US936559A - Taximeter. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. PBARSON.

TAXIMETER. APPLIGATIONHLBD APR. 20. 1969.

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1PM/EVITER' C. H. PERSON.

TAXIMETBR. I

APPLICATION FILED APB. 2o. 1909.

Q36,559 I Patented 0et,12,1909.

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` Fig-2- G. H. PEARSON.

TAXIMBTBR APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. 1909.

Patentedct. 12, 1909.

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`C. H. PEARSON.

` TAXMETER.

APPLICATION HLBD APB. 20. 1909.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed April'fO, 1909. Serial lio. @Liza To all whom 'it' may concern:

Be 1t known that l, CHARLES H. Paerson, a citizen of the `United States, residing in Brookline', in the county of lorfollr 'and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements inTaXirneters, of which ythe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a speciication.' y

YMy invention relates to a mechanism by which a charge'is recorded that includes the pricev for the nilles -run at a fixed rate per mile and in addition to this a tait, at a less rate, for the time that they vehicle is not running but still held bythe passenger or passengers, and consists of a set of dials operated by a train of gears to which motion is lgiven by a spring, the said spring being wound and kept wound by trains 'of gears which are lseparate and yet co\vorking, one 'of these trains of Winding gears being driven direct by the hand of the user, by :theyl on the winding` stern, and the other by connection ivith soine'rnoving part of the Vevhiclemechanism. 'l

' The object 'of this invention is to insure continuity Iand regularity of movement and 'accuracy oit record. These objects l attain bythe mechanism shown in the aecoinpanying` drawing` in which: y

Figure l is an end elevation of iuy invention; .FQ is a vieuT :troni the front showing the set o'l charge recording` dials in eleva tion and the mechanism that more particularly embodies my invention; Fig. 3 is a sect-ion on line 2l--3 of Fig. Q. Fig. fl is a View showing' the .spring-barrel and sp1-ingr in vertical section. and other connected parts in elevation; Fig. 5 is a sectional vieuT taken on line 5 5 'of Fig. d; Fig'. (3 is a detail showing esca peinent balance and stop springa lever. y i y ln a lever clock or in a spring motor used in a .so-called taxiinetcr (an instrument used on-taxicabs and the like for operating a charging'mechanisim defects occur, chiefly, frein such clock or motor not having the capacity to run for more than a few hours and then quite irregularly, notsufliciently regular to warrant exposing a time of day dial to the customer, rendering it dilicult for the driver to know Whether the clock or motor is running, and requiringirequent hand Windingr of the spring.

The usual Way a'taxnneter is operated is by power exerted by the running ofthe tairieab, through a i'ieniblc shaft connected with or operated by a part of the taxicab, generally the hub or sonia part of one of its wheels, such lieXible shaft being fitted' with a clutch or igs' equivalent, to avoid operating on the charging,l mechanism when the taxicab is run backward. When, however, the speed of the taxicab is quite slow, or when it stops, on a charging trip, Waiting customers orders, the clock or spring motor mechanism overtakes the part operated by power and operates the charging mechanism. Pence regularity in running and the use of they strongest part of the spring is desirable. The limited space in a taxiineter practically prevents the use et an extensively ,long spring and the use of such would niean very irregular running` and great variation in thepoiver exerted by it in operating the charging mechanism. l l

ln a clock orlclock nioveinent used in an instrument for indicating, registering or recording, used on an automobile or the like (or in an engine rooin or boiler house where there may be power talrable frein a running shaft, etc.) a principal cause for damage to ,a clock comes vtroni the frequent opening of the clock case to Wind it, and loss of `key for windingl it by hand.`

'lo 7get the necessary power te operate the recording mechanism of atanimeter requires a very strong` main-spring and in the limited space the electr motor inust be made small so that running tinieoi motor is necessarily short, thereby causing the operator to Watch the clock carefully to prevent lthe saine from running downy while in use. in the event of this happening.;- the taxiineter Would register an incomplete fare. .Eis applied to a clock en :moving vehicle, locomotive, steamer or in any place from which power could be connected, 'the clock, would never require Winding by and would have the advantage of running on onepart of spring constantly and where fine rating; is wuntedwould be a distinct advantage.

rlhe defects above referred to are largely remedied by the invention herein referred to and for which improvements a patent is Wanted.

