said shaft as it is being revolved, step by step, by the actuations of the ratchet-wheel WV, owin g to the reciprocations, vibrations, or movements of the actuator or lever A, l interpose between the disks a". and S an elastic substance under tension, (or a suitable clutch,) consisting, preferably, of a spring-washer, (I, provided, in this instance, with three bent arms or projections, radiating from a flat central portion, having a central opening to permit the washer to be passed upon the shaft, the said arms of this tripod spring-washer being so bent or curved that only their extremities rest upon the disk 00, the fiat or plane central portion of the washer resting against the back of the plate S, or upon a suitably-interposed washer of ordinary construction. It will thus be seen that as the main shaft revolves, owing to the actuations of the wheel WV, the fingers T F also revolve-the fin gerF on account of being fixed to the shaft, and the finger T on account of the friction caused by the interposed springwasher.

The actuator of the register operates the wheel NV preferably upon the back-stroke that is, the lever is vibrated in one direction, by the actuating force, againstthe tension of an impeding-spring, which spring, as soon as the force is removed, throws the lever in the other direction, and, by the engagement of the pawl P with the teeth of the wheel W, moves or turns said wheel the distance of one tooth, or one onehundredth of a revolution,(the wheel having one hundred teeth corresponding to the graduations on the dialD and inasmuch as the wheel WV is keyed or fixed upon its shaft, said shaft, when the wheel is actuated, is also turned one one hundredth of a revolution, consequently carrying the indexfingers mounted thereon the same distance, or the distance of one point on the graduated dial, thereby indicating that one fare has been collected.

At every actuation of the register an alarm is sounded, the bell-hammer of the alarm apparatus being connected to and raised by a pawl acted upon by a spring, which pawl, as the actuating-wheel W revolves, rides over one tooth in the wheel and falls into the notch immediately following, the momentum thus given to the hammer being sufficient to cause it to strike the bell and sound the alarm, all of which movements of the wheelW are fully described in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 167,057. Each successive operation, therefore, of the actuator A adds one point to the number indicated by the index-fingers on the dial, and also sounds an alarm.

The finger F, in connection with the graduated-dial D, constitutes the general or continuously-counting register, as hereinbefore stated-that is, said finger is not adapted to be set back at the end of a trip.

In order to give the general register a capacity ofcon tinuousl y registering and preserving a record of a large number of fares, there is added a multiplyingwheel of well-known construction, which wheel is, at every complete revolution of the wheel W of its shaft, and consequently of the indexfinger F, turned onepoint, or the distance of one tooth, by a tongue or projection on a suitable hub mounted upon said shaft. This multiplyingwheel is preferably constructed to operate on the principle of the well-known Geneva stop, so as to keep it locked except when actuated by the tongue or projection on the main shaft. The front face of the multiplying-wheel isprovided with numbers or figures corresponding to the number of teeth in its periphery, the figures showing through the aperture C in the dial-plate successively as the wheel is turned, so as to permit of readily reading or inspecting the indications of the register.

The index-finger T, in connection with the dial D, constitutes the trip-register, as hereinbefore stated. In order to give said tripregister the capacity of being turned back to zero or the starting-point at the beginning of each trip, or whenever-desired,Ihave mounted said finger upon the main shaft in the manner hereinbef'ore describedthat is, in a manner to compel its movement in unison with the index-finger F of the general register in aforward direction when the mechanism is being operated by means of a friction or other suitable clutch, while movable. backward independently of the general register without disturbing or destroying the integrity of the record made by such general register, the pawl of the bell-hammer serving to hold the actuatingwheel W from all backward movement.

In order to accomplish the backward, returning, or resetting movement of the triphand, I employ mechanism preferably actuated step by stepfor the purpose, consisting, in this instance, of a movable or vibrating pawl-carrying plate, mounted upon the mainshaft as a center, and back of or below the disk as of the trip-hand, the pivoted pawl B of said plate operating upon the projections or ratchet-wheel R of the said disk :0. The pawl-carrying plate is provided with a radial armor projection, U, by which to actuate or move it in one direc tion-that is, in the direction to allow the pawl 13, which is acted upon by a suitable spring, 6, to vibrate into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel on the disk .90, and thereby, owing to the movement of the plate, turn said disk to carry the index-hand backward, the movement of the plate around the main shaft being limited by a stationary abutment, 8, against which the arm U comes in contact on the upstroke. A suitable spring acts upon the arm U of the pawl-carrying plate to return or move said plate in the 0pposite direction in readiness for a new actuation, the movement of the said plate in this direction being limited by a stationary abutment or screw, 1), against which the pawl B abuts or comes in contact, and by which said pawl is lifted out of the teeth of the ratchetwheel R, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that no obstruction be presented to the movements of the trip-register when actuated by the prime mover.

It will be obvious that it isnecessary to impart a step-by-step or repeated movement to the pawl-carryin g plate to complete the resetting movement of the trip-hand, if that hand should have been carried far enough around by actuations during the trip to render one actuation of the plate iusufficient to carry the hand to zero and in order to actuate the plate from the outside of the casing I preferably employ a removable reciprocating key or pusher, K, which is inserted and guided, when in use, in a tube, X, an inward movement of the pusher carrying its inner end against the arm U of the pawl-carrying plate and turning it upon its axis. Thepusher is thrown outward after every inward movement by the returning-spring of the plate, as will be obvious, in readiness for another reciprocation.

