US239641A - beresford - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-'-Sheet1. E. A. BERBSPORD. Step or Platform Register. No. 239,641. Patented Apr-H5, I881.

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E. A. BERESPORD. Step or Platform Register. No. 239,641 Patented April 5,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' EDWARD A. BERESFORD, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

STEP OR PLATFORM REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 239,641, dated April 5, 1881.

Application filed November 12, 1879. Patented in Great Britain March 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ADEN FORD, of London, in the county of Middlesex, Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented a 5 new anduseful Improvement in Fare-Registering Apparatus, which is fully set forth and described in the following specification.

This invention has forits object an improved machine or apparatus for registering or check- [0 ing the returns of fares made by the conduct ors or other officials in charge of omnibuses,

tramway-cars, or other vehicles used in (30111- mon by the public, for the benefit of those entitled to such fares, and showing such persons For this purpose I apply to the vehicle a pendulous or pivoted lever, which Iconnect with appliances in connection with movable or hinged steps, such appliances being so contrived that whenever a person ascends or descends the steps to enter or to leave the vehicle motion is imparted to the pendulous or pivoted lever; but this motion takes place in diti'erent direct-ions, according as the lower tread of the steps is first 2 5 depressed, and then the upper, as in ascending to enter the vehicle; or, on the contrary, as in descending to leave the vehicle, the depression of the upper tread takes place prior to that of the lower. The pendulous or piv- 0 oted lever actuates recording wheels or instruments which keep separate registers of the movements in either direction, or, in other words, of the number of persons entering and leaving the vehicle.

5 The mechanismisillustrated by the annexed drawings, Sheets land II, like letters indicating like parts.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. to is the lower, and b the upper, of two fixed steps, corresponding to those ordinarily titted to omnibuses and like vehicles. To each of these steps there is hinged a movable step. These latter are on the drawings marked cand d, respectively, and the hinges e. The mova- 5 ble steps are, when no weight is upon them, supported in raised positions, in which they are represented in the drawings by springs f f. Upon the steps a and b the incline blocks (marked respectively g and h) are fixed, and the movable steps carry upon their under sides bolts which are capable of sliding in guides in directions to and from the hinges a 0. These bolts have incline blocks(marked respectively i and is) formed upon them, and they are provided with springs l, which, in the case of the bolt on the lower step, tends to draw it outward or away from the hinge at 0, while in the case of the bolt upon the upper step its springl tends to draw itinward or toward the hinge c,

by which this step is connected with the fixed step I). The lower bolt, carrying the incline t,

is connected,hy the link m, with the pendulous or pivoted lever a, and'the boltupon the upper step, carrying, the incline 7c, is similarly connected with the pendulous or pivoted lever by a link, 0. These links are slotted in thejoints which connect them with the lever 12, as the drawings indicate.

The lever 12, at its upper end, carries two springs, 12 and p, a side view of which is shown in Fig. 2, which serve, respectively, to propel the ratchet-wheels q and r. \Vhen the steps are free, and the lever 72 in the position indicated in the drawings, the springs 12 and 1) stand clear of the teeth of the ratchet- 7 wheels; but the movementof the lever to either side brings one of these driving-springs into position to engage with the teeth of the correspending ratchet-wheel, and then the further movement of'the pendulous lever a in the same direction to the end of the swing permitted to it propels the ratchet-wheel the distance of one tooth.