The general characteristics of my inven- Ation may be briefly stated as olloivsz-lfn method utilizing e power already connected or one especially connected i'or the purpose oli winding a clock or motor mechanism, recordu ing gage or any mechanism controlled by a spring that requires winding, by means of a moving shaft controlled either by belt, chain, flexible shaft or other mechanical means, causing at any stated time the rewinding of the spring, either when wholly or partly run down. Except under conditions where a long wait or stop 1s made the clock or motor-.could thus be rewound every l5 minutes or haltl hour or in a clock could be rewound once a day.

My mechanism can be so arranged that should the vehicle be laid up for a :t'ew days the clock would still run out the balance of Weel; and still have considerable reserve on mainspring or where the power was constant a very light spring could be used, automatically winding as often as considered necessary.

ln the drawings A represents the outside4 easing of my machine and B, B the recording or indicating dials which are to be graduated or numbered in any desired manner.

The recording or indicating dials 13, l are caused to work, and indicate the amount of charge for the use ofthe vehicle, by a train of gears driven by some motion transmission devices, such as a flexible shaft for instance, which transmits the mot-ion, from some moving part of the machinery that propels the vehicle, to the vertical shaft D. These parts are old and need not be described in detail.

My invention is connected with and liesI in the parts that cause the rewinding at intervals of the strong large spring in the drum C; that prevents over-winding of the same; that gives regular motion to all the parts and insures the correct recording of the time that the vehicle is not running but still serving the passenger' or 1{ )assengers that have hired it. These parts may be described as follows z---The winding stem [C isl used by the operator for winding up the spring C attached to the shaft before the vehicle is started 0r at any time when for any cause the spring has run down or so far run down as to be below the desired point at. which it is desired to keep il wound for obtaining the liest results.

The clock train and its connected mechanism has functions distinct from those of the mechanisms for driving the charging or recording dials; those are driven directly by the verticalshalt D and worm gear IG, E, see Fig. 3, when the vehicle is in motion, and thus record the distance traveled and the charge. llt the clock train operates the said dials when the vehicle is at rest and records charges for the time that the vehicle rests. The clock trainl F also causes the rewinding olE the spring at predetermined intervals and prevents over-winding. The devices 'lor recording the rest charge by the clock train F consist of the gear wheels F1, F2, F", and F, which are driven niediately by the said clock train F, see Fig. 2.

The partial Winding of the mainspring at intervals and prevention of over-winding is effected by the followingdescribed devices:-A. cam disk K, Figs. l, 2 and 3, which is driven by the mainspring or motor device acting through the gears J, J', Fig. 2, and Worm gear J z, J, Fig. 3; on this cani disk K are two cam pieces K1, l", the cam pieces K1 and K2 acting through the pins L1, L- cause the rod L to move up and down at certain predetermined times, that is, if the vertical shaft EL (which when lowered engages by the ratchet teeth E with the shaft 1)) is allowed to drop, then it will be caused to rotate and acting through the worm gear E, E7, Fig. 3, and acting through the hand-winding shaft E and gears E8, 1P, Fig. l, will wind up the spring of the clock, and when lifted into the position shown in the drawings will cease to wind, thus preventing over-winding.

rlhe movement of the rod L is communicated to the Vertical shaft E* through the pair of levers L, L. The swing ,snap hooks L3, L9 which are attached to thelixednrm L4 engage with the notches L5, L5 on the crosshead attached t0 the rod L and thus hold it in the position that the cam .pieces K1, K2 have lett it. Springs L10 causes the snap hooks L8 L0 to close onto the crosshead I, and thus hold it in place.

W hen the vehicle is not in use the clock may be stopped, and thus prevent the spring from running down. For the purpose of thus stopping the clock I have the followingdescribed device: A lever W1, Fig. (3, which is frictionally held on the arbor lVL and has a light spring W attached to its end so constructed that when the lever is turned to the positions shown in dotted lines it, the spring l, will bear against the escapement balance wheel lV and stop it.

l-laving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. ln a taximeter, the combination of registering means, a shatt driven by the vehicle and having an operative connection with the registering means, a spring also having an operative connection with the registering means for driving lhc same when the vehicle is at rest, a second shaft, means cooperating with the sectpid shal'tilor rewinding the spring, a clutch mechanism between the two shalls, a cam driven by the spring, and means actuated by the cam 'for automalically controlling the clutch mechanism.

