AN IMPROVED INDICATOR OF TIME AND. DISTANCE FOR VEHICLES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR REGISTERING THE SPEED OF. THE SAID. VEHICLES AND THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY THE SAME
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hector Auguste Dufrené at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on-
the 27th July 1868.-A communication from Monsieur Louis..
Edouard Hannecart, residing at Avesnes, in the Empire of France.
I, HECTOR AUGUSTE DUPRENÉ, of No. 10, Rue de la Fidélité, Paris,
and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INDICATOR OF TIME AND.
DISTANCE FOR VEHICLES, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR REGISTERING THE SPEED OF. THE SAID.
VEHICLES AND THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY THE SAME," to be as
follows, that is to say.:-
The Invention consists in arrangements of mechanism for indicating
the distance travelled over by vehicles on common roads and the time
consumed in so travelling, also for registering the speed of the said
vehicles and the number of passengers carried by the same.
The distance mechanism consists of a pulley turned on the nave. of one
of the hind wheels of the vehicle; this pulley is connected to the mechá--
nism by a round strap passing over an intermediate pulley held by a

page_text: support underneath it, and passing over another pulley mounted on a
shaft adapted to the bottom of the body of the carriage; on this shaft
is mounted an endless screw communicating motion to an indicator.
The indicator is adapted to the lower rod of a drum placed on one side
of the seat, and on which drum is placed a flat band with a sheet of
paper attached to it; the strap is kept fast at the other extremity of the
seat by another drum. The seats are divided into places; each place
works independently of the other, and all the places are supported at
their four corners by spiral springs. On the lower part of the surface
of the woodwork supporting the cushion and at each place a perpen-
dicular rod with two oblique sides is adapted. When the travellers sit
down the seats descend till they reach fixed points; the rods adapted
perpendicularly underneath by means of the oblique side which is oppo-
site the strap forces against it pencil rods or needles, and the sheet of paper
placed on the said strap takes the mark of the distance travelled over by
the occupants. The pencil rods return of themselves to their primitive
position, being pushed back by flat bands of india-rubber when the seats
rise after being vacated. A marine clock mechanism enclosed in a case,
on each side of which are adapted four small rollers, moves between two
flat bands lined with india-rubber; two rollers are placed on each side
above the flat bands and two underneath, the whole being placed
under the seats. This mechanism is placed on one side of the seats,
and-obtains its completing power from a drawing mechanism placed at
the other extremity; it is connected to a rack placed at the bottom of
the body of the vehicle by a small perpendicular shaft carrying two
small cog wheels and by a third shaft mounted on the centre motion
shaft, which makes one rotation per hour. On this shaft is mounted a
small wheel having eight flat springs, to the ends of which are adapted
pencils, which in turning make oblique marks on the sheet of paper
placed on the said strap, and which serves as a check; these marks are
more or less perpendicular according as the vehicle is at rest or in
motion. On the side of the seats is placed a vertical shaft having four
small pulleys turning loosely on it; one of the two in the middle
is worked by the drum;: on the lower part of which is mounted the
indicator, and which is connected thereto by an endless cord, the other
is worked by the hour mechanism and is connected to it by a string
adapted behind it which passes over an intermediate pulley at the other
extremity of the seats, then on the said pulley, and is joined to the front
of the mechanism. The two said pulleys have their external sides

page_text: furnished with a sheet of leather. The two other pulliés placed on the
same shaft as the first and on each side have their external sides
furnished with short hands. The first traveller sitting down on one of the
seats causes it to descend on to the fixed points, and the oblique part of
the rod opposite the length of the seat forces forward a rod which
works a pincer having at one extremity a fixed point and a hinge, and
the other a hand pulley against one of those in the middle. This pincer
has a triangular piece in straight line with the rod, and which moves at
the same time as itself another pincer. This second pincer has two fixed
points with pivots; at one of its extremities it forces the second hand
pulley against the second middle pulley; at its other extremity it throws
forward a plate on which the word "engaged "is marked in front of a
cross piece shewing the word "disengaged"; an opening made in the
body of the vehicle shews one of the two inscriptions as required. Near
the second extremity of this pincer is fixed a rod transmitting motion to
a washer placed obliquely behind the strap and carrying two pencils,
one blue and the other red; this washer is forced to make a quarter of
a revolution every time the pincers move, and allows of the marking on
the sheet of paper of a blue stroke when the vehicle runs empty, and a
red stroke when it runs with travellers inside, and two blue and red arcs
of a circle when the pincers circulate to shew that the following "set
down" has not been paid for, which does not occur in the contrary case,
the mechanism being only brought back to the starting point after each
fare is finished. Perpendicularly to the top of the shaft carrying the
said four small pulleys is another shaft carrying a hand and four drums
connected by two round hinges, and superposed on two small wheels
with small notches at an angle of forty-five degrees. These two drums
are worked by two small hand pulleys, videlicet, one by the distance
mechanism and the other by the time mechanism. On the said hand
are adapted two small flat rods with springs against them, having one
extremity soldered on their upper part and the other inserted in the
notches of the said wheels, which forces the hand to follow the motion
of the drum which works the quickest. This hand marks on a dial the
number of miles done, and the amount to be paid for each journey.
The dial has division lines, between which are marked the number of
miles and the sums to be paid. Behind the hand is a small rod carrying
a small flag, the lower extremity of which is united to one of the springs
adapted to the hand. When this spring sets on the small ratchet wheel
which is in contact with it the rod inclines, which shews to the traveller

page_text: when the vehicle is. in motion that it does not go at the speed they pay
for. After each journey the coachman has only to pull two. dials,.one
from the plate and the other from a pulley mounted on the shaft of the
dial hand to bring back the part of the mechanism required to the
starting point.