US973315A - Recording fare-register. - Google Patents

Description

A. E. STONE '& F. L. O'BRYAN.

RECORDING FARE REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED HAY-1B, 1907.

Patented 001;. 18, 1910.

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RECORDING FARE REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1907.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTQE.

ARTHUR E. STONE AND FRANCIS L. OBRYAN, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

RECORDING FARE-REGISTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR E. STONE and Farmers L. OBRYAN, of Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Recording Fare-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to recording registers, and has particular reference to appliances of this kind which are used in street-- cars and other public conveyances, for making a permanent record of the number of fares taken on each trip, and of the employee collecting the fares.

The invention is an improvement on that disclosed in the prior application filed by us May 26, 1906, Serial No. 318,796, and has for its object not only the general objects attained by the machine of the said prior appli :ation, but also to make the machine more compact, to provide an automatic mechanism for actuating the identification key of the conductor, to provide an improved mechanism for taking an impression of the printing types on a record sheet so that there will be no danger of an imperfect impression, to provide an improved record holder such that a sheet of paper for taking the record may be more readily inserted and removed, to avoid the necessity of using an inked ribbon for coloring the impression made by the tvpes, to make the mechanism more rigid and stronger than in the device of the earlier application, and in general so to improve the apparatus that it can be made more easily, cheaply and efficiently than before.

Of the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 represents an elevation of the apparatus embodying our invention, with the cover removed to show the working parts. Fig. 2 represents a similar view, showing the identification members and key actuator in a. different position. Figs. 8 and & representfragmentary sectional views illustrating the character of key employed for identification of the operator, in two positions, that is, while being inserted and after being moved to set the identification devices. Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary elevation showing the position of the printing means while taking an impression. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view of the holder for the record sheet. '7 represents an elevation of a portion of the holder, including the winding drum.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1907.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 374,429.

Figs. 8 and 9 represent two views in elevation, of the key actuator.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the main actuator which is operated by the user of the apparatus, and is held against a fixed stop by a suitable spring. 3 is a link connected with the main actuator and with a lever & which has a second short arm for reciprocating the link 5, which causes an arm (5 to swing and operate the counting or totalizing disks 7. These parts constitute the totalizing or counting mechanism which is not essentially different from that employed in our prior application, or in the fare registers ordinarily used in street-cars, the particular difference being that the shaft 8 which carries the disks is perpendicular to the plane of the apparatus instead of parallel thereto, and that the carrying wheels for carrying tens from one disk to another are arranged inside the periphery of the disk, in a well-known manner, instead of outside.

9 represents the usual external key which is operated by hand at the end of a trip of the car to set the indicator of the register back to zero. It is mounted on a shaft 10 which carries a spur pinion 11 meshing with a pinion 12 on a short parallel shaft 13, and is connected by bevel pinions or other suitable driving mechanism (not shown) with a disk 14 having a pin 15.

The identification members consist of segmental disks 16 which are mounted rotatably on the shaft 8 and carry peripheral raised impression types 17 similar to the raised types 18 of the counting or totalizing disks. The number of the identification disks is variable, depending on the number of employees who are likely to be called upon to use the apparatus, and therefore the range of different identification marks or combinations necessary to distinguish them. Each disk 16 has teeth 19 arranged about a pitch circle of short radius with which mesh the teeth of a segment 20 of larger radius, mounted to turn about a stud 21. Each of the segments 20 is connected by a pivot pin 22 with a bar 23 of which one end is mounted to reciprocate through a slot in a guide plate 24 and is engaged by a spring wire 25 mounted upon the guide plate. The object of the springs 25 is to hold the other ends of the bars against a block 26 which constitutes a key guide, and thereby to retain the identification disks out of printing position. In the block 26, which constitutes a key guide, is a slot 27 adapted to receive a removable key 28, and open at the end adjacent the bars 23. Each key has one or more projections 29 and is inserted in the slot in the position shown in Fig. 3. hen moved to the right, as shown in Fig. 4, the projections of the key engage one or more of the bars and move them to the right through distances varying according to the lengths of these projections. Such movement of the bars swings one or more of the segments 20 in right-hand rotation, and turns the corresponding identification disks 16 to the left to bring the types on the peripheries thereof, which represent the value of the particula key inserted, into printing position. The key is guided when inserted into the slot 27, by a projecting tongue 30 on the end of an actuating bell-crank lever 31, which projects into the guiding slot 27 and enters a longitudinal groove in the key. This groove has the position on the key oc cupied by the tongue 30 in Figs. 3 and 1. A stifl spring 32 presses between a fixed abutment and the actuating bell-crank 31, tending to move the tongue of the latter toward the right, but this tendency is re s ted by a latch 53% pressed outward by a spring (F 8 and 9) which normally lies at the right of the end of-the actuator and somewhat overlaps the same. This latch 3st projects slightly into the key-guiding slot 27 so that it is struck by the end of the key when inserted, and is thereby moved out of the path of the actuator. The latter being thus released, is moved toward the right by spring 32 so as to actuate the identification disks through the medium of the key in the manner described. At the same time, a finger 36 011 the key is carried behind a web 37 and locks the key so that it cannot be drawn outward. The actuator itself is also locked by an arm 38 pivoted at 39, and having a shoulder 40 which is latched over the outer portion of the bellcrank by means of a tension spring all. Thus the key can neither be drawn directly outward, nor can it be slid to the left so as to disengage its finger 36 from the web 37.

