IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ENTERING TRAMWAY CARS AND OMNIBUSES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Sers Brown and John
Burrell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December
1879.
FREDERICK SERS BROWN and JOHN BURRELL, both of the Town and County of
Southampton. “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER
OF PASSENGERS ENTERING TRAMWAY CARS AND OMNIBUSES."
Our Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for registering the number
of passengers by tramcars or omnibuses. The apparatus is operated by the
passenger on entering and leaving the vehicle, and the registering apparatus may
either be arranged to indicate the actual number of passengers by making it necessary
to operate it twice in order to completely change the indications, or it may indicate
double the actual number of passengers, which would in that case be known by
halving the number indicated.'
The apparatus consists of a counting or registering apparatus in combination with
and operated by one or more movable steps or platforms, constructed and arranged
as hereafter described, and barriers or gates placed above to ensure the placing of
the passenger's foot upon the said movable step or platform on entering and alighting
from the vehicle. For omnibuses but one movable step is generally sufficient, but
in the case of tramcars there would be two steps, one at either side of the platform
when access is had to the latter at both sides; and when, as is usually the case, the
car is not turned round at the end of the journey, but is entered alternately at either
end, both platforms would be provided with such movable steps, which may either
be made to operate the same registering apparatus or a separate counter may be
provided for each platform.
The registering apparatus may consist of a train of wheels and pinions geared
together and carrying upon their axes number dials corresponding to units, tens,
hundreds, thousands, &c., or any other division of numbers, the whole being mounted
in a suitable box or frame located over or beside the entrance or doorway, or in any
other position where the dials can be readily seen. Any other construction of counting
or registering apparatus may be employed, and we do not therefore limit ourselves
to any particular arrangement, but whatever may be its construction, the wheel
corresponding to the units dial would have ratchet teeth, and be operated by a
pawl or ratchet loose on a longitudinally moving rod, connected directly or indirectly
to a movable step above referred to. The pawl or tooth is caused to engage in the

page_text: teeth of the ratchet wheel by the pressure of a spring which may be fixed at the
back of the rod so as to move with it, and be of a curved or bow form, and bear
against a friction or guide roller on the frame.
When the same indicating apparatus is operated by two movable steps, there
would be two such ratchet wheels on the axis of the units dial, each operated by a
separate rod. The movable step to which each such rod is connected may either
occupy the position of the ordinary step at the side, and beneath the edge of the
platform, or it may be a small platform rising slightly above the level of the car
platform through an aperture near the edge thereof, or the two may be combined,
so as to be both depressed at once and operate the same rod, thereby lessening the
chance of failure to operate the apparatus by the passenger stepping over instead of
upon the step or platform. This is still further provided against by a hinged barrier
or gate placed above the step or platform, which is kept closed by a spring, and
must be pushed aside by the passenger on entering and alighting. The movable
step or platform is carried by brackets cast in one with or bolted to tubular sockets
fitted to slide upon upright guide pillars, bolted to the underside of the car platform
or otherwise fixed. The movable step or platform is counterbalanced by a weighted
lever pivoted beneath the car platform, and pressed upon by a spring to lessen the
jar. The movement of the sockets upon their guides is limited to that necessary to
enable the pawl to engage with the next tooth of the ratchet wheel of the indicating
apparatus, when the step or platform is raised again by the action of the counter-
weight after being depressed by the weight of a passenger upon it.