Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by JEAN MÜLLER-HURTER, of Schaffhouse, in the
Republic of Switzerland, Ticket Manufacturer.]
I, FERDINAND HURTER of Wilmerehouse, Bold, Widnes in the county of Lancaster,
analytical chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements apply to machines for mechanically counting railway and other
tickets and consist in the use of two independent counters of usual construction, one
of which counters records the number of revolutions of the crank shaft of the machine
by which the slide propelling the tickets set in motion, whilst the other.of the two
counters records the number of tickets actually moved forward by the machine. And
my improvements further consist in providing each of these two counters with suitable
mechanism, which causes a bell.to ring when a given number, for instance one hundred
progressions on the respective counter have been performed. And my improvements
further consist in so arranging a receptacle for the tickets which have passed through
the machine that the original order of the tickets shall be inverted if so desired.
These improvements I carry out as follows: The machine for counting tickets
consists essentially of a receptacle containing the tickets, of a slide or pusher which
removes the tickets one by one from the bottom of the receptacle and moves them
forward towards another receptacle.
The slide or pusher is set in motion by means of a crank shaft, rotated either by
hand or by machinery. I provide a counter of ordinary construction for recording
the number of revolutions of this crank-shaft. I prefer this counter to consist of a
train of suitable cog wheels carrying with them a dial, the numbers of which pass by
a fixed pointer. I so connect the dial to the counting wheel that the dial may be
turned without turning the wheel so that zero may be brought under the pointer
without setting the whole machine in motion.

page_text: '
The slide or pusher at each revolution of the crank shaft removes one ticket from
the bottom of the receptacle, and pushes it towards the second receptacle. On its
way from one receptacle to the other, I cause the ticket to lift a suitable lever, which
lever is connected with, and actuates an ordinary mechanical counter. The pusher
and this lever are so constructed, that the lever is only moved when the pusher brings
forward a ticket but does not lift if the pusher happens to come forward empty.
To both and each of these independent counters I attach a signal bell and suitable
mechanism to ring the bell when a given number say one hundred progressions have
been made by the respective counter. I so arrange the mechanism that if every
movement of the ticket pusher brings forward a ticket the two signal bells strike at
the same moment, but if for any reason the ticket-pusher misses to propel a
ticket at every stroke, the two hells will not strike simultaneously but at intervals,
shorter or longer according to the number of tickets. which have been missed from
any cause.
i
By these means errors in counting are rendered audible.
The tickets which have been counted may fall into a receptacle, when their con-
secutive order will be the same as in the receptacle from which they were taken. If
it is desired to invert this order I attach a receptacle so constructed that every
succeeding ticket passes under the preceeding one; lifting up the column of tickets.
This object I attain by making the bottom of the receptacle slightly higher than the
level of the platform on which the tickets travel, and by connecting these two levels
with a short inclined plane. This inclined plane is so situated that a space exists
between it and one end of the last ticket pushed into the receptacle, which space
permits the next ticket pushed forward to enter the receptacle beneath the last.
Dated this 28th day of October 1887.

page_text: I, FERDINAND HURTER, of Wilmerehouse, Bold, Widnes in the county of Lancaster,
analytical chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
My improvements apply to machines for mechanically counting railway and other
tickets and consist in the use of two independent counters of usual construction, one
of which counters records the number of revolutions of the crank shaft of the
machine, by which the slide or pusher propelling the tickets is set in motion, whilst
the other of the two counters records the number of tickets actually moved forward
by the machine. If every movement of the slide, that is every revolution of the
crank shaft have moved forward one ticket, the numbers recorded by the two counters
will be found to agree; but if for any reason tickets have been missed, the numbers
on the two counters will not agree, and thus a simple inspection of the numbers
recorded by the two counters will enable the operator to judge whether a given packet
contains really the number of tickets which it is reputed to contain.
And my improvements further consist in providing each of these two counters
with suitable mechanism which causes a bell io ring, when a given number, for
instance one hundred progressions have been performed on the respective counter.
These two signal bells will strike simultaneously when one hundred revolutions have
been made by the crankshaft, provided that each revolution of the crankshaft have
actually caused one ticket to be carried forward. If, however tickets have been
missed from any cause the two bells will strike at intervals, shorter or longer according
as only one or several tickets have been missed. By these means errors in counting
are rendered audible, the attention of the operator being called to any such error in
counting.
And my improvements further consist in so arranging a receptacle for the tickets
which have passed through the machine that the original order of the tickets shall be
inverted, if so desired.
These improvements I carry out, as follows, and in order that the description may
be better understood I have annexed hereto a sheet of drawings shewing various
elevations plans and sections of parts of the machine.

