Improvements in and applicable to Ticket Punches.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and applicable to Ticket Punches.
I, JOHN SMITH COMRIE, of 7 and 8, Gt. Winchester Street, in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, 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 and applicable to ticket punches more
particularly such as described in the Specifications of Letters Patent No. 15692 of
1894, No. 6430 of 1892, No. 19356 of 1890 and No. 14694 of 1886.
The said improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a general view of the mechanism of the improved punch the lock
plate and the driving dog or pawl being shown in dotted lines only and the register
or counting mechanism omitted, the position of the latter being indicated by circles
corresponding to the outlines of the gear wheels forming part of the register.
Figure 1 is a detail.
Figure 2 is a section of Figure 1 looking towards the handle, so taken as to
exhibit the seal hereinafter described.
Figure 2 shows the improved block or bar used in this punch.
Figure 2B shows a spring.
Figure 3 shows a portion of the bottom of the casing with the slide and a spring
for operating same.
Figure 3 is a side view of the slide N and part of the bell cover.
Figure 4 is a section of the casing (the mechanism being omitted) illustrating
various novel features of said casing.
Figure 5 a plan corresponding with Figure 4.
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the "seal" for the lock.
Figure 6 is an elevation showing the punch mounted on a breast plate.
Figure 7 shows the breast plate in plan.
Figure 7 is a U shaped locking pin used in connection with the breast plate.
Similar letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is the lever for operating the punch, a the fulcrum on which it moves, B is the
slot for the insertion of the ticket. C is the spring for keeping the lever A in its
raised position and returning it thereto when released after depression. C¹ the
block for the spring C to bear against. Dis the driving dog or pawl suspended
on the lever A and serving to operate the counting mechanism or register. d is a
U shaped spring serving to maintain the pawl D in proper position. This spring
is separately shown in Figure 2B.
The lever A carries the punch F constructed in the usual manner.
Behind the
punch F there is a pendent bar G fulcrumed at g in the arm A. H is a bell
crank lever fulcrumed at h and acted upon by a spring h¹ fixed in a manner similar
to that adopted for the spring H described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 1935600.
I is the pin moving in the punch in the well known manner. K is a bar or block
inserted in a slot provided therefor in the lever A. This bar is shown separately
inFigure 2. It has a recess k to embrace the upper part of the bell crank lever H
and another recess ¹ to clear the pin of the driving pawl D. K' is a block for the
bar K to impinge against.

page_text: If the lever A is depressed when no ticket is inserted in the slot B, the pin I,
meeting no resistance, permits the pendent bar G to move forward freely whilst
slightly turning on its fulcrum, the spring h' slightly throws back the bell crank
lever H or pushes it towards the left in Figure 1 and the latter prevents forward
motion of the bar K; this bar descending with the lever A, strikes the block K¹
and stops the lever so that the driving pawl D cannot act upon the counting
machanism nor is the bell rung. If however an unperforated ticket is in the slot B
when the lever is being depressed, then the ticket prevents forward motion of the
pin I and thus forces the pendent bar G to press against the lower part of the bell
crank lever H, the latter then turns on its fulcrum (from left to right in Figure 1)
carries with it the bar K, with the recess k¹ of which it engages, so that the bar K
sliding along the pin of pawl D (by reason of the recess 2) clears the block K',
permits the lever A to be fully depressed, and the operation of punching, counting
and ringing the bell to be completed. As soon as the ticket is perforated and
ceases to offer resistance to the pin I, the bell crank lever H is forced back, and
the parts resume their former position in readiness to repeat the operation.
The spring d is slightly curved at its tip d¹ as seen in Figure 2B partly that it
may better embrace the lower pin on pawl D but chiefly that it may clear the
block K¹ in its travel. To facilitate its insertion into the handle A, I construct
these parts as follows:
I lengthen the inner end of spring dat d²; the perforations in the lever A
being made to correspond, in the face of the lever A. I cut a recess a¹ leading to
the perforation for the outer part of the spring d. In inserting the spring the
longer part d² is first pushed partly home, the shorter part is then dropped into the
recess a¹, the spring slightly lowered, and then the short part is allowed to fall
into the perforation provided for it and finally the spring is pushed up into place.
For the greater security of the conductor or other person using the punch, it is
desirable that, after the punch has been handed in (say after a days working) no
unauthorized person shall be able to work the same so as to show a larger issue of
tickets than those punched by the proper operator. To this end I provide the
following device :
Whilst
Behind the lock plate E, I provide a two armed lever L fulcrumed at ; a spring
A slight
L', fixed in the casing at 1 bears against the face of the said lever.
projection on the face of the lever maintains it in position. This part of the
arrangement is illustrated, on a very much enlarged scale in Figure 1 which
shows elevation and section of the same. At L² a hole is provided in the casing p
through which a wire, pin, or the like can be pushed to move the lever L.
the punch is in use the lever L is in the position shown in Figure 1 and the
spring L¹ being on the right hand side of the projection 12 on the lever prevents
its falling forward. When the conductor is about to hand in the punch he inserts
a wire, say, through the hole L2 and pushes the lever forward until the projection 12
is forced beyond the spring L¹. The lever L is then in such position that its upper
part prevents working of the lever A, whilst its lower part is presented to the
bolt M of the lock. The spring L¹ being now to the left of the projection 12, the
lever cannot fall back, or be shaken into its former position. When the lock is 4
unlocked the bolt M (or some other convenient moving part) forces back the lever L
into the position shown in Figure 1.
I may cover the sight hole of the register by a slide N; this is shown closed in
Figure 6, Figure 1 shows it open, and Figures 3 and 4 show how it may be
convieniently arranged in the casing. Figure 3A is side view of the same.
It will be readily understood that a suitable recess N1 is cut in the back of the
casing for the slide N; this is best seen in Figure 3. O is a spring fixed at 0¹, to
the casing, its free end being sunk in the slide; this spring tends to keep the slide
On the front of the slide there is a curved projection n and when a
corresponding tooth n¹ on the bell cover (behind the staple) descends, it acts on the
curve of the projection n and closes the slide. Instead of the spring O shown, I
open.

