Improvements in the Construction of Turnstiles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Turnstiles.
We WILLIAM THOMAS ELLISON Junior, Fitter, of 34 Zachariah Street
Howard Street Eccles New Road, Salford and JAMES UNSWORTH Junior, Engine
Tenter of 33 Princess Street Lower Broughton Manchester both in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of turnstiles used in places of amuse-
ment (and elsewhere) for the admission of the public and for recording the number
of people admitted through the said turnstiles.
The object of our invention is to enable persons to leave the place through the
same turnstile which records their entry, without registering or interfering with the
recording apparatus, to render the recording of admissions noiseless, and also so to
improve the checking foot lever that a "rush" or entrance of two or more persons
for one payment will be prevented.
Our apparatus is constructed as follows:-
Upon the upper end of the vertical spindle which carries the ordinary arms of
the turnstile, we fix or key a small lever or arm, the free end of which is turned up
and notched forked or slotted to receive the end of a second arm or lever which is
free to turn upon a washer or collar on a short stud or spindle, which revolves
concentrically with the vertical spindle above named in a footstep bored in the
upper end thereof.
Immediately above this loose arm or lever is a disc keyed or otherwise fixed
upon the short stud or spindle and provided with a turned rim or flange upon its
underside.
The boss of the loose arm or lever is provided with lugs diametrically opposite
to each other and forming hinges for carrying gripping bits which are cut to
receive the flange or rim turned on the disc.
These gripping bits are prevented from gripping the rim when moved by the
loose arm or lever in one direction, by means of springs attached thereto and to
the said arm or lever, but when moved in the other direction they will turn over
their hinges slightly and instantly grip the rim of the disc, and cause it and the
short stud or spindle to make part of a revolution. The upper end of this stud or
spindle is connected in any convenient manner to the recording apparatus which
may be of any known and suitable construction.
Immediately above the disc upon the short stud or spindle is the upper bearing
for the latter, which we prefer to provide with a split bush, through which the said
stud or spindle passes. This split bush can be tightened upon the latter by a
suitable screw, passing through the boss of the said bearing, and thus the stud or
spindle can be prevented from moving unless forced round by the loose arm or
lever, which, as before described, is actuated by the arm or lever on the vertical
spindle of the turnstile.
It will be seen that the latter can be worked in both directions, but will only
actuate the recording apparatus when moved to admit a person or persons into the
place where it is used, and this recording will be perfectly noiseless as there will be
no ratchet, pawl and spring as usual.
This construction also is not liable to such excessive wear and tear as the ratchet
pawl and spring, with the use of which it dispenses.
Upon or near the lower end of the turnstile spindle is fixed a circular boss, with
a groove upon its periphery forming a cam with a series of gradual rises, corre-
sponding with the number (say four) of the arms of the turnstile connected by
sudden vertical drops.

page_text: In this groove works the end of a foot lever, to which end is given a constant
downward tendency by a spring or springs, fixed say to the flooring or ground.
This cam being grooved and therefore having an upper guiding surface as well
as an under one will prevent the possibility of the turnstile being rushed round
by two or more persons for one payment, as every person will be obliged to
wait for the attendant to raise the lever up the vertical drop before he can pass
through.
The lever is placed radially with regard to the cam and not tangentially as
usual, and a strong stop bracket or block is fixed to the flooring or other con-
venient part of the apparatus, close to the cam and against one side (or both)
of the foot lever, so as to take side strain from the latter and prevent breakage
thereof by too rapid or forcible action of the turnstile, especially by persons who
are being admitted.
When the turnstile is reversed by people leaving the premises the attendant need
not be present as the end of the foot lever will rise automatically up the slow
inclines of the cam.
Dated this 18th day of February 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Turnstiles.
We WILLIAM THOMAS ELLISON Junior, Fitter of 34 Zachariah Street
Howard Street Eccles New Road Salford, and JAMES UNSWORTH Junior,
Engine Tenter of 33 Princess Street Lower Broughton Manchester both in the
County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be perforined to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the construction of turnstiles used in places of amuse-
ment (and elsewhere) for the admission of the public and for recording the number
of people admitted through the said turnstiles.
The object of our invention is to enable persons to leave the place through the
same turnstile which records their entry, without registering or interfering with the
recording apparatus, to render the recording of admissions noiseless, and also so to
improve the checking foot lever that a "rush or entrance of two or more persons
for one payment will be prevented.
"
Our invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings and the following description thereof.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of a turnstile constructed according to our
invention and
Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, the recording apparatus being removed.
Fig. 4 is a detached view on a larger scale of the upper part of the turnstile
spindle, showing the arrangement for actuating the counting and recording
apparatus.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through about the line A-B on Fig. 4 and
Fig. 6 is a detached view of the arm and lever c hereafter more particularly
described.
Upon the upper end of the vertical spindle a which carries the ordinary arms a¹
of the turnstile we fix or key a small lever or arm sec Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the free
end of which is turned up and notched forked at b¹ or slotted to receive the end of
a second arm or lever c which is free to turn upon a washer or collar d on a short
stud or spindle e which revolves concentrically with the vertical spindle above-
named in a foot-step bored in the upper end thereof, see Fig. 4.
Immediately above this loose arm or levers is a disc f keyed or otherwise fixed

