US856410A - Holder for tickets, checks, &c. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED JUNE 11, 1907.

M. MACDONALD. HOLDER POR TICKETS, CHECKS, &o. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAB. 27. 190s. Bmwnwnn APB. 1o. 190e.

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MURDOCH MACDONALD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNCR TO THE MACDONALD TICKET AND TICKET BOX COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF OHIO.

HOLDER FOR TICKETS, CHECKS, &G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 190'?,

.of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to holders for tickets, checks or similar articles, suitable for use on railways of various kinds, in restaurants, stores, places of amusement, etc., where it is desired to give to the passenger, purchaser or spectator, a ticket, check or voucher of suitable character in exchange for value received, at the same time retaining a corresponding portion or stub which may afterward be turned over to the auditor or other accountant. In a device of this kind it is of the greatest importance that the user shall be able to quickly and accurately make the necessary7 indications on the receipt or portion handed to the passenger, purchaser `or spectator and simultaneously therewith make a corresponding auditors portion, stub or voucher. The importance of this will be readily appreciated when it is considered that the holder has its greatest use on railway train and bus systems where the ability to collect fares with great rapidity and accuracy, as in rush hours, is the first consideration. It is also of great importance to provide a holder of such character that the auditors stub or voucher will be concealed from view once the passengers or purchascrs portion of the ticket or check is removed, thus furnishing an accurate check on the user and dispensing with all book-keeping or accounting on his or her part. By reason of this the user will have more time to attend to other duties.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder which will fulfil the exacting requirements set forth above, and at the same time be simple and rugged in construction, cheap to manufacture, and not liable to get out of order either by use or misuse.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of my invention, Figure l is a plan view of the holder showing a pad comprising a number oll tickets or checks in position; Ii ig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder with the ticket or check pad and the retaining device removed Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the pad-retaining device l ig. 4 is a cross-sectional view ol' the holder, with the pad in place, showing the position of the auditors stubs therein; liig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the casing with the pad and holding device removed; and liig. (i is a perspective View of a pad suitable for use in the holder.

C represents the casing ol the holder, comprising a hase portion, a curved back and top and two end portions, and D a removable pad-retaining plate. The plate is provided with a lip (l on its right-hand side, which is adapted to be slipped under the inturned edge c on the casing. VRising vertically from said lip for a short distance is a portion d that conceals the right-hand side of the stub of the pad .from view. Formed integral with, or secured to said portion and extending parallel with the base ofthe holder, is the llat portion of the plate which engages the pad and confines the same within the holder, with the exposed and concealed portions lying in planes making an angle to each other. The retaining plate is locked in position by the pin 2, the lower end ol" which is adapted to pass through the base of the casing and enter a lock affixed to the under side thereof. The key for the lock is retained by the auditor or other duly authorized person so that once the pad is locked in place, the user does not have access thereto and hence cannot see what the stubs indicate. The curved portion of the casing terminates in a relatively thin edge 3. On the under side of the padretaining plate are one, two or more devices for holding the pad in proper alinenient. In the present embodiment of the invention two pins 6 are provided for the purpose that extend through orifices 5, 'F ig. 6, in the pad.

The pad P is composed of a plurality of counterpart sheets ol comparatively thin paper and is held against the severii'ig edge by the plate D. The sheets are suitably fastened together to form a pad of convenient size and shape and one that can be readily handled. As shown in cross-section the exposed and stub portions of the pad form, in the present embodiment of the invention, an

IOO

acute angle to each other, and the individual sheets are placed under an initial spring tension 'due to the iieXing or bending of the sheets. The angle made by the portions of the pad can be varied to suit the conditions of service. rlhe tension on the sheets thus arranged is sufficient to cause the stub portion of each severed sheet to spring away from the severing edge 3. l regard this as a very important feature vof the invention since it greatly facilitates the rapidity with which the user can issue tickets or checks.

I believe it to be broadly new with me to provide .a holder for tickets, checks, etc., wherein the sheets composing the pad are placed under initial stress with the idea of 'causing the stub portions thereof to spring away from the severing edge when released.

In service all the user has to do i`s to make the proper indications on the individual sheets before they are severed, and the stubs will take care of themselves. When the spring tension on the pad is sufficient the stubs will disappear from view one after the other as tickets or checks are severed. When the tension on the pad, due to the character of the paper used, is small, or to the fact that the pad has been in the holder for some time .and the paper has taken a set, the stub portion of each sheet may be released from frictional contact with the severing edge 3, either by depressing the exposed end of the pad slightly or by moving it bodily inward by aslight amount. This action will permit the stubs to spring back one after the other .as shown in Fig. 4 and be concealed from view.

