US551417A - Conductor s excess-check - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

E. 111. TAGY.

Fatente Deo. 17 1895.

CONDUGTGRS EXCESS CHECK.

(No Model.)

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.WITNESSESf (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheena E.M.TA0Y. GONDUGTORS BXGESS CHECK. No.`551,417. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

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amm-@QW @y UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

EIVARI) M. TACY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDUCTORS EXCESS-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 551,417', dated December 17, 1895.

Application iiled March S, 1894. Serial ITel 502,864. (No model.)

.T all whom t 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. TACY, a citizen of the United States, resid ing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Iniproveinents'in Conductors7 Excess-Checks and Analogous Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cheeks to be given by conductors or collectors to a passenger paying,` his fare on a train, or to a person making a payment to a collector. The former use is that for which such cheeks are most generally employed, and ordinarily in such employment the payment made is slightly in excess of the actual amount due, and the passenger receives an excess check or slip from the conductor indicating the stations between which he has traveled, and entitling hiin to a refund of the excess on presentation of the check to the proper oiiicial. Vhile traveling this check serves as the passen gers ticket.

Many devices for such use have been previously employed. One of those best known has been superposed duplicate checks from which certain data is to be punched out by the conductor, the duplicates being separable, and one given the'passenger while the other is retained by the conductor as a ticket and delivered to the 4proper oiiicer to whom he accounts. Another well-knownforin consists of a pad of superposed sheets, the uppermost of each pair havingl carbon or other offsetting or transferring' composition on its rear face, whereby when the fare and stations are written in pencil on the face of this check a corresponding` 'transfer appears on the next check, the conductor keeping one' and the passenger the other.

My invention aims to provide an improved memorandum or check of this general character which shall be simple and convenient of use, secure against alteration, and which can be used as a memorandum or record of the transactions of the conductor or collector employing it. l

To this end in carrying out the invention in its preferred form, I provide elongated sheets of a width. corresponding to the length of the checks, folded intermediate of its ends, having,` on the outer face of one folded flap a plurality of spaces or checks successively numbered, and each constructed with certain spaces for containing data relative to the na ture and use of the corresponding check, and at the back of this flap I provide an offset or transfer material, preferably in the form of a narrow strip of carbon disposed directly on the back surface of the flap opposite the proper spaces therein, and on the other iiap of the strip in positions corresponding to the positions of said checks or memoranda I provide a corresponding,` number of detachable checks likewise successively numbered with corresponding numbers, and having blanks or spaces opposite the corresponding,` spaces of the first ila-p, and adapted to receive the offset from said transfer material when the -iirst fia-p is filled in by the conductor in penthe passengers checks are conveniently filled out and may readily be detached, and upon presentation can conveniently be verified by comparison with the original conductors memorandum.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred adaptation of the invention, Figure l is a front elevation of my iniproved check, the lowerinost part of the outer flap being torn away to exhibit the correspending checks on the under flap. Fig. 2 is a face view of the torn-away part of the outer flap. Fig. 3 is a view of the rear face thereof. Fig. i is a view on a smaller scale of the front face of the initial sheet before folding. Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 6 is a view of the rear face thereof. Y Fig. 7 is an'edge view thereof after foldine; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section thereof on the line 8 8in Fig. 7. In Figs. a, 5, and (i the dotted lines o@ a"- indicate the line on which the sheet is folded.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the conductors or memorandum flap or sheet and B the ticket or check lia-p or sheet; C, the

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front or ymemorandum side of the former; D, the several memorandum-compartments thereon; E, the rear face of the memorandum flap or sheet; F, the transfer material at the Vrear thereof; G, the front face of the ticket flap or sheet; H, the several tickets or checks thereof, and I, the dividing point or line of separation between the latter.

