US544052A - Suburban commutation ticket - Google Patents

Description

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11A. RIDDLB.

RAILWAY TIGK'YET. No. 544,052. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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H. A.' RIDDLE. RAILWAY TICKET.

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SUBURBAN GDMMUTATIDN TICKET FIFTY TqlP Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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SUBURBAN UDMMUTATDN T IDKET.

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AumToRs CHECK GPA THREE MILES DR LEES' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. RIDDLE, OFCHAMBERSBRG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN S. KENNEDY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAiLwAY-TICKET.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.l 544,052, dated August 6, 1895. Application iiled February 21, 1895. Serial No. 539.169. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

1 3e it known that I, HENRY A. RDDLE, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Railway-Tickets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-tickets designed particularly for use by railway companies in meeting the suburban competition of electric and cable lines without interfering with the established tariff rates of the company.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front face view of my ticket in its preferred form; Fig. 2, a rear face view; Figs. 3 and 4., views with the book or ticket open; and Fig. 5, a view showing the application of my invention to a card-ticket.

In the preferred form of my invention the ticket will be bound like a bookthat is to say, it will comprise the front A, back B, and leaves C and D, suitably-boundtogether.

On the outer face of the cover-section or front A is placed the name or title of the ticket and a place for the agents stamp. On the reverse face of said cover-section or front A is a space for the patrons name, and also a space for the insertion of the time limit. Below this is a space for the name of the place of sale, and the number 599 of the ticket, each, ticket of course being provided with a separate and distinctive number.

On the inner face of the cover-section or back B is the usual contract to be signed by the commuter and a place for such signature, and below this is the last coupon a, numbered 50 to correspond with the number of coupons in the book, and bearing also the formnumber 50s, the ticket-number 599, and instructions tothe effect that the coupon is good, if not detached, for passage for a distance of three miles or less between points i east of and including Carlisle.

The leaves C are made up of a series of coupons b, similar in all respects, except that they are numbered consecutively from 2 to 49, inclusive, and said coupons contain substantially the same subject-matter vas that found on the last coupon a, just above referred to.

There are six coupons on a page, separated by perforations or indentations, and as there are eight pages in the book-ticket illustrated, there vwill be forty-eight coupons on said leaves C. Of course the number of coupons and leaves and the distribution and arrangement of the coupons upon the leaves is a matter that may be varied, as desired.

The tirstleaf D contains the auditors check and also the flrstcoupon c, which check and coupon, comprising substantially the entire leaf, is to be detached by the conductor on the first trip made by the commuter and returned to the auditor. This auditors check contains the number 599 of the ticket, and space for commuters name, date of sale, and name of agent to whom ticket is to be charged.

The coupon c is similar to the coupons a b, before referred to, except that it is numbered 1, showing that it is the rst of the series of fifty coupons constituting the ticket.

On the rear face of the back or cover section B is a table showing how many coupons are to be detached for a ride between any two points covered by the ticket.

There are names cl of the stations, and in line therewith numbers e in bold-faced type, by which the stations are indicated or designated. This row of numbers e extends across the back and is supplemented by a vertical row of corresponding numbers e. Lines f, extending vertically and horizontally betweenthe respective numbers e e', form squares or spaces g, in which are placed numbers h, preferably printed in light-faced type, which indicate the number of coupons to be detached for passage between stationswhose respective numbers are in the intersecting columns. For instance, in going from Harrisburg to White Hill, one coupon will be taken up; from White Hill to Middlesex, live coupons, or from Harrisburg to Carlisle, seven coupons. This number of coupons to be taken up is determinedsay, for example,in going from Harrisburg to White Hill-as follows: Run down the second column (in which Harrisburg appears) u ntil opposite the number 3, the White Hill station-number, in the first column, and the light-faced number l will be met, thereby indicating that one coupon is to be taken IOO z Y I 544,052

up; or, in going from IVhte Hill to Middlesex, run down the fourth column until opposite 14, the station-number of Middlesex, and where those two columns or rows intersect would be found the number 5, showing that Vive coupons should be collected. y

The light-faced number at the intersection of any two columns headed by the stationnumbers indicates the numberot coupons to be collected for passage between the stations whose numbers are considered.

From this table the commuter, as well as the conductor, can determine how many coupons should be taken up, thereby avoiding the computations and disputes arising from the use of mileage-tickets. The present inven tion is, however, not intended to take the place of the mileage-tickets in common use, but to place in the hands ot commuters a ticket similar to those used by street-railway companies, except that it is limited in time and restricted to use by certain persons, thereby providing the commuter with a ticket good to or from any one or more of a number of stations between certain points and avoiding the delay incident to the purchase of tickets.

By the purchase of this ticket suburban patrons have the advantage of a low rate in the shape of time-limited commutation-tickets, the use of which can be confined to any desired territory. At the Sametime this form i 1I claim isof ticket is of no advantage to through passengers from whom the regular rates can be detachable coupons, is provided with num.-

bered spacesto be punched by the conductor. My ticket combines with, the best features of the commutation-ticket the further advantage that instead of being good only between two fixed points at a given rate, is good be tween any points in the territory specified, each coupon, if of coupoirform ticket, or each number to be punched, it' ot card form, to be good for one ride of three miles or less, (the usual maximum distance ior tramway-car fares) and the number of coupons to be detached, or numbers punched, being governed by the distance traveled and readily determined by reference to the table forming a part of the ticket.

The expression Good for one ride of three miles or less;7 is used simply for the purposes ot illustration, as themaximum distance corresponding to one coupon; but the limitation will be varied to suit the interests of the parties concerned.

The ordinary mileage-ticket and the crdinary com mutation-ticket have not proved satisfactory in meeting,r the competition of suburban electric and cable railways, as they fail to provide a limited ticket at a reduced rate, good between any points in a given territory.

In Fig. 5 I have shown my invention as ap' y plied to the ordinary form of card commutation-ticket in which, instead of having detachable coupons, there are the equivalents thereofnumbers or figures to be punched out by the conductor.

Having` thus described my invention, what The herein described ticket, comprising a series of coupons; an auditors stub having the first of said coupons permanently united thereto so as to be collected therewith; and a leat1 or page. containing a table to be used in connection with the coupons, and containing,r the last of the coupons, all substantially as shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set' my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. RIDDLE. Witnesses:

W. B. JARRETT, C. B. WA'rTs.

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