US3858030A - Taximeters - Google Patents

Taximeters Download PDF

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Publication number
US3858030A
US3858030A US00357780A US35778073A US3858030A US 3858030 A US3858030 A US 3858030A US 00357780 A US00357780 A US 00357780A US 35778073 A US35778073 A US 35778073A US 3858030 A US3858030 A US 3858030A
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United States
Prior art keywords
pulse
taxi meter
pulses
counter
taxi
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00357780A
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English (en)
Inventor
F Hart
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MARTIN TAXIMETERS Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
MARTIN TAXIMETERS Pty Ltd
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Application filed by MARTIN TAXIMETERS Pty Ltd filed Critical MARTIN TAXIMETERS Pty Ltd
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Publication of US3858030A publication Critical patent/US3858030A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B13/00—Taximeters
    • G07B13/02—Details; Accessories
    • G07B13/06—Driving arrangements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B13/00—Taximeters

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Appli atio P i it D t A taximeter having a mechanical mechanism which May 10 1972 Australia 8917/72 operates a control element to rotate the control element at a rate proportional to the distance travelled 521 US. Cl. .L .235/30 R 235/45 by a taxi if the Speed of the mi is greater than a P 51 Int. Cl.
  • Taxi meters of one kind in common use utilise a mechanical device which has a rotatable member which, when the vehicle is stationary or moving at less than a predetermined speed, is driven at a preselected rate but which is coupled, when the vehicle is moving at more than the predtermined speed, to be driven at a rate which is proportional to the vehicle speed.
  • Suitable mechanical means is provided, operated by this member to operate a mechanical farecharge recorder which, when the vehicle is stationary or moving at less than the predetermined speed, records a fare charge which is proportional to time and when the vehicle is moving at at more than the predetermined speed, records a distance travelled fare charge.
  • Taxi meters of the above kind while being generally satisfactory in use require adjustment and continual maintenance in order to preserve their accuracy under operating conditions. This is particularly necessary in respect of the fare charge recorder. Proposals have been made to avoid this problem by employing wholly electronic devices but these tend to introduce further difficulties in that they are oftenprone to electrical interference which causes wrong fare computations'An object of the invention is therefore to provide a taxi meter which avoids, at least in part, the above difficulties.
  • a taxi meter having a rotatable control element, means for driving said element at a constant preselected rate, means for driving the element at a rate dependent upon the speed of a vehicle to which the taxi meter is affixed and clutch means for selectively coupling either of said drive means to said element so that the element is driven, when the vehicle is moving at more than a preselected speed, by said second means, and when the vehicle is stationary .or moving at less than said preselected speed, by said first means, said device further including transducer means coupled to said element for producing an electrical signal pulse train representative of the speed of rotation of the element and electronic counter and display means for counting the pulses of said train and displaying a fare value proportional to the number of pulses counted.
  • the lastmentioned means includes pulse multiplier means for multiplying the pulses by a preselected value proportional to a preselected fare rate.
  • FIG. 1 is a partly schematic view of mechanical parts of the taxi meter
  • FIG. 2 is across-section on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the manner of organisation of electronic counter and display means forming part of the taximeter
  • FIG. 4 is an electrical circuit diagram of part of the counter and display means of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is an electrical circuit diagram of another part of the counter and display means of FIG. 3.
  • the taxi meter includes a mechanical device 11 having a gear train 50 which is coupled to the speedometer drive cable from the engine gear box of a taxi 52, to be driven by the gear box.
  • the gear train 50 has an output shaft 54 which is driven by the gear train at a rate proportional to the speed at which the vehicle is travelling.
  • An electric motor 56 drives a second gear train 58, the output shaft 60 of gear train 58 being driven at a constant speed.
  • Shafts 54, 60 are coupled to a clutch 62 which is itself coupled to drive a third gear train 64 from a gear 62a on the clutch.
  • Gear train 64 drives an output shaft 66 of device 11 to which is attached a five-lobe cam 68, of a transducer 12.
  • Clutch 62 is of a kind operating to drive gear 62a at a speed equal to the speed of whichever one of shafts 54 and 60 is rotating at the faster rate.
  • the drive from motor 56 is such as to tend to drive output shaft 66 at a constant speed of about one revolution every 2 minutes whereas the drive from the speed ometer cable is such as to tend to drive the shaft at a speed approximately two revolutions to the mile travelled by the taxi. Accordingly, when the taxi is stationary, the output shaft 66 of device 11 will be turned at one revolution every 2 minutes, but when the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined level it will instead be driven at a rate of approximately two revolutions to the mile.
  • Transducer 12 includes a cam follower 70 of spring steel which is attached at one end 70a to a fixed part (not shown) of the taximeter so that the free end 70b is biased resiliently radially inwardly of the cam follower.
