Improvements in Apparatus employed for Checking the Receipt of Money from Persons Riding in Public Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus employed for Checking the Receipt of
Money from Persons Riding in Public Vehicles and the like.
I JOHN MELTON BLACK of Tabernacle Street London Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus used by conductors of public
vehicles and the like for the purpose of punching tickets to be given in exchange
for money fares to passengers riding in public vehicles and the like.
The improvements hereunder described are specially applicable to the instrument
known as the "Bell Punch" and described in the Specifications of Letters Patent
No. 1667 A.D. 1874 and No. 6551 A.D. 1889 and to the class of box punches with
single or double punch heads as described in the Specifications of Letters Patent
No. 3000 A.D. 1886 No. 8273 A.D. 1887 and No. 6551 A.D. 1889.
The improvements to the bell punch instrument described in said Specifications
consist in removing the part known as the barrel catch which supports the lug of
the barrel or receptacle to contain the clippings from the punched tickets and the
lug of the barrel as now used and to substitute therefor an improved form of lug
and a spring pin fastened to the upper frame of the punch which spring passing
under the dial or bell cover causes the spring pin to enter a hole in the lug of the
barrel by the act of closing the lid or cover and thus to secure the barrel to the
punch frame or in place of the spring pin, a pin fixed to the under side of the dial
or bell cover which enters the hole in the lug of the barrel by the act of closing
the cover and so secure the same to the frame of the punch. For this purpose
the lug of the barrel is formed so as to enter an opening in the lower portion of the
frame and has a hole therein to receive either the spring pin or the pin fixed to
the dial or bell cover.
The other portion or head of the barrel is kept in its position on the frame
either by the means as now used or preferably by an angular piece of metal the
full width of the frame and fixed to a part of the same which angular piece when
the barrel is fitted to the frame projects under the upper cover of the barrel and so
secures the same to the frame.
Another improvement consists in placing underneath the lever handle of the
punch a spring plate of the same width as the handle and pivotted in the centre.
To one end of the lower side of this plate a stud is fixed of sufficient length to just
pass between the handle and the punch frame when the stud end is turned toward
the head of the punch. To the upper side of the other end of the spring plate a
rounded metal stud is fixed which springs into a cavity on the lower side of the
handle placed at both ends of the plate and a means is provided whereby the
swivel plate can be easily moved to one position or the other on the handle
as may be required and in line with the same. The object of this improvement
being to prevent any accidental depression of the handle of the punch when
not in use.
Another improvement consists in removing the present form of combination
letter lock or sealed lock which secures the dial and bell covers of the punch and to
substitute therefor the form of sealed lock as described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 6551 A.D. 1889 whereby the seal must be ripped up a portion
of its length in the process of opening the punch covers. For this purpose a bolt
of sufficient length is used which moves up and down in a suitable frame and held
by a strong spiral spring. In this bolt a hole is placed into which a tommy can be

page_text: inserted so as to raise the bolt in the act of opening the covers of the punch. The
cover of the punch is so constructed as to have an opening therein of sufficient
width and length to allow the seal to be ripped up a portion of its length in raising
the bolt and this opening is protected by a suitable cover to preserve the seal against
damage by weather or by accident. Between the frame and the cover the seal is
placed and is secured in that position by the act of closing the cover.
The improvements to the box punch or punch suspended by straps from the
shoulders of the operator (and in suitable supports) in place of being held in
the hand when in use like the bell punch herein before described consists in removing
the present form of lever handle which actuates the mechanism and punch cutter
and which is now secured to the back plate of the punch by means of the pivotting
screw only and substituting therefor a handle with a curved and bevelled head,
the arc of which curve is equal to the radius of the handle.
To the back plate of the punch is fixed another curved piece of similar arc
but of opposite bevel and under which bevel the bevel of the lever handle slides.
The object of this improvement being to prevent the handle from being raised
or tilted from its true position and thereby to secure regularity in the working of
the same.
