IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR REGISTERING THE ENTRY AND EXIT OF PERSONS INTO AND FROM OMNIBUSSES, TRAM CARS, AND LIKE VEHICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert Gordon Smith at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1878.
ALBERT GORDON SMITH, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, in the County of Kent.
"IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR REGISTERING THE ENTRY AND EXIT OF PERSONS INTO
AND FROM OMNIBUSSES, TRAM CARS, AND LIKE VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improved mechanism for registering the entry and exit
of persons into and from omnibusses, tram cars, and like vehicles, and consists of a
frame fitted under the floor of an omnibus or like vehicle. This frame has within
it a couple of barrels, one of which takes a strip of paper or canvas from the other
through the action of gearing under the control of a shaft, having an universal joint
connection with a star wheel fitted to a portion of the vehicle close to one of the
travelling wheels; the star wheel is geared into by a second star wheel, so that it
moves a step only at each revolution of the 2nd one; the 2nd one likewise is geared
into by a 3rd star wheel, the 3rd star wheel taking its motion from a projection on
the hub or nave of the travelling wheel. On the shaft which actuates a draw roller
is a bevilled toothed wheel gearing into a pinion on a spindle at right angles thereto;
this spindle receives an intermittent angular motion at each motion of the first-
mentioned star wheel. On this spindle is fixed a cam, which lifts palls from
ratchet wheels (hereafter described), and allows two rack bars to move endwise,
the rack bars having lugs fitted for carrying needles or piercing points for piercing
a strip of paper when a depression of the lower step of the vehicle occurs.
Two steps are used fitted to rise under the action of springs after each depression
by the tread of a person entering or leaving the vehicle. At each depression the
steps act upon rock levers, whose inner ends carry slip palls. The one from the
lower step acts upon a hinged plate in which slides a slotted plate, the solid portions
of which come into contact with the tails of the needles or piercing points, and
force them through the paper or canvas; then slips past the frame and allows the
needles to return to their former position, the pall resuming its former position
ready to work through the action of the spring on its rock lever immediately the
step is released.
The slip pall from the upper step comes into contact with a pair of levers, to

page_text: which are attached two draw pauls; these actuate two saw-shaped masked ratchet
wheels, to the working wheels of which are connected two pinions which move
the above-mentioned racks.
One of the draw pauls has a tail-piece, which engages with an arm on a spindle
carrying a tumbler, a claw of which draws the sliding plate outwards, and a
bellied portion pushes it in, a spring compelling the tumbler to be always in contact
with the sliding plate.
The paper is of sufficient length to last, say, one day for a thirty mile travel, and
each length of paper is easily adjusted upon one of the rollers by a clip bar before
it is rolled thereon, the other or free end of the paper being fixed upon the other
roller in a similar manner.
The rollers can be easily slipped off their axles by simply removing an end plate
which could be under the care of a responsible person and removed only at fixed
intervals of time.
By this Invention the entry of passengers is registered by punctures made on
one side of the centre line of paper or canvas, and their exit by punctures on
the opposite side of the centre line, the punctures during the intermittent motion
of the paper occuring in a straight line at right angles to centre line of paper at
convenient distances apart, starting from the centre line towards the outer edge.
I fit a separate punch or blade to a spindle, which can be caused to puncture the
paper by the movement of a button or other appliance at any desired place.