  • An operating arm 72 also of spring steel is attached at one end 720 to a fixed part of the taxi meter and the free end carries a roller 74 which is biased against cam follower 70.
  • An actuating member 76 ofa micro switch 78 is positioned adjacent to arm 72.
  • cam follower 70 As shaft 66 turns cam follower 70 is flexed upwardly and then downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 2, each time end 70b thereof passes over a lobe 68a of cam 68.
  • Roller 74 thus is also moved upwardly and downwardly, because the roller is biased against the cam follower, so that up and down flexing of arm 72 results.
  • This flexing of arm 72 causes the arm to press against member 76 to operate micro switch 78 each time the end 70b of the cam follower moves downwardly.
  • Micro switch 78 is thus operated five times for every revolution of shaft 66.
  • Switch 78 is of the single pole double throw type and is coupled into an electric circuit 80 (FIG. 5) forming part of transducer 12. Thus, a movable contact 7811 of the switch is connected to an earthed terminal of an electric power supply (not shown) by a conductor 82.
  • pulses being proportional to the speed of rotation of output shaft 66.
  • Output lines 88, 90 from circuit 80 are connected to a pulse shaping circuit 13.
  • Line 98 is coupled to the base of a transistor 100 which is connected into a switching circuit 102.
  • Circuit 102 provides a pulse train output on an output line 104 which is connected to a pulse multiplier 14.
  • Output line 104 couples to a first differentiating circuit 110 of pulse multiplier 14.
  • This circuit includes a capacitor 112 coupled, at one side, to line 104 and a resistor 114 connected between the other side of the capacitor and the earthed terminal of the power supply.
  • Output from circuit 110 is taken on a conductor 116 coupled to the junction between the capacitor and resistor.
  • conductor 116 is connected to the input terminal of an inverter 118, and the output terminal of this inverter is coupled, via a conductor 120 and a resistor 122 to the supply rail of the power supply.
  • Differentiating circuit 110 operates to render pulses from circuit 13 of constant short duration.
  • pulses generated by switch 78 will be of duration equal to the inverse of the pulse frequency, and will thus vary in duration over a considerable range as the speed of taxi 52 changes.
  • This variation in pulse duration, which is considerable, is removed by differentiating circuit 110.
  • Inverter 118 and resistor 122 are connected to produce, from circuit 110, output pulses on conductor 120. For every pulse applied on line 104, then, there is generated on conductor 120, a single pulse of constant duration.
  • Multiplier 14 includes four further differentiating cir cuits 124, 126, 128, 130. Each of these circuits is identical to circuit 110. These are coupled to line 104, via separate delay circuits 132, 134, 136, 138, which each comprise a capacitor 140 coupled at one end to line 104 and a resistor 142 connected between the other side of the capacitor and the earthed terminal of the power supply. Outputs from the delay circuits 132, 134, 136, 138 are taken, via respective inverters 142, 144, 146. 148 and applied to respective ones of the differentiating circuits 124, 126, 128, 130.
  • Outputs from the differentiating cirucits are applied to respective further inverters 150, 152, 154, 156.
  • Conductors 158, 160, 162, 164 couple outputs from these inverters to a common conductor 166 which is coupled to conductor 120 and to resistor 122.
  • the delay circuits 132, 134, 136, 138 have progressive delays so arranged that a pulse applied to these on line 104 will generate on each conductor 158, 160, 162, 164 a separate pulse of duration equal to that of a pulse produced on conductor 120, but with progressively increasing time delays after the pulse on line 120 appears.
  • conductors 158, 160, 162, 164 can be selectively interrupted by assuming that not interruption is effected pulse multiplier 14 produces on conductor 166, for each pulse applied on line 104, a series of five equitime spaced pulses of short duration.
  • Conductor 166 of pulse multiplier 14 is connected via a line 108 to a units decade counter 17. This operates to provide, on output lines 170, a binary coded output advancing one count for every pulse applied to the counter. This output is applied to a decoder 22 connected to drive a seven segment cents display device 27.
  • Display device 27 is thus operated to successively display numerals O to 9 in repeated sequences, the numeral displayed advancing one count for each pulse applied to counter 17. At each tenth count a pulse is delivered on an output line 172 from counter 17.
  • Counter 18 receives pulses on line 172 and on each tenth pulse delivers an output on an output line 176 thereof.
  • Counter 19 receives pulses on line 176 and, at each tenth pulse, delivers a single pulse on an output line 178 therefrom.
  • Counter 21 receives input pulses from line 178.
  • the counters 18, 19 and 21 have output lines 174, 180, 182 which couple to respective decoders 23, 24 and 26.
  • the counters 18, 19, 21 operate in an analogous manner to counter 17 producing binary coded outputs on lines 174, 180, 182 which advance one count for each pulse applied thereto.
  • the decoders 23, 24, 27 likewise operate in an analogous manner to decoder 22, each advancing the displayed numeral of an associated display device 28, 29, 31 on' count for each pulse applied to the respective counter 18, 19 or 21.
  • Counters 18, 19, 21 comprise, respectively, a tens of cents counter, a dollars counter and a tens of dollars counter.
  • the taxi meter is operated by a switch (not shown) which operates to couple the power supply to the electrical parts of the meter.
  • This switch might, for example, be coupled to the usual taxi meter HlRE and NOT FOR HIRE indicator mechanism.
  • a preset and reset pulse generator 15 in conjunction with a pre set code circuit 32.
  • Generator 15 includes a transistor 200 having its collector coupled to the power supply rail via a resistor 202, and its emitter coupled to earth terminal of the power supply via a resistor 204.