The flap A maybe any suitable sheet of paper or analogous material having on its front face a plurality of successively-numbered memorandum-spaces D. Preferably it is a strip of paper of a Width equaling the length of the checks H, and the compartments D traverse it transversely one above the other from its bottom edge to or near its top. The compartments D are successively numbered, beginning with the lowermost one or that at the lower edge of the strip, are permanently connected together, and are of like dimensions and arrangement throughout. In the construction shown each consists of an inclosing-line a inclosing a rectangular space and crossed vertically at the left-hand side by a vertical line l), the space between which and the adjacent vertical line a being subdivided by a horizontal line cinto a substantially square punch-space CZ and an oblong number-space c. In the space d are arranged the Words If punched here excess not collected, or any equivalent expression; and in the latter space are arranged the Words Series A, No. 1003, or any equivalent or suitable identifyin sign. Across the top of each compartment in this construction is a horizontal line f dividing off a space g, Within which the title of the memorandum is printed, as the Words Conductors memorandum. Beneath this space is another horizontal line 7L, inclosing a space i, constituting the stations and amount of space, Within which are the Words Fromj To, and Amt paid by passenger. rIhese Words are at top and suitably spaced, so that beneath or near the Word From there is room for the designation of the station at Which the passenger entered the train, that indicated in the detached memorandum being station 190, and beneath or near the Word To there is room for the designation of the station to which fare has been paid, that shown being station No. 195, and beneath or near the Words Amt. paid by passenger there is room for designation of the amount of the cash payment actually made to the conductor. The station-numbers and the amount paid will be Written in on the memorandum by the conductor before delivering the passengers check, and at the same time he Will fill in the date on the date-space j beneath, and will also make any entries on the blank space 7c below, which space is provided for convenience in entering any notes or signature Which circumstances may require.

The transfer or offset material is best employed by applying it directly to the back surface E of the sheet A, as shown. It consists of any suitable transfer material which should have some distinctive color whereby its offset onto the excess-check cannot be readily altered by the person holding the latter. It is preferably arranged in narrow strips, as shown at F in Fig. 3, and at rear only of such portion of the face of the memorandum Where the matter to be offset onto the excess-check is to be Written, so that no other matter or signatures noted on the memorandum Will appear on the excesscheck. As shown, it is arranged in a transverse strip crossing the sheet A directly back of the station and amount space t' of each memorandum-space D and of slightly greater width than this space.

The flap B maybe any suitable sheet of paper or analogous material having on its front face a plurality of successively-numbered tickets or checks H corresponding in number and position to the memorandum-compartments D. Its tickets II are detachably connected together in suitable manner, as by being formed in an integral sheet which is subdivided by a roW of perforations at the dividing-point I between the tickets. The tickets II in the construction shown consist each of an inclosing-line Z, Within the rectangular space bounded by which is a vertical crossline nt at the left-hand side, dividing off a space which is subdivided by a short hori` zontal linen into a punch-space o and a number-spacep, each corresponding in size, shape and position to the spaces d and e of the memorandum compartments D. f In the punch-space are the Words If punched here Vnot redeemable, and a representation of a punch-spot q, or any suitable equivalent matter. In the number-space are arranged the Words Series A 1001 or any suitable equivalent designation Which corresponds to the designation on the corresponding memorandum-blank D. A horizontal line r divides off a space s at top of each ticket II, Within which the name of the company issuing the ticket may be indicated. In the example shown the Words Issued by Quick Excess Bailroar are printed in this space. Beneath this space is another horizontal line zi, between which and the line r is a blank space u corresponding in size and location to the space t' of the memorandum-compartments D, and bearing the same printed matter as that in the space z'. This space is directly opposite the strip F of transfer material and exposed to the offset therefrom, so that any entry on the space t' by the conductor will be transferred and offset on the space u of the excess-ticket. Beneath the line t is a rectangular space fu, Within which any suitable explanatory matter can be printed. In the example shown this space contains the following printed matter: Conductors Excess Check. Not good for passage. This check must be prepared before it is separated, and this colored half delivered to passenger paying fare to the conductor, as evidence of such passengers right to receive IOO IIO

from the company the excess of fare so paid. The numbers must indicate the stations from and to which fare is collected. Redeemable at 10 cents on presentation at any ticket o'ice of this company unless punched, as provided for on this check.

I prefer to construct the sheets A and B of a sin gle integral piece of paper having the memorandum-spaces D printed onone side and the checks H printed on the other, with perforated lines traversing the sheet between the checks, and the offset material applied directly on the back face of the blanks, and to then fold this piece of paper at its middle, so that the blanks are brought over the checks in proper position. I also prefer to print the checks in a different st-yle or color from the conductors memorandum, so that it may be easily distinguished, this being accomplished in the construction shown by making the space t' of each check of a dark tint or shade.