page_text: The improved machine for counting tickets consists of a receptacle a Fig, I, con-
taining the tickets to be counted b. The bottom of the side of this receptacle, at
which the tickets issue in the act of counting is formed by an adjustable slide which
can be raised or lowered according to the thickness of the tickets, by means of the
screw. The space left between the slide and the platform h, on which the tickets
travel, is just sufficient to allow one, but only one ticket to pass freely.
The tickets are removed from this receptacle, one by one, by the pusher d.
Fig. I II III. The upper surface of this pusher is plane and level with the plat-
form h, with the exception of the central back portion, which forms a projection or
nose e. This nose impinges on the edge of the lowest ticket and carries it forward,
when the pusher is set in motion. The nose e is of smaller width than the ticket and
passes into the receptacle a, the side of the receptacle being somewhat short where
the nose is situated, but otherwise reaches down to the level of the platform h in order
to prevent any back sliding of tickets, when the pusher & returns.
The pusher d is guided in the slot C Fig. I II III.
The reciprocating motion of the pusher I obtain by means of the crankshaft m,
Fig. 1. The crankpin g. working in the slot of the pusher d moves it backwards and
forwards as is well understood. The crankshaft is driven from shaft by suitable
spurwheels, either by hand or by machinery.
The number of revolutions which the crankshaft makes is recorded by means of the
counting wheel which is also driven from shaft 7 by suitable pinions and wheels,
the gearing being so arranged that the counting wheel p makes one revolution whilst
the crankshaft makes one hundred or any other known number of revolutions. The
counting wheel p carries with it. the dial ring suitably divided and numbered. This
dial ring sits loose on the circumference of the counting wheel but is carried round
with it by means of the catch S, which is pressed into the cogs of the dial ring",
Fig. II. The catch is held in position by a spring placed under the knob of the lever
and can be released by pressure upon this knob, as shown in Fig. II. The dial
revolves with the wheel and the numbers pass by a fixed index, and the arrangement
just described, serves to bring back the zero point of the dial to the fixed index
without having to set the whole machine in motion.
The number of tickets actually moved forward by the pusher is counted and recorded
as follows: As the pusher d brings a ticket forward from receptacle the ticket
passes under, and in passing lifts, a forked lever n n, Fig. I. II. III. & V. This
lifting of the lever n causes an ordinary mechanical counter indicated by
Fig. I II & III. to be set in motion by means of shaft n, and thus the number of
tickets actually passing is recorded.
In order that the lever may not be lifted if the pusher d misses to carry a ticket
forward the pusher is made narrower than the tickets, so that it can pass between the
two levers nn, whilst the broader ticket passes under them and lifts the lever
owing to the projecting part n². An alternative construction of the lever and another
mode of counting its lifts is shewn in Fig. VI. and will be readily understood.
To both the counters now described I attach signal bells, and suitable mechanism
to cause the bells to ring, when one hundred or any other desired number of
progressions have been performed. To the counting wheel P is attached the bell u
with striker t, set in motion by the projection or nose t of the counting ring r
To the counter is attached the bell u, with similar striking arrangements.
"
The use of these bells avoids the necessity of inspecting the figures of the counters
until such time as the bells do no longer strike simultaneously.
The tickets which have been counted may fall into a receptacle, when their con-
secutive order will be the same as before in the receptacle a, from which they were
taken. If it is desired to invert this order, I attach a receptacle it so constructed
that every succeeding ticket passes underneath the preceeding one lifting up the column
of tickets.
This object I attain by making the bottom VII Fig. 1 of the receptacle slightly
higher than the level of the platform and by connecting these two levels by a short
curved inclined plane V. This inclined plane is so situated, that a space exists

page_text: between it and the bottom ticket in the receptacle i, into which space the pusher d
pushes the ticket, so that it passes beneath the preceeding ticket. In order that the
tickets may not rise before entering the receptacle, the spring V is provided, which
keeps the tickets flat.
I wish it to be understood that the details of the machine may be varied in many
ways, without deviating from the principle of my invention, and that I do not confine
myself to the exact details as shewn in my drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. The application to machines for counting railway and other tickets of two
independent counters, and of signal bells substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
31