US384291A - Passenger-ticket - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

V. R. SHEPARD.

PASSENGER TIGK'ST,l N0. 384,291. PatentedJune l2, 1888.

f7-fad.

, of words or figures on such surface.

UNITED ASrnrrns Mercator Cerros..

VINTON R. SHEPARD, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

PASSENGER-TlCKET.

,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,291, dated June l2, 1888.

Application tiled December 2G, Serial No. 186,793. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, VIN'roN R. SHEPARD, of Covington, county of Kenton, and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and use fnl Improvements in Passenger-Tickets and Casl1-Fare Receipts, of which the following is a specification.

liIyinvcntion relates to passenger-tickets or fare-rcccipts; and it consists in a novel c0nstruction of thesanie, all as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

It is a matter of common knowledge that railroads and other carriers suffer from the dishonesty of their employes, and that, on the other hand, employs are unjustly suspected by their employers.

My object is to provide a ticket and receipt which will protect both employer and employ, the one from loss financiallyand the other from loss iu rcputatiomand at the saine time be simple and inexpensive.

In the drawings, Figure lshows a caslrfare receipt with certain blank spaces prepared with composition. Fig. 2 shows the saine with the blank spaces iiiled out. Fig. 3 is a side view of au open book of my improved cushfare receipts and shows the thickened ends.

A is the ticket or receipt, which may be printed in any desired form or wording, leaving such blank spaces B as may be preferred. These blank spaces are then prepared with composition, so as to provide a suitable Writ* ing-surface, and yet would at once disclose any erasurcs oraltcrations that might be attempted There are a largenumberof compositions that would accomplish this result, and I do not limit mysel fto those described. Preferably I use black printers ink, lamp-black, or other dark substance as a foundation, and then, as a second coating, I use a preparation of spermaccti, wax, and turpentinc, or a composition of similar character,aud, finally, I use ocher or other suitable coloring material to bring these blank spaces to as near a uniform color with the body of the ticket or receipt as is practicable. In the method above described black is the foundation color. The spermaceti, Wax, and turpent-inc, or composition of similar charac1 ter, are added to give and preserve a good Writingsurlhce, and to give an oiliness and elasticity that will insure bringing the black to the surface in case the writing on the surface is attempted to be disturbed. The Wax gives body and consistency to the surface. This composition also receives and holds the coloring, so that it cannot be rubbed off or marred, and keeps the writingsurface smooth and soft and prevents it from hardening, as would otherwise occur. The ocher or other coloring is used to give these blank spaces a similar appearance to the body of the ticket or receipt. It will be readily seen that these colors may be reversed or others substituted in their place, and I do not limit myself tothe materials or arrangement specified.

In place of spcru1accti,\vax, and turpentiue, I have found thata preparation of spermaceti, wax, and spermoil answers the purpose admirably; also, the same with turpentine added.

A Writing-surface may also be prepared by using the spermaceti, wax, and turpentine or similar composition on colored paper, the coloring of the paper furnishing the background. i

Dotted lines c indicate pei'lorations by which check C` which I preferably use, may be readily torn from the ticket or check. Dotted lines (l indicate perforations by which the ticket or check can be conveniently separated from the book D, in which theyare bound. In binding the tickets into books the ends d and checks C may be thickened, so as to keep the tickets from resting upon each other an d injuring the` com position, il" that is found necessary.

E represents the number of the book, and F the numbers ofthe tickets.

The blank spaces treated with my co1nposition secure a goed writing-surface for a leadpencil, and the Writing upon it is more distinct than would loe-produced by the same leadpencil on paper not prepared thus, and, as has been previously stated, any attempt at erasure or alteration of the words or figures Written on such surfaces Woul d so mix the colors as to produce an unsightly blot, which could not-in any Way be removed or concealed, and would furnish indisputable evidence that it had been tampered with.

There are several methods in which these cash-fare recci pts and tickets may be used. Preferably I would pursue the following meth od: Before-taking a train. ont the conductor ICO will'be furnished with abook of tickets, which will be charged against him. Vhenever in his rounds through the train he finds a passenger who has not provided himself with a ticket, the conductor will ascertain t-he distance which he wishes to travel, collect the fare fixed by the company for that distance, and issue one of my tickets so filled out as to show the date upon which this passenger made his jour uey, the particular train upon which he rode, the station at which he took the train, and the station at which he left it, the amount of fare he paid, and the conductors name. The ticket filled out will be torn Afrom the book and handed to the passenger for his inspection. When the passenger has examined it, the conductor will take it up, separate the check from the recept, punch the cheek and hand it to the passenger as evidence that his fare is paid, and retain possession of his receipt.

In case of a dispute between the conductor and passenger as to the distance the passenger is entitled to travel, reference can be had to the receipt in the eonduetors possessio1i,which the passenger` has examined and pronounced correct, and which corresponds in number with the check lie holds himself. The record thus made, after inspection by the passenger, would also be an important protection to the railroad company against unfounded claims.

Upon arriving at the end of his run/the conductor will turn over to the proper officer of the company whatever number of receipts he has in his possession, together with the tickets of various kinds which he has collected andthecash fareshehas collected. The number of receipts which he turns over must of course correspond with the number of cash-fare tickets he has torn from the book which had been furnished him, and the amount of cash which he turns over must equal the aggregate amount of fares represented by the receipts. Thus eut off from all opportunity to retain the receipts of cash-fare tickets which he has issued, or of issuing them incorrectly-that is, for less than the amount of fare thc passenger has paidor of altering them after they are issued, there is but one method remaining by which the dishonest conductor can defraud the company-viz., by neglecting to issue a ticket when a cash fare is collected; but that would be an omission which the dullest spotter could not fail to note,and one which other passengers, as well as the one paying the fare, would soon learn to observe, and in many cases, prompted by the hope of some slight reward from the railroad company, to report to its proper officials. To take such-a chance a conductor will need to be as foolhardy as he is dishonest, and it can be assumed thatinstances of that sort -will be rare.

No claim is made to any particular form of wording of these tickets or receipts. It is obvious that these prepared blank surfaces may be used for many purposes, and I do not limit myself` to passenger-tickets and cash-fare re,- ceipts or palace drawingroom or sleeping-car tickets.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A ticket or card having a writing-surface composed of a foundation of some positive color with a preparation of spermaceti, wax, and turpentine, or similar composition spread thereon, and the whole covered by a coating of colori-ng material of the desired color, substantially as shown and described. n

2. A ticket or card having a central portion of uniform thickness with thickened end portions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A book of tickets or receipts, A, having blank spaces B, prepared with a composition, substantially such as described, and also provided with checks C and ends d, the said ends and checks being thickened, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

VINTON R. SHEPARD.

\Vitnesscs:

J. C. HARPER, WILLIAM S. HARTLEY.

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