2. In a taximeter, the combination of registering means, a shalt driven by' the vehicle and having an operative connection with the registering means, a spring 4having an operative, connection with the registering means for moving the same when the vehicle is at rest, a second shaft, means for eooperation with the second shaft to rewind registering dials, a shaft. driven by the ve hicle, an operative connection between the shaIt and registering` dials, gearnmv for mov mg the registering dials when the vehicle is at rest, a spring for driving the gearing, a second shaft having an oierative connection with the spring for rewinding the same, a clutch mechanism between the two shafts, a cam disk driven by the spring, and means actuated by the cam disk for automatically controlling the ,clutch mechai'iism.

4. In a taximeter, the combination of registering dials, a shaft driven by the vehicle, an operative connection' between the shaft and registering dials, gearing' for moving the registering dials when the. vehicle is atl rest, a spring for driving' the gearing, a. second shafthaving an operative connection with the spring' for rewinding the same, a clutch mechanism between the two shafts, a cam disk driven by the spring', a reciprocating` rod` driven by the cam disk, and means coperatino' with the. reciprocating` rod for antomaticaly controlling' the before inentioned clutch mechanism. A

5. In a taximeter, the combination of registering` diais, a shaft driven by the vehicle, an operative connection between the shaft and registering; dials, gearing for moving the registering dials when the vehicle is at rest. a spring for driving the gearing, a second shaft having an operative connection with the spring' for rewindiircf` the same. a clutch mechanism between thc two shafts, a cam disk driven. by the spring', a recipio eating rod driven by the cani disk, and a lever cooperating with the reciprocating rod to control the before mentioned clutch n1cchanism. Y

6. In a taximetcr, the combination of registering dials, a shaft driven by the vchicle,` an operative connection between thc shaft and registering' dials, gearing for moving the registering dials when the vehicle is at rest, a spring` for driving' the gearing', a second shaft havingr an operative connection with-the spring for rewinding' the same, a

clutch mechanism between the two shafts, a reciperocating rod, means actuated by the spring for moving the reciprocating rod, and means coi'iperating with the reciprocat ing,` rodV for controlling the before mentioned clutch mechanism.

7. ln a tar'nieter, the combination of registering dials, a shaft driven bythe vehicle, an operative connection between the shaft and registering dials, gearing' for moving the registering' dials when `the vehicle is at rest, a spring for driving' the gearing, a. second shaft having,` an operative connection with the spring for rewinding-the same, a clutch mechanism between the ,two shafts, a reciprocating rod, means actuated by the spring;- for movingthe reciprocating rod, means for holding the reciprocating rod at either limit of its movement, and means cooperating with the reciprocating rod for controlling the before mentioned clutch mechanism.

8. In a taXim-eter, the combination of registering' dials, a shaft driven by the vehicle, an operative connection between the shaft and registering dials, gearing for inov ing the registering dials when the vehicle is l at rest, a spring' for driving the gearing, a second shaft havingV an operative connection 'with the spring for rewinding' the same, a clutch mechanism between the two shafts, a reciprocatii'lg rod, means actuated by the spring for movingthe reciprocating rod, a spring actuated snap hook, means coperating with the said snap hook to hold the reciprocating rod at either limit of its movement, and means cooperating with the reciprocating' rod for controlling the before mentioned clutch mechanism.

9. ln a taXinrer, the combination of registering means, a shaft driven by the vehicle and having` an operative connection with the registering means, a spring, meansl driven by the spring' for actuating the regis tering' means when the vehicle at rest, a second shaft having an operative connection with the spring' for rcvv'imling;h the same., a cam disk driven by thc spring, a reciprocating' rod actuated by the cam disk, a snap hook, means cooperating with the snap hook to hold the reciprocating' rod at either limit of its inovcmei'it, a clinch mechanism betweeii the two shafts, and means coperating with the rcciiirocating rod to control the c l iitch mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. PEARSONl Witnesses:

WALTER E. MGGRAW, FRANK G. PARKER.

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