IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE FARES, AND THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF HIRINGS OF CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING THE FARES, AND THE NUMBER
AND DURATION OF HIRINGS OF CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES." A communi-
cation from abroad Louis Von Hoven and George Caryl Warner, both of the
City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1877.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING
THE FARES, AND THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF HIRINGS OF CABS AND OTHER
VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by Louis Von Hoven and George
Caryl Warner, both of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America.]
"
The object of this Invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling the
drivers of hackney and other carriages who are not the owners of the vehicles, in
such a manner as to prevent them from charging an excessive fare to the passengers
and compel thein to return to the owners of the vehicles the full amount of the
fares collected.
The Invention consists of a fare-controlling apparatus and register for cabs and
other vehicles, comprising,-
First. A sign to indicate when the vehicle is for hire and when it is engaged.
Second. A clock, which will be stopped when the sign shows that the vehicle
is for hire, but which will be going when the sign is concealed, thus indicating the
aggregate period of time for which the vehicle has been hired.
Third. A recording dial, on which the actual amount of fares received by the
driver is set down.
Fourth. A dial for registering the number of times a vehicle has been hired, so
as to prevent the driver from pretending that he had but a certain small number

page_text: of passengers during a given period of time when in reality he had a greater
number.
The Invention consists, lastly, of a watch or other timepiece arranged in con-
nection with the other parts in such a manner that the timepiece is brought within
view of the passenger when the sign is lowered, so as to enable him to compute
the exact amount of fare to be paid, the watch being carried out of sight when the
sign is raised.
In carrying the Invention into effect I provide a clockwork apparatus of the
customary construction, which will indicate the passage of time in hours and
ninutes. The apparatus is located in any suitable position on or in the vehicle,
preferably at the back of the driver's seat, and a sign connected therewith by a
slide band encircling the clock case, said sign bearing the words " for hire," or other
words of equivalent purport. Said sign is within control of the driver who exposes
it while on the stand or plying for hire, during which period the clock within by a
mechanical connection operated by the sliding band and acting on its escapement
or otherwise, will be stopped. As soon as a passenger is taken up the driver turns
down or conceals said sign, this operation causing the clock to start and continue
going until the sign is again.exposed or lifted. As soon as a passenger is ready to
Icave the vehicle, or when his journey is ended, he is notified by the driver of the
amount due for fare. This notification is effected by the driver operating a button
lever or equivalent device, causing-a-pointer-on-a second dial consisting of a series
of figures running consecutively as 0, 1, 2, etc., and being arranged around the clock
, dial to record in numbers the amount. duc for fare. On the passenger leaving the
vehicle, or at the time he enters it, the movement of the sign either up or down
or from exposure to concealment, or vice versa, causes an index finger on a third
dial at the back of the clock to move one point, the points thus indicated showing
the number of times the vehicle has been hired. This is also offected by the sliding
band actuating the index finger through a mechanical connection with the axis of said
index. The necessity for this third dial arises from the fact that it is customary
to charge a certain rate of fare to any passenger for the first hour, or any fraction
thereof, and a less rate of fare for subsequent hours. Were there no provision for
noting the number of passengers the driver might allege in settling with the owner
of the vehicle, that, though his clock indicated that the vehicle had been hired for
three hours, it had been kept that time by the passenger who first entered it, and
who had therefore paid the maximum fare for the first hour of his occupancy and the
lesser rate for the two following hours.
In conjunction with the apparatus for recording the fare is a gong and striker
for sounding an alarm, and thus notifying the passenger of the amount due.
The various dials and clockwork are placed within a strong case, having hinged
lids, which are locked in such a manner that the interior parts cannot be tampered
with for the purpose of turning back the hands or stopping the works. On leaving
the stable in the morning the various hands and indices are set at zero. Upon
returning an inspection of the dials will show the time the vehicle has been hired,
the amount received for fares, and the number of passengers who have severally
occupied the vehicle, for all of which the driver must account with the owner of
the vehicle.
As an additional safeguard for the prevention of peculation, a watch or other
timepiece for telling the hour of the day is attached to the controlling mechanism,
in such a manner that when the sign indicating that the vehicle is for hire is raised
the watch will be out of the sight of the passenger; but when said sign is lowered
the watch is brought within view of the passenger, who can thus observe the time
of day and readily calculate the fare by the time of hiring, so that each passenger
becomes a sort of detective against the driver, while at the same time the turning
down of the sign causes the clock in the case to start and produce the registration
of the time of hiring:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
December 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND RECORDING
THE FARES, AND THE NUMBER AND DURATION OF HIRINGS OF CABS AND OTHER
VEHICLES. A communication from abroad by Louis Von Hoven and George
Caryl Warner, both of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to provide an apparatus for controlling the drivers
of hackney and other carriages hired by time in such a manner as to prevent them
from charging an 'excessive fare to the passengers, and, when not themselves the
owners of the vehicle to compel them to return to the owners the full amount of the
fares collected.
