AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, HOLDING, STAMPING, REGISTERING, AND Issuing of TICKETS, FOR USE ON OMNIBUSES AND TRAM CARS, OR WHEREVER SUCH TICKETS ARE ISSUED
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Theiler and Meiurad Theiler
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1878.
RICHARD THEILER and MEINRAD THEILER, both of 86, Canonbury Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Telegraph Engineers.
AN IMPROVED METHOD AND
APPARATUS FOR PREPARING, HOLDING, STAMPING, REGISTERING, AND Issuing of
TICKETS, FOR USE ON OMNIBUSES AND TRAM CARS, OR WHEREVER SUCH TICKETS
ARE ISSUED."
"
Our Invention relates to a novel and convenient apparatus chiefly designed for
use on omnibuses and tram cars, by means of which the amounts received by the
conductor are checked more completely and simply than by the apparatus hitherto
in use for the same purpose. The form and character of the tickets are also novel,
and form part of our Invention. The form and construction of our apparatus varies
according to whether one or different classes of fares have to be checked.
When only one class of fare has to be checked, we prepare the tickets and con-
struct the apparatus for issuing. them in the following manner:-We perforate a
ribbon of paper long enough to make the required number of tickets with a row of
small holes running parallel to the edge of such paper throughout its length. This
paper is then divided into tickets of an equal length, by an incision which only
partially separates the paper, or by a row of perforations across the paper. The
amount to be paid or received as fare and the number of the ticket are then printed
thereon, and the paper ribbon is then coiled up into rolls ready for use.
The apparatus for issuing the tickets consists of a receptacle or box containing a
roll of tickets and the following mechanism.
Two rollers or wheels are pivotted in a suitable frame in such a manner that they
must revolve together and pay out the paper ribbon which is made to pass between
them when any strain or pull is applied to the said ribbon. For this purpose one
of the said rollers is provided with projections which enter the perforations or small
holes in the paper ribbon. One of the said rollers also has a projection fixed across
its periphery which acts as a claw, and holds the paper firmly after every revolution
of the said roller. Thus by pulling on that end of the paper ribbon which protrudes
from the box, the paper travels freely between the rollers and passes out of the box,
until the said claw fixed to one of the rollers presses against the paper and arrests

page_text: its further progress. The continued strain. on the paper will then cause it to
separate at its weakest point which is at the partial incision or cross row of per-
forations.
To make the withdrawal of the next ticket possible, that roller which carries the
claw is pivotted in such a manner that it yields to a pressure which is greater than
After a
that of the spring which presses that roller into gear with the other one.
ticket has become detached in the above described manner, the weak point in the
paper ribbon is situated behind the rollers, and consequently the strain does not
affect it, but is wholly directed against the spring of the yielding claw roller. The
strength of the paper being sufficiently great, the roller yields and allows the claw
to pass, whereby the passage of the paper becomes free, until the rotation of the
roller brings the claw round again, and causes it to arrest the paper as before. The
partial incision of the ticket being now again exposed to the strain, the paper will
separate at that point again. In this manner the conductor is enabled to issue with
one hand in the form of tickets all the paper contained in the box, by simply pulling
on it. By attaching a register or counter to the rollers, the total number of
tickets issued can be ascertained at a glance, and by causing the said roller to
actuate a hammer at every revolution, a bell may be struck with the issue of each
ticket.
Where two or more classes of fares have to be checked, we prepare separate rolls
of tickets for each fare, and construct the box to hold two or more rolls. In that
case the rolls may be each of a different colour in addition to the impression thereon
denoting the fare. Where the fares to be checked are of more than one class, we
sometimes use only one roll of paper, prepared as herein-before described, but we
.omit the stamp or impression denoting the amount of fare. In that case, the con-
ductor issues the tickets by depressing a lever or key which carries a stamp or die.
If there are three different fares, the apparatus is provided with three such keys,
marked correspondingly to these fares. The depression of any one of these keys
causes the stamp denoting the amount to be impressed upon the paper, and to shoot
out a certain length of paper. We also make the same action of depressing, any of
the keys cause the register to rotate more or less according to the value of the
ticket issued, and to strike an alarum bell as many times as there are pence in the
fare issued. Sometimes we omit the stamping of the paper altogether, and by the
depression of a key merely cause a certain length of paper to be issued, each key
paying out a different length, such length varying with the amount to bo paid or
received.
Instead of issuing the tickets from a previously prepared roll or coil as herein-
before described, we sometimes use tickets which are already cut, but are supplied
to the conductor as blanks. On receiving the fare, the conductor inserts the ticket
into the apparatus, and by depressing a key or lever, imprints on the ticket the
figure corresponding to the amount received. In this form of apparatus there are
also as many keys as fares, and the key, besides imprinting the ticket, also rings a
bell and works a register.