Improvements in Apparatus for Checking and Indicating Payments for Admission.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Checking and Indicating Payments
for Admission.
I, ARTHUR VENTRIS, of 5 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C.
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When persons are admitted to any place by tickets issued at or near the place or
on payment at wickets or turnstiles, it is desirable that at some office or station, which
may be at a distance, there should be an automatic record of the payments made so
as to operate as a check on the attendant, and that this record should be indicated to
the persons who purchase the tickets, or make the payments.
My invention relates to apparatus for this purpose, so arranged that no record is
made or indicated unless two consecutive acts are performed, the one act being the
removal of a ticket from its rack or receptacle, or the release of a wicket or turnstile,
the other act being either the stamping of the ticket, or the opening of the wicket
or turnstile to give admission to the ticket holder or to the person who has paid.
By making the operation thus dependent on the performance of two separate acts,
either of these can be done alone without any record being made, and thus an
attendant can empty or fill a ticket rack, or he can stamp several tickets or one ticket
repeatedly, or he can open, or release a turnstile or wicket without affecting the
recording apparatus.
For this purpose, in the case where tickets are issued, I mount beside the ticket
rack or receptacle an arm which by the movement of the rack in taking out a ticket,
is shifted to a certain position and remains in that position. I also connect to the
ticket stamping apparatus or to the door, wicket, or turnstile, an arm or rod which
moves clear of the first mentioned arm unless it has been previously shifted by the
rack, but which engages with it when it is in its shifted position, and by so engaging
performs two functions, first, it makes a contact for transmission of an electrical
impulse to the distant station, and secondly, it restores the arm to its norinal position
ready to be again shifted by a subsequent action of the ticket rack. In the case
where no tickets are issued, the act of the hand or foot of the attendant in unfastening

page_text: or releasing the wicket or turnstile may give the preliminary movement such as is
effected by the ticket rack. The electrical impulse transmitted as above described
serves for two purposes, first, by exciting an electromagnet or solenoid at the distant
station it causes a style to make a mark on a travelling strip or revolving surface;
and secondly, by exciting an electro magnet or solenoid at the place where the money
is paid, it causes the movement of an index disc or screen to shew that the payment
made is duly recorded.
In cases where tickets of various classes and values are issued, separate apparatus
of the kind described may be used for the different classes of tickets, or one apparatus
may serve for all, parts of it being modified to give distinctions of class.
Thus, the arm shifted by one rack, say that for sixpenny tickets, may be such as
to give a single or a brief electrical impulse; that shifted by another, say for shilling
tickets, to give two impulses or a prolonged impulse, and so on, the value of the
ticket in each case being recorded by one mark or by several marks, or by marks of
different lengths.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Checking and Indicating Payments
for Admission.
I, ARTHUR VENTRIS, of 5 Tavistock Street Covent Gardon, London W.C., Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
When persons are admitted to any place by tickets issued at or near the place or
on payment at wickets or turnstiles, it is desirable that at some office or station, which
may be at a distance, there should be an automatic record of the payments made 30
as to operate as a check on the attendant, and that this record should be indicated to
the persons who purchase the tickets, or make the payments.
My invention relates to apparatus for this purpose, so arranged that no record is
made or indicated unless two consecutive acts are performed, the one act being the
removal of a ticket from its rack or receptacle, or the release of a wicket or turnstile,
the other act being either the stamping of the ticket, or the opening of the
wicket or turnstile to give admission to the ticket holder or to the person who
has paid.
By making the operation thus dependent on the performance of two separate acts,
either of these can be done alone without any record being made, and thus an
attendant can empty or fill a ticket rack, or he can stamp several tickets or one ticket
repeatedly, or he can open, or release a turnstile or wicket without affecting the
recording apparatus.
For this purpose, in the case where tickets are issued, I mount beside the ticket rack
or receptacle an arm which by the movement of the rack in taking out a ticket, is
shifted to a certain position and remains in that position. I also connect to the ticket
stamping apparatus or to the door, wicket or turnstile, an arm or rod which moves
clear of the first mentioned arm unless it has been previously shifted by the rack, but
which engages with it when it is in its shifted position, and by so engaging performs
two functions, first, it makes a contact for transmission of an electrical impulse to the
distant station, and secondly, it restores the arm to its normal position ready to be
again shifted by a subsequent action of the ticket rack. In the case where no tickets
are issued, the act of the band or foot of the attendant in unfastening or releasing the
wicket or turnstile may give the preliminary movement such as is effected by the
ticket rack. The electrical impulse transmitted as above described serves for two
purposes, first, by exciting an electromagnet or solenoid at the distant station it causes
a style to make a mark on a travelling strip or revolving surface; and secondly, by
exciting an electro-magnet or solenoid at the place where the money is paid, it
causes the movement of an index disc or screen to shew that the payment made is
duly recorded.
In cases where tickets of various classes and values are issued, separate apparatus
of the kind described may be used for the different classes of tickets or one
apparatus may serve for all, parts of it being modified to give distinctions
of class.

