US444883A - gkegory - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I T. GREGORY. REGISTERING AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR TRAM (JARS AND OMNIBUSESK No. 444,883. Patented Jan. 20,1891.

PIC-.2.

F'IG.

e/Zu 11mm m (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. GREGORY. REGISTERING AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR TRAM CARS AND OMNIBUSES.

No. 444,883. Patented Jan. 20, 1891.

@mM/na/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS GREGORY, Oh SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND.

REGISTERING AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR TRAM-CARS AND OMNIBUSES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 444,883, dated January 20, 1891,

Original application filed November 4, 1889, erial No. 329,252. Divided and this application filed J l 22, 1890. Serial No. 359,558, tNo model.) Patented in England October 30, 1888,N0,15,596.

(LU whom, it HZ [t1] con corn Be it known that I, THOMAS GREGORY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Southport, England, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Self Registering and Checking Apparatus for Tram-Cars and Omnibuses and Like Purposes, (for whichI have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 15,596,

bearing date October 30, 1888,) of which the following is a specification, this being a division of application No. 329,252, filed November 4-, 1889.

The improvements relate to self registering and checking apparatus for tram-cars and omnibuses and like purposes, and have for object the automatic registration and recording or checking of the number of passengers traveling and also the distances traveled in such like vehicles. To effect this and to accomplish my improvements I by preference construct the steps leading to the roof of the car and the platform conducting to the interior in such manner that they may be capable of being depressed by the weight of a passenger. These deprcssible steps are fitted with suitable levers or attachments and link or other connections, which enable them to actuate (on the depression thereof) a ra3chetand-pawl motion attached to or driving a drum or pulley; or it may be more than one, carrying a ribbon or a tape of paper or suitable substitute, on which are printed or otherwise marked consecutive numbers. By preference one of these numbers always comes opposite to a slot or opening in the box or casing of the apparatus, so as to be exposed to view, and thus each time the complete motion is given to the depressible step the next following number is broughtopposite the slot, and thus this portion of myimprovements indicates how many persons or passengers have entered the vehicle.

For the purpose of registering and recording the distance traveled I employ in addition to the foregoing a disk and pointer and also Stampers, whichdisk and Stampers are of various colors or devices. The disk, or it may be the pointer, has revolving motion given thereto by means of a lever operating a ratchet and train of wheels, which lever takes its motion from one of the wheels or axles of the vehicle, and thus enables a con tinuous measure of the distances traveled to be indicated on such disk. These distances, or it may be only the desired stages of the journey, are indicated on the disk or dial by dividing the same into colored or otherwise marked spaces corresponding with the distances of the stages. To produce a record of these distances I employ an arrangement of Stampers of colors or devices or markings, one to correspond with each stage or distance as shown 011 the dial. These stampers are consecutively brought into juxtaposition with the ribbon or tape of paper as the different stages are reached, and as they are brought into gear they are actuated in turn by the depression of the steps, and thus show the particular stage at which the passengers enter the vehicle. These colored or other stampers maybe fixed on a sliding rod and drawn into position by means of lever and link or other connections by a suitably-formed cam cut to the requisite stages and placed either behind the dial aforesaid or otherwise, and may be actuated by the same moans. To complete this record, when such is necessary, I cause the stampers to again act on the same or other ribbons when the passengers come out of or down from the vehicle, thereby showing at what stage exit as well as entrance was made, thus showing the distance traveled; but where this is not required the stamping operation may be caused to act in one direction only, as will be readily understood. pose of satisfying the passengers and preventing disputes with the guard, I may provide tickets bearing the same color or device as that indicated on the dial and stamper op erating at the moment of entrance, so that on comparing the ticket with the dial on exit the proper fare can be accurately determined. To enable children to pass into the vehicle without recording, I prefer to employ with the depressible steps a counter-balance, so that when a child steps on the platform under the weight at which such counterbalance is set to act the step will not be depressed and the record will not take place. The dial or disk or other traveling ribbon or other moving or fixed parts of the apparatus may or may not be employed partly for advertising purposes;

For the-put but that the improvements may be better understood I will, with the aid of the accompanyin g drawings, proceed more'fully to describe means employed by me.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows afront elevation, and Fig. 2 a side view, of portions of checking and registering apparatus arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a portion of the staircase of a car, and Fig. 4 a plan view thereof, while Fig. 5 shows an arrangement of apparatus employed in actuating theregistering dial or pointer.

The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they'occur.

a a a, a are sets of geared-roller apparatus for carrying and moving forward the ribbons of paper or substitute therefor on which the registration and checking of the passengers are recorded. These ribbons'or strips may or may not be providedwith .consecutive numbers thereon; but I prefer they should so be prepared.

Motion is given to theribbon-roller a aand a a by means of ratchet-andpawl gear through the terminal-rods w wand 20 w in manner to, be hereinafter described.

0 c is the slide, carrying the stampers d d dt d. As any stamper comes opposite the bent levers fff'f it is caused to stamp the ribbon .of paper.

9 g; is the revolving disk, which can be marked into stages of the journey by colors ordevices; and hh is the notched Wheel or cam, cut to correspond. with such stages. These are driven throughthe operation of suitable toothedwheel or other gearing by means of the pawl-and-ratchet mot-ion jj, operatedby the pin or slidingrod k k, which is lifted, each time the wheel of the car makes arevolution by meansof the projection Zlon theaxle. and intervening lever m m. The stopv u u, attached to the slide 0 0, bearing against the cam. 71. h by pressure from the spring. 0 0, keeps the first 0f the stampers d d and d d opposite the bent levers ff and f f until by traveling the distance of a stage of the vjourney the spring is allowed by the fall in the cam to force the second stamper into gear, and so on as each stage is reached.

Although four stages and stampers are shown, more or less than that number may be employed, according to the number of stages desired. As each stamper is provided with a diiferentcolor or device, by preference to correspond with the color or device on the disk, a record is kept, showingat what stage a passenger enters or makes his-exit.

The stampers d d and d d are actuated by the outside passengers by means of movable steps b 1), leading to the roof of the car. Two steps are rendered operative on passengers going up to record their getting on the car, while two other steps are operative in recording their coming down again. Any steps may be used, and I prefer to make the whole of the steps movable and changeable in operation, so that neither passengers nor guard may know which steps for the time being are utilized. The seps are connected with levers s s andlinks t t to the terminal rods '0 o r o w w w 'w'. The first step operates the rod 10 w, and by this the ratchetand-pawl motion, thus drawing the ribbon forward one number orspace, and at the same time allows the small disk or guard w 00 at the end of the leverac x to uncover the paper for the stamping process, which the second step efiects by operating the rod 1; and the lever The third step actuates in like manner the stamping-rod 'v and lever f, but as the guard-plate or disk is not first removed there is no mark? produced-upon the paper, which is simply ratcheted on without stamping by depression of the fourth step. On the passenger coming down the operation is reversed and the second ribbon is stamped, while the first'is guarded. Similar apparatus may be employed for inside passengers by using a duplicate set of stampers on the same or a second ribbon.

y y is aratchet or star wheel for registering the number of times the sliding bar is put back, thusshowing the journeys made and forming a check against attempts at fraud on the part of the guardorattendant.

' The improvementsand modifications thereof are applicable to other and analogous entrances than those of tram-cars.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-- In registering and recording apparatus, the combination of stampers d d andd' d, the sliding bar 1: c, and the coveringdisks 00 x, which stampers d d and d d are respectively operated substantially as herein set forth.

.THOMAS GREGORY. I

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM, GADD, O. E, GEORGE FREDERICK GADD.

Images