Another improvement consists in removing the present form of steel plate which
confines and protects the works fixed and mounted on the back plate and upon
which the box cover slides and substituting therefor another form of plate with a
side thereto next to the numerator and bell and nearly equal in height to the depth
of the punch frame above the plate.
This side is specially formed and embraces three advantages.
First. To prevent any clippings from the punched tickets that may remain in
the punch head when the box cover is withdrawn from falling into the works of
the punch.
Second. To render positive the position of the long spring catch fastener so
that the head of the same can enter the opening in the box cover with certainty
and thereby prevent any irregularity or uncertainty in the locking of the cover.
Third. To prevent the cover of the punch being closed and fastened when the
bolt of the sealed lock has been carelessly placed between the cover and the hinged
locking piece in place of at the back of the same.
Another improvement consists in placing a second notch on the periphery of the
moveable disc of the sealed lock to prevent the same from turning round beyond a
certain point.
At present the single notch in this periphery into which the V spring pawl enters.
secures the position of the disc when the hole in the same is at the extreme end of
the right hand side of the crescent opening in the cover. This further improvement
is to secure the same precision for the disc when the hole in the same is at the
extreme end of the left hand side of the crescent opening and thus to prevent the
disc turning round beyond that point.
Another improvement consists in removing the present form of cover which
protects the crescent opening in the punch-cover and substituting therefor. a
cover of similar form and pivotted at the lower end but curved and bevelled at
the head and fixing to the cover of the punch another bevelled curved piece
but of opposite bevel so that the pivotted cover can slide and in contact with the
inward fixed bevelled curved piece and against a stop fixed to the punch cover and
thus be secured.
The object of this being to afford a more ready means of exposing the crescent
opening for the examination of the seals underneath before opening the punch than
by the present means of lifting the spring cover over the fixed stud on the cover
of the punch.
Another improvement consists in adapting a spring pin of suitable form so
that the same may slightly project beyond the line of the back plate of the
punch and at the back side of the same. In the supporting plate of the punch
is a hole in such a position that the spring pin falls therein when the punch is

page_text: brought home in the supporting plate. The punch cannot then be removed without
the spring pin is depressed from the back equal to the thickness of the supporting
plate.
The object of this improvement being to prevent the punch slipping out of the
supporting plate when in use.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus employed for Checking the Receipt of
Money from Persons Riding in Public Vehicles and the like.
I, JOHN MELTON BLACK, of Tabernacle Street, London, Gentleman 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 checking apparatus used by conductors
of public vehicles and the like for the purpose of punching tickets to be given in
exchange for money fares to passengers, the said improvements being specially
applicable to the instrument known as the "Bell Punch" and described in the
Specifications of Letters Patent No. 1667 A.D. 1874 and No. 6551 A.D. 1889 and
to the class of box punches with single or double punch-heads as described in
the Specifications of Letters Patent No. 3000 A.D. 1886, No. 8273 A.D. 1887 and
No. 6551 A.D. 1889.
My improvements in the bell punch comprise―
(1.) Improved means for holding the barrel which receives the clippings or
punched out pieces from the tickets.
(2.) Means for preventing any accidental depression of the handle of the punch
when not in use; and,
(3.) The substitution for the usual combination letter-lock of a spring-lock
protected by a paper seal as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 6551 of 1889.