In order to prevent the trip-hand from being carried beyond zero or the starting-point when being returned at the end of a trip or otherwise, a recess is formed in the ratchet-wheel R, or some of its teeth omitted, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby, in connection with the stationary pin or abutment s, by which the movement of the pawl-carrying plate is lim ited, the pawl is prevented from acting upon the teeth of the wheel, and consequently cannot move said wheel, or the trip-hand secured thereto, beyond zero.

In order to record and indicate the number of times the registering mechanism has been set to zero the following arrangement is employed An endwise-moving or sliding bar, V, stands in its normal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the arm U is actuated by the key or pusher K it passes under and clear of said bar, the lower end of which is capable of being slightly depressed, andis provided with a post or lug, p, rounded or beveled. top, the drawings.

' Fastened or secured to the disk .27, which carries the trip-hand, is a projection, if, so orga-nized thatas the trip in dex tiu ger approaches zero in being reset by the pusher K acting upon the pawl-carrying plate, the said projection t approaches thepostp, the highest point of the top of which post, in its normal position, is above the under side or back of the projection 1, while the lower part of said top is on alevel with the under side or back of said projection, whereby, when the projection t comes in contact with the postp and slides upon its top, said post, together with the end of the bar V, is cammed down or depressed against the tension of a light plate-spring, n, in such manner that when the arm U is again actuated it comes in contact with the end of the bar V, moving it endwise until the said arm U comes in contact with the abutment s, or, in other words, reaches the limit of its movement.

Upon the under side of the bar V is pivoted a pawl, L, which, upon the upstroke of the bar, engages a ratchet-wheel, H, tired to the under side of a circular plate, E, or to the axis or journal thereof, to actuate it.

The upper side or front face of the plate E is provided with the numbers 0 to 9, inclusive, and, in connection with a second circular plate or wheel, G,similarly numbered, and operating, preferably, on the principle of the Geneva stop, constitutes the zero-register, one number only at a time of each wheel being visible through an aperture cut in the front bearing-plate, J, of the zero-register wheels, and also in the dial D.

Each upstroke or actuation of the bar V causes the pawl L, as before stated, to engage and revolve the wheel H the distance of one tooth, or one-tenth of a revolution, exposing the next highestnumberon the wheelEthrough the inspection-aperture, and by the time this effect has been produced in the zero-register the trip-hand has reached zero, or the position indicated by the letter T, Fig. 1, while the pro jection t has passed over and beyond the post p and stands in the position shown at t. The end of the bar V, and consequently, also, the post p, then rise or assume their normal positions, as maintained by the spring a, and the arm U cannot again engage the bar until the index-finger T has been moved away from zero by the actuation of the prime mover of the register, nor until said trip-hand is again being returned to zero, as before. The record of the zero-register consequently remains unchanged until the hand T again arrives at zero, when the next consecutive number will be shown, thus indicating at a glance the number of times the trip-registering mechanism has been set to zero.

The actuating ratchet-wheel H of the zeroregister is prevented from back movement by having a as clearly shown in a suitable pawl, N, while the bar V, when relieved from contact with the arm U, is returned to its normal position by the action of a suitable spring, m.

Believing that the foregoing description will enable those skilled in the art readily to understand my invention and the mechanism shown for carrying it into effect, elaboration as to its operation and advantages is deemed unnecessary.

I disclaim herein, in favor of my application filed July 9, 1880, all the patentable subjectmatter of my present invention save that covered by the following three clauses of claims, it being the intention to cover and include in this case only the three combinations of meelr anism recited in said claims, while all the other patentable features, parts, or combinations of my invention are intended to be covered by the claims'of my said application of J uly9, 1880, which is filed as a division and continuation of this present application.

What I claim as my invention isl. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of aregistering-wheel or indexhand, actuated in one direction in the process of counting and capable of beingmoved in the other direction to reset or carry it to zero, a resetting wheel or teeth connected with said registering-wheel 0r index-hand, a movable plate or pawl-carrier, inelosed within the register-casin g, acting upon said resetting wheel or teeth, and a removable reciprocating push-key to actuate said plate or carrier.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a turning-shaft, a toothed wheel toactuatc said shaft, a trip index-hand or registering-wheel connected with said shaft by a friction clutch or eouplin g which compels the said index-hand or registering-wheel to move with said shaft in the process of countin g, while allowing said index-hand to be moved upon said shaft to reset it or bring it to zero, resetting teeth or projections connected with said index-hand, a movable plate acting upon said projections of the index-hand, a pusher or key movable endwise to actuate said movable plate in one direction, and a spring to move said plate in the opposite direction, or to return the plate to the position from which it was moved by said pusher.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a trip-register, a general register, a prime mover or handle for actuating said registers simultaneously, or nearly so,

and a resetting mechanism for the trip-register, consistingofa toothed wheel or projections connected with the trip-register, a backwardand-forward movable plate acting upon said projections, a reciprocating key or pusher to actuate said plate in one direction, and a spring to move the plate in the opposite direction to that imparted by said key, whereby the said trip-register is permitted to be moved with the general register clear of the resetting-plate in the process of counting, while capable-of being reset by said plate by the simple reciprocation of the key or pusher without disturbing the record of said general register.

JOHN B. BENTON.

Witnesses:

G. B. HARRIS, GEO. H. Evans.

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