IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ISSUING AND REGISTERING TICKETS OR CHECKS ΤΟ PASSENGERS BY OMNIBUSES AND OTHER VEHICLES, THEREBY INDICATING THE FARES COLLECTED."
Year: 1880

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hodges at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1880.
JAMES HODGES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Law Stationer.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ISSUING AND REGISTERING TICKETS OR
CHECKS ΤΟ PASSENGERS BY OMNIBUSES AND OTHER VEHICLES, THEREBY
INDICATING THE FARES COLLECTED."
The object of my Invention is by a novel combination of mechanism to cause a
ticket or tickets for cach passenger or visitor to be ejected from a locked box or
receptacle in possession of the guard or collector, a per centage of such tickets
placed in irregular positions in a band or continuous length of tickets unknown to
the guard being marked and perforated with the word "free," and entitling the
passengers or visitors receiving them to travel or enter without payment or at
a reduced payment, thus creating a personal interest on the part of the travelling
receiver in secing that he or she gets a ticket, instead of being as at present
indifferent whether a certainly useless ticket is given or not, whereby fraud may
be practised; by this means a more effectual registration will be ensured, especially
as an ordinary gong or bell is sounded to indicate the issue of each ticket, while a
dial may be attached to the front of the box, the number visible on which will
correspond with the number impressed on each ticket as ejected. In carrying my
Invention into effect, I provide a box or case of metal or other material, in which
a flanged drum (removable from its pivot) revolves, having a band of paper or card
wound upon it, forming a series of tickets consecutively numbered to any desired
extent. The first end of the band is inserted in a slit in the drum previous to
winding, and the band being wound on the drum, the other end passes between
grip wheels or drums coated with india rubber, which are kept in close contact
by a spring pressing the smaller one of them against the larger. The latter of
these wheels or drums has a wheel with ratchet teeth attached to one end, each
tooth representing the depth of one ticket. To give motion to these grip wheels,
which carry forward and send out the tickets, an arm passing through the top of
the case is depressed by means of a thumb piece, knob, or plate on top. At the
lower end of the arm is pivoted a pawl curved to the circumference of the toothed

page_text: wheel, and held towards it by a spring fixed to the arm. When the arm is
depressed, this pawl pushes forward one tooth of the ratchet wheel, giving (by
preference) one seventh of a revolution to the larger grip wheel, which causes sо
much of the band as constitutes one ticket to be carried forward to and through
a guiding groove, and so on through outlet or opening in the side of the case,
which is bevilled inwards. Each ticket is perforated as it is passed forward by a
set of perforating teeth at the end of a bolt working in a guide. A pivot in the
arm working in a slot actuates one end of a lever fulcrumed near the centre
between the slotted end and the end of the case, where it turns at a right angle,
and receives in another slot the angled end of a bolt. When the arm is depressed,
it carries with it one end of the lever, causing the other end to rise, which lifts the
bolt and teeth, leaving the outlet free for the passing out of a ticket. As soon
as it has passed, and the arm is fully depressed, the spring causes the arm, pawl, and
lever end to rise. This causes the opposite end of the lever to descend, thrusting
down the bolt and teeth; the latter are driven through the band at the point of
exit, leaving one ticket projecting, which is detached at the perforated part by the
guard or collector. Each ticket represents the same value (say 1d), so that on
vehicles by which different fares are charged for different distances travelled the
guard will detach one, two, or three tickets together, to represent a penny,
twopenny, or threepenny fare; thus the multiplication of mechanism or necessity
for different colored tickets is obviated. When a band of tickets is exhausted,
the empty drum is removed and a full one substituted, the outer end of the band
being placed in position. This is accomplished by depressing the arm until a space
comes opposite the bolt, which being shot holds the arm down sufficiently to
withdraw the teeth from the outlet without bringing the pawl into action on the
ratchet teeth. The end of the band is then passed between the grip wheels by
withdrawing the smaller one, and passed on through the guiding groove to the
outlet, where on withdrawing the bolt the teeth will hold it until sent forward.
To ensure complete perforation if needed through the teeth becoming blunt, or the
material of the band being tough, a small thumb-piece is screwed on to the bolt
and works in a slot in the side of the case. By pressing this down direct, extra
force may be brought to bear on the teeth. A pin at each ratchet tooth projecting
from the edge of the flange next the ratchet wheel acts upon a hammer arm, and
causes a goug or bell to be sounded for each ticket, or any other ordinary striking
action may be substituted. The machine has two metal or leather loops at the
back, through which a waist belt passes worn by the guard.
.