The objects of my improvements in the box-punch are―
(1.) To prevent the operating handle from being raised or prised from its true
position;
(2.) To prevent any clippings from the punched tickets from falling into the
mechanism of the punch, to render positive the position of the spring-catch which
retains the drawer or box which receives the punched out pieces, and to prevent
the cover of the punch being closed and fastened when the bolt of the sealed lock
has been carelessly placed;
(3.) To prevent the movable disc of the sealed lock from being turned beyond
the required points;
(4.) To facilitate the movement of the cover which protects the seal of the
sealed lock; and,
(5.) To prevent the punch from slipping out of the supporting plate when
in use.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a bell punch constructed according to
my present invention; and,
Figure 2 is an underside view of the same partly in section on the line 2-2,
Figure 1, and having the barrel for receiving the clippings removed:
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 1:
Figure 4 is an elevation illustrating a modification of the arrangement for
retaining the barrel in place; and,

page_text: Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 4:
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views hereinafter described illustrating the means
which I employ for preventing the movement of the lever-handle when the punch
is not in use:
Figure 9 is an elevation illustrating the arrangement of the spring-lock; aud,
Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10, Figure 9:
Figure 11 is a sectional elevation of a "box punch" having my improvements
applied thereto :
Figure 12 is a horizontal section on the line 12-12, Figure 11:
Figure 13 is a vertical section on the line 13-13, Figure 12; and,
Figure 14 is a section on the line 14-14, Figure 11:
Figures 15, 16, 17 and 18 are views of details hereinafter described:
In Figures 1 to 10 which illustrate my improvements in the bell punch a is the
frame of the punch, b is the lever operating the punch proper, c is the barrel for
receiving the punched out pieces or clippings, and d, d are the covers enclosing the
bell and the counting mechanism.
In order to fix the barrel I provide on the under side of the frame a a lug a¹
which is of the full width of the frame and projects forwardly in an angular
direction so that the barrel may fit against the said lug in the manner clearly shewn
in Figure 1. The rear end of the barrel is adapted to be held by pins. In order
that the opening of the covers d, d shall withdraw the said pins so that the barrel
can be at once detached without the necessity for removing a separate pin as
heretofore, I place such pins e, e upon the inner faces of the covers d, d, which pins,
when the said covers are closed, enter the hole in the lug c¹ of the barrel, as shewn
most clearly in Figures 2 and 3 thereby locking the said barrel. Or, instead of
fixing pins e, e to the said covers, a pine may be fixed to one end of a spring f
(Figures 4 and 5) the other end of which is fixed to the frame a.
This spring
normally tends to move the pin e out of the hole in the lug c¹ but, when one of the
covers d is closed upon the said spring, the pin will be forced into engagement
with the lug c as will be readily understood by reference to Figure 5.
The improvements for preventing the accidental depression of the lever-bandle b
of the punch consist in placing underneath the said handle a spring-plate g of the
same width as the handle, the said plate (shewn in side elevation and plan in
Figures 6 and 7 respectively) being pivotted at the centre. To one end of the
plate g is fixed a stud g' of just sufficient length to pass between the handle b and
the punch-frame a when the plate is turned so that the said stud is toward the
head of the punch as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1. To the upper side
of the spring-plate and at the end of the same opposite to that having the stud gl
is fixed a metal stud g2 adapted to spring into one or the other of two holes or
cavities, h formed on the underside of the handle b, the said stud g² when in
engagement with one or the other of the said holes h, h serving to retain the plate g
with the stud o¹ in either of its two positions. It will be readily understood that
when the said stud is in the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1 the
lever-handle b. cannot be depressed..
The lock which I employ in lieu of the usual combination letter-lock comprises
a bolt adapted to slide up and down in a projection or extension of the
frame a and normally pressed downwards into its locking position by a spring j,
the spring being preferably held in place by means of a plug j' screwed into the
hole through which the bolt and spring are introduced and then filed off level
with the top of the projection so that the plug cannot be readily removed to
enable the lock to be tampered with. In the bolt i is formed a hole k into which
a tommy can be inserted to raise the bolt to unlock the covers d, d of the punch,
a slot being formed in one side of the frame a to permit the movement of the
tommy. In order to prevent the bolt i from turning so that the hole k is not
accessible from the slot k' the said bolt is preferably formed with a square head
working in a square hole as shewn in Figure 10. The said bolt i engages with
two semi-circular pius 1, 1 in the same manner as the bar of the letter-lock engages

page_text: therewith. In closing the covers, however, it is necessary to hold up the spring-
bolt by means of the tommy.
The seal is provided for as follows.-Upon the surface of the frame a adjacent
to the slot is formed a shallow recess m, Figures 9 and 10, adapted to receive a
paper seal and having one or more pins m', m' for holding the paper in place..
