IMPROVEMENTS IN REGISTERING APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR TRAMWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Black, of the County of the City of
Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGISTERING
APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR TRAMWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER
VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Black at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1873.
I, WILLIAM BLACK, of the County of the City of Dublin, Ireland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REGISTERING APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR TRAMWAY CARRIAGES
AND OTHER VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of apparatus which is
to ensure a perfect registration of the number of passengers and the
distance travelled by each passenger. For this purpose I combine
distance counting apparatus with ticket printing or marking apparatus,
all as hereafter described.

page_text: I drive a spindle, which I call the first motion spindle, from one of
the carriage axles or wheels by strap or other well known means. This
spindle carries loosely a swinging frame forming the bearings for a
spindle or gudgeon, which carries one or more, but by preference three
type wheels (or marking or perforating appliances).
I will now describe my Invention with reference to a tramway carriage
and with the triple type wheel arrangement.
Number One type wheel is mounted loose on the spindle, and measures
the distance run by being connected by a train of wheels to the first
motion spindle.
In order to ensure that the tram car when starting on a journey has
the pointer of the distance measurer at zero, the type or pointer wheel
has a balance on one side, which during the journey is slowly lifted, and
when the car arrives at its destination overbalances itself, and thereby
throws over the wheel to its original position.
Speed cone appliances may be used in order to adapt the apparatus to
different size wheels and varying circumstances.
Number Two type wheel is also loose on the spindle, but held by a
pawl from the spindle so that it cannot move back, and registers the
number of the journey. It can be set by means of a key or otherwise,
one figure or number in advance cach time. This should be done when
starting on each journey.
Number Three type wheel is also loose, but held by a pawl, and is
capable of marking the number of the carriage and the date of issue of
ticket. It is set every day by a key or otherwise.
The tickets numbered consecutively are put into a box or case. When
a passenger enters the car a ticket is pushed forward so as to enable him
to take it. This is done in a self-acting way by being passed between
the aforesaid type wheels (or roughened or pointed surfaces adjoining
them) and suitable gripping rollers or other gripping appliance.
The aforesaid swinging frame containing the marking or printing
apparatus is swung into gear or brought into operation upon the ticket,
which it fetches from the ticket box and carries forward, by being suit-
ably connected with the step or steps which the passenger has to mount
in order to get into or on the top of the car; or. it may be brought into
5
1
1

page_text: operation by the conductor, say by pulling a handle. I provide a dupli-
cate set of type wheels and rollers, driven as aforesaid, through which
the tickets are passed back by the conductor on receiving them from the
passengers before leaving, or the one set may perform this office also,
but I prefer the former.
If a passenger omits to draw a ticket the same on the next registration
will be withdrawn inside the apparatus by special appliances, gripping
rollers or the like, in connection with the swinging frame or the working
gear for the same, or the ticket may be pushed out and drop into a box;
or the ticket might be dropped into an open tray in front, accessible to
the passengers.
The person entering registers by stepping on a step made in two parts,
a front and a back part, but so constructed that unless the front part is
first depressed, and then the back, it does not register.
Various modes, as is well known, have been proposed for this purpose,
and may be used in conjunction with the rest of my apparatus. I
propose however to do it as follows:-I make the step in two parts, each
hinged at their outer edge or side and at their point of meeting, sup-
ported on springs so as to be able to rise and fall a short distance. The
two flaps of the step lap over one another or join edge to edge in such
a way that the one, namely the outside one, must shut down before the
other or inner one can shut, and only when both are down the registering
apparatus works.
For registering the top or roof passengers two adjoining rounds or
steps of the ladder are connected, one cach with the two parts of the
aforesaid jointed step. One of these rounds (say the upper) is hinged
at one end, and capable of being depressed a short distance at the other,
where it is connected to a bar inside the central hollow post which
carries the rounds. The adjoining (lower) round is also hinged as
described, and on being depressed by being stood upon by means of a
wedge or cam arrangement pushes a tooth into the hollow post just
under the bar connected to the upper round. Immediately under this
bar and tooth another bar connected to the registering apparatus is fitted
in the hollow post, and is set in motion by the weight coming on the
upper round, the upper bar, the tooth, and the lower bar then conveying
the motion. Unless the lower round is thus depressed first the vacant
space between the two bars in the post prevents contact between them