The Invention consists of a fare-controlling apparatus and register for cabs and
other vehicles, comprising,-
First. A sign to indicate when the vehicle is for hire and when it is engaged.
Secondly. A clock which will be stopped when the sign shows that the vehicle is
for hire, but which will be set going when the sign is concealed, thus indicating the
aggregate period of time for which the vehicle has been hired.
Thirdly. A recording dial on which the actual amount of fare received by the
driver is set down.
Fourthly. A dial for registering the number of times a vehicle has been hired, so
as to prevent the driver from pretending that he had but a certain small number
of passengers during a given period of time when in reality he had a greater
number.
The Invention consists, lastly, of a watch or other timepiece arranged in connection
with the other parts in such a manner that the timepiece is brought within view of
the passenger when the sign is lowered, so as to enable him to compute the exact
amount of fare to be paid, the watch being carried out of sight when the sign is
raised.
In carrying the Invention into effect I provide a clockwork apparatus of the
customary construction, which will indicate the passage of time in hours and minutes.
The apparatus is located in any suitable position on or in the vehicle, preferably at
the back of the driver's seat, and a sign connected therewith bearing the words
"for hire," or other words of equivalent purport. Said sign is within control of the
driver, who exposes it while on the stand or plying for hire, during which period
the clock within by a mechanical connection will be stopped. As soon as a passen-
ger is taken up the driver turns down or conceals said sign, this operation causing the
clock to start and continue going until the sign is again exposed or lifted. As soon
as a passenger is ready to leave the vehicle or when his journey is ended he is
notified by the driver of the amount due for fare. This notification is effected by
the driver operating a button or equivalent device, causing a pointer on a second
diál, consisting of a series of figures running consecutively as 0, 1, 2, etc., and being
arranged around the clock dial, to record in numbers the amount due for fare.
the passenger leaving the vehicle, or at the time he enters it, the movement of the
sign' either up or down or from exposure to concealment, or vice versa, causes an
index finger on a third dial to move one point, the points thus indicated showing
the number of times the vehicle has been hired. The necessity for this third dial
arises from the fact that it is customary to charge a certain rate of fare to any
passenger for the first hour or any fraction thereof, and a less rate of fare for subse-
quent hours. "Were there no provision for noting the number of passengers the
On

page_text: '
driver might allege, in settling with the owner of the vehicle, that though the clock
indicated that his vehicle had been hired for three hours it had been kept for that
time by one passenger, and who had therefore paid the maximum fare for the first
hour of his occupancy, and the lesser rate for the two following hours.
In conjunction with the apparatus for recording the fare is a gong and striker for
Bounding an alarm, and thus notifying the passenger of the amount due.
The various dials and clockwork are placed within a strong case having hinged
lids, which are locked in such a manner that the interior parts cannot be tampered
with for the purpose of turning back the hands or stopping the works. On leaving
the stable in the morning the various hands and indices are set to zero. Upon
returning an inspection of the dials will show the time the vehicle has been hired,
the amount received for fares, and the number of passengers who have separately
occupied the vehicle, for all of which the driver must account with the owner.
As an additional safeguard, for the prevention of peculation a watch or other
.timepiece for telling the hour of the day is attached to the controlling mechanism
in such a manner that when the sign indicating that the vehicle is for hire is raised
the watch will be out of the sight of the passenger, but when said sign is lowered
the watch is brought within view of the passenger, who can thus observe the time
of day, and readily calculate the fare by the time of hiring, so that each passenger
thereby becomes a sort of detective against the driver, while at the same time the
turning down of the sign causes the clock in the case to start and register the time
for which the vehicle has been hired altogether.
In the accompanying Drawing, which fully illustrates the Invention,―
Figure 1 represents an elevation of the improved fare controller and indicator
shown from the outside, with the sign thrown up.
Figure 2 shows an inside elevation of the apparatus with the sign lowered, and
.the watch exposed to view.
And Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same on line x, x, Figure 1...
Similar letters. of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three Figures.
A represents a clock case of any appropriate form containing a movement B,
.which actuates the hour and minute hands, showing the passage of time on a dial C.