  • the base ofthe transistor is coupled, via a resistor 206, to the junction 215 between a series connector resistor 208 and an earthed capacitor 210.
  • Resistor 208 and capacitor 210 are connected between the supply rail and earthed terminal of the power supply.
  • Two inverters 212, 214 are coupled respectively from the collector and emitter of transistor 200 to a common line 216, the connection between the emitter and inverter 214 being via a resistor 218.
  • Line 216 is coupled through two parallel differentiating and time delay circuits 220, 222, each comprising a capacitor and resistor, to separate respective inverters 224, 226.
  • the output from inverter 224 is connected via an output line 228 to conductor 166 of pulse multiplier 14 and thus to line 108.
  • the output terminal of inverter 226 is connected to a conductor 230 and also, via a further inverter 232, to a conductor 234.
  • the power supply is applied across the earthed terminal thereof and the supply rail thereof. This causes the voltage at the junction 215 to rise at a predetermined rate.
  • the transistor 200 and inverters 212, 214 operate together as a Schmitt trigger circuit which rapidly switches transistor 200 when the voltage at jucntion 215 reaches a sufficient value. This thus causes a rapid rise of the voltage on line 216, the rise occurring after a time delay from switching on of the taxi meter. The time delay is made sufficient to ensure that other parts of the electric circuit are in stable operation at the time of voltage increase on line 216.
  • Circuit 220 and inverter 224 operate to provide, from this voltage increase, an output pulse which is applied to line 108 via conductor 228.
  • inverters 226 and 232 operate in conjunction with circuit 222to provide output pulses on lines 230 and 234.
  • Line 234 is coupled to decade counter 19, 21 so that the pulse applied thereon resets these and the associated display devices 29, 31 to zero.
  • the pulses applied on lines 108 and 230 from generator operate to preset the decade counters l7, l8 and the associated display devices so that display devices 17, 18 display a preselected initial fare charge.
  • This initial fare charge is selected by means of the preset code circuit 32 which operates to bridge selected ones of four binary-code input terminals 240 of each counter 17, 18 to the line 230.
  • the bridging is arranged such that the pulse on line 230 is applied to the selected terminals 240 so as to represent, in binary code, the numerals desired to be displayed in the display devices 27, 28.
  • Circuit 32 is formed as a plug-in printed circuit and also includes plug connections which co-operate to completeonly desired ones of the conductors 158, 160, 162, 164. It is thus possible to easily change the desired initial presetting of counters l7, l8 and to change the number of pulses appearing on line 108, for each pulse applied to pulse multipler 14, by unplugging circuit 32 and replacing it with another having a desired initial display coding for terminals 240 and a desired selection of pulse miltiplication.
  • pulses from transducer 12 are applied to pulse shaper 13 as a pulse train which, when the taxi is at standstill, is at a predetermined constant rate and, when the taxi is moving at more than a predetermined speed, are at a rate proportional to distance travelled.
  • These pulses are shaped in pulse shaper l3, multiplied in multiplier 14 as desired by one, two, three, four or five according to the selected completion of conductors 158, 160, 162, 164 and then passed to the counters to operate the display devices to record the taxi fare.
  • the selection of a desired pulse multiplication rate is made together with selection of gear ratios in gear trains 50, 58, 64 to give a desired rate of fare changing.
  • the taxi meter has been found to be reliable in use because the initial pulse train representing the fare is not generated in a manner which is prone to electrical interference as is the case when the mechanical device 11 in replaced by an electronic pulse generator.
  • the electronic part of the apparatus is free from the aforementioned disadvantages of mechanical computation mechanisms and requires little maintenance is use.
  • the electrical part of the meter can be constructed using readily available components.
  • counters 17, 18 may comprise commercially available integrated circuits type 9310 whilst counters 19, 21 may comprise integrated circuits type 7490.
  • a taxi meter having a rotatable control element, means for driving said element at a constant preselected rate, means for driving the element at a rate dependent upon the speed of a vehicle to which the taxi meter is affixed and clutch means for selectively coupling either of said drive means to said element so that the element is driven, when the vehicle is moving at more than a preselected speed, by said second means, and when the vehicle is stationary or moving at less than said preselected speed, by said first means, said device further including transducer means coupled to said element for producing an electrical signal pulse train representative of the speed of rotation of the element and electronic counter and display means for counting the pulses of said train and displaying a fare value proportional to the number of pulses counted.
  • said pulse multiplier means includes a plurality of pulse generators each operable to produce, from a pulse applied to the pulse multiplier means, a separate single pulse, the pulse generator means including time delay means whereby the said pulses generated thereby are generated as a sequence of equi-time-spaced pulses upon each application of a pulse to said pulse multiplier means.
  • a taxi meter as claimed in claim 9 including preset and reset pulse generator means which operate to reset said counter and display means when the taxi meter is switched on.
  • a taxi meter as claimed in claim 13 wherein said removable plug-in boards are formed as a single unit. k