page_text: and no registration takes place. If the upper round is first depressed it
partially closes the space requisite for the entrance of the tooth between
the upper and the lower bar in the hollow post.
The apparatus as before described may if preferred be worked by
electro-magnetism. Thus the contact between the parts connected with
the steps may be used for making the connection by means of electro-
magnetism. The swing frame may be actuated by the same power.
The power may be generated by batteries or by the motion of the car
itself.
Railway trains arranged on the American system with passage from
one carriage to another may have a ticket system as aforesaid, but
modified to suit. Each carriage would by preference be fitted with a
check apparatus.
Part of the Invention may be applied to theatres and other places of
amusement. The two ticket printing apparatus would be at different
places in the building, and would be operated by means of steps as
described, or turnstiles, or other like appliances, independant of the
officials in question.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Black in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BLACK, of the County of the City of Dublin, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Black, Her special licence
that I, the said William Black, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Black, 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGISTERING
APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR TRAMWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER
VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Black, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and.
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Black, 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 accompanying Drawings
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :—
The object of this Invention is the construction of apparatus which
is to ensure a perfect registration of the numbers of passengers and the
distance travelled by each passenger. For this purpose I combine
distance counting apparatus with ticket printing or marking apparatus,
all as hereafter described.
One mode of arranging the distance counting apparatus in com-
bination with ticket printing or marking apparatus, as applied to
tramway cars, is illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which are respectively
front elevation, plan section, and vertical cross section. The tickets
numbered consecutively are by the proprietor or checking clerk put
into a box or case C, which I call the ticket holder; and I place a
weight W on the top of the pile When a passenger enters the car a
ticket is pushed forward so as to enable him or the conductor to take
it, but for the passenger to retain till he leaves the car. This may be
donc in a self-acting way, as will be hereafter described, or it may be
done by means of a swinging or sliding frame, which is brought into
operation upon the ticket, pushing it forward out of the ticket holder C,
and causing the marking or printing apparatus to print or mark the
distance on the ticket; D is the sliding frame, which, when brought
into operation by the conductor pushing a handle d, pushes a ticket
forward, which then passes over one of the three type or marking
wheels t, which are mounted in forked levers on the spindle s; Lisa

page_text: spindle, which at one end has three double cams c, which act on one
of the type wheel levers 7, bringing the same up so as to cause one of
the type wheels to mark the ticket passed over it.
The sliding
frame D when pushed forward also acts on the wheel S on the dial
spindle by means of an inclined pawl p mounted on the frame D,
turning it, say, one tooth; the hand B at the same time travelling one
space or number forward; consequently one space each time a ticket
is pushed out from the box C. When the passenger leaves the car his
ticket is returned and passed into the apparatus again through an
opening o, taken hold of by another or duplicate sliding frame P, which
is actuated by the conductor pushing a handle p¹, by which operation
the ticket is caused to pass over one of the duplicate type or marking
wheels ', which are mounted in forked levers on the spindle 8, and
acted upon by one of the three double cams c¹ on the spindle L; the
sliding frame then passes the ticket along till it drops through a hole
down into a drawer b, which I call the ticket receiver. At the same
time the dial spindle wheel S is moved back one space or number by
an inclined pawl p¹¹ mounted on the sliding frame P. The spindle s,
which at each end is provided with the aforesaid sets of cams c and c³,
is turned a sixth of a turn at the end of each of the three here assumed
stages on the journey. This is done by the conductor, or it may be done
by self-acting or partially self-acting means, which shall be presently
described; by this means the proper or corresponding type wheels,
both for the outgoing and returned tickets are raised, and thus brought
into operation on the tickets. The type or marking wheels on the
ticket issuing side are so arranged or marked as to impress the ticket
with the station or number of stage on the journey, at or past which
the passenger entered. Similarly the duplicate marking wheels on the
ticket returning side are so arranged or marked as to impress the ticket
with the station or number of stage on the journey at or before which
the passenger leaves the car. The marking on the tickets thus indicate
the fares due, and the conductor must account for the money accord-
ingly.
Instead of the spindle L, with cams on, a spindle formed at each
end with screw threads might be employed; a nut on each, suitably
guided, so as to slide without revolving, would then carry the type or
marking appliance, which thus by the revolution of the screw spindle
would be shifted so as to mark the tickets, as before described.
The