page_text: upon the short stud or spindle e and provided with a turned rim or flange f* upon
its under side.
The boss of the loose arm or lever c is provided with lugs c diametrically
opposite to each other and forming hinges for carrying gripping bits c² which are
cut to receive the flange or rim fx turned on the disc f. Or instead of the lugs c¹
the boss of the arm or lever c may be made with sockets or recesses, into which the
ends of the gripping bits 2 may fit and move, as on hinges.
These gripping bits c² are prevented from gripping the rim, when moved by the
loose arm or lever in one direction, by means of springs attached thereto and to
the said arm or lever c, but when moved in the other direction they will turn on
their hinges slightly and instantly grip the rim of the disc fand cause it, and
the short stud or spindle e, to make part of a revolution. These gripping bits may
be arranged to act on a rim on the upper surface of the disc finstead of below it.
The upper end of this stud or spindle e is connected in any convenient manner to
the spindle g* of the recording apparatus 9 which may be of any known suitable
construction and is not specially illustrated on the drawings.
Immediately above the disc f upon this short stud or spindle e is the upper
bearing for the latter which we prefer to provide with a split bush h¹ (see Fig. 4)
through which the said stud or spindle passes. This split bush can be tightened
upon the latter by a suitable screw 2 passing through the boss of the said
bearing h, and thus the stud or spindle e can be prevented from moving unless forced
round by the loose arm or lever c which as before described is actuated by the arm
or lever b on the vertical spindle a of the turnstile.
It will be seen that the latter can be worked in both directions but will only
actuate the recording apparatus when moved to admit a person or persons into the
place where it is used, and this recording will be perfectly noiseless as there will be
no ratchet pawl and spring as usual.
This construction also is not liable to such excessive wear and tear as the ratchet
pawl and spring, with the use of which it dispenses.
Upon or near the lower end of the turnstile spindle a is fixed a circular boss i
see Figs. 1 and 2 with a groove upon its periphery forming a cam with a series
of gradual rises corresponding with the number (say four) of the arms a' of the
turnstile, connected by sudden vertical "drops" as shewn on the drawings.
In this groove works the end of a foot lever k to which end is given a constant
downward tendency by a spring or springs fixed say to the flooring or ground, or
by a weight as shewn on Fig. 1. This cam i being grooved, and therefore
having an upper guiding surface as well as an under one, will prevent the
possibility of the turnstile being rushed round by two or more persons for one
payment, as every person will be obliged to wait for the attendant to raise the
lever up the vertical drop before he can pass through.
The lever is placed radially with regard to the cam see Fig. 3 and not
tangentially as usual, and a strong stop bracket or block k² is fixed to the flooring
or other convenient part of the apparatus close to the cam i and against one side
(or both) of the foot lever k so as to take side strain from the latter and prevent
breakage thereof by too rapid or forcible action of the turnstile by persons who
are being admitted.
When the turnstile is reversed by people leaving the premises the attendant need
not be present as the end of the foot lever k will rise automatically up the slow
inclines of the cam i.
It will be evident that instead of a perfect groove in the cam i the under part
thereof may be formed as shewn, and inclined or rounded projections on the upper
part immediately in front of each drop in the under part to compel the end of the
lever k to be caught by the said drops as the people are being admitted.
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. The general combination of parts forming an improved turnstile constructed

page_text: and operating substantially as herein before.described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
2. The combination with the upper end of the spindle of a turnstile, of a lever
or arm thereon actuating a loose arm on a short spindle revolving at the end of
the aforesaid turnstile spindle, the said loose arm actuating gripping bits and a
flanged disc (or other equivalent clutch) for turning the said short spindle, which
is connected to or provided with a suitable counting and recording device, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
3. The combination with the treadle lever of a turnstile, of a grooved or other
cam provided with drops or stops for arresting the revolution of the said turnstile,
and with an upper guiding surface (or projections) for ensuring the descent of the
end of the treadle lever, in order to prevent the same from being rushed past one
or more of the said drops or stops, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 29th day of April 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.