Improvements in Alarm and Registering Ticket-punches.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Alarm and Registering Ticket-punches.
I, FRANCIS MARLEY, of 33 Sutherland Square, Walworth, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide in a more efficient and reliable manner
than heretofore for preventing the fraudulent use of ticket-punches designed for
checking the issue of omnibus, tramway-car and other tickets.
I accomplish the desired result by means of a group of pins or rods arranged in
combination with the punch and with a corresponding number of locking levers
which prevent the movement of the punch, in such a manner that, in order to
permit the required movement of the punch to effect the operations of punching
the ticket, sounding the bell and actuating the registering mechanism, all the pins
or rods must be raised or supported by a ticket inserted in the ticket-opening or
slot. For instance, if I provide four of such pins or rods and locking levers,
the raising or supporting of one, two or even three of the said pins or rods
will not be sufficient to effect the release of the punch, but all four of the said
pins or rods must be raised or supported before movement of the punch will be
permitted.
I find it advantageous to employ the sliding bar for operating the punch with
four spring locking-levers which are pivoted thereto and are adapted to engage
with a shoulder or ledge on the case or frame of the ticket-punch. These levers
are provided with arms which extend over the upper end of the punch, and
four pins or rods are fitted in longitudinal holes in the punch so that the said pins
or rods bear at one end against the arms of the said levers respectively, and
at their other end are adapted to bear against a ticket inserted in the opening
or slot.
I also provide the usual bell and register and a reversible pawl adapted to
engage with teeth on the sliding bar and so arranged that, when the panch has
been moved through a certain distance in either direction, it must be moved
through the whole of its travel before it can be moved in the reverse direction.
It is evident, therefore, that, in order to release the punch, the ticket must be
inserted and held in the opening or slot in such a position that the punch, when
operated will cut out a portion of the ticket of the full or nearly the full area of the
punch, the part of the ticket which supports the said pins or rods being itself cut
out; and if a thin piece of metal is inserted so as to unlock the punch, such piece
of metal must be in such a position as to itself prevent movement of the punch.
Moreover, when the punch has been unlocked and depressed through a short
distance, it must be depressed sufficiently to sound the bell and actuate the register
before it will return to its original position.
Instead of arranging the said pins or rods so that they will effect the release of
the puuch, I sometimes so arrange the punch and the said pins or rods in com-
bination with suitable mechanism that, when no ticket or the like is in the opening
or slot, the punch can move freely to and fro without operating the bell and
registering mechanism, but when the said rods or pins are raised or supported by a

page_text: ticket, the movement of the punch will effect the punching of the ticket and will
also operate the bell and registering mechanism.
Dated the 22nd day of January 1896.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Alarm and Registering Ticket-punches.
1, FRANCIS MARLEY, of 33 Sutherland Square, Walworth, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide in a more efficient and reliable manner
than heretofore for preventing the fraudulent use of ticket-punches designed for
checking the issue of omnibus, tramway-car and other tickets.
In some of the ticket-punches heretofore constructed, provision is made whereby,
when a ticket is inserted into the ticket-opening or slot, the release of the punch
will be effected by the movement of a pin or rod relatively to the punch, the said
pin or rod acting to disengage a locking lever from a notched disc or the like. In
such ticket-punches, however, it is possible to release the punch either by simply
inserting the corner of the ticket beneath the said pin or rod, so that, when the
puuch is depressed, the said corner is merely bent over or only a very small piece
is cut or punched from the corner of the ticket, or by inserting a thin piece of
metal so as to raise the said pin or rod, which piece of metal will be bent over
when the punch is depressed. Consequently the alarm and registering mechanism
can be operated without cutting or punching from the ticket a piece of sufficient
size to indicate, by its presence in the box or receptacle for the clippings, that the
ticket has been issued.
Now my invention is designed to ensure that a comparatively large portion of
the ticket inserted shall be cut or punched therefrom when or before the alarm and
registering mechanism is operated.
