IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUNTING AND REGISTERING THE TIME OCCUPIED, THE DIS- TANCE TRAVELLED, AND THE FARES IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann August Stanislaw Biernatzki, Merchant, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR COUNTING AND REGISTERING THE TIME OCCUPIED, THE DIS-
TANCE TRAVELLED, AND THE FARES IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
communication from Friedrich Wilhelm Nedler, of Berlin.
A
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann August Stanislaw
Biernatzki at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October
1877.
JOHANN AUGUST STANISLAW BIERNATZKI, Merchant, in the City of Hamburg,
Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUNTING AND REGISTERING THE
TIME OCCUPIED, THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED, AND THE FARES IN CABS AND OTHER
VEHICLES." (A communication from Friedrich Wilhelm Nedler, of Berlin.)
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for counting and registering
the time occupied, the distance travelled, and the fares in cabs and other vehicles,
based upon the Invention patented by Friedrich Wilhelm Nedler on the First day
of May, 1875, No. 1609.
The present improvements consist of a new motion for actuating the hand on the
circle of a dial, according to the distance travelled or the time occupied, the hand
leaping on the circle in advance of the distance really travelled, and maintaining
that advance till the end of the journey, when by releasing the apparatus by the
movement of a flap the band returns to zero automatically.
Three axles or shafts are arranged, of which two are hollow, turning one within
the other, and of which the outer one is connected to the clockwork mechanism, and
the inner one carries the hand. On the outer shaft a catch is fastened, carrying a
pin, which moves in a slit of a ratchet wheel connected to a spur wheel, both wheels

page_text: being fastened to the middle one of the three shafts. The spur wheel transmits its
motion by means of gearing upon a disc carrying projections on one side. On the
centre shaft or hand spindle another ratchet wheel is fastened, which is in con-
nection with a spiral oscillating spring, and which moves, together with the
above-mentioned disc, by suitable arrangement, the centre shaft and the hand
fastened to it.
Turning on a pin is a balance lever that carries on one side a paul, and the other
end can be lifted by a rod projecting from appliances controlled by a flap fitted
within the body of the vehicle, which flap has for this purpose to be raised, or other-
wise acted upon. The flap in this raised position occupies the space in front of the
seat, and has to be moved to permit of a passenger entering before he can take bis
seat therein. This operation of the flap by the passenger or other person puts the
appliances into gear again, ready for indicating the next travel of the vehicle.
When the rod again acts the paul engages the ratchet wheel fastened on the middle
one of the three shafts, and turns this wheel sufficiently to remove the pin of the
catch to the other side of the slit. The rod also acts to disengage another paul from
the ratchet wheel fastened to the hand spindle on the centre shaft, the hand then
returning to zero directly by means of the before-mentioned spring. This motion of
the rod and the consequent return of the hand to zero takes place when the passenger
dismisses the cab or vehicle.
For controlling at any time the total amount of fares that have been paid, two
small discs are fitted, connected to each other by gearing, and by paul and ratchet
wheel to the lever, transmitting motion to the hand ratchet wheel. Each leap of the
hand ensures consequently a motion of the control discs, which are furnished with
a dial marking the number of leaps and accordingly the amount of fares paid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Johann August Stanislaw Biernatzki in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th January 1878.
JOHANN AUGUST STANISLAW BIERNATZKI, Merchant, in the City of Hamburg,
Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUNTING AND REGISTERING THE
TIME OCCUPIED, THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED, AND THE FARES IN CABS AND OTHER
VEHICLES." (A communication from Friedrich Wilhelm Nedler, of Berlin.)
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for counting and registering
the time occupied, the distance travelled, and the fares in cabs and other vehicles,
based upon the Invention patented by Friedrich Wilhelm Nedler, on the First day
of May, 1875, N° 1609.
The present improvements consist of a new motion for actuating the hand on a
circle of a dial, according to the distance travelled or the time occupied, the hand
leaping on the circle in advance of the distance really travelled, and maintaining
that advance till the end of the journey, when by releasing the apparatus by the
movement of the flap the hand returns to zero automatically.
