US477496A - Half to david francis frazee and mitchell carey alford - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. A. BIERLEY. RAILROAD TICKET.

Patented June 21, 1892.

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l 'n U2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY AUGUST BIERLEY, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF O'NE- HALF TO DAVID FRANCIS FRAZEE AND MITCHELL CAREY ALFORD, OF

SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-TICKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,496, dated June 21, 1892.

Application tiled January 2, 1892. Serial No. 416,884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AUGUST BIER- LEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Tickets; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway passenger-tickets, the object being to provide a ticket by which opportunities for committing fraud on the part of conductors are reduced to a minimum.

It is now the custom to provide longedistance railroad-tickets with detachablercoupons stating that the holder is entitled to a passage between the points named thereon. Vhen the conductor takes up the tickets, he detaches and retains one of the coupons and hands the ticket back to the passenger, together with what is known as a hat-check, if the train makes any stoppages at intermediate stations. These hat-checks the conductor carries loose in his pocket, and the passenger on receiving the same usually places it in his hat-band or other conspicuous place. Before reaching the place of destination or iinal point for which the ticket is good the conductor, instead of returning the ticket to the passenger, is required to punch and retain the same, so as to return the same to the proper officer of the company. It is here that the opportunity for fraud on the part of the conductor occurs, for instead of punching the ticket he only pretends to do so and purloins it, which he subsequently sells to scalpers or others.

The object of my invention is to render such peculation on the part of the conductor impossible without being detected and to furnish a ticket in which the hat or way check and coupon are formed integral with the head or body of the ticket, but detachable therefrom, and which are marked with a number corresponding with a distinguishing-number on the said head or body, the conductor being required to detach the way-check and hand the same to the passenger. When the waycheck is detached, the ticket will not be good, as on its face it would show that it had been used, whether punched or not, and could not be disposed of by the conductor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a ticket made in accordance with my invention, showing the same as it appears when issued. Figs. 2 and 3 are views of the conductors coupon and the hat or way check, respectively, detached. Fig. 4 shows myimn provemens applied to a cash-fare ticket.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral l denotes the body of the ticket, having printed thereon the usual limitations and reA strictions or any other matter desired, and` also provided with a distinguishing-number, in the present instance the number being 21,747.

The numeral 2 denotes the conductors coupons, also numbered the same as the body 1 and connected with the said body and with each other by means of rows of perforations 3, so as to be easily detachable therefrom.

The numeral 4 denotes the hat or way checks, numbered to correspond with the body and coupon, and also connected with the coupons by rows of perforations 5 for the n purpose of allowing them to be readily de-A tached. These coupons are provided with the names of the places between which they are good for aV passage, and the way-checks are also furnished with such names.

Inthe drawings 'I have illustrated a ticket issued by the Kentucky Union Railroad, the coupon attached to the head l being printed with the words St. Louis to Denver, showing that the coupon is good for one passage between said places. The way or hat check connected with the coupon is also printed with said names. The next coupon and way check is printed with the words Cincinnati to St. Louis and the next with Lexington to Cincinnati, thus showing that the ticket Vwas issued at Lexington and is good for a through passage to Denver. The conductor in taking up the tickets detaches the last coupon and waycheck and hands the ticket and way-check back to the passenger, retaining the coupon, which is turned in to the proper official. The Way check being attached to the ticket renders the Work of collecting the tickets and furnishing way-checks less onerous to the conductor, and, being numbered to correspond with the ticket and coupon, reduces the chances vfor perpetrating frauds.

My invention is also applicable to cash fares received by the conductor, the head l being is this case the rebate certiicate, which is retained by the passenger, as Well as the Wayt sage and each Way-check printed and numbered to correspond with the coupon With which it is connected, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY AUGUST BIERLEY;

Witnesses:

T. T. FORMAN, J. C. WooLFoLK.

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