IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PASSING THROUGH
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Scaly Allin, of Midleton, in the County
of Cork, Ireland, Flour Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PASSING THROUGH A
Scaled the 22nd June 1875, and dated the 23rd December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Scaly Allin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1874.
I, SAMUEL SEALY ALLIN, of Midleton, in the County of Cork, Ireland,
Flour Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PASSING
THROUGH A DOORWAY OR ENTRY, OR PAST ANY GIVEN POINT," to be as follows :—
The object of this Invention is to ensure the registration of passengers
entering omnibuses and other like public vehicles, also the registration of
persons passing into buildings and other places of resort on payment at the
entrances thereto without obstructing the free passage of persons to and

page_text: from such vehicles or places. In carrying out this object I employ a
pair of steps so arranged as to register the passage of any person
ascending the same, while permitting persons to descend without any
registration being effected. The tread of the lower step constitutes the
cover or lid of a case or box which contains a counterbalance lover that
is free to rock in suitable bearings. The tread is secured by pins to the
shorter limb of the lover, and when depressed by the weight of a person
pressing on it the lever will be rocked in its bearings. Pivotted to lugs
cast on the counterbalanco lever is a counterweighted catch bolt, the
hook of which is intended at certain times to take on to a fixed stop, and 1
thereby prevent the lever from rocking. When however the balanco
weight is raised by pressure put on the step the catch bolt is drawn back,
and the upper step is then permitted in its turn to descend. This step
is like the lower one, a box or case with a vertically sliding lid (forming
the tread) attached similarly by pins to a balance weight which plays 1
freely on a shaft on which a ratchet wheel is keyed. The balanco
weight when rocked sufficiently turns the ratchet wheel the distance of
one tooth, and so through its shaft works an indicator of any approved
construction brought into connection therewith. Thus the number of
persons passing over the steps will be accurately recorded without the
conscious assistance of cither passengers or attendant.
Supposing the apparatus to be applied to an omnibus, for example,
the passenger in passing over the steps to alight will first tread upon the
upper or second step. In doing this he will bring down the cover of
that step upon the catch bolt, which will stop its further descent. The a
slight movement thus made by the counterweight lever and ratchet
wheel will be insufficient to work the indicator, and thus no indication
of exits will take place. It will be understood that where weight is an
objection springs may be used in connection with the levers to return
the treads of the steps to their normal position.
If the registration of exits is required the short descent of the upper
step may be used to work a second indicator.
I may also remark that in applying my Invention to entrances
arranged on a level, sinking platforms on the same level may be employed
in place of steps to work the indicating apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Sealy Allin in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 23rd June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
SEALY ALLIN, of Midleton, in the County of Cork, Ireland, Flour Miller,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Sealy Allin, Her
special license that I, the said Samuel Sealy Allin, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Scaly Allin,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, ar, Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PASSING
THROUGH A DOORWAY OR ENTRY, OR PAST ANY GIVEN POINT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Sealy Allin, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Sealy Allin, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :—
The object of this Invention is to ensure the registration of passengers
entering omnibuses and other like public vehicles, also the registration
of persons passing into buildings and other places of resort on payment

