IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING, CUTTING, AND PARCELLING RAILWAY OR OTHER TICKETS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McGill, of the Town and County of Ayr, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING, CUTTING, AND
PARCELLING RAILWAY OR OTHER TICKETS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 28th March 1877, and dated the 10th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McGill at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1876.
JOHN MOGILL, of the Town and County of Ayr, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN ARRANGING, CUTTING, AND PARCELLING RAILWAY OR OTHER TICKETS, AND IN
THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This said Invention has for its object a more simple, easy, and efficient mode of
and means or apparatus for arranging the whole or half tickets according to their
number, and nipping or cutting a notch out of them in sets or bundles, and then
tying them at the collecting office for forwarding them to the auditors or head office
for ratification, all with less risk of error and much saving of labour as compared
with the modes and means hitherto used for this purpose.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist all as follows:-First, as
regards the arranging of the tickets, according to their number, a ticket frame or
case is made, preferably in the form of an inclined tray (of thin sheet metal or wood)
rising in front and receding in steps, each of five-eighths of an inch or so in height,
projecting slightly over each other, so that the fingers could be put in under them, or the
ticket (when laid on them) to catch them with the thumb on top. These steps or
shelves would be ten in number, each divided by small division slips into ten, each the
width of a ticket, thus making places for one hundred tickets, preferably beginning
with a cipher (0) at the lowest left hand corner division, indicating nothing or
hundreds; having the first or lowest row marked off, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, to
the right for units, or units of hundreds, and the left hand vertical row correspond-
ingly marked for the tens, that is, each ascending step of this first rising left hand
row would indicate 10, 20, 30, and so on up to 90 on the highest division; 91,
92, and so on to 99, being indicated along the top row to the right hand corner; so
Duice 31

page_text: that the tickets are first arranged by sight according to the hundreds under which
they are, these bunches being picked up and then taken as they come and laid on
their respective step positions according to the corresponding numbers of their units
and tens of each hundred, which when all so placed are lifted up one after the other
in sequence over each other ready for being nipped or marked and tied in sets in the
improved machine for that purpose for being forwarded to the auditing or head
office for examination. It will also be evident that the sequence of the "digits" or
numerals may be reversed, that is, reading from right to left, or the units could be
arranged on the vertical columns and the tens on the horizontal lines, with little
difference in the convenience or usefulness of this new ticket arranging or setting
out stand.
As to the nature of the second part of the Invention, this consists of an improved
construction and arrangement for nipping or cutting a notch out of the side of the
whole or half tickets at the collector's office in sets or bundles after they have been
arranged sequentially according to their numbers in the new or improved numbered
setting out stand.
The machine consists of a light cast-iron frame, preferably of not more than
fifteen inches long by seven inches wide, with end feet to be set or secured on a
table or counter high enough to be worked by the hands of the collector or arranger.
The front part of the frame has a parallel planed or slotted recess in it the width of
the tickets, with a loose or moveable bottom resting on and raised to the two
positions by end eccentric wipers to suit the height of the whole or half tickets
respectively. By turning handles in front when placed in this recess they are fixed
by a longitudinal screw and end blocks or clamps on end in the desired sets or
bundles, projecting at the proper height above the top of the recessed part of the
frame to have the notch cut out of the back edges of the whole by the traverse of
a V shaped knife or cutter fixed in the front face of a traversing slide rest worked
by a screw and hand wheel in its slide bed formed in the upper back part of the
frame parallel to the groove for retaining the tickets, and which before being cut
are clamped tight by a hand wheel at the left hand side or end of the screw working
within the ticket groove, after which the band, while at the right-hand side or end
of the screw of the cutting slide, is turned so as to traverse the cutter across the
whole of the tickets, so as to cut a V groove in them. A string or cord is then
passed through a groove in the griping blocks or clamps close to the ends of the set
or bundle of tickets within the V groove, having the two ends tied in front so as to
bring the whole set of tickets thus arranged and cut in a bundle which is then
removed by screwing back the clamp, and laid away ready for being forwarded in a
parcel or otherwise to the proper head office to be audited or examined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said John McGill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April 1877.
JOHN MCGILL, of the Town and County of Ayr, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN ARRANGING, CUTTING, AND PARCELLING RAILWAY OR OTHER TICKETS, AND IN
THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
My said Invention has for its object a more simple, easy, and efficient mode of
and means and apparatus for arranging the whole or half tickets at the collecting
office according to their number, and cancelling or cutting a notch out of them in
sets or quantities at a time, and then tying them into bundles or packets for
forwarding to the auditors or head office for ratification, all with less risk of error
and greater saving of labour as compared with the modes and means hitherto used
for these purposes.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said Invention may be properly
and fully understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the

