NEW OR IMPROVED MODES AND MEANS OF OR ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR RECORDING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL AT AND DEPARTURE OF TRAMWAY CARS FROM STATIONS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Small and Francis Marley, both of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "NEW OR
IMPROVED MODES AND MEANS OF OR ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR
RECORDING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL AT AND DEPARTURE OF TRAMWAY CARS
FROM STATIONS."
Sealed the 2nd March 1877, and dated the 18th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Small and
Francis Marley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th
September 1876.
JAMES HENRY SMALL and FRANCIS MARLEY, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain. "NEW OR IMPROVED MODES AND MEANS OF OR ARRANGE-
MENT OF MECHANISM FOR RECORDING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL AT AND DEPARTURE
OF TRAMWAY CARS FROM STATIONS."
This Invention has reference to or has for its object the automatic registration
of the time approximately at which each car leaves and arrives at terminal stations
or passes intermediate stations, this being done within the car by its motion or act
of passing the station parts of the tramway or rails. And the nature and novelty
of the Invention consist in fitting within each car a spring punch (with or within
a notice bell) so that when it is actuated it will pierce a hole in a piece or roll of
ruled paper, moved constantly or at regular intervals by the clock or timepiece
within the car, the spring lever of the punch being drawn and let go (direct or
through a re-setting cam, lever, or bar, such as used for spring bells) by a wire
(cord, chain, or other equivalent), conducted and connected to a lever at the lower
part of the frame of the car, and having its one arm or other equivalent attached
to it actuated so as to pull the said wire and let off or actuate the punch by the
action of a lever fulcrumed in a recess below or at the one side of the rail at the
stations desired, this lever being brought into action by the wheel passing over an
Din cir

page_text: inclined moving bar, spring, or equivalent, fitted into the present, or it might be a
new groove or recess in the rail, the wheel pressing the same down on the shorter
arm of the lever so as to raise the longer arm with a projection on it, which would
thus move or cause the motion of the car to move the lever connected to the wire
of the punch at each time and in whatever direction the car is running.
The paper to be punched may either be made in the form of discs, or rings, or of
sheets or long strips or bands, previously ruled or marked off into divisions indi-
cating time, as hours or minutes, and attached to discs or cylinders or passed over
or between the latter, these in either case being driven regularly by the clock in
the car at the same rate as the divisions of time indicated on the paper, and as this
would be a very slow motion (as, say, from one to two inches in the hour) and the
punch being struck and raised out of the paper instantaneously by its springs the
paper would be marked by a round hole, practically the same as if it had not been
in motion, and so indicate the time (within half a minute or so) on the line of
divisions of time when the hole was punched when the car passed each station or
entered and left the terminal stations.
The paper to be punched or marked may also have the number of the car and
names of the stations it passes printed over the ruled division corresponding to the
time the car should pass these stations, and although a punch has been described
for marking the paper, a dotting or tracing pencil or other marking point might be
used to mark a point or line on or across the time divisions or lines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Henry Small and Francis Marley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th March 1877.
JAMES HENRY SMALL and FRANCIS MARLEY, both of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain. "NEW OR IMPROVED MODES AND MEANS OF OR ARRANGE-
MENT OF MECHANISM FOR RECORDING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL AT AND DEPARTURE
OF TRAMWAY CARS FROM STATIONS."
Our said Invention has reference to and has for its object the automatic regis-
tration of the time approximately at which each car leaves and arrives at terminal
stations or passes intermediate stations of the tramway, this being done within the
car by its motion or act of passing station parts of the tramway or rails where
a record is desired to be taken. And the nature and novelty of the Invention
consist generally in fitting within each car a spring punch (with or without a notice
bell sounded each time the punch is actuated) which will pierce a hole in a strip or
roll of ruled paper moved constantly or at regular intervals by the clock or time-
piece within the car, the punch being actuated by an arrangement of levers and
attachments in or on the car by the motion of the car itself acting on a lever, or
other equivalent, in the ground track or rails at the stations where the time is
desired to be recorded.
And in order that the full nature and mode of putting the Invention into effect
or practice may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto appended for the purpose
of showing the best modes and means we are at present aware of for doing so ;
the same reference letters indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures where
shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a sectional side elevation and half transverse
section taken on the line 1---1 in Figure 1, of a tramway car A, A1, on the track
or rails R; and Figure 3 is a corresponding half sectional plan of the same taken
on the lines 2-2, in Figures 1 and 2, below the seat A¹, and having fitted thereto

