US357372A

US357372A - Electrical fare-box

Info

Publication number: US357372A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1904-02-08

Description

` 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. A. GROWDUS.

.ELECTRICAL FARE BOX.

Patented Feb. 8

N. PETERS, Pmvumagmphnr. wmingnm. D. c.

v 2 SheetsfSheet 2. W. A. CROWDUS.

ELECTRICAL FARB BOX.

Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

Pneus mwumognpw. immuno. u, n:A

(Nomea-e1.) l Y 7 .v//AW//VEFW//// w M f W v f W NiTnn STATES PATENT Ulrich.

VALTER A. CROWDIUS, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

ELECTRICAL FARE-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,372, dated February 8, 1887.

Y Application filed July 29, 1886. Serial No. 209,385. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER A. CRowDUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, Dallas county, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Fare-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to improve the illumination and increase the efficiency and subserviency of street-car fare-boxes. To these ends the source of light is located in the interior of the box, instead of being placed in a separate chamber at the outside of the box, as is now done, and electrical agency is utilized to produce the light and also to notify the driver that a passenger requires change and when a fare has been deposited in the box, thus attracting his attention to the collection of fares 'only when necessary and s'o abating the exactions of oneof his many arduous duties.

In carrying out the principles here involved in the application of electricity to fare-boxes the various functions performed are as follows, to wit: The interior of the box is illuminated only when a fare is deposited therein by the fare being retained on one or more of a number of balanced eircuit-closers extending across the box, and so closing the lamp-circuit, and at the same time closing a bell-circuit, said circuits remaining closed with the lamp burning and the bell, which is of a vibrator-y character, ringing until the driver, by the manipulation of a pull-button project-ing from-his side of the box, releases the fare from the balanced circuit-closers. Great economy of the electric current is thus had, as the lamp is lighted 4and the bell rung only for such length of time as to enable the driver to ascertain the correctness of each fare deposited.

The fare-box may be illuminated temporarily by the driver, by the manipulation of a push-button adapted to close the lamp-circuit only. The fare-indicating bell is utilized to call the drivers attention to a passenger requiring change by means of a push-button accessible to the passengers, the depression of which causes the current to iow `so as to give* a single stroke on the bell, thus makinga sig- 5o nal or call distinctive from the fare-signal.

The electric current may be cut off from the incandescent lamp by means of a switch accessible only to the driver, so that the fares deposited at such time cause the current to dow through the bell-circuit only; and the box is so constructed that the interior thereof may be readily got at for cleaning the same and fixing the electrical parts. interior slides and pivoted fare-retention traps, are made of glass and are held in grooved frames, from which they may be removed when the top of the box, which is hinged and provided with a lock, is thrown back; but to describe my invention more particularly I will now refer to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure 1, Sheet l, is an elevation of the side of the box facing theinterior of thecar. Fig. 2,

The sides, as well as the Sheet l, is a vertical central section cut on the line a: w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the side of the box exposed to the driver. Fig. 4, Sheet 2is a view with the side ofthe box removed, showing the electrical connections; and Fig. 5, Sheet l, is a vertical crosssection on the line y y, Fig. 2, showing the call-bell and lamp.

The sides of the box exposed to theinterior of the car and to the driver,which,for convenience of description, I call the car side7 and driver side,7 are respectively fitted with glass plates a anda', theends, upper andlower parts being inclosed as shown. hinged to the drivers side, is provided with a lock, b', and to it is hinged the inclined part b2, having the slit c. This part bz covers the upper edge of the glass side a when the top b is closed and locked, the glass side being held in grooves in the end of the box, from which it is readily removed, giving access to the interior of the box when the top b is opened.

In a receptacle formed in the upper part of the box is iixed the electrical signaling or call apparatus, consisting of the bell d, electromagnet e, and springacting armaturef, carrying the ham1nerf,and immediately below this receptacle is located the small incandescent lamp g.