page_text: accompanying Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose
of showing the best modes and means I ain at present aware of for putting the
same into effect or practice, the same letters of reference indicating the same or like
parts in the respective Figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ticket arranging or assorting frame or case A,
constructed in accordance with the first part of my said Invention. Figure 2 is a
side elevation, and Figure 3 a plan of the ticket cancelling or cutting and parcelling
machine, arranged and constructed in accordance with the second part of my said
Invention, part of the framing B, B¹, being cut away in Figure 1 to show the
horizontal position of the wipers or cams F upon which the movable bottom of the
ticket holding recess rests when used for the whole tickets T, the dotted lines
showing the shoulder of the cam turned in the raised upward direction for elevating
the position of the movable bottom to suit the half tickets; and Figure 4 is a cross
section on the line 1 - - - 1 in Figures 2 and 3 showing the V or U shaped hollow
knife or cutter I in the act of passing through the corresponding groove or notch in
the end block or clamp II with the wiper for the time being resting in its horizontal
position.
Referring to Figure 1, which illustrates the first part of my Invention, the frame
or case A for arranging or assorting the tickets according to their number is
preferably made of thin sheet metal or wood in the form of an inclined tray rising
from the front and receding in steps each of five-eighths of an inch or so in height,
as indicated by the sequential numerals 0 to 9 diagonally on the front edge, and
projecting slightly over each other, so that when the tickets are laid thereon they
project sufficiently forward to be gripped casily by the finger and thumb of the
person assorting thein. These steps or shelves are ten in number as indicated by
these numerals, each divided by small division slips a into ten spaces, each the width
of a ticket, thus making spaces or divisions for one hundred tickets, preferably
beginning with a cipher (0) at the lowest left-hand corner division, indicating
nothing or hundreds, the first or lowest row being marked off 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
and 9, to the right for units or units of hundreds, and indicated at A¹ on the face of
the back rail, and the vertical row rising diagonally from the extreme lower left-
hand corner to the extreme upper right-hand corner is correspondingly marked for
the tens; that is, each ascending step of this diagonal rising row would indicate 10,
20, 30, and so on up to 90 on the highest division; 91, 92, and so on to 99 being
indicated along the top row from the left to the right-hand corner. The tickets are
thus first arranged by sight according to the hundreds under which they are placed or
to which they belong, the tickets being picked up and taken as they come to hand, and
laid on their respective step positions according to the corresponding numbers of their
units and tens of each hundred, and which after being all so placed and assorted are
lifted up one after the other in sequence over each other, face downwards, ready for
being nipped or cancelled and tied in sets or packets in the improved machine,
herein-after described, for that purpose, for being forwarded to the auditing or head
office for examination. It will be obvious that the sequence of the "digits" or
numerals may be reversed; that is, they may read from right to left, or the units
may be arranged on the vertical columns and the tens on the horizontal lines, with
little difference in the convenience or usefulness of this new ticket arranging or
assorting stand or frame. It will also be obvious that by adopting this assorting frame
any missing tickets can be at once detected by reason of its corresponding place being
empty, and thus in the assorting department itself a correct register of the tickets
can easily be kept and save much labour and time at the auditing or head office.
Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, which illustrate the second part of my said Inven-
tion, as applied to the cancelling or cutting a notch out of the sides of the whole or half
tickets in sets or quantities at the collector's office after they have been arranged or
assorted sequentially according to their number in the new or improved assorting
frame already described.
The cutting or cancelling machine consists of a light cast-iron frame B, preferably

page_text: of not more than fifteen inches long by seven inches wide, with end feet b to be set
or secured on a table or counter high enough to be worked by the hands of the
collector or arranger. The front part B of the frame has a parallel planed or slotted
recess D in it, the width of the tickets T, with a loose or movable bottom E resting
on and raised or lowered to the two positions required for the whole or half tickets
respectively by end eccentric wipers F turned by the two handles fin front. When
the tickets T are placed on end in this recess D they are fixed or compressed
together by a longitudinal screw G and end blocks or clamps H, H', into the desired
sets or quantities, and project at the proper height above the top of the recessed
part D of the frame B to have the notch cut out of the back edges of the whole by
either the backward or forward traverse of the Vor U shaped hollow knife or
cutter I fixed in the front face of a traversing slide rest J worked by a screw K and
hand wheel L in its slide bed j formed in the upper back part B¹ of the frame
parallel to the groove D for retaining the tickets. The screw K works through a
screw nut which is rivetted or secured by pins to the lower face of the slide
rest J. The tickets T before being cut are clamped tight by a hand wheel G¹at the
left-hand side or end of the screw G working within the ticket groove D; after
which the hand wheel L at the right-hand side or end of the screw K of the cutter
slide J is turned in either the backward or forward direction as the case may be, so
as to traverse the cutter I across the whole row or bundle of tickets T, so as to cut
a V groove in them. The cut out pieces as they pass out through the hollow knife I
fall into the vacant space S between the frames B and B¹. While the tickets are
held firmly between the clamps H, H¹, after being cut, a cord or wire is passed
through a groove or slit in the face of each of the griping blocks or clamps H, H',
(the slits being shown at h in Figures 2 and 4) at the side or end next the set or
bundle of tickets and on a level with the V groove in the block, the two ends of
the wire or cord being tied or fastened in front so as to secure the whole set of
tickets thus arranged and cut into a tightly compressed packet or bundle, which is
removed by screwing back the clamp H, and is then laid aside ready for being
forwarded in parcels or otherwise to the proper head office to be audited or
examined.
The cord, twine, or wire M for tying the tickets into sets or bundles after being
cancelled, is carried on a stud or spindle N, the lower end of which screws in a
screwed socket in the upper surface of the slide rest J, and the upper end n of which
is branched or prong-shaped with a knife edge in the cleft for cutting the twine or
cord into the requisite length desired for fastening each successive packet or bundle
of tickets.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described and delineated, but what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction and arrangement of frame or case for numerically
arranging or assorting railway tickets, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The general construction or arrangement and combination of parts
forming the machine for cutting, nipping, or cancelling and parcelling railway
tickets, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in Figures 2, 3,
and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third, The forming of the ticket-holding slide with a movable bottom E raised
and lowered instantaneously by cams or other equivalent to suit the height of the
whole or half tickets, for the cutting and parcelling of these, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Fourth. The hollow V or U shaped knife I connected to and operated by the slide
rest J for cutting or cancelling railway tickets, substantially as herein-described in

page_text: reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
Fifth. The forming of slots in the faces of the gripping blocks H, H¹, for the
insertion of the binding twine or cord, and the arrangement for carrying and
cutting the said cord into lengths, for securing and parcelling cancelled tickets, all
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McGill, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
JN. MCGILL. (L.S.)