page_text: one modification or general arrangement of our improvements and sufficient to.
illustrate the nature and mode of performing or carrying the Invention into effect
or practice.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a back clevation and plan, half full size, of
the clock or timepiece D, fitted with the improvements connected therewith for
recording or marking the time on strips of paper a, or other equivalent, and all
carried within each car in which it is required to register the time of its arrival or
departure or of its passing certain stations.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a side elevation and plan of the punching or
marking mechanism, full size, as detached from the timepiece D, Figures 4 and 5,
to show its action on the band of paper a more clearly than in Figures 1; 2, and 3.
Figure 8 is an end view of the new cast-iron rail, and box L, L³, for carrying the
primary acting lever 1, 1, required to be inserted in the line of the rails at the
stations where the time is to be recorded, to show the mode of fishing or jointing
this box rail L, L¹, (seen only in section in Figures 1 and 2) to the foundation
beams R¹ of the ordinary rails and fitted with a lid L² for cleaning the box out:
Referring to these Figures, the nature and mode of performing our said Invention
consist all particularly as follows:—A spring rod¹ and lever j for actuating the
punch pare drawn down against the power of the springs and pl direct (or
through a resetting cam, lever, or bar, such as used for spring bells) by the wire
(cord, chain, or other equivalent) conducted and connected with the bell cranks j³, jª,
and wire to the levers, ², carried on the spindle at the lower part of the
frame of the car A, A, and having its pendent arm k³, or other equivalent, actuated
so as to pull the said rod j" and let it go free again and actuate the punch p, the
rod being raised by the reaction of the spring and the punch raised by its own.
light spring p, all by the action of the primary moving two-armed lever 1, 1,
fulcrumed in a recess or box L, L', below or at the one side of the rail R at the
stations where the record is to be taken. The lever 1, , is fitted into a recess in
the box L in the line of the new or ordinary groove of the rail R, and the long
arm 7 of the lever is raised or brought into position to act on the lever k², carried
on the car A. by one of its advance wheels A1 (as seen in Figure 1), passing over
an inclined or curved raised part of its short arm 1 (or it might be over a moving
bar, spring, or other equivalent mounted over it), so that the wheel A¹ either
through this or direct presses the shorter arm of the lever down and raises the
longer arm l, which by a deep end or projection on it at the end ¹ moves or causes
the motion of the car to move the pendent arm k² of the levers k¹, k¹, connected by
the bell-crank lever j, j³, and rods or wires 11, j, to the bar " of the punch pat
cach time, and in whichever direction the car is passing one of the said levers t, u,
mounted at the stations as stated.
The paper a to be punched is preferably made in the form of long strips or bands
ruled or marked off with division lines indicating time, as hours or minutes, corre-
spond to that of the timepiece, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, and rolled on loose
portable spindles c and passed over a barrel or cylinder d or between it and an
antifriction pressing roller i, the former being fixed and driven regularly by the
hour spindle or other spindle of the car timepiece D at the same rate as and
corresponding to the divisions of time indicated on the paper a, and as this would
necessarily be driven at a slow rate of motion (as say several inches to the hour)
and the punch p being struck and raised out of the paper instantaneously by its
spring pli this paper a would be marked by a round hole, and so indicate the time
(practically the same as if it had not been in motion) within less than half a minute
or so on the line of divisions of-time where the hole is punched on the paper, as
indicated at a¹, in Figure 7, the instant the car passes each station or entered and
left the terminal stations. The bar ¹¹ carries the short counterweighted lever j, j¹,
so that as the bar is pulled down, as described, the front end j of the lever presses
down the punch p by the pin and collar p¹ which glides down an inclined slot at e¹¹
in a pendent part of the upper arm e¹ of the frame f carrying the punch and its.

page_text: actuating lever j and bar j¹; thus as soon as the punch 2 has perforated or marked
the paper its actuating pin p' clears the end of its pressing lever j and is forced up
to its normal position at the top of the inclined slot el by its reacting helical
spring p, and the acting bar is raised by its reacting spring to its normal
highest position with the lever j above the acting pin p of the punch, and the
levers, all ready for the subsequent depression and action of the punch on the
recording paper a at the next station where a lever box L, 1, 1, is fitted, as shown
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, one of the two counteracting springs fitted to the levers
,, bringing the lever j to its normal, vertical, central position after it passes the
lever i, which falls by its own weight or assisted by the power of a spring into its
recess in the box L on to a piece of wood L" the moment the wheel E¹¹ has passed
over the short raised depressing arm of the lever. The shaft or spindle 3 of the
acting lever k¹ and is carried in bearing blocks across the lower frame of the car,
so as to have another pendent lever keyed on it over the groove and rails at the
opposite side, so that whether the car is turned or not on its return journey one of
the levers would always be in a position to be actuated by the station lever 1, as
before explained.
The paper a to be punched or marked may also have the number of the car and
the names of the stations it passes printed over the ruled line or set of divisions
corresponding to the time the car should pass these stations.
Although a punch has been described for marking the paper, a dotting or tracing
pencil or other marking or inking point might be used and actuated at the stations
to mark a point or line on or across the time divisions or lines on the said strip of
paper a, or it might be transversely on sheets of ruled paper fixed on a larger
moving cylinder than the one d¹ shown, or divided discs or rings of paper similarly
fixed on revolving plates or discs driven by one of the spindles of the timepiece, the
indicating pencil arm being moved and set to bear and mark across or between the
time-indicating divisions.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what we consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is―
First. The general construction and arrangement or combination of parts of
apparatus or mechanism for recording the time of arrival at and departure of
tramway cars from stations, all substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The printing and ruling of paper with divisions to be moved by the
timepiece at a rate corresponding to the marks and the time of the clock, and the
arrangement of mechanism connected therewith for moving the said paper as
stated (and particularly seen detached in Figures 4 and 5), substantially as herein-
before described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Third. The use of a punch or equivalent marker and mechanism for actuating the
same, as shown particularly, and detached in Figures 6 and 7, for marking the
paper to indicate the time of tramway cars arriving at and leaving stations, all sub-
stantially as herein-before described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of wires and levers or other equivalents
carried on the car for actuating the said punch or marker by the motion of the car
itself in passing the station where the record of time has to be taken, substantially
as herein-before described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification thereof.
Fifth. The introduction and use of a lever and lever box l, L, in the line of
tramway or rails at each station where the record of time has to be taken for
actuating the lever mechanism of the punch or marker of each car in passing over

page_text: it, substantially as herein-before described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Small, on behalf of the said
Francis Marley and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Six-
teenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES HENRY SMALL. (L.S.)