A glass slide, h, fitted in grooves in thesides of the box, ext-ends from just below the slit c to about the center of the box, and an inclosed chute is formed by it andthe glass plate z', held in a pivoted frame, one of the trunnions of The top b,

IOO

which passes through the double side a2 of the box,and is there provided with armi',to which is connected the pull i2, projecting through the drivcrs side. The deilectorh, extending from the bottom of the bell-receptacle to the upper edge of the glass i', completes the chute, down which the fares fall as they are placed in the slit c, and at the bottom of the chute is located a number of delicately-balanced fingers, jjj, having pivoted bearings on the bar j', tted in the ends of the box just behind the lower edge of the slide h. One end of these balanced liugersjjj, extends under the lower edge of the glass plate z', and their other ends under the bar jz. Said hngers'are normally away from the barj", but act as circuit-closers therewith as soon as a fare is deposited in the box,and is retained in the chute by the ngers j j,whether said fare be represented by a coin or by a paper or cardboard ticket, the lingers being so balanced as to require very little Weight to make them come in contact with the bar f.

The electrical connections are as follows: Posts or studs 7c 7c project from the base near its upper end, and to them are connected the lines from a battery or other source of electricity located in any suitable part ofthe car. The battery-wires may be attached to sockets secured to the car, and the posts or studs 7c k held in the sockets. The post k is connected to one end of the electro-magnet e by the line e' and to the lamp g by thelineg, the other end of the magnete being connected to the armaturef and to the post l by line e2, andthe armaturefby the make-and-break springfandline f to the post m. This post m and the bar j are joined together by the line m,and the bar j to the terlninal post or stud k by the line m2. The upper post,Z,is connected by theline Z' to the line miand in this line Z is included the push-button circuit-closer n, fixed in the car side of the box. The other terminal of the lamp g is connected to the stud o by the line g", and this stud o to the line m2 through the push-button circuit-closer p, exposed at the drivers side of the box, and on this side of the box is located the switch-lever o', connected to the line m by the line o, and adapted to make contact with the stud o.

It Will be observed that all the circuits are normally open, and I will rst consider the operation of the apparatus with the switchlever o oli the stud o, as it will be in the daytime or when 11o artificial light is required in the fare-box. A coin or ticket deposited in the box through the slit c falls on one or more of the fingers j j, causing their rear ends to make contact with the bar jl. The electric current now flows between the posts k and k', through the electromagnet e, armature f, contactspring f2, line j"5 to post m, line m', bar

j, through the fingers j in contact therewith, the barj, and the line m, thus causing the armature f to vibrate and the hammer f to act onthe bell d, which action is kept up as long as the coin or ticket is allowed to remain on the fingers j, in which position it is in full view of the driver for his examination. The driver then draws out the pull i, which moves the glass plate t' away from the fingers j, and allows the fare or fares to drop onto the trap q. The lingers j swing away from the bar j2 as soon as relieved of the fare and again break the circuit.

'Io cause the box to be illuminated when fares are deposited thereinthe driver places the switclrlever o on the stud o. Now, when by the weight of the coin or ticket representing the fare the fingers j j make contact with the bar j2 two paths are provided for the electric current-the bellcircuit, as before described, and the lamp-circuit, comprising the line g', lamp g, line g2, stud o, switch-lever o', line o, line m', bar jz, lingers j j, bar j', and line-m. The current is thus divided between the bell and lamp circuits, and continues to flow, causing the bell to ring and the lamp to glow until the driver drops the fare from the lingers jj to the trap q. Upon the closing of the li ne l', by means of the push-button n, when change is required by a passenger, the current liows from the post k through the electromag.

net e, line e, post Z, line Z', push-button u, line m2 to post k', thus energizing the electro-mag net, which, upon attracting the armature f, causes the hammer f to make one stroke on the bell d each time the circuit is closed at the push-button u.

The fares, as before stated, are retained by the trap q as they fall from the tingersjj, and may be allowed to accumulate to any extent desired-as for a half trip or trip between certain stations-and from this trap (Lwhich is a plate of glass held. in a pivoted frame, the fares may be dropped into the drawer r in the lower part of the box by means of the pull q2, connected to the arm g', attached to one of the trunnions of the frame of trap g. An intermediate trap, s, may, where desired, ,be elnployed to catch and hold the fares as they are dropped from the trap q, and from this trap s they may be deposited in the drawer 1' by manipulating the pull s2, connected to the arm s of the trap s.