page_text: spindle L has also a pulley q, which by means of chain or band is
connected to the pulley on the spindle which carries the drum H,
this drum is marked with the names of the three stations on the
journey; thus at each station the next following is displayed through
a glass pane g in the box of the apparatus. The spindle L has also
a ratchet wheel I, with as many teeth as there are cams on each end
of the spindle L, in this case six. If the apparatus is to be supplied
with fresh tickets each double journey the ratchet wheel I has a stop,
which limits it to one revolution; but if it is to be supplied with tickets,
say, every third or fourth double journey only, then wheel gearing
in the proportion of respectively three to one or four to one will have
to be arranged with the ratchet wheel spindle in such manner that the
pinion is fixed on the latter, and the wheel has a stop limiting it to one
revolution only. The ratchet wheel I is actuated by the conductor by
a ratchet pawl and lever m, and a cord n connected thereto, as shewn with
reference to the apparatus illustrated by Fig. 9. Or the ratchet wheel I
may be actuated in partially self-acting manner, as shewn on Fig. 4.
R is the tram rail, at each stage or station on the journey it is formed
with a hollow, or rounded notch, or depression H in the groove of the
rail; to one of the axle boxes I attach a lever or trigger C, turning on
a fulcrum B, and by a cord E connected to the place where the
conductor stands; a rod or cord n (see Fig. 9) connecting the lever O
with the ratchet arm m on the registering apparatus. The lever C is
of such a length that it drags or slides on the rail, but when coming
over the hollow H in the same the conductor can pull it and swing it
up, the cord being passed one or more turns round a pulley on the lever
fulcrum; the rod or cord n then actuates the ratchet arm m. At no other
part of the journey can this be done than exactly on the desired places
or stations. Or the ratchet lever m may be actuated by entirely self-
acting means, independent of the conductor.
Figs. 5 and 5ª shew part of a tram car so arranged. C is an arm
attached to the axle box and forming the bearings for a wheel B or part
of a wheel, which by means of one or two loop or other springs D¹ is
held in its normal central position just free of the rail; but when the car
wheel descends into the hollows K, K, formed in the rails as shewn on
the Drawing, the wheel B comes in contact with the rail for a moment,
and is thereby caused to turn the rod D, which has a stud working in a
straight slot in the wheel B will thereby move the ratchet lever m. The

page_text: rod D is entirely and the wheel B all but enclosed in a case, so that
they cannot be tampered with. Any other suitable mechanism than
those here described will answer the purpose, so long as they are con-
nected to the axle box or some other part at all times equidistant from
the rails, and are arranged in combination with hollows in or on or
connected with the rails.
Another arrangement of registering and indicating apparatus is illus-
trated by Figs. 7, 8, and 9, of which Fig. 7 is a plan with the cover
removed; Fig. 8 is a section on line X, X, and Fig. 9 is a side view with
part of the case removed; C, C, C, C, are four ticket holders or com-
partments, or more or less, according to the number of stages on the
journey, containing a certain number of tickets and each marked
accordingly. The tickets are placed in them by the proprietor or checking
clerk. Each pile of tickets is arranged in connection with a sliding
frame D which has a slot in it as shewn, and is actuated by the crank
pin E on one of the shafts F working therein. When first starting the
ticket compartment No. 1 is in the position for the tickets to be with-
drawn therefrom by turning the handle G for that compartment, the
crank E working in the slot of the slide D pushing the lowest ticket
out; fis a ratchet wheel, and f¹ a pawl working into it for preventing
the spindle F from being turned the wrong way. The conductor gives a
ticket from this compartment to each passenger entering the carriage
during the first stage of the journey. On arriving at the end of the first
stage, the No. 1 ticket compartment is shut, and No. 2 opened, and with
the same operation the station indicated on the drum H is changed.
This is done by the conductor or by one of the self-acting or other
arrangements already described with reference to Figs. 5, and 6; I is
the ratchet wheel acted upon by any of these aforesaid means. The
spindle of the drum H has two mitre wheels J, J, gearing into mitre
wheels K, K, on the spindles L and M; the former has four cams c set
at equal angles apart, one for each ticket compartment; each cam works
a sliding bolt N which when its bottom comes on the large part of its
cam is pushed into its compartment, and thus stops its slide D, so that
no tickets can be pushed out, the other spindle M has four cams c¹
similarly arranged which actuate four sliding bolts O, one of them being
pushed up enters the ticket receiving drum P and locks it. A is the
dial with the hand B (see Fig. 1, which is a front view of this apparatus
as well as of the one first described), which at all times indicate the