In event of the spring tension of the paper being insufficient to hold the successive sheets in proper engagement with the severing edge 3, a spring means, such as'the wing E or its equivalent is provided. In the present illustration of the invention the said means is hinged t'o the inner end of the plate D and normally pressed upward by one or more small springs coiled around the longitudinally extending pin of the hinge.

The character of the yielding means for forcing the successive sheets of the pad against the severing edge can obviously be Achanged without departing from the spirit of my invention.

lt sometimes happens that it is desirable to support the pad within the casing at a point .above the base. To accomplish this a plate G is provided that is brazed or otherwise secured to the upright portion d of the pad- .retaining plate, the said plate being perforated to receive the ends of the pins 6 and support the same.

In order to make the proper indications on both the exposed and concealed portions of each sheet, one, two, three or more cutters or perforations .are provided. In the present instance three cutters 7, 8 and 9 are provided.

These are mounted to slide individually and longitudinally of the guide 10, the latter being supported by the ends of the holder and also by resting on the curved top portion thereof. The cutters are provided with sharpened ends that lie in the plane of the exposed portion of the pad, and are provided with surfaces that grip the. overhanging edges of the guide 10. In order to prevent them from moving too freely each cutter is or may be provided with a small spring 12 of suitable construction.

The sheets composing the pad are duplicates, and each is printed with the necessary data arranged in parallel columns. 4For eX- ample, for railway, train and bus systems, columns of figures are provided indicating the fares to be charged for different distances traveled over. Columns containing the names of streets, stations or localities are also provided, together with any other necessary data. The severing or tearing line of the sheets is located midway between the columns,

Assuming the holder to be loaded and ready for service the mode of operation .is as follows: The user takes the holder in the left hand and, with a thumb or linger, moves a cutter along the guide 10 until it coincides in position with the amount of fare to be collected. A second cutter is moved along the guide until it registers with the place where the journey began; the third cutter is moved along the guide until it registers with the place where the journey is to cease. The user then takes the top sheet between the thumb and finger of the right hand and swings it in an arc about the severing edge 3 as an axis. This causes the cutters to cut V- shaped slots in the sheet, and by a movement of the hand toward the body the sheet is severed. The detached portion with the three V-shaped notches is then handed to the passenger for a receipt. By practice the users of these holders are able to sever the exposed portions of the sheets by a practically continuous movement of the hand, thus insuring rapid collection of fares and issuing of receipts. lf the tension on the sheets of the pad is suflicient the stub of the severed sheet will of its own accord spring away from the severing edge if not, the pad is either slightly depressed or moved inward by a slight amount cr both, after which the position of the pad is restored. The stub portion of the ticket will correspond to the severed portion as to the fare paid, the distance traveled over. etc.7 but instead of having V-shaped notches it will have V-shaped projections of the same size as the notches. Vhen the tickets or checks have been used wholly or in large part the holder is turned over to the auditor and reloaded by unlocking the bolt and removing the pad, reinserting a new one and re-mounting the plate D and inserting the TOO TIO

bolt 2. By examining the projections on the stub portions of the tickets or checks turned in the auditor can readily ascertain the sum of money to be accounted for.

The specific construction of the ticket holder is not claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of my application for patent, S. N. 293,854, lilcd December 2S), 1905.

In accordance with the provisions el the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. In a device of the character describei'l, the combination of a casing arranged to receive a pad composed ot flexible sheets, one portion being within the casing, the other exposed, a severing edge, and a means which retains the pad within the casi ng and places all of the sheets under initial stress so that the stubs of the severed sheets have a tendency at all times to retreat from the severing edge: I

