AN IMPROVED FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London, in the County of Middlesex, do bereby declare
the nature of said invention for "AN IMPROVED FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS
FOR USE IN CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to pneumatic fare registering apparatus for use in cabs
and other vehicles.
This apparatus is arranged in such a manner that the time during which the
vehicle (having the said apparatus applied thereto) has been occupied by a person
is registered or marked upon a paper band.
This paper band is slowly unwound by clock movement and thrown into gear,
in two different and independent manners that is to say, firstly by the voluntary
action of the driver, and secondly automatically whenever a passenger enters the
vehicle and the hire commences.
This apparatus, which is of a very simple construction, comprises two essential
parts, viz the transmitter and receiver, both of which are operated by pneumatic
pressure hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front view of the receiver.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same, and
Figure 3 is a rear elevation.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of a part of the apparatus hereinafter referred to.
In constructing the transmitter I arrange below the seat, inside the vehicle,
a frame of wood, metal, or other suitable material having the same dimensions as
the seat. Upon this frame are fixed two pivots upon which oscillates a board
placed edgewise, and below which is a small india-rubber bag full of air, and
arranged in such a manner that the air is compressed by the weight of the person
who occupies the seat in the vehicle. A pipe allows the air from the bag to
communicate with the receiver.
The said receiver is placed under the driver's seat.

page_text: wound
Upon the small spindle a. Figure 3, of the hour wheel of a clock movement is
keyed a roller c. Bearing against this cylinder, with a certain amount of pressure
resulting from the action of the spring m is a roller c¹. A paper band
upon a drum passes between these two rollers and is gradually unwound from the
drum as the clockwork moves. Upon the paper passing over the roller e two
pencils and are arranged to bear one of which moves at right angles to
the other.
In the rear of the receiver, as shown in Figure 1, is placed another india-rubber
bag D similar to that placed below the seat; the said two baga communicate by
means of the small tube b (Figures 1 and 2). Fixed to the apparatus is a bracket S
(Figures 4 and 5) which carries a lever P, which is operated to impart to the
penc a movement in a horizontal direction.
Upon the end of the holder of the pencil 7 rests the lower extremity of a rod V
which projects outside the box enclosing the mechanism, and carries at its upper
extremity the small knot B.
The bracket S carries a rod E to the projecting end r of which is fixed a board
or other piece indicating whether the vehicle is engaged or disengaged whilst its
other extremity is provided with a small lever arm ✗.
So long as the vehicle is disengaged and no fare is taken, that is to say, when
the sign board is raised and shews the word "disengaged," the small lever arm X
is in contact with the knob B thereby pushing the rod upon the holder of the
pencil and raising the latter out of contact with the paper band. The other
pencil makes a constant mark.
When, however, a person occupies the seat in the vehicle, the board under the
seat compresses the air enclosed in the bag thus forcing the air through the tube b
into the bag D, causing the latter to expand and push the small lever P, which, by
moving the pencil ', produces a more or less extended deviation from the ordinary
mark made upon the paper band according to the length of time during which the
occupant of the vehicle remains seated.
As soon as the vehicle is hired the driver (as a matter of duty as well as for his
own interest) lowers the sign board, the knob B is thereby released and the pencil
pushed by a spring n bears upon the paper band and commences to mark a line
thereon the length of which corresponds exactly to the period of time during which
the vehicle is hired.
It will be understood that it is to the driver's interest not to neglect to lower at
the proper time the sign board or lever Q, as this operation serves as a counter
proot to distinguish between the simple distance fares and the interruptions.
If this latter indication did not exist, the driver would be compelled, in case he
hal not lowered this sign board at the proper time, to pay his master the fares
for a number of distances indicated upon the paper band by the absence of marks
of the pencil, as the pencil shews an interruption in the hire each time the
occupier leaves the vehicle.
Dated 10
T1
1004

page_text: So long as the vehicle is engaged and no fare is taken, that is to say, when the
sign board Q is raised as indicated in dotted lines Figure 5 and shews the word
disengaged," the small lever arm X is in contact with the knob B which pushes
the rod V upon the end a¹ of the holder of the pencil l, raising the latter out of
contact, with the paper band. The other pencil ' marks constantly.
When, however a person occupies the seat in the vehicle, the board under the seat
compresses the air enclosed in the bag thus forcing the air through the tube b into
the bag D causing the latter to expand and push the small lever P, which, by
moving the pencil ¹ produces a more or less prolonged deviation from the ordinary
mark made upon the paper band, according to the length of time during which
the occupant of the vehicle remains seated.
As soon as the hire of the vehicle commences, the driver as a matter of duty as
well as for his own interest lowers the sign board Q, the knob B is thereby released
and the pencil pushed by the spring n bears upon the paper band and commences
to mark a line thereon, the length of which corresponds exactly to the time during
which the vehicle is hired.
It will be understood that it is to the driver's interest not to neglect to lower at
the proper time the sign board or lever Qas this operation serves as a counter-
proof to distinguish between the complete drives and drives which are interrupted
by a hirer leaving the vehicle. If this latter indication did not exist the driver
would be compelled to pay his master the fares for a number of drives equal to that
of the drives corresponding to the number of times the pencil deviated from the
position which it occupies when the vehicle is disengaged, that is to say, as the mark
made by the pencil shews an interruption in the drive each time the hirer leaves
the vehicle.
.
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-
In apparatus for registering fares in cabs and other vehicles, the combination of a
transmitter operated by the weight of a person seated in a vehicle, with the
pneumatic apparatus formed of two bags of elastic material communicating with
each other, the two pencils, the paper band p passing uniformly beneath these
pencils, the lever P acting upon the pencil in consequence of the expansion of the
bag D, the bracket S with the board Q, the shaft E, the lever X, the knob B and the
rod V in which it terminates, the holder of the pencil and the spring n, substantially
as described and shewn, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 18th day of November 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.