A holder for a record sheet is shown at 12, being pivoted to oscillate about a stud 43. This holder includes a paper container 4A made from a sheet-metal strip rolled into tubular form, with a space between its main portion and end for the withdrawal of the paper. From the tubular open-ended cont ainer, the paper passes to a winding drum 15 secured upon a shaft 16 and having a surrounding sheath 47. This sheath is a partial :ylinder of sheet metal secured at one edge and having the other edge separated from the drum. This allows the end of the paper record strip 48 to be inserted, as shown in Fig. 6, and doubled back. Intermediate the drum and container is an impression member or bed 18 having a yielding pressure surface 49 and adjustable by means of screws 50. This bed is mounted on the portion of the holder nearest the printing disks. On the end of the holder is an arm 51 which carries a stud 52 provided with an anti-friction roll 53 entering the groove in a cylindrical cam 5% on the shaft 13. As appears from Figs. 1 and 5, rotation of the cam moves the im pression bed against the types and away therefrom. On the outward movement of the paper holder, the paper is fed so as to bring a fresh surface over the impression bed, by means of a pawl 55 pivoted upon a fixed stud 56 and pressed by a spring 57 against a ratchet wheel 58 on the end of the drum shaft a6. The pawl being stationary and the teeth upwardly inclined, causes a rotation of the drum to take place when the impression bed is swung upward. A spring pawl 59 holds the drum. For receiving impressions, a tough, flexible paper is used, of which a roll is slipped endwise into the con tainer H, and its end carried over to the winding drum. As the surface of the impression bed 49 is yielding, and the cam causes it to be held at an appreciable time with a firm pressure against the types, a perfect impression is always obtained, and there is no necessity of employing an inked ribbon or other means for making a colored impress-ion.

The same shaft 13 which carries the impression cam 5st also unlocks and retracts the key actuator 31. This latter is of a pcculiar shape, and as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, its left-hand or upper arm is curved inward at 311 and carries on its end a projection 60 which has on the inner side an inclined cam surface 61. This surface, when the actuator is projected and locked, lies in the path of revolution of a pin 62 carried by shaft 13. lVhenever the pin comes forward at the left side of the shaft, it engages the inclined surface, pushing the upper arm of the actuator upward, and retracting the actuator and key so that the latter may be withdrawn and so that the identification disks may be returned to normal position by the spring 25. Before the actuator can be retracted, however, it must be freed from the latch 38. This is done by the pin 15, which is also revolved by the key shaft 10, and is so arranged as to strike the end of arm 38 and withdraw the latching shoulder thereof from the actuator before the pin 62 engages the actuator.

Pivotally connected with the actuator is a link 63 engaging a stop lever (is pivoted at 65. This stop lever is so arranged that whenever the actuator. is retracted, the stop lever lies in the path of the main actuator 1 so that no fares can be registered, but when the key actuator is proj ected, the stop is displaced, allowing the main actuator to operate. Thus it is impossible for a conductor or other user of the register to operate it without inserting his identification key. Similarly, the arrangement of the impression cam 5i and retracting pin 62 is such that an impression is made before the key can be removed or the identification disks shifted in any degree.