In operation, the conductor in making a collection writes in the actual amount taken, together with the numbers of the stations, in the space i of the first compartment D, and below this enters the date in the date-space J, and beneath in the note-space K may enter any matter, such as his signature and an explanation if a half-fare has been taken. This operation transfers the amounts written in the spa-ce i' onto the space u of the corresponding check. lf the amount taken is the exact fare, so that the passenger is entitled to no refund for excess, the conductor will punch through the punch-space d, which will simultaneously punch out the spot from the punchspace o of the check, thereby permanently indicating on both the blank and check that no excess has been paid. lf there is an excess, this punching operation will be omitted, so that the passenger may take the excess-check to the proper office and collect the difference between the amount actually paid and the fare actually due as his excess. Upon completing his memorandum, the conductor tears off the corresponding excess-check and delivers it to the passenger.

As the conductor issues excess-checks he preserves his memorandum-slips in their regular order, wherebyit is always convenient to refer to them by number and compute the lamounts collected.

The series of memorandum-blanks constitutes a stub which when the conductor accounts to the auditor is preserved by the latter, and the series of checks constitute receipts which, as they are presented to the auditor for payment to the passenger of the excess, are compared with the stubs and thereby each is verified by the other.

It will be seen that my invention provides an improved excess-check which can be variously availed of with much advantage. Among its advantageous features may be enumerated the following: Itis quick to issue 5 is a positive check on the conductor for the money received; the conductor cannot change or reissue it for another amount; it gives the passenger a receipt for the actual sum paid; it can be used with or without the drawback or excess, as the auditors stub shows the amount of its receipt; a receipt cannot be made without showing the amount on the stub; it gives the auditor an absolute check on conductors; it can be audited quickly; the same check can be used on the various divisions of one road 5 the receipt cannot be issued for one amount and the stub for another; it is a check that cannot be tampered with when once issued, and it is compact and cheap.

l. In a conductors check, or analogous device, a sheet of paper having on front fac-e at one side of its center a series of like blanks successively disposed from near its one edge to near its center, said blanks each having a like marking space, said sheet having on its rear fac-e at back of said blanks a coating' of transfer material on and constituting part of said rear face and at back of each of said spaces, said sheet having on its rear face at the other side of its center a series of like blanks successively disposed from near its edge to near its center and of like size 'to said first mentioned blanks, having marking spaces, said series of blanks of both said faces of like location relatively to the adjacent edges of said sheet, the blanks of one of said series detachably connected together, and said sheet folded between said series of blanks with said transfer material against said series on the back face thereof, whereby markings on the front series are transferred to the other series and the blanks of one series can be detached for use and those of the other series preserved together in their successive relation for record.

2. In a conductors check, or analogous device, a sheet folded upon itself and having upon one of its ilaps a plurality of memorandum blanks D, successively numbered, permanently connected together, and each having a space t, said ilap having on and constituting part of its rear face a plurality of rows F of transfer material, said rows arranged one opposite each of said spaces il, and the other flap of said sheet folded against the rear face of the rst mentioned flap and having on its adjacent face a plurality of detachable checks H, having each a blank space u at rear of the like space t' of the corresponding blanks and opposite and in contact with a corresponding strip F, said checks of like size and position relatively to said blanks, whereby any mattei' written on the space 'L' of any blank will be transferred onto the space u of the corresponding check, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a conductors check or analogous device, a sheet A having a plurality of memorandum blanks D on its front face, permanently connected together and successively numbered, each of said blanks having a punch IOO IIO

space d, a number space e, and a space 't' for the entry of stations and amount paid, and having on its rear face a strip F of transfer material constituting part of its rear face opposite the last named space of each blank D and out of opposition to said punch space, in combination with a sheet B at rear of said sheet A having on its front face a plurality of tickets H, of like dimensions arrangement and numbers to the blanks D, detachably connected together, and each havin g a punch space o, a number space p, and a station and EDWARD M. TACY.

W'itnesses:

ROBERT J. JoHNsToN, FRANK B. JAQUETT.

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