page_text: -
at the entrances thereto without obstructing the free passage of persons
to and from such vehicles or places. In carrying out this object I
employ a pair of "sinking" steps so arranged as to register the passage
of any person ascending the same, while permitting persons to descend
without any registration being effected. The tread of the lower step
constitutes the lid of a case or box fitted with a rock lever, to the shorter
limb of which lever the tread is secured. When therefore the tread is
depressed by the weight of a person pressing on it the lever will bo
rocked in its bearings. Pivotted to lugs on the rock lever is a catch
bolt, the hook of which is intended at certain times to take on to a fixed
stop, and thereby prevent the lever from rocking. When however the
lever is rocked by pressure put on the stop the catch bolt. is drawn back
and the upper step is then permitted in its turn to descend. This step
is like the lower one, a box or case with a lid (forming the tread)
attached similarly by links to a rock lever which plays freely on a shaft
fitted with a ratchet wheel. Taking into the ratchet wheel is a pawle,
which is carried by the rock lever. When therefore this lover is rocked
sufficiently its pawle will turn the ratchet wheel the distance of one
tooth, and so through the ratchet wheel shaft an indicator of any
approved construction brought into connection therewith will be set in
action.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows in sectional elevation, and
Fig. 2 in sectional plan, my Invention applied to the steps of an omnibus,
the object being to ensure the registering apparatus acting on the passing
of a passenger in one direction only, in this case during the ascent of the
passenger.
The treads A, A', of the steps are hinged at their back to a fixed cross
piece, and they are sustained in their normal position by means of coiled
or other springs B, B', resting on a suitable base. The treads A, A', arc
severally fitted at their front edge with a pendent lip, which overlics the
riser of the step, and is so arranged with regard thereto as to prevent the
tread being fraudulently fixed by the insertion of a wedge or wedges
between the lip and the riser. Jointed to the under side of the
treads A, A', are links C, C', the lower ends of which are respectively
jointed to the shorter arms of the crank levers D, D'. These lovers rock
freely on their respective shafts E, E'. The rock lever D is provided
with lugs, through which passes a pivot pin for connecting the rock lever
to a catch bolt F. The head of this catch bolt passes freely through an

page_text: opening made immediately below the riser of the second or higher step,
and it is intended when depressed to catch against a stop, and thereby
prevent the tread A' from yielding to the pressure of a passenger passing
out of the vehicle. The catch bolt F is borne up by a spring F, as
shewn at Fig. 1, and while in that position it will, when the tread A is
depressed, be free to fall back to its dotted position, and thereby unlock
the tread A, leaving it free to "sink" under the weight of an ascending
passenger.
Pendent from the under side of the tread A' is a bar G which slides in
fixed guides and rests on the protruded head of the catch bolt. Its
office is to serve as a strut for supporting the tread A' under pressure,
and thereby to prevent the registering apparatus being set in action.
When however the protruded head of the catch bolt is withdrawn the
bar G will be free to drop, and tho tread A' to yield to the pressure of a
passing passenger.
Fitted to the rock lever D' is a pawle H which takes into the teeth of
a ratchet wheel I keyed to the shaft E'. On this shaft E¹ is a pinion K
which gears with any approved arrangement of counting apparatus that
is placed beyond the control of the conductor of the vehicle. Supposing
now a passenger ascends the steps to enter the omnibus he will first
depress the tread A, and in so doing rock the lever D and draw back the
catch bolt F to the dotted position, on reaching the tread A' he will
similarly depress it, the bar G being free to descend, and he will thereby
rock the lever D', and by means of the pawle and ratchet wheel H, I,
turn the pinion K the distance, say, of one tooth, which pinion by reason
of its connection with the counting apparatus, will cause that apparatus
to register the entrance of one passenger into the omnibus. If now a
passenger descends the mechanism will remain quiescent, and no registra-
tion will be effected. This it will be seen is due to the fact that the
catch bolt F immediately the tread A is relieved from downward pressure
will be thrust forward under the end of the strut bar G by the
upward pressure of the spring B upon the tread A, and by the con-
sequent rocking of the lever D connected therewith. The mechanism
being in this position a descending passenger as he steps upon the tread A¹
will force down the strut bar on the head of the catch bolt F, and as the
sinking of the tread will be thereby arrested no efficient action of the
pawle will take place.
'

page_text: It will be obvious that by a slight change in the disposition of the
parts of the mechanism above described, and by the conversion of tho
hinged treads A, A³, into sinking platforms, placed at the entry to a
place of public resort, an automatic registration of persons admitted to
such place may be effected. The proper precautions being taken that {
not more than one person shall pass over the platforms at the same
timc.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved
Apparatus for Registering the Number of Persons passing through a
Doorway or Entry, or past any given Point," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of
mechanism above described for setting registering apparatus in action on
persons passing over the same in one given or determined direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Scaly Allin, have hereunto:
set my hand and scal, the Twenty-second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
ALLIN
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