CAB-FARE CONTROLLER
Year: 1885

page_text: We, LOUIS EUGENE DE HOVEN, of 155, Fenchurch Street, London, Engineer, and
BERNARD LEWIS, of N° 3 Catherine Court, Seething Lane, London, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for A CAB-FARE CONTROLLER, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention is designed to facilitate the hiring of Cabs, Hackney and other
Carriages, by removing the difficulties now attending their use by the Public.
This is accomplished by an improved system of regulating fares, whereby an
efficient control is exercised over the Driver, and the Public confidence ensured by
uniform and reasonable charges, which being ascertained and regulated by
mechanical means, and in accordance with a fixed tariff, will render a ride in a
Public Vehicle as free from exaction, contention and abuse, as a ride in a Railway
Carriage. (Indeed the Railway system of tickets could be adopted if desired
concurrently with the present improvements, and large Cab Owners could issue
books or packets of tickets in advance, or the Driver could be furnished with
tickets of various amounts to hand to passengers as a receipt for their fares.)
The objections to the present system are manifold and all spring from a common
cause, the want of effective control over the Driver of the Cab or Vehicle.
The Passenger cannot easily check his demand and convict him of overcharge,
while his employer is equally unable to ascertain what he has earned.
Hence the Cabman is exposed to a double temptation, to overcharge his
Customer and defraud his employer; and the Public, weary of the uncertainty of
fares, the probability of overcharge and the possibility of an unpleasant altercation
terminating perhaps in much delay and a subsequent appearance in a Police-court;
grumbles and pays, when compelled to resort to the use of cabs, and avoids them as
much as possible when other means of locomotion are available.
De Hoven's Cab-fare Controller is a complete solution of the difficulty. It is
based on the principle of charging by time instead of by distance, and it
provides a thoroughly effectual mechanical method of regulating and registering
the charges payable, and the number of hirings made during the day, with the
duration of each.
It cannot be tampered with by Driver or passenger and prevents the possibility
of dianutos no to what form is nawable

page_text: The apparatus employed consists of the following parts connected by a neat frame
of metal or other material, having a circular band around the central control-clock
and being fastened to the outside of the vehicle in any convenient position, in such
a manner that it can be easily reversed by the Driver when a hiring is commenced
or ended.
At one end is a handle and at the other is
I-A sign or signal to indicate when the cab is for hire and the removal or
reversal of which shews that it is engaged.
II-A 24 hour control-clock with dial (1) starting every day at 0, the works and
hands of which will be in motion. whenever the above-named sign is removed or
concealed, and the Vehicle is engaged and paid for, whether the vehicle be moving
or waiting; and the said works will be stopped when the sign shews that the cab
is for hire.
This clock is merely a modification of an ordinary carriage clock as regards its
internal mechanism, but is furnished with two extra dials, viz (2) an annular dial,
numbered 0 to 23, outside the ordinary dial, which being held by arms fixed on
the centre arbour of the clock rotates when the clock
going.
This annular dial is formed of paper, card or some other suitable material,
capable of receiving marks, impressions or perforations.
By means of an overhanging spring a pencil or point which is lifted automatically
at the commencement of each hiring, registers the number and the duration of each
hiring on this dial.
This is a very important part of the apparatus, as it prevents any misrepre-
sentation on the part of the Driver as to the sums received by him.
The other dial (3) is situated on the reverse of the clock and is numbered 1 to 47.
It is designed to act as an additional check or confirmation to dial (2), and
shews by a different action the number of hirings during the time the Cab is plying
for hire.
It is not actuated by the mechanism of the clock, but by the action of the sign,
the hand of the dial advancing one number every time the sign is lowered at the
commencement of a fresh hiring.
It could if preferred be moved when the sign ascends instead of when it
descends.
The importance of this dial (and dial 2) arises from the fact, that the sum
actually earned by a cab will differ very materially according to whether it is
engaged for one hiring of 3 hours duration, or for 10 different hirings averaging 5
to 20 minutes each, the total time on hire being about the same in each case.
In the latter case the cash received will be nearly double that in the former.
In conjunction with dial 3 is a bell or gong which is struck by a hammer when
the apparatus is turned and the sign concealed.
This bell is intended to call the Passenger's attention to the fact that his hiring
has commenced and that he should take note of the time shewn on the watch or
time piece III which then becomes visible as hereafter explained.
III-A watch or other time piece with one or two faces so arranged in connection
with the other parts of the controlling apparatus, that one dial is brought into view
of the passenger when the sign is reversed.
The presence of this watch indicates to the passenger the time at which his
hiring commences, and it also testifies that the apparatus is working correctly free
from interference by the Driver.
On a passenger being taken up the Driver turns down the sign I, and the action
of the control-clock immediately commences, the annular dial and the hands of
the centre dial moving also, and the back-dial recording one number in advance.
On the hiring being completed the sign is turned up and the action of the clock
immediately stopped.
L
The same process takes place at each subsequent hiring.
Supposing a table of fares to be placed inside the Cab, as for instance, 1/- for,
the first 15 minutes and Ad for each subsequent 15 minnhan it will ha

