Improvements in or relating to Fare Indicating Apparatus for Cabs, Carriages and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Cate of Application, 9th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1898-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Fare Indicating Apparatus for Cabs,
Carriages and the like.
I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM GUSTAV BRUHN, of No. 1, Schaperstrasse, Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany, Managing Director, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for ensuring the relative blocking between
the mechanism which serves to indicate whether the carriage is vacant or
engaged, and those devices by which the fare indicator is adjusted to various
tariffs applying to journeys to be paid according to distance or time and the like,
such devices which indicate any additional fees to be paid for conveying luggage
or for rendering similar special services and so forth.
On fare indicators a signal device-usually presenting the shape of a flag-
is provided, from the position of which the public, the controlling police officials
and so forth are enabled to see at a distance, whether the carriage is engaged or
not, also an engaging and disengaging device, by means of which the apparatus
is adjusted to the various tariffs or brought into the position indicating the
termination of the journey. Now, in order to prevent the driver of the carriage
from either defrauding the passenger or the proprietor of the vehicle or both,
the signal device and the engaging and disengaging mechanism are brought
into such relative connection, that the one device can only be moved while the
other device occupies a certain given position and vice versa; both devices are,
in other words, to block each other, and their mutual blocking action being
such as to admit of its being suspended only, in case where both devices occupy
quite a definite relative position.
Moreover frequently a particular supplementary-note-device is arranged, by
which the conductor is intended to indicate the fees for conveying luggage or
the like.
Also this latter device is to be connected with the signal device or with the
engaging or disengaging mechanism, or with both in such a manner that the
said supplementary note-device, can only be actuated when occupying absolutely
definite positions.
The above mentioned signal device, in most cases consists of a flag. In the
one position this signal device is turned down, thus indicating that the carriage
is engaged, whilst in the other position the same stands upright, so that the
inscription "vacant" is clearly visible. The said signal device is mounted on
an upper or what may be termed a signal shaft, upon which two non-circular
discs placed side by side and rigidly connected with the shaft, are provided.
The lower or engaging and disengaging shaft by means of which the apparatus
is adjusted to various tariffs or thrown out of engagement, carries three non-
circular discs: in the plane of the second disc of the upper shaft lies a disc on
the lower shaft, in the plane of the first disc of the upper shaft is another disc
on the lower shaft and upon the latter disc is a cam disc.
The first 'disc on the lower shaft has a projecting nose, for which a notch is

page_text: provided in the otherwise circular second disc of the upper shaft; it is only in
case that this notch and the nose engage, that the signal-indicator can be turned
from its engaged to its disengaged position.
The first disc of the upper shaft is provided with several notches, into which
fit the corresponding projections left on the second disc of the lower shaft the
said disc moreover possesses two notches for receiving the projections of the first
disc of the upper shaft. The movement of the upper shaft as well as the rota-
tion of the lower shaft are thus made independent upon the respective positions
of the discs.
Moreover for specially fixing the signal device in its upright or disengaged
position a can disc which is only elastically connected with the lower shaft (by
means of a spring and of the second disc of the lower shaft); upon this cam
disc a pin in the first disc of the upper shaft is adapted to slide upwards, while
yielding to the tendency of the spring, whereby the signal device is held in its
upright position; the signal device can not be turned down until the engaging
or lower shaft has been moved forward, to such an extent, that the cam is brought
out of contact with the pin.
For blocking the disc which actuates the supplementary note-device I arrange
a lever which is displaced by means of a catch provided on the first disc of the
upper shaft. The said lever is moved into such a position with respect to the
pawl of the disc which actuates the supplementary note-device of the disc that
the said disc cannot be rotated.
Dated this 9th day of September 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Fare Indicating Apparatus for Cabs,
Carriages and the like.
I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM GUSTAV BRUHN, of No. 1, Schaperstrasse, Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany, Managing Director, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in fare indicating and registering
apparatus for cabs, carriages and the like, and the object of the same are means
for ensuring the relative blocking between the mechanism which serves to indi-
cate whether the carriage is vacant or engaged, and those devices by which the
fare-indicator is adjusted to various tariffs applying to trips or journeys to be
paid for according to distance or time and the like, or such devices which indicate
any additional fee to be paid for conveying luggage or for rendering similar
special services and so forth.
On fare-indicators a signal-device-usually presenting the shape of a flag-is
provided, from the position of which the public, the controlling police-officials
and so forth are enabled to see at a distance, whether the carriage is engaged
or not, also an engaging and disengaging device, by means of which the apparatus
is adjusted to the various tariffs or brought into the position indicating the
termination of the journey or trip.
Now in order to prevent the driver of the carriage from either cheating the
passenger or defrauding the proprietor of the vehicle or both, the signal device
and the engaging and disengaging mechanism are brought into such relative
connection that the one device can only be moved when the other device occupies