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
  • Time Recorders, Dirve Recorders, Access Control (AREA)
US00357780A 1972-05-10 1973-05-07 Taximeters Expired - Lifetime US3858030A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPA891772 1972-05-10

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US3858030A true US3858030A (en) 1974-12-31

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US00357780A Expired - Lifetime US3858030A (en) 1972-05-10 1973-05-07 Taximeters

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US (1) US3858030A (de)
JP (1) JPS49117083A (de)
AU (1) AU468720B2 (de)
DE (1) DE2322590A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1422661A (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6690098B1 (en) * 2000-01-31 2004-02-10 Litton Systems, Inc. Method and system for gating a power supply in a radiation detector
US20060212266A1 (en) * 2005-03-01 2006-09-21 Chin-Liang Chen Examining device
US20120105053A1 (en) * 2010-10-28 2012-05-03 Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Fan speed testing system

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5257673U (de) * 1975-10-24 1977-04-26
JPS5335590A (en) * 1976-09-13 1978-04-03 Osaka Meetaa Seizou Kk Mechanical taxiimeter of electric display type

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3157352A (en) * 1961-07-24 1964-11-17 Rockwell Mfg Co All-electric taximeter
US3295756A (en) * 1963-12-03 1967-01-03 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Taximeter
US3388859A (en) * 1966-03-19 1968-06-18 Kelch Heinz Taxi meter
US3512706A (en) * 1967-07-14 1970-05-19 James Frederick Bruce Sanders Electronic taximeter
US3553442A (en) * 1967-08-01 1971-01-05 Efficient Instr Corp Taxi passenger detection arrangement
US3703985A (en) * 1970-08-07 1972-11-28 Haldex Ab Taximeter arrangements
US3764782A (en) * 1971-06-24 1973-10-09 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Taxi meter with electronic fare computer

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3157352A (en) * 1961-07-24 1964-11-17 Rockwell Mfg Co All-electric taximeter
US3295756A (en) * 1963-12-03 1967-01-03 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Taximeter
US3388859A (en) * 1966-03-19 1968-06-18 Kelch Heinz Taxi meter
US3512706A (en) * 1967-07-14 1970-05-19 James Frederick Bruce Sanders Electronic taximeter
US3553442A (en) * 1967-08-01 1971-01-05 Efficient Instr Corp Taxi passenger detection arrangement
US3703985A (en) * 1970-08-07 1972-11-28 Haldex Ab Taximeter arrangements
US3764782A (en) * 1971-06-24 1973-10-09 Kienzle Apparate Gmbh Taxi meter with electronic fare computer

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6690098B1 (en) * 2000-01-31 2004-02-10 Litton Systems, Inc. Method and system for gating a power supply in a radiation detector
US20060212266A1 (en) * 2005-03-01 2006-09-21 Chin-Liang Chen Examining device
US20120105053A1 (en) * 2010-10-28 2012-05-03 Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Fan speed testing system
US8717008B2 (en) * 2010-10-28 2014-05-06 Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Fan speed testing system

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Publication number Publication date
AU468720B2 (en) 1976-01-22
GB1422661A (en) 1976-01-28
AU5549573A (en) 1974-11-14
DE2322590A1 (de) 1973-11-29
JPS49117083A (de) 1974-11-08

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