It is desirable and sometimes necessary that the driver shall have power to illuminate the box for examination of the fares on the traps q or s, or for other purposes. Means for this object are provided in the push-button p, which, upon being depressed, closes the lampcircuit only, the current then flowing between posts 7c and k', through line g', lamp g to stud o, and through push-button connection p, by line p', to line m2.

The plate 13 and traps q and s are held in their normal position by the springs t, g3, and s", respectively.

Having now fully described the nature of my invention and means for the practical exe.- cution of the same, I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the particular construction of the various devices or arrangement of circuit-lines and other parts; but

ICO

IIO

IIS

What I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a fare-box, of an electric lamp applied thereto so as to fully illuminate the interior of the box, electric conductors for connecting the lamp to a source of electricity, and a key or switch included in the circuit and located at the side of the box accessible only to the driver or attendant, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a fare-box, an incandescent electric lamp located in the interior of the box, electrical connections, and means,

substantially as described, to cause the current t0 flow and the lamp to glow when a fare is deposited in the box. v

3. In combination, a fare-box, an electromagnetic call-bell, electrical connections, and a circuit-closer consisting of a retention device adapted to hold the fares and be under the control ofthe driver or attendant, which, by the weight of a fare deposited inthe box, closes the circuit and causes the bell to ring as long as the fare is allowed to remain upon it.

4. In combination, a fare-box, an incandescent electric lamp, an electromagnetic callbell, electrical connection, and means, substantially as described, for closing the circuit to cause the current to flow through the lamp and call-bell when a fare is deposited in the box.

5. In combination, a fare-box provided with two electrical terminals, an electro-magnetic call-bell located in the box, a circuit including the electromagnet and armature maleand-break contact and circuit-closer actuated by the fare deposited in the box, and a linek actuated by the fare deposited in the box between th'e terminals, and another line including a circuit-closing push-button, completing the lamp circuit around the i'are circuit-closer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination,a fare-box provided with two electrical terminals, a circuit-closer actuated by afare deposited in the box, a call-bell and an incandescent lamp located in the box,a line between the terminals including the callbell and the farecircuitcloser,anotherline including the lamp and fare-circuit closer, and a push-button ci rcuit-closer in a line including the electro-magnet of the call-bell, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, afare-box provided with two electrical terminals, a call-bell, an incandescent electric lamp, a circuit-closer actuated by a fare deposited in the box, lines between the terminals, including the call-bell and the lamp and farecircuit closer common to them, and a switch in the lamp-line, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In combination,a fare-box provided with two electrical terminals, a circuit-closer actuated by a fare deposited in the box,a call-bell, an incandescentelectric lamp,a line including the call-bell and the fare-circuit closer, a line including the lamp-circuit closer, a pushbutton and line for causing the current to flow through the call-bell only, and a push-button and line for causing the current to flow through the lamp only, substantially as set forth.

l0. In combination,afareboxprovidedwith glass sides and slides and a hinged top,an electrical call-bell located in a receptacle at the upper end of the box,and au electric lamp located under the bell-receptacle, substantially as set forth.

11. In co mbination,a fare box provided with an internal chute below the slit or entrance for fares, balanced fingers extending across the lower mouth of chute and supported by a metal bar electrically connected to a terminal on the box, a bar locatedover the rear ends of the fingers and electrically connected to an- V other terminal, a call-bell includedin this lastmentioned circuit-line, and means for moving the front side of the chute away from the balanced fingers to allow fares retained by the fingers to fall therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In combination, afare-box provided with glass sidesand a glass chute below thefare-slit, two electrical terminals, an incandescent electric lamp, and a key or switch included in one of the lines and located at the side of the box accessible only to the driver or attendant, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In combination,a fare-box provided with a chute below the fare slit,balanced fingers supported on a bar and extending across the mouth of the chute,a bar located over the rear ends ofthe iingers,an d an electriclamp locatedA inv the box, the circuit of which includes the fingers and bars when a fare is supported by the lingers, substantially as set forth.

14. In a fare-box,in combination,a chute below the fare-slit, electrical circuit-closing tingers extending across the mouth of the chute, the front plate of the chute being pivoted and provided with means by which it may be moved away from the Vtingers,and afare-retention trap or traps located under the chute,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Dallas, Dallas county, State of Texas, this 13th day of July, 1886.

WALTER A. CROVDUS.

IIC

IIS