page_text: numbers of passengers in the car. When a passenger enters the con-
ductor forces out a ticket by turning one of the handles G³, G³, G³,
G*, as the case may be, each spindle F has an angular feather or tooth
R, which for each revolution of one of the spindles F turns the wheel S
on the dial spindle, the hand B at the same time travelling one space or
number forward. When a passenger leaves the car his ticket is passed
into one of the four ticket receiving drums P through an opening o in
the box, as shewn (the one which is unlocked at the time), each drum
is loose on the spindle and has four or more pockets large enough for
receiving a ticket each. The drum P in queston is then turned in the
direction of the arrow by the hand through the opening in the box, the
ticket is then forced out of its pocket by the cam T on the drum spindle,
which is fixed, pushing the ticket out, and against the wheel S on the
dial spindle turning it in the direction of the arrow; the hand B at the
same time turning one space or number back. h is a cam, and h¹ a spring
catch falling into the notch or hollow in the same, in order to keep the
feather R out of gear with the wheel S, except when the spindle F is
turned by the conductor as aforesaid. k is a bolt only accessible to the
checking clerk; when down it comes against the stop ¹ on the wheel w
which here is four times larger than the pinion v. Every fourth double
journey, the aforesaid swinging or sliding frame D, which fetches the
ticket from the ticket box for marking or printing same, and conveying
it out of the apparatus as described, may be brought into operation by
suitably connecting it with the step or steps which the passenger has to
mount in order to get into or on the top of the car (instead of being
operated by the conductor as above described). The person entering
may for instance register, that is operate the swinging or sliding frame
D, by stepping on a step made in two parts, a front and a back part, but
so constructed that unless the front part is first depressed and then the
back, it does not register. Various modes have, as is well known, been
proposed for this purpose, and may be used in conjunction with the rest
of my apparatus. I propose however to do it as shewn on Fig. 6 of the
accompanying Drawings. The two flaps A and B are so arranged that
the outside one, A, is depressed first by the entering passenger and then
the inner one B, and only when both are down the registering apparatus
works. For this purpose the outer flap A has a bracket c with a pin d
working in a slot in the link or plate e, which can turn freely on a pin
in the lever f having its fulcrum at h, and at the other end by means of
the rod is connected to the slide D in the registering apparatus.

page_text: When the step A is depressed by the entering passenger, the pin d will
throw over the plate e into the dotted position; when thereupon the flap
B is depressed the plate e is in a position to be acted upon by it, thus
causing its depression and thereby also that of the end of the lever f
connected thereto raising the other end of same and actuating the rod g.
When a passenger leaves the car the step B is first depressed, but the plate
e being out of its reach is not acted, and no registration takes place
thereby.
For registering the top or roof passengers, two adjoining rounds or
steps of the ladder are connected, one each with the two parts of the
aforesaid jointed step. One of these rounds (say the upper) is hinged at
one end, and capable of being depressed a short distance at the other,
where it is connected to a bar inside the central hollow post which
carries the rounds. The adjoining (lower) round is also hinged as
described, and on being depressed by being stood upon, by means of a
wedge or cam arrangement, pushes a tooth into the hollow post just
under the bar connected to the upper round. Immediately under this
bar and tooth another bar connected to the registering apparatus is fitted
in the hollow post, and is set in motion by the weight coming on the
upper round; the upper bar, the tooth, and the lower bar then conveying
the motion. Unless the lower round is thus depressed first, the vacant
space between the two bars in the post prevents contact between them
and no registration takes place. If the upper round is first depressed it
partially closes the space requisite for the entrance of the tooth between
the upper and the lower bar in the hollow post.
The apparatus as before described may, if preferred, be worked by
electro-magnetism. Thus the contact between the parts connected with
the steps may be used for making the connection by means of electro-
magnetism. The swinging or sliding frame may be actuated by the
same power. The power may be generated by batteries or by the motion
of the car itself.
Railway trains arranged on the American system, with passage from
one carriage to another, may have a ticket system as aforesaid, but
modified to suit. Each carriage would by preference be fitted with a
check apparatus.
With reference to all the above described registering apparatus it
must be understood that they need not have all the parts arranged in one

page_text: box, for instance, the indicating parts (the dial A and the drum H) may
be placed any desired or convenient distance from the rest of the
machinery.
Part of the Invention may be applied to theatres and other places of
amusement. The two ticket printing or marking apparatus would be at
different places in the building, and would be operated by means of steps
as described, or turnstiles or other like appliances independent of the
officials in question.
And having now described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
I declare that I claim,—
Firstly. The general arrangement of registering apparatus for marking
consecutively numbered tickets when issued therefrom and when
returned thereto, in combination with appliances for indicating the
number of tickets at any time issued, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The combination of ticket issuing, returning, and indicating
appliances, with distance counting and indicating appliances, ubstantially
as set forth.
Thirdly. The particular arrangements, substantially as set forth, for
marking tickets according to varying fares or distances, and for preventing
tickets from being put into wrong receiving compartments.
Fourthly. The combination of distance counting and indicating
appliances with numerical indicating appliances, substantially as set
forth.
And Fifthly. The modes and means, substantially as set forth, for
actuating the said appliances for issuing, returning, and marking the
tickets, for closing and opening the ticket compartments, for working
the distance counting and indicating appliances, and for working the
numerical indicating appliances.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Black, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
WILLIAM BLACK. (L.S.)