page_text: Thus, the arm shifted by one rack, say that for sixpenny tickets, may be such as
to give a single or a brief electrical impulse; that shifted by another, say for shilling
tickets, to give two impulses or a prolonged impulse, and so on, the value of the
ticket in each case being recorded by one mark or by several marks or by marks
of different lengths.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional plan of a door to which is
applied apparatus according. to my invention. This door has a latch lock (shewn to
an enlarged scale at Fig. 3) the slotted bolt of which can be withdrawn either by a
key applied outside without moving the knob Q or by moving back the knob Q inside.
To the stem of the knob Q is attached a sliding rod F, which may be concealed within
the door as shewn, and which operates on an apparatus H arranged in the door jamb.
This apparatus is shewn to an enlarged scale at Fig. 2. In this apparatus there is a
sliding bolt B facing the end of the rod F, and a spring bolt L which is pushed in by
the closing of the door but which, when the door is opened, is moved out by the
spring to the dotted position L'. The latch can be unlocked from outside and the
door opened repeatedly without moving the lever C Fig. 2, but when the door is elosed
and the knob Q is moved back to withdraw the latch, the rod F pushes back the
bolt B to the dotted position B¹ in which it remains notwithstanding further move-
ments of the knob Q. The lever C is moved by B to the dotted position C¹ and thus
moves a tumbler M to the position M. The tumbler M is always in connection
through a spring rubber with an electric wire at P, but is itself otherwise insulated
from the casing of the apparatus, to which is connected another wire at P¹. The gab
of M is also faced at with insulating material. When the door is opened, a
shoulder g on the bolt L moves the lever C from the position C¹, and the upper end
of the lever makes contact with M at k thus momentarily completing the circuit
between P and P', so that an electric impulse is sent to a suitable recorder, this
inipulse ceasing when the upper end of comes to rest on the insulator / by which
it is separated from k. The tumbler M may be arranged to move an arm or screen
visible outside the door to shew that a record is made, or the electric impulse
transmitted to the recorder may operate such an arm or screen.
Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. a vertical section shewing apparatus according to my
invention applied to a turnstile which is provided with a locking arrangement B shown
in perspective at Fig. 8, and a pedal A which has to be depressed in order to allow
the turnstile to turn one quarter round. Fig. 6 is a section and Fig. 7 is a plan both
drawn to an enlarged scale, shewing the electrical contact arrangement which I apply
to the turnstile. On the top of the turnstile spindle I fix a cam Chaving four hollows
and protuberances which act on a roller f¹ on a lever M mcunted in a casing H.
I also connect the pedal A by an upright rod D to a lever F which is pivotted at h
and has its short arm F¹ extending under the lever M. This lever Mis in connection
with an electrical wire P, being otherwise insulated, and it has at fa facing of
insulating material. The pedal A may be moved without affecting the lever M as
long as it remains in the dotted position, but when f' is raised by a protuberance of
the cam C then the pedal A being depressed and the arm F¹ raised contact is made
atk with the lever M and thus the wire P is momentarily brought into electrical
connection with the other wire P₁ which is connected to the box H. The arm F¹
after having made contact at k, comes to bear on the insulator f so that the contact
made at k is only for a moment. The electrical impulse is convoyed to any suitable
recorder, causing a style to mark on a travelling strip or revolving drum. Also the
electrical impulse may move a screen or index visible to the person passing through
the turnstile to shew that his payment is recorded.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of apparatus according to my invention for recording
the issue of tickets. I have shewn it arranged for two sets of tickets, which may be
of different values, but it is to be understood that several sets may be similarly
arranged and worked. Each of the ticket racks R' R' containing a number of
superposed tickets pressed down by weights W, as shewn in the vertical section
Fig. 12, is hinged at its top and. has under-it a sill with a check shoulder of the
depth of one ticket so that on pressing back the rack in opposition to the spring a

page_text: the lowest ticket is exposed and can be removed. The pushing back of either rack
moves one of the arms D' D' fixed respectively on rocking spindles F1 F3, which have
other arms fixed on them, namely E¹ behind a dating stamp S as shewn in Fig. 11,
CC within a case H shewn in Fig. 10 and I' I, shewn in Fig. 13, in a position
visible outside the check taker's box. In the case H there are two tumblers M' M'
which, like M in Fig. 2 above described, are insulated from the case but are connected
through rubbing springs with wires at P¹ P'; they have also insulating facings
at When either of the racks R' R' is pushed back to take a ticket, it, through
the arm D or D gives a partial turn to the spindle F¹ or F' advancing the arm E'
or E, lowering the arm C or C3, and raising one of the arins I' I² with a screen
having the value of the ticket marked on it rendering this visible as shewn in Fig. 13.
For dating the ticket by the stamp S Fig. 11, is pushed in at T moving back a
bolt B attached to the hinge of the stamp, and thereby moving back the arm E¹ or E³
which had been moved forward by the act of taking the ticket from its rack, and
thus turning back the spindle F1 or F2 and its arms to their normal condition.
The arm or C which had been lowered is then raised again making a contact
at & with the tumbler M' or M' and thereby electrically connecting the wire attached
at P or P2 with the wire at P. The arm C or C2 having moved the tumbler M¹
or M³, finally bears against its insulating part so that the contact at k is only
momentary transmitting an electrical impulse to act on a suitable recorder.
Obviously, in the several sets of mechanism described, the movements of the
tumblers M, M M or of the lever M might be utilised to work mechanical counters
for registering the number of operations of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, in, respect of apparatus for checking and indicating payments for admission,
is :-
:-
1. In combination with a door and its latch lock the mechanism substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so arranged that neither the with-
drawal of the latch alone nor the opening of the door alone, but the withdrawal
of the latch by hand, succeeded by the opening of the door makes a contact whereby
an electrical impulse is transmitted to a suitable recorder.
2. In combination with a turnstile and its releasing pedal, mechanism substantially
as described with reference to Fig. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 so arranged that neither the
depression of the pedal alone nor the turning of the stile alone, but the depression
of the pedal succeeded by the turning of the stile makes a contact whereby an
electrical impulse is transmitted to a suitable recorder.
3. In combination with a ticket rack or several ticket racks, mechanism sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, so arranged
that neither the movement of a rack for taking a ticket alone, nor the stamping
of a ticket alone, but the movement of the rack succeeded by the stamping of
the ticket makes a contact whereby an electrical impulse is transmitted to a
suitable recorder.
Dated this 8th day of December 1888