page_text: a certain given position and vice versa; both devices are, in other words, to
block each other, and this mutual blocking action being such as to admit of its
being suspended only in case where both devices occupy quite a definite relative
position.
Moreover, frequently a particular supplementary registering-device is arranged,
by which the driver is intended to indicate the fees for conveying luggage or
the like.
Also this latter device may be connected with the signal device or with the
engaging or disengaging mechanism or with both in such a manner that the
said supplementary registering-device may only be actuated when occupying
absolutely definite positions.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have described it
with reference to the accompanying drawing in which-
Figure 1 is an elevation of the engaging and disengaging mechanism, the
supplementary registering device and the signal device in the position, when
the carriage is not engaged; and
Figure 2 a similar elevation of the same parts showing the shaft of the engaging
and disengaging mechanism with its discs in the position which allows the
turning down of the signal device;
Figure 3 an elevation of the like parts, when the signal device is turned
down and the carriage is engaged, and
Figure 4 an elevation of the same parts in the position which permits the
turning upward of the signal device in order to bring all parts again in the
position shown in Figure 1.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
a is the signal-device in most cases in the shape of a flag. In Figure 3 this
signal-device is shown turned down, thus indicating that the carriage is
engaged, whilst in Figure 2 the same is shown standing upright, so that an
inscription "free" or vacant"
or the like is clearly visible. The device a is
mounted on the shaft a', upon which two non-circular dises or cams and c
placed side by side and rigidly connected with the shaft a¹ are provided.
The lower shaft e¹, by means of which the apparatus is adjusted to various
tariffs or thrown out of engagement, carries three non-circular discs or cams:
in the plane of the disc c of the upper shaft a¹ lies the disc e: in the plane of
disc b the disc d and in the plane of the pin or projection 6', of the disc b, of the
cam f.
The disc e has a projecting nose e, for which a notch is provided in the other-
wise circular disc c, the disc b is provided with several notches, into which fit
the several projections of disc d; the latter moreover possesses two notches for
receiving the projections of disc b. The movement of the shaft a' as well as the
rotation of the shaft e¹ are thus made interdependent upon the respective posi-
tions of the discs c and e, and b and d.
Moreover for specially fixing the signal-device a in its upright or disengaged
position there is provided the above mentioned cam f which is mounted loosely
upon the shaft e¹ but which is elastically connected with the disc d by means
of the spring f¹ so that a pin b¹ of the disc b is adapted to slide upon said cam
while yielding.
The construction and arrangement of the several parts will best be understood
by describing their co-operation.
Supposing the several parts are in the position shown by Figure 1 and the
apparatus to be used, then the driver turns at first the shaft e¹ in the direction
of the arrow until the discs or cams e d f occupy the positions shown by Figure 2.
This turning of the shaft e¹, however, can only take place when the signal
device a and its discs cb are in the upright position (Figure 1), as only in this
position suitable notches in these discs permit the rotation of the discs e d, other-
wise the noses or edges, and d³ respectively, of these latter discs would strike
against the former discs and thereby prevent rotation.

page_text: In consequence of the above mentioned rotation of the shaft e¹ the cam f which,
being in the course of the pin b¹ had until then blocked the movement of the
signal device, is brought out of the way of the said pin b so that the signal
device a is capable of being turned down into the position shown by Figure 3.
During this rotation of the shaft a¹ the nose 62 of the disc b meshes into 'the
notch of the disc and, acting against the nose, imparts a further rotation
to the shaft e¹ in order to set the latter or the fare-indicator respectively to the
proper tariff and to have the signal device blocked by the full part of the disc d
entering a suitable notch of the disc b. In case that the additional rotation
effected by the nose 2 is not sufficient to bring the shaft el into the proper
position a still further additional rotation may be given to the shaft e¹ by hand
or automatically by any suitable means (spring device or the like). The several
parts finally occupy the position shown by Figure 3 in which position the disc b
is blocked by the disc d in such a manner that the signal device can only be
turned back into its upright position after the shaft e¹ has been actuated
accordingly.
In order to bring the apparatus in its non-engaged position after the termina-
tion of the drive the shaft e¹ with its discs or cams is to be brought from the
position Figure 3 into the position Figure 4 by turning the said shaft e¹ in the
direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3. In this position of the shaft e¹ (which
corresponds to that shown by Figure 1) the notch d of the disc d enables the
signal device to be raised as the nose. 62 is free to swing through the notch d
At the end of this upward-movement of the signal device the pin 61 of the disc b
strikes against the cam f which yields against the traction of its spring f¹ into
the position shown by dotted lines (Figure 4). As soon as the pin has passed
over the backward turned cam f, the latter shoots forward and moves under the
pin 6 whereby the signal device is again blocked against any movement, as
already explained above. The several parts of the apparatus are then again in
the position shown by Figure 1.
For blocking the disc g, which actuates the supplementary registering device
a lever is arranged, which is displaced by means of catch provided on disc b.
The lever is moved into such a position with respect to the pawl h of disc 9,
that the latter can not be rotated in the position indicated in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a fare-indicating and registering apparatus for cabs, carriages and the
like, the combination of the signal-device a, the shaft a¹, the discs b and c, with
the shaft e¹ and discs e and d, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a fare-indicating and registering apparatus for cabs, carriages and the
like, the combination of the signal-device a, the shaft a¹, the disc band pin 6,
with the shaft e¹, disc d, cam f and spring f', substantially as and for the pur-
pose specified.
3. In a fare-indicating and registering apparatus for cabs, carriages and the
like, the combination of the signal-device a, shaft a¹, disc b and catch i, with the
lever k, pawl h and disc g, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 8th day of June 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.