I accomplish the desired result by combining, with the punch, a group of pins
or reds suitably arranged in or around the same and adapted to act upon a corre-
sponding number or series of locking levers which prevent the operation of the
punching and registering mechanism, so that, in order to permit the required
movement of the operating rod or lever to effect the punching of the ticket and to
actuate the alarm and registering mechanism, all of the said pins or rods must be
simultaneously raised or supported by the said ticket. For instance, if I provide
four of such pins or rods and locking levers, the raising or supporting of one,
two or even three of the said pins or rods will not be sufficient to permit the
operation of the punching and registering mechanism, but all four of the said pins
or rods must be simultaneously raised or supported by the ticket before the
operation of the said mechanism can be effected. Therefore a comparatively large
portion will be cut or punched from the said ticket, and, falling into the locked
box or receptacle, will show that such ticket has been punched and issued.
I find it advantageous to provide the sliding bar or rod or the lever for operating
the punch with four spring locking-levers which are pivoted thereto and are
adapted to engage with a shoulder or ledge on the case or frame of the ticket-
punch. These levers are provided with arms which extend over the upper end of
the punch, and four sliding pins or rods are fitted in longitudinal holes or grooves
formed in the punch at or near the circumference thereof and approximately

page_text: equidistant from each other. The said pins or rods bear at one end against the
arms of the said levers respectively, and at their other end are adapted to bear
against a ticket inserted in the opening or slot, so that, when a ticket is inserted
and the operating rod or lever depressed, the said pins or rods will be caused to
turn the locking levers about their common pivot and thus permit the continued
movement of the said rod or lever for the purposes of punching the ticket, sounding
the bell and operating the registering mechanism. I also provide a reversible
pawl adapted to engage with teeth on the sliding bar and so arranged that,
when the punch has been moved through a certain distance in either direction, it
must be moved through the whole of its travel before it can be moved in the
reverse direction.
It is evident, therefore, that, in order to release the punch, the ticket must be
inserted and held in the opening or slot in such a position that the punch, when
operated, will cut out a portion of the ticket of the full or nearly the full area of
the punch, the part of the ticket which supports the said pins or rods being itself
cut out; and if a thin piece of metal is inserted so as to unlock the punch, such
piece of metal must be in such a position as to itself prevent movement of the punch.
Moreover, when the punch has been unlocked and depressed through a short
distance, it must be depressed sufficiently to sound the bell and actuate the register
before it can return to its original position.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of one form or arrangement of my improved ticket-
punch, the back of the casing being removed.
Figure 2 is a vertical central transverse section.
Figure 3 is a similar view of a portion of the ticket-punch, some of the parts
being shown in a different position.
Figure 4 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line a', x1, Figure 3, looking from beneath,
the ticket being shown as inserted in such a manner that its corner only is beneath
the pins or rods for operating the locking levers.
Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating a modified arrangement of the said pins or
rods.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the casing or frame, to which the various sets of mechanisin are secured, and
the back a whereof is detachable to permit access to the mechanism. b is the
punch; is the ticket-slot and c¹ the die; d is the chamber or receptacle for the
pieces cut or punched out of the tickets, which chamber is closed by a hinged
door d provided with a suitable lock. e is the operating rod, which is suitably
connected with the punch b, and which extends through the casing a and is
provided with a knob or handle e¹. In place of this rod, a pivoted lever or other
suitable operating device may be employed if desired. f is the bell; and
g, g indicate the wheels or discs of the registering mechanism.
h, are bent locking levers which are pivoted at h' to the operating rod e, and
which are held by springs j in such a position that, when the rod e is slightly
depressed, their lower ends will engage with a shoulder or stop k on the casing a
and thus prevent or limit the movement of the said rod e, except when the said
levers are turned about their common pivot as hereinafter described. These levers
and the punch are protected by a supplementary casing a².
1, I are the pins or rods which are fitted in longitudinal holes or grooves in the
punch so that they can slide freely therein, the said pins or rods being provided
with heads or other suitable devices to prevent their falling through the punch.
These pins or rods bear at their upper end against the underside of the horizontal
arms of the levers h respectively, and extend downward to or nearly to the
ticket-slot c.