Three axles or shafts are arranged, of which two are hollow, turning one within
the other, and of which the outer one is connected to the clockwork mechanism and
the inner one carries the hand. On the outer shaft a catch is fastened carrying a
pin, which moves in a slit of a ratchet wheel connected to a spur wheel, both wheels
being fastened to the middle one of the three shafts. The spur wheel transmits its
motion by means of gearing upon a disc carrying projections on one side. On the
centre shaft or hand spindle another ratchet wheel is fastened, which is in con-
nection with a spiral oscillating spring, and which moves, together with the
above-mentioned disc, by suitable arrangement, the centre shaft and 'the hand
fastened to it.
Turning on a pin is a balance lever that carries on one side a paul, and the other
end can be lifted by a rod projecting. from appliances controlled by a flap fitted
within the body of the vehicle, which flap. has for this purpose to be raised or
otherwise acted upon. The flap in this raised position occupies the space in front
of the seat, and has to be moved to permit a passenger entering before he can take
his seat therein. This operation of the flap by the passenger or other person puts
the appliances into gear again ready for indicating the next travel of the vehicle.
When the rod again acts the paul engages the ratchet wheel fastened on the middle
one of the three shafts, and turns this wheel sufficiently to remove the pin of the
catch to the other side of the slit. The rod also acts to disengage another paul
from the ratchet wheel fastened to the hand spindle on the centre shaft, the hand
then returns to zero directly by means of the before-mentioned spring. This motion
of the rod and the consequent return of the hand to zero takes place when the
passenger dismisses the cab or vehicle.
For controlling at any time the total amount of fares that have been paid, two
small discs are fitted, connected to each other by gearing, and by jamb and ratchet
wheel to the lover transmitting motion to the hand ratchet wheel. Each leap of
the hand ensures consequently a motion of the control discs, which are furnished
with a dial marking the number of leaps, and accordingly the amount of fares paid.
In the annexed Sheet of Drawings the before-described improvements are fully
represented.
a, b, c, Figure 1, are the three shafts, of which shaft a has connected the spur
wheel 42, driven by the clockwork to transmit the motion to the hand of the dial.
Shafts a and b are hollow, and shaft b turns freely in shaft a, while at same
time the index hand shaft c turns freely in shaft b (Figure 2). Upon shaft a the
catch d, carrying pin e, is fastered. The pin e moves in a slit f¹ of the ratchet
wheelf (Figure 2), which latter wheel is fastened to the spur wheel g, both wheels
being fastened to the hollow shaft b, which rests in the bracket h (Figures 1 and 2).

page_text: The spur wheel g transmits its motion to the wheel j by means of gearing i, the
wheel carrying the disck with projections on one side.
The spring prevents the wheels ƒ and g from moving backward. The shaft c
turns in the bracket n. To the ratchet wheel m and to the bracket n the spiral
spring o is fastened. The lever p is pressed sideways by means of the projections of
disc k, lifting at same time pawl q as much as is necessary to turn the ratchet wheel
m the distance of one tooth.
The rod a projecting from the apparatus is in connection with the flap fitted
within the body of the carriage; this rod carries the arm t, which during the lifting
of the rod a moves the balance u and pawl v to make it drop in the teeth of the
ratchet wheelf, turning it sufficiently for,-1, to disengage lever p from the same
number of projections of disc kas teeth of wheel fare pushed forward from the
pawl ; and, 2, to move the pin e of catch d to the other side of slit f'.
The hand can be moved backward when pawl q is lifted sufficiently through rod 8
to come out of the periphery of the wheel m, and when pawl o disengages the
teeth of the wheel m. The wheel m, and with it the hand r, can then be returned
to zero by action of the released spring o. The exact stoppage of the hand at zero
is attained by means of disc a, and fastened to shaft c, and engaging with its pro-
jection in the openings of the star wheel B.
For controlling the amount of fares that have been paid the two small wheels y, y¹,
(Figure 1) are arranged above the dial, and connected to each other by gearing.
With each lift of the lever p the pawl 6 engages another tooth of wheel y, and
turns the latter correspondingly to each leap of the hand on the dial. The small
hands &, &', marking at any time the amount of fares.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the combination of appliances
forming an apparatus for counting and registering the time occupied, the distance
travelled, and the fares in cabs and other vehicles, as described and shown in the
annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann August Stanislaw Biernatzki, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.