On a person entering the vehicle, when the foot is placed on the lower movable step, c, the 8 step descends until the inclined block 1' reaches the bottom of the notch formed to reeeiveit in the block g. The bolt being thus caused to slide in its guides, the link m moves the pendulous lever a in such manner thatits upper end 0 goes to the right a sufficient distance to cause the driving-spring p to approach the teeth of the ratchet-wheel q, butwithoutimparting motion to the wheel. This movement of the lever it, however, causes the bolt, on which is 5 the incline block k, to be drawn by the link 0 into such a position that when the foot is placed on the upper movable step, d, the block 7; passes down the incline on the outer end of the block it fixed upon the stepb, thereby causing the bolt to traverse in its guides a distance sufiicient to producea further movement of the pendulous lever n in the same direction as the first, suflicient to move the ratchetwheel (1 the space of a tooth, and so the entry of the person into the vehicle is registered. The slot in the link at permits of the further movement, referred to above, of the lever n, notwithstanding that the lower movable step, 0, remains depressed. Similarly a person leaving the vehicle, treading first upon the upper movable step, d, the incline-block It on the sliding bolt enters the notch in the block h on the step 1), thereby causing a partial movement of the lever a sufficient to place the incline block i on the sliding bolt of the lower step, 0, in such a position that on this step being, in turn, depressed, the block 2' slides down the incline on the inner end of the block g, and so completes the movement of thelever n, causing it, by means of the spring 12, to propel the ratchet-wheel 1' forward the space of a tooth. The wheels q and 1* also serve as dials. They are figured on the face, and pointers are provided at s ands. The figures on the wheel q, as they come to the pointer, indicate the number of entrances into the vehicle since the wheel was last set to zero. Similarly the figures on the wheel 1", as they come to the pointer, indicate the number of exits since this wheel was set to zero. If desired, counting-wheels may be provided in connection with each of the wheels q and 1', as indicated in. Fig. 2, to keep a continuous register of the entrances and exits, notwithstanding the movement of the wheels q and r to zero as often as may be convenient.

The recording part of the apparatus is contained in a locked box, and when the machine is in use its indications are noted at the end of each stage of the journey. The movable steps are each provided on three sides with a flange or lip projecting downward and inclosing the mechanism between the movable and the fixed step.

The pendulous lever a, in place of operating ratchet-wheels, may be caused to give motion to markers, and bring them into contact with a paperdrum or drums, revolving continuously by connection with the wheels of the vehicle, or otherwise revolved by the lever n. In either case I obtain, by means of my mechanism, a record of the number of entries and exits at each stage of the journey.

Fig. 3, Sheet II, shows a modification of my invention, the lever 12 being pivoted, as shown, in lieu of being pendulous, and made to actuate pointers B, which prick or mark a paper hand rolled on A as it passes, and is drawn on to a roller, 0, which latter is furnished with a spring-motor, and is allowed to rotate and' move the paper band by the movement and consequent disengagement of the detent fixed to the pivoted lever n, as shown.

- S is a rod connected with thelever n for use by the conductor, and whereby he can mark the completion of the stage or journey. The other parts have been already described.

The fares should be so arranged that a sum is charged for each stage or section, into which the entire journey is divided; nevertheless, if desired, a further sum may be charged for the first stage traveled by any passenger. Then, from the indications of the machine, the calculation. at the end of the journey of the amount which should have been received in fares is easy. The total of the entries during an entire journey being known, this number multiplied by the highest possible fare would be the sum of the fares if every passenger had made the entire journey; but from this there has to be deducted the amount, so to speak, lost by passengers entering, notat the first stage, but at some subsequent stage of the journey, and, also, there has to be deducted the amount, so to speak, lost by passengers having left the vehicle before the final stage of the journey. Both of these sums are readily deducted from the record. The residue is the sum for which the conductor of the vehicle shall account.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the steps by which passengers enter and leave a vehicle, of movable treads c and cl, inclined planes z and 7.", a pendulous or pivoted actuating-lever, n, and links on and 0, substantially as described.

2. In fare'registering apparatus of vehicles, the combination of a pendulous or pivoted lever, it, automatically actuated by the person entering or leaving the vehicle, with springs 12 and p and ratchetwheels q and r, substantially as described.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the movable platform of a car or vehicle-step having inclines on the under side thereof, of a pendulous or vibrating lever and connections for operating a registerin g or recording mechanism, and separately indicating the entrance or exit of passengers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EIHVARI) ADEN BERESFORD.

\Vitnesses H. I. HADDAN, O. IVETTER.

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