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing having an opening and arranged to receive a pad composed of flexible sheets, the stub portion otl the pad being within the casing and the portion to be severed extending through the opening, a severing edge against which the sheets are pressed one after the other as the portions outside of the casing are severed, and a holder which retains the stub portion within the casing, bends the pad to put the sheets under initial stress and holds the surface of the sheets in engagement with the severing edge, the holder, severing edge and pad being so constructed and arranged that a bodily movement ot the pad after a sheet is severed frees the stub portion of the sheet from said severing edge and causes it to disappear `from view.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing arranged to receive a pad composed oi flexible sheets, concealing one portion and exposing the remainder, a severing edge, one or more cutters adjustable with respect to said edge, and a means for retaining the pad within the casing, the said means being so constructed and arranged that it tends at all times to withdraw the stubs of the sheets vfrom the severing edge and from view.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing having an opening and arranged to receive a pad composed of flexible sheets, concealing one portion and exposing the other through the opening, a severing edge against which the sheets are pressed one after the other as the exposed portions are severed, a removable holder which 'forms one wall ojt the casing, holds the sheets in a bent position against the severing edge and thus places them individually under initial stress to cause them to spring away from said edge, and means Afor attaching the pad to the holder to 'facilitate its insertion and removal from the casing.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, arranged to receive a pad composed ol` Vflexible material, concealing one portion and exposing the other, means `for holding the )ad in a bent position within the casing so tliat the sheets are placed under individual stress, to cause them to-move away from the severing edge when released, one or .more devices l'or making indications or records on the successive sheets, and a severing edge arranged to successively engage the sheets and retain the stub portion against the severing edge unt-il released by a relative movement o'l the main body ol: the pad and said severing edge.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing having a back portion rounded transversely and provided with a severing edge along the front and top thereo'l and a series of cutters slidably engaged on the top ol said casing and provided with points extending beyond said severing edge at an angle there- 9 to, in combination with a pad-confining plate removably attached over the 'front and top ol" said case, means con'liningthe sheets of said pad in the casing connected with said plate, and a spring-pressed wing on one edge of said plate to hold the tickets to the severing edge.

7. A device of the character described consisting of a casing having its front edge constructed to form a severing edge lor the sheets and open across its lront beneath said edge, in combination with a plate removably secured over said lront, a spring-pressed wing having its edge opposite said severing edge, and indenting cutters slidably mounted along said severing edge projecting outward at an angle to said edge.

8. A device oi' the character described, comprising a casing witha rounded back portion and a severing edge along its 'front and top, a series of' pointers slidably mounted on the top of said casing and having points in line with said severing edge, in combination with a retaining mechanism for a pad comprising a plate removably locked in the top of said casing, and a spring-pressed wing engaged On the edge o'l said plate and adapted to press the pad against the said severing edge.

9. A device of the character described comprising a sheet-metal casing with a severing edge at its to'p front, in combination with a pad-retaining mechanism consisting o'l" a plate adapted to overlap a portion of the pad, means to lock said plate in the said casing,

means to engage the pad and prevent its being drawn out, and means to hold the pad up against said severing edge.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a severing edge for the pad sheets along its front and top, and open at its front to insert the pad, in combination with means to coniine said pad comprising a plate constructed along its front edge to be locked upon said casing, a spring-pressed wing hinged on the inner edge of said plate, and cutters slidably mounted on the said casing and having points bent to an inclination and operatively related to said severing edge.

l1. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to hold a pad and to conceal the auditors stub when the exposed portion has been removed, said casing having an opening lengthwise across its front' bordered by a severing edge for the pad sheets, a yielding plate to hold the pad against said severing edge, and means to 'HX the pad in the casing, comprising a support on which the pad rests, and means holding the pad upon said su port, the said casing having a rounded bac i behind said severing edge to conceal the sheets of the pad after the tickets havev been detached.

12. In a device of the character described, a case adapted to receive a pad composed of flexible sheets having a rounded back and top portion terminating at its front in a severmg edge for the sheets, said severing edge being on a plane below the highest point in the top of the case, whereby when the eX- posed portion of a sheet is torn off oi the stub it has room to spring back and be concealed within the upper portion of the case, in combination with means to confine the pad comprising a plate removably secured overthe front of said case and extending inward at its rear to a plane substantially beneath the highest point in the top of the case, whereby when the pad is coniined beneath said plate the angle of bend for the pad is made acute to facilitate the springing of the stubs back into the case. i

13. In a device of the character described, a casing to hold a pad and to conceal the auditors stub when the ticket proper has been severed, said casing having an opening lengthwise across its front bordered by a severing edge for the ticket, a yielding plate to hold the pad against said severing edge, and means to hX the pad in the casing comprising a su port on which the pad rests, and means hol ing the pad upon said support, the said casing having a rounded back behind said severing edge to conceal the sheets ofthe pad after the tickets have been detached.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MURDOCH MACDONALD. Titnesses z i R. B. MOSER, C. A. SELL.

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