page_text: may employ a coiled spring placed on the projection n¹ (on the upper side in
Figure 3) which is compressed upon closing the bell cover and slide.
The
The cover of the casing I construct as follows: The part P covering the
mechanism is fixed by a hook p shown dotted in Figures 1 and 5, engaging in a
hole provided above the screw that holds the block in which the punch moves.
edge of the part P is reduced at p and slides into a recess of the casing as
best seen in Figure 4. A screw may serve further to secure it. The hopper
cover P' passes partly under the bell cover shown broken away in Figure 5, see also
Figure 4.
The hopper-cover has a hole for the hook p² on the casing to engage in and a
projection p passing into an aperture in the edge of the hopper. It will thus be
seen that when the plate P is in place and the cover P¹ placed on the hopper,
the hopper cover is held by hook p' and projection p³ whilst the wing piece p
thereon, passing under the bell cover, prevents its removal when the latter is locked.
Figures 6, 7, and 7^ show how the punch may conveniently be fixed to a breast
plate so as to form a "breast-punch" or a hand punch as desired.
When the
R is a breast plate, preferably broad at the top to prevent its swaying to and fro
laterally, the elongated lower part keeping it steady vertically. S S¹ are the
hinges on the plate and punch respectively. T is a U shaped pin, separately
shown in Figure 7ª. One part of this pin serves as the centre for the hinges, the
other passes through eyelets U U¹ on the plate. The pin has recesses t t which
engage with the edges of the eyelets U when the punch is in place.
pin T is pulled down, so far as to clear that part of the hinge which is on the punch,
the recess ¹ engages with the eyelet U the pin being clear of the eyelet U¹ so as
to allow the removal of the punch. This arrangement allows the pin to be readily
pulled just far enough to release the punch without coming out, but it may
nevertheless be removed entirely.
The punch being attached to the breast plate by a hinge readily turns for
convenience in operating it when carried on the breast. 88 are holes for
attachment of the strap by which the punch is carried over the operators
shoulder.
It is desirable to ensure that the punch may not be unlocked by a false key.
To ensure this I provide what may be called a "seal" for the lock as follows.
Over the keyhole there is a shallow recess V. Into this I place a disc of paper,
preferably marked with a suitable design. The edge of the paper disc passes into
a recessed portion of a raised part W on the plate P which part W bounds the
outer edge of the key hole. The bell cover has a projecting part W₁ which bounds
the remainder of the key hole. On W¹ there is a flange or thickened part w which
keeps the seal in place.
When the bell cover is forced down the "seal" is held in place. It can not be
raised through the key hole nor pushed aside and a key, in passing into the keyholo
tears the seal showing when the lock has been tampered with.
If preferred I may arrange the register or counting mechanism so that the sight
hole is on the top of the casing under the bell cover.
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 ticket punch the bar K, bell crank lever H and pendent bar G so
combined and so acting in conjunction with the pin moving in the punch, that the
bar K impinges upon the block K¹ and prevents operation of the punch if the
lever A is depressed without previous insertion of an unperforated ticket moving
clear of block K' when an unperforated ticket is inserted before the lever is
depressed, all constructed, combined and operating substantially as set forth and
shown in the drawings.
2. In a ticket punch the lever L thrown forward from without to prevent

page_text: operation of the punch, and thrown back by a moving part of the lock when the
cover is unlocked, as specified and shown in the drawings.
3. In a ticket punch such as hereinabove described the slide N moving in a
recess N¹ opened by a spring when the bell cover is unlocked and closed by a
tooth n on the bell cover pressing on the projection n, all as specified and as
illustrated in the drawings.
$6
4. In a punch such as hereinabove described, the means for securing the lock or
sealing" the same, as shown in and described with reference to Figures 2, 5
and 5 of the drawings.
5. A casing for a punch such as hereinabove described said casing being provided
with the means or contrivance herein before specified for securing the hopper cover,
the plate P and the "seal" for the lock, as set forth and illustrated in the drawings.
6. The combination of a punch such as herein before described with the breast
plate substantially as shown in and described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of
the drawings.
7. In combination with the breast plate of a ticket punch the U-shaped pin
shown in Figures 7 and 7^ and acting in conjunction with the hinges and with the
eyelets on the breast plate as set forth.
Dated this 22nd December 1897.