page_text: passenger has only to note the time when his hiring commenced, to ascertain
exactly the amount of fare he has to pay.
The various dials and working parts are enclosed in a strong water-tight case
and securely locked, the key being kept by the Owner,
On the Cab returning to the yard whence it started an inspection of the dials
will shew..
1. The aggregate duration of the various hiringa in hours and minutes.
2. The total number of hirings on two distinct dials each of which is actuated
differently from the other.
3. The time occupied by each hiring, and consequently the amount due to the
Owner of the Cab.
3
In the accompanying drawings the same letters represent identical parts'
throughout.
Figure 1-Represents a front view of the apparatus as seen by the Cabman and
also shews a front view of the central control-clock Z.
On the face of 'this clock will be seen an inner circle on which a 24 hours
dial X is inscribed which shows the aggregate time occupied by the various hirings
of the day.
I
Outside the dial X is an annular dial W formed of paper or card or other suitablė
material the face of which is to be renewed or cleaned daily.
By means of the arms and clips V this paper dial is caused to revolve when the
clock is going.
Projecting in front of this annular dial is a strong spring B which carries a
point or pencil T or some other means of marking, indenting or perforating the
dial plate W.
The action of this spring and point is shewn in figure 3.
When the apparatus is placed with the sign P. upwards, previous to the first
hiring of the day, or at the conclusion of a subsequent hiring, as shewn in Figure 1,
the action of the control-clock Z is stopped in the manner shewn in Figure 2, and
the spring B. is forced against the annual dial W, where it makes a mark or
perforation and where it remains until the sign is reversed at the commencement of
a fresh hiring, when the pressure on the spring B is released and the control-clock Z,
and annular dial W, recommence their movement.
It will be readily seen that the spring B registers on the dial W the number of
birings during the day and also shews the duration of each separate hiring;
consequently enabling the Owner of the cab to have a perfect check on the Cash
receipts of the Driver.
Figure 2-Shews a view of the back of the control-clock Z which contains a
small dial S numbered 1 to 47, with a hand working on the centre arbour, the
object of which is to shew the number of hirings during the day by an entirely
different method to that of W and thus to act as a check or confirmation of the
paper dial W.
A is a rim or ring revolving inside the case of the control-clock Z which rim is
fastened to the outside revolving rim K. by means of the arm B.
The said outside rim K is connected to and forms part of the external frame F
which carries the sign P.
The rim A has 2 projecting pins a and b. When the frame F is reversed so
that P. is moved downwards the pin b revolves, and carries with it the slide C,
which first lifts up the hammer D, to strike the bell behind the dial S, and
immediately after shifting the slide C further up, relieves the balance wheel of the
clock from the detaining spring Q, and thus allows the works of the clock to
recommence action.
'
At the lower end of the slide C, is a small spring having a catch or click at the
end E, behind the dial S, which catch engages with a ratchet wheel under the
dial S and when the slide C moves, shifts the ratchet-wheel one tooth in advance,
and thus causes the hand on the dial S to advance also one number, and show the
termination of one hiring.

page_text: M is a small clock or watch which faces the inside of the cab and is seen by the
passenger through an aperture in the vehicle, and having if preferred a double dial
so as also to be seen by the Driver.
When the frame F is reversed at the commencement of a hiring, the dial of M
appears in front of the passenger, and shows him the time at which his journey
commences, and from which he has to pay for the hire of the cab.
Figure 3 Shews a side view of the front parts of the control-clock Z, the front
of which clock is shewn in Figure 1
A is the inside rim before described. Between this rim A and the spring B is a
lever H which is set in motion by the reversal of the frame P.,,
At the moment this lever H enters the groove F. F. it releases the spring B, and
causes the point T to fall and make an impression, mark or perforation on the
annular dial W.
2 "
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; We declare that
what we claim is
1.- A reversible, depressible or removable sign, shewing whether the Cab or
Vehicle is on hire. or not.
2. The application of a control-clock furnished with a Bell, which is struck at
the commencement of each hiring, and also fitted with three separate dials, viz;
(a) A dial shewing the aggregate time of hirings during the day.
(b) An annular revolving dial with automatic registering apparatus, shewing
by a different method the number of hirings and the duration of each hiring..
(c) A dial on the back also recording the number of hirings, and forming a
check to the accuracy of the front annular dial by a separate action.
3. The combination of the foregoing reversible sign and the control-clock with
its three dials and bell, with a Timepiece having one or two dials, one of which is
visible to the Passenger in the vehicle, and with a frame work connecting the
whole apparatus as herein described and set forth.
}
Dated thi 112
1007