US597224A - Railway-ticket - Google Patents

Description

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J'. SEBASTAN it B. B. ANDERSON. RAILWAY TICKET.

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JOHN SEBASTIAN AND BENJAMIN B.

ANDERSON, or chiosco, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-TICKET. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,224, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed March l 8 189 '7.

T0 ctZZ wwnt t may concern-.-

Be it known that we, JOHN SEBASTIAN and BENJMIIN B. Aubusson, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a-neW and useful Improvement in Railway-Tickets, of which the following is a speciiication. Y

Our invention relates to an improvement in railwaymickets, more especially of the coupon type, for use over connecting railways, though certain features of the improvement are adapted to use with local tickets as Well.

Our object is twofold: first, to provide a ticket the return portion of which shall be forwarded by the issuing company to the destination agent, there to be by him delivered to the purchaser in time for the return trip after satisfactory identification, and, second, Where the ticketis for passage over connecting railways, to provide coupons correspondcoupons and suitably marked for their purpose to be forwarded promptly to the auditors of the various lines interested. These *Iwo featuresJ taken in conjunction, contribute to the production of a ticket which it is practically impossible to scalp or in anyway manipulate in an unauthorized manner. Moreover, the feature of the auditors advicechecks (foreign as Well as local) makes it posisible to furnish the roads interested with notice of sales promptly, a thing which has not been practicable heretofore because of the clumsiness of the system in use.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face vieur of the upper portion of our improved ticket as adapted for use over connecting railways, the portion being separated at the line l on Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a similar vieur ofthe remaining portion of the ticket, and Fig. 3 a plan view showing the sections of the ticket herein described.

The preferred construction is that shown, involving the use of a strip constituting the going-ticket With certain necessary coupons attached, and byits side and detachablyconnectcd with it a strip constituting the returnticket with certain other coupons attached to it. The ticket illustrated is one from Buf- Ing in essential characteristics to the passage- Serial No. 628,199. (No model.)

falo to Denver and return via the Michigan Central and Chicago, Rock island and Pacific railways.

A is the going-ticket, comprising the contract portion B, an exchange-coupon C, passagefcoupons D and E, and an anditors advice-check F, to be taken up by the first conductor.

G is the return-ticket, comprising a conH tract portion Il, passagecoupons I and J, joint agents advice-check K, auditors advice-checks L and M, and agents stub N.

The portion B contains the necessary terms of contract, and one of the terms of the contract would ordinarily be an agreement on the part of the purchaser to present the attached coupon C, calling for the return portion of the ticket to the joint or destination agent at a designated time, and upon .satisfying said agent as to his identity to receive from him said return-ticket.

The portion C amounts practically to an order upon the joint agent for the returnticket and is signed by the general passeir ger agent of the issuing line.

The parts D and E are ordinary going-coupons for passage over the tivo roads interested.

The coupon F is designed to be taken up bythe rst conductor of the issuing line and by him forwarded at once to his auditor as an advice that the ticket has been put into actual use.

The return-ticket is suitably marked to indicate that it is to be detached by the selling agent, who is to retain his stub N and for- Ward the remainder to his auditor.

The portion H contains the necessary terms of contract, and is further provided with a descriptive identifying-section H' and a blan k for the purchasers signature.

The parts l and J are ordinary return-coupons for passage from Denver to Buffalo over the two roads interested.

The part K is intended to be kept by the destination or joint agent and is preferably supplied with a purchasers signature-blank.

The parts L and M are auditors advicechecks suitably marked to indicate that they are to be sent to the auditors of the various IOO roads interested. Herein lies one of the important features of this invention, since by the provision of these auditors advice-checks corresponding to the passagecoupons over the several roads and marked to indicate their purpose means is afforded for supplying prompt notice to the interested roads of all tickets sold, thus enabling them to make the proper credits and char-ges without the usual thirty to ninety days delay incident to the clumsiness of the system heretofore in use.

The method of using our improved ticket is as follows: When a sale is made, the selling agent secures the purchasers signature to the blank provided on the section H and punches the proper words in the section H to give the purchasers description. He then detaches the entire half (marked Gr) and, re-

taining the agents stub, (marked N,) forwards the remainder to the auditor of the issuing line. The auditor of the issuing line retainsthe coupon M for his information, and immediately forwards the remainder to the auditor of the terminal line,who detaches and retains the advice-cou pon (marked L) and forwards the remainder to the joint ticket agent at destination. It will be observed that the going portion A is not supplied with a signature for the purchaser, it being the purpose to retain in the possession of the companies the only portion of the ticket which bears the purchasers signature and description. flien the purchaser presents the ticket A for passage, the first conductor of the issuing line detaches the auditors advice-check (marked F) and forwards it to his auditor. Any delay on the part of the selling agent to send in the return half of the ticket would of course be discovered upon receipt of the iirst conductors coupon. The passage-coupon E is taken up by the last conductor of the issuing` line. The contract may provide that the exchange-coupon is not to be presented for redemption within a certain number of days after the purchaser has reached his destination. At the time agreed upon, however, and Within the'period of limitation, the purchaser is required to present the exchange-coupon in person. The joint agent, with the holder of the coupon standing before him, is able to vsee at a glance whether his description tallies with that of the purchaser. Herein is one great advantage of our improved ticket, for with tickets heretofore in use this identification has been made before the conductor, and

ties, and it appears, therefore, that' the holder of the exchange-coupon, unless he were the original purchaser, would be unable to duplicate it.

It is evident that this system maybe extended for use over any number of connecting lines by supplying additional coupons, in which case the auditors advice-coupons of the intermediate railways would be detached by the auditor of the issuing line and forwarded to the proper auditors at the same time that the return-ticketis forwarded to the auditor of the terminal line. Moreover, if it is desired to save time the proper distribution of the various coupons may be made by the sellingagent without the'necessity of any parts, except those properly for the advice of the auditors alone, passing first through their hands.

It will be seen that the system, the employment of which is made possible by the ticket here described, making provisiomfas it does, for the retention of the return-ticket by the railway companies and its delivery only upon the most rigid scrutiny and then only in time for the return trip, will practically do away with scalping and, in fact, any unauthorized manipulation, since no person will invest money wrongfully with the extreme probability of losing it.

Minor changes in the structure of the ticket and in the method of use may be made, and

we wish, therefore, in thus minutely describing our invention to be understood as in no sense limiting ourselves in matter of details, except as shall appear from the appended claims.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In 'a ticket for passage over connecting railroads, the combination with the coupons for passage over the several roads, of detachably-connected auditors advice-checks corresponding in essential characteristics to said passage-coupons and each having thereon an inscription directing it to be sent to the proper auditor, whereby the various auditors interested may be furnished with prompt advice of sales, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a ticket for passage over connecting railroads, the combination of a coupon return ticket having purchaser identifying marks upon it, a going-ticket provided with coupons for passage over the several roads, and auditors advice-coupons corresponding in essential characteristics to said passagecoupons and each supplied with an inscription directing it to be sent to the proper auditor, said parts being detachable, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a going-ticket A and a return-ticket G, said going-ticket comprising a contract portion B, exchange-coupon C, passage-coupons D and E and an auditors advice-check F, and the return-ticket comprising a contract portion H, passage-coupons ICO railroads, the combination with the coupons for passage over the severa-1 roads, of detachably connected foreign auditors adviseeheoks ooi-responding in essentiel characteristies to sst-id passage-coupons, whereby the Various auditors interested may be furnished ro with prompt advice of sales, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN SEBASTIAN. f BENJAMIN B. ANDERSON.

In presence 0f- J. H. LEE, RICHARD SPENCER.

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