The construction and arrangement above described make it impossible for any operator of the apparatus to make false returns of the amount taken in, since in the first place, the register cannot be operated at all until the identification key is inserted; and in the second place, the identification key cannot be removed or shifted or the total amount registered cannot be altered until after an impression has been taken on the record sheet.

lVe claim l. A recording register comprising, in combination with totalizing mechanism and counters; key-controlled identification members having printing types, and means automatically operative upon insert-ion of a key for moving selected identification members into position for printin 2. A recording register comprising, in combination with totalizing mechanism and printing types arranged to be placed suc cessively in printing position by said mechanism; key-controlled identification members having printing types, and means rendered operative by insertion of a key for moving the key to throw certain of the identification members into position to print selected characters.

3. A recording register comprising, in combination with totalizing mechanism and printing counters operated thereby, identification devices having printing types adapted to be actuated by movement of a separable key to place selected types in position for printing, an actuator rendered operative by insertion of a key for so moving the key and locking it, a paper holder, and manually-operated mechanism for releasing the key to permit its removal and effecting a relative approaching movement between the paper holder and types to produce a printed impression on the paper, said mechanism being arranged to cause the impression to be taken before release of the key.

4. A recording register comprising, in combination with totalizing mechanism and printing counters operated thereby, identification devices having printing types adapted to be actuated by movement of a separable key to place selected types in position for printing, a spring-impelled actuator for so moving the key, a latch for restraining the actuator arranged to be released by insertion of the key, and an impression member.

5. A recording register comprising, in

combination with totalizing mechanism and printing counters operated thereby, identification devices having printing types adapted to be actuated by movement of a separable key to place selected types in position for printing, an actuator rendered operative by the insertion of a key for automatically so moving the same, a lock for preventing return movement of the actuator and withdrawal of the key, an impression member, and manually-moved mechanism having connections for moving the impression member against the types, releasing the actuator lock, and retracting the actuator, in the order named.

6. In a recording register, rotary identification disks having peripheral impression types and toothed segments, operating gear segments pivoted adjacent the disks in mesh with the segments thereof, and reciprocatory bars connected with the last-named segments so as to oscillate the latter, and thereby the disks.

7. In a recording register having provisions for the admission of a key, the combination with key-actuated identification devices having means to produce a printed impression, of a key constructed to actuate said devices, and means rendered operative by insertion of said key into the register, for so moving the key as to put said devices in position to print selected characters.

8. In a recording register, a record holder consisting of a frame, a paper-winding drum, a sheath secured to and surrounding part of the drum with one edge separated from the surface thereof to receive the end of a strip of paper, an openended tubular container for receiving a roll of paper, and an impression bed between the drum and container, over which the paper is led.

9. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a key-guide adjacent said members, a key actuator adjacent said guide, and resilient means tending to move said actuator in such manner as to engage a key inserted in the guide and move the same to actuate one or more of the identification members.

10. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a key-guide adjacent said members, a key actuator adjacent said guide, resilient means tending to move said actuator in such manner as to engage a key inserted in the guide and move the same to actuate one or more of the identification members, and a web arranged so as to be engaged by a finger or shoulder on the key to prevent retraction of the latter when pro jected by the actuator.

11. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a guide having a slot to re ceive a key, a key actuator adjacent said guide, resilient means tending to move the actuator toward the identification members, a yielding stop normally restraining said actuator, located in the path of a key entering the slot, whereby the key may disengage it from the actuator, permitting the latter to move the key so as to throw one or more of the identification members into printing position.

12. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a spring-pressed key actuator for so moving such key, a latch for engaging and preventing return of the actuator, and manually-operated mechanism including a member for disengaging the latch and means for subsequently retracting the actuat-or.

13. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a spring-pressed actuator for so moving such key having an inclined cam surface, and a manually-operated revolving projection arranged to bear against said cam surface, in the course of its revolution, and retract the actuator.

14:. In a recording register, type-bearing identification members adapted to be moved into position to print by movement of a separable key, a holder carrying a record sheet and having an impression member movably mounted adjacent the types of the identification members, a spring-pressed actuator for advancing a key to throw one or more of the said members into printing position and provided with a cam-retracting surface, and a manually-rotated shaft having a cam portion to force the impression member of the record holder against the types and a projection arranged to act on the cam surface of the actuator to retract the latter after an impression has been taken.

In testimony whereof we have afiiXed our E

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