One of the covers d is formed with an extended portion m² designed to cover the
recess m and having an opening m³ therein which exposes that part of the paper
seal over the slot. It will be obvious that when a paper seal has been placed.
in the recess m and the covers have been closed the lock cannot be opened
without piercing the paper seal to introduce the tommy into the hole k and tearing
the said paper as the tommy is lifted to disengage the bolt. is a cover
which is pivotted to the extended portion m² of the cover d and serves when.
moved over the opening m³ to protect the paper seal from being accidentally
injured.
In Figures 11 to 18 which illustrate my improvements as applied to the
box-punch, o indicates the casing of the apparatus, p the supporting plate which
is suspended from the shoulders of the conductor by a strap and in which the
punching apparatus is supported, and 7 the operating lever.
In order to prevent the said lever from being raised or prised from its true
position, I form the end of the said lever with a curved and bevelled head as
shewn in Figures 11 and 14, the curve having its centre at the centre of the pivot
of the lever . To the base or back plate o' of the punch is fixed a plate r
similarly curved to the end of the lever g and bevelled in an opposite direction
to the bevel on the end of the said lever 7, the said plater being arranged as in.
Figures 11 and 14 so that it will prevent the said lever from being prised up.
9
To prevent the punched out pieces or clippings from falling into the mechanism,.
I provide in lieu of the usual covering plate the plate s having on the side next
to the numerator a flanget which extends nearly to the front of the casing o as-
shewn in Figures 12 and 13. The said plate is shewn in plan view and face view
respectively in Figures 15 and 16 and in end elevation (looking in the direction
of the arrow Figure 15) in Figure 17. It will be obvious that with this plate
should any of the clippings escape from the drawer or box they would be retained
by the flange from falling into the working parts of the apparatus. In the
flange t I form an opening through which the head of the spring-catch wo projects.
and the height of which opening corresponds with the extent of movement which
the spring is to have. By thus arranging the spring to pass through an opening
in the flange t I ensure that the said spring shall always be in the proper position
to enter the opening w¹, Figure 12, formed in the side of the drawer or box u, and.
furthermore this arrangement prevents the said spring-catch w from being pressed
back sufficiently to permit of closing the drawer in case the bolt wo*, Figures 12-
and 13, which secures the hinged sealed lock should be pushed home without.
securing the said lock.
In the Specification No. 6551 of 1889 I have described a sealed lock having a.
movable disc. This disc .' (shewn in Figure 18) has heretofore been provided
with a single notch a' having a pawl * engaging therewith to limit the movement.
of the said disc in one direction, the said notch corresponding to the position of
the disc when the hole x (designed for the reception of a tommy") is at one.
end of the crescent-shaped opening in the cover as shewn.
I now form in the said disc a notch *** in addition to the notch, the said
notch corresponding to the position of the disc when the hole a is at the
other end of the crescent-shaped opening a, in which position the "tommy
pass through the lock and press back the spring-catch w.
"
can.
To facilitate the movement of the cover protecting the seal of the lock I
bevel the said cover at the free end and to the front of the casing o of the punch
I fix another curved and bevelled plate beneath which the bevelled end of the:
cover slides with sufficient friction to prevent the said cover from shifting. In

page_text: Figures 11 and 13 y indicates the pivotted cover, and y₁ the bevelled plate fixed
to the casing of the apparatus.
To prevent the punch from slipping out of the supporting plate p I provide a
pin z fixed to a spring ¹ and projecting through the back plate o' of the apparatus,
as shewn in Figures 12 and 13, and in the said supporting plate p 1 form a hole
into which, when the checking apparatus is in its proper position relative with the
said supporting plate, the pin z will project as shewn in Figures 12 and 13. To
remove the punch from the supporting plate the said spring is pushed inwards from
the back a distance equal to the thickness of the supporting plate.
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. The improvements in or applicable to what are commonly known as bell-
punches herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improvements in or applicable to what are known as box punches
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 11 to 18 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated thin out 1C A 1004
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,.
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.