An Improved Time or Fare Indicator for Public Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: An Improved Time or Fare Indicator for Public Vehicles.
We, ABRAM KATZKY and JACOB GITKES of Moskau in the German Empire,
Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
n and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for indicating and registering the time during
which a public vehicle has been occupied by a passenger.
Similar devices hitherto constructed have as a rule only been applicable to cabs
and similar wheeled vehicles, but an apparatus constructed according to this
nvention is applicable to all vehicles whether cabs sledges or boats. An apparatus
so constructed is electrically controlled, the circuit being closed and opened upon
the passenger depressing some portion of the framing of the vehicle, preferably
The apparatus will be described as operated from the seat of the vehicle
but it will be obvious that it can as easily be operated from some other part of the
vehicle such as the floor.
the seat.
The apparatus consists essentially of a clock furnished with a removable card-
board dial divided into hours or other time units. Two electro magnets are
combined with the clock, one of which is energised upon the passenger taking his
seat, and moves a pencil into contact with the revolving dial. The second electro
magnet is energised upon the passenger rising and removes the pencil from the dial.
The time during which the passenger has occupied the vehicle or the fare due from
him is thus indicated.
The accompanying drawings, reference to which is hereinafter made, illustrate in
what manner our invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation of the indicating apparatus ;
Figure 2 represents the apparatus in side elevation;
Figure 3 shews it in plan."
Figure 4 is an illustration of a section taken along the line A B Figure 1.
Figure 5 represents a section of the seat and seat frame shewing the electrical
contacts.
Figure 6 shews the mechanism for locking the seat in place.
Figure 7 is a section along the line C D Figure 5.
Figure 8 is a plan of the mechanism shewn in Figure 6.
Upon the base plate a are secured a clock b with an exchangeable dial c of stout
paper and a pedestal or bracket d. This bracket carries two electro magnets E, F.
The lever which is pivoted at e and controlled by the spring f is provided on one end
with a nose or projection g' and on its other end with an armature g².
The clock-case also carries a frame h upon which the three armed lever h¹ h*
and hand the unequal double armed lever i ¹ are pivoted at k k respectively.
The arm of the two armed lever is provided with a returned portion which
engages with the projection g¹ of the lever g and also carries an armature k. The
other arm of the same lever is joined to the arın 2 of the three armed lever by
means of the rod or link . The arm his actuated by the spring in the direction
of the arrow and the arm h' carries an elastic finger y provided with the pencil m.
The roller n supports the dial e against the pressure of the pencil.
The contact mechanism which closes the electrical circuit for actuating the control
apparatus consists of the following parts-
In the seat frame R of the conveyance a contact lever S pivoted at o is arranged
upon the cross bar J. This lever S has unequal arms p and p' the arm p¹ carrying
wo contact points p³ which can come into contact intermittently with the plates p³
Price 8dl

page_text: and p* upon the cross bar J. By means of the spring 9 (Figures 5 and 7) the
contact lever S is held in its middle position as it is necessary to balance the lever
on account of the disturbing jerks and vibrations during the journey.
The cushion frame P carrying the cushion T is fixed upon the seat frame R by
means of the hinge H and is held apart from the frame a certain distance by the
spiral spring K.
A cross bar J of the frame P carries a lever s pivoted at r and held in its normal
position by the spring and nose. The dimensions and forms of the lever are
such that it only comes into contact with the arm p of the lever S during the middle.
position, the seat P T during the downward motion pressing the arm p down and
during the upward motion lifting it up.
To allow of the seat P T being locked or secured upon the seat frame a strong
hook t is fixed to the cross bar J, and a rod w with a cranked portion t' and head v
is arranged in the seat frame R which rod is capable of movement in one direction
so that when the seat is pressed down the hook engages with the cranked portion t
and is held fixed by the rod. To release the seat the rod w by means of the bead v
is pushed back, so that the head passes within the opening of frame R and the
slide is pushed over to close the opening.
2
The rod w may if desired be operated from the driver's seat by means of suitable
lever mechanism.
The action of the registering device is as follows.
The apparatus is fixed in any suitable part of the carriage, sledge, or other
vehicle, and is connected to the seat contact mechanism and an electric dry
battery. The clock is then fitted with a new dial of Bristol board, care being
taken that the proper divisions of time, corresponding with the time of the
commencement of the journey is placed exactly under the point of the pencil. To
fit the dial it is necessary to take off the central nut and replace the same after the
dial has been fitted. The clock is then wound up.
If a person intends to use the conveyance and seats himself upon the seat PT
the levers actuates the lever S in such a way that the contact point p³ comes into
contact with the plate p³ and then sinks back into its position of rest.
During the contact of the parts p p³ the circuit is closed and actuates the
electro-magnet. The armature 92 is attracted for a moment by the latter and then
released again, which short movement of the lever g is sufficient to release the
nose. The spring causes the arm i to fall and presses the finger y together
with the pencil
m against the dial until a second circuit is established by the
passenger leaving his seat again.
During this time the pencil m marks a line upon the dial c which exactly
indicates how long the carriage or other vehicle has been occupied and during
what time.
If the passenger leaves the conveyance the spiral spring K presses the seat up,
the levers actuates the lever S in such a way that the contact points p³ p¹ are
brought into momentary contact, the electro-magnet F is actuated and the
armature attracted. The movement of the armature k of course also moves the
lever and the locking piece and the lever g by means of the spring fis brought
into its normal position and locks the nose by means of the part gl. By means
of the movement of the lever i ¹ the finger with the pencil m is withdrawn from
the dial c and the diagram interrupted, so that it can be seen distinctly how long
the conveyance has been used. At the next occasion the process described above
is repeated. Every twelve hours a new dial is put into the clock so that the owner
obtains an exact control as to how often and how long the conveyance has been
used. The contact mechanism, if desired, may be arranged in such a way that the
current is closed when the passenger gets into the conveyance or when leaving the
same, by making the floor of the same moveable either separately or in combination
with the seat.
If the carriage or sledge be hired out for a whole day or for several hours, the
slide z of the seat frame Ŕ is pushed back and the locking arrangement t t t and w

page_text: is brought into action, so that a continuous diagram is marked, and any time,
during which the conveyance has been kept waiting is likewise reckoned.
The pressure of the spring 1 may be regulated by means of the nut l¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
1. In a fare or time indicating device for use in cabs or other vehicles the
combination with the seat or other convenient part of the vehicle of electrical
contacts automatically operated by the passenger, constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a fare or time indicating device for use in cabs or other vehicles the
combination of a clock, a marking device, two independently operated electro
magnets and their armatures, and suitable levers, all constructed arranged and
operated substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
3. A fare or time indicating device for use in cabs or other vehicles constructed
arranged and operated substantially as herein before described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of February A.D. 1893.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.