When a ticket is properly inserted in the ticket-slot c as shown in Figure 3, or

page_text: in Figure 5 or Figure 6, and the rod e is depressed, the pins or rods 7 being
supported by the said ticket, rise relatively to the punch b and turn the locking
levers about their common pivot h' into the position shown in Figure 3, so that,
in the continued downward movement of the rod e, the said levers will not engage
with the shoulder or stop k, and consequently the said rod e can be depressed far
enough to effect the punching of the ticket and the operation of the alarm and
registering mechanism.
In Figures 1 to 5 I have shown the pins or rods / fitted in holes extending
longitudinally through the punch b. In Figure 6 I have shown the said pins or
rods fitted in longitudinal grooves formed in the circumference of the said punch.
It will be seen that, when a ticket is inserted into the ticket-slot in such a
manner as to support all of the four pins 7, and the ticket-punch is then operated,
a piece of the ticket equal or nearly equal in area to the operative end of the punch
will be cut from the said ticket. Figures 5 and 6 show the smallest portion of the
ticket that can, in each case, be placed beneath the punch in order to release the
same. Should the ticket be so held in the slot that only three or a lesser number
of the pins or rods will be supported thereby, the lever or levers h, corresponding
to the other pin or pins will remain in the locking position and prevent the
operation of the punching and registering mechanism.
It is evident that, although it is preferable to use four locking levers and pins
or rods arranged as shown, I can, if desired, employ a smaller or a larger number
of the same providing one or more of the pins or rods are situated in or at the rear
side of the punch and one or more in or at the front side thereof, so that a com-
paratively large portion of the ticket must be placed beneath the punch in order
to raise or support the said pins or rods simultaneously.
The operating rod or lever may be connected with the alarm and registering
mechanism in any convenient manner. In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 5,
a spring pawl m is pivoted to the rod e and engages with a ratchet-wheel at the
back of the units wheel of the registering mechanism g. The rod e is also provided
with a pivoted pawl » which is held by a spring n' in such a position that, in the
downward movement of the said rod e, the pawl n will depress the hammer f
of the bell and then permit the same to be operated by the spring plunger f2 so
as to strike the bell.
9
p is a double pawl pivoted at p¹ to the casing a and adapted to engage alternately
with two sets of teeth q, q' on the rod e. This pawl is held in engagement with
either set of the said teeth by a spring lever r pivoted at to the casing a. In
the downward movement of the rod e, the lower tooth of the pawl p engages with
the teeth and prevents the return movement of the said rod under the action of
its spring until its downward movement is completed and the alarm and regis-
tering mechanism thereby operated, when the projection q on the rod e strikes the
lower tooth of the pawl p and turns the said pawl about its pivot so as to cause
its upper tooth to be held in engagement with the teeth g' by the spring lever r.
The said pawl then prevents any downward movement of the rod e until after it
has completed its upward or return movement, in the completion of which the
projection q2 turns the pawl p back so that its lower tooth again engages with the
teeth q.
I can, however, if desired, use other suitable means for ensuring the complete
downward and upward movements of the operating rod.
It is obvious, moreover, that the construction of my improved ticket-punch can
be somewhat further modified without departing from the nature of my said
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of my improvements hereinbefore
described the use, in a ticket-punch, of a locking lever which prevents the operation
of the punching and registering mechanism and which is arranged to be moved out

page_text: of its locking position by means of a pin or rod fitted to slide longitudinally
within or at one side of the punch; but I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A ticket-punch having, in or at different sides of the punch, pins or rods
which must be simultaneously raised or supported by a ticket inserted in the
ticket-slot before the operation of the punching and registering mechanism can be
effected, substantially as herein before described.
Second. A ticket-punch which is constructed with a series of locking levers
pivoted to the operating rod or lever and with a corresponding series or group of
pins or rods in or around the punch, for the purposes above specified.
Third. The combination, with the punch and the operating rod, of spring locking
levers pivoted to the said rod and adapted to engage with a shoulder or stop on
the frame or casing, and pins or rods fitted to slide in longitudinal holes or grooves
in the punch, whereby, when a ticket is properly inserted in the ticket-slot and the
operating rod is depressed, the said levers will be simultaneously moved out of their
locking position, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purposes above
specified.
Fourth. The improved ticket-punch constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as and for the purposes above
specified.
Dated this 21st day of October 1896
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.