Said dial has two concentric circles of figures, beginning with 0 and continuing up
to 12. The inner circle is for marking the time of the clock, while the outer circle
is for recording the fare received. D is an index finger or pointer moved by a
lever E, each downward movement of said lever causing said finger to travel from
one figure to the other along the outer row. When therefore a passenger is about
to pay for a fare he hands the amount due to the driver, who operates the
lever E, so as to cause the pointer D to record on the outer row of figures the
amount due.
The clock mechanism is enclosed by lids, which are locked to prevent tampering
with the mechanism, and are only to be opened by the owner of the vehicle. On
-standards F attached to an encircling band a of the clock case is supported a signal
G, on which the words " for hire," or other equivalent notice are displayed. This
signal is so connected with the movement B that when it is displayed it will stop
the latter, but when the signal is dropped or concealed said movement will be set
going, and truly and exactly record the time.
By preference the clock case is made circular, and the signal swings by the band
a around the case and throws a spring bolt H, operated by a pivoted lever H³, which,
when the signal is exposed, passes through an opening b in the ring a and case A,
and presses upon a stud d' and forces a pendant d' into engagement with the escape-
ment of the movement, thereby stopping the same. When the signal is turned down
or concealed the bolt H is withdrawn by the lever H¹, thereby releasing the stopping
.device from the escapement, so as to permit the movement to go.
I represents an index finger, which moves over one division of a dial at the
back of the clock whenever the signal is dropped down or concealed, so as to
indicate successive hirings, or by how many different parties the vehicle has been

page_text: bired. This is accomplished by a notch or projection of the band a engaging a
lever e which passes through case A, and works again by a pawl e¹ pivoted thereto,
a ratchet wheel e², and thereby the index I. The downward movement of the band
a draws with it the lever e, and carries the pawl over the ratchet for the distance of
one tooth until the lever arrives at the end of the slot, where the band clears the
lever and passes over it unobstructed. On the upward movement the end of said
lever is caught in the notch of the band and moved upwardly, causing the pawl so
to move the ratchet that the index I will be advanced one point. L represents a
gong on which an alarm is sounded whenever a fare is recorded, a striker L' for
sounding said gong being connected thereto. The gong is arranged on the outside
of the casing A in any suitable manner. On the front of the box that encloses the
apparatus should be printed or painted instructions for the guidance of the passengers
in paying and the government of the driver in receiving fares.
The sign should be illuminated at night by making it of transparent material,
and by placing a lamp in proximity to the same, so as to render the notice plainly
visible.
A watch or other timepiece M is secured to the standard of the sign in such a
manner that, when the signal is up and the notice "for hire" displayed, the watch
will not be visible within the vehicle, while, when said signal is down, the watch
will appear within the vehicle, enabling the passengers to note the hour of the day
and the time which elapses while they occupy the vehicle. The clock movement in
the case controls the time the vehicle has been actually in hire, while the watch
keeps the time of day and shows the same whenever consulted.
The instructions will request the passenger to observe the time indicated on the
watch when entering and leaving, and pay their fare accordingly.
The watch may also be arranged in the lid of the clock case, and provided with a
movable lid, operated by suitable mechanism in such a manner that when the signal
is turned down the same will be visible; when up, closed. A handle N on the ring
a serves to operate the signal so as to display or conceal it, the entire apparatus
being arranged in a suitable box on the cab or vehicle so as to be out of sight, with
the exception of the signal, watch, and instructions.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A fare controller and indicator consisting of a sign for showing when the
vehicle is for hire, a clock for noting the time the vehicle is engaged, and a dial or
register for recording the amount of fare demanded of the passenger by the driver,
whether the carriage be in motion or at rest, these several parts being combined for
conjoint operation, as described.
2nd. A fare controller and indicator having a clock for noting the time a vehicle
is hired, and a register or dial for numbering the successive hirings, in combination
with a sign for showing when the vehicle is for hire and when engaged, said sign
being connected by appropriate mechanism with the clock so as to stop the latter
when said sign is exposed and to permit it to run when concealed, and being
also connected with said register, so that dropping or concealing said sign, or raising
or exposing it after it has been concealed will mark on the register a number or
point, and thus indicate successive hirings, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination in a fare controller and indicator of a sign to show when
the vehicle is engaged and when for hire, a clock for noting the period during which
the vehicle is engaged, a recording apparatus for indicating the amount of fare paid,
and a register or dial to denote successive hirings, substantially as specified.
4th. In a fare controller and indicator a sign showing when the vehicle is for hire,
and a clock so combined with said signal that it will be stopped when the latter is
displayed, in combination with a timepiece so arranged in connection with said
signal as to be brought into view of the occupant of the vehicle when the signal is

page_text: down, and withdrawn from observation when the signal is up, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.