Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Checking the Money Taken on. Tramways and other Places where Fares or the like are Collected.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Checking the Money
Taken on. Tramways and other Places where Fares or the like
are Collected.
1, WALTER HOWARD ST. RUTH of 18 Avondale Road, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Gymnastic Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object a mode of checking the amount of money paid on
tram cars and the like.
The apparatus consists essentially of a cash box and a ticket box with mechanisms
for delivering the tickets. The tickets can be of one or of several different
denominations. In this case each denomination is in a separate box pressed up
against the delivering mechanism by a coiled spring. The delivering inechanism
consists of a roller, hollow or otherwise armed with teeth which can only traverse in
one direction. It can, however, be any other pushing appliance which can only push
the tickets out in one direction and will prevent any return of tickets into the box
through the orifice from which the tickets issue. If there are more than one ticket box
there must be more than one toothed roller but these toothed rollers can nest one
inside the other and be all worked from the outside by separate milled wheels or
otherwise.
· The dropping in of the penny or other coin into the box can if desirable be made
by any well-known automatic contrivance to cause the toothed roller to revolve and
eject a single ticket and for this purpose there may be if desired compartments in
the cash box corresponding to the ticket compartments.
In using the apparatus if it be a penny ride, a penny is dropped into the slot for
this purpose by the traveller, the conductor then turns the handle or the required
milled wheel and thereby delivers a ticket. If the thing be automatic and say a
threepenny ticket be required, either threepenny pieces are used and the conductor
has power to give change for a shilling-or else three pennies are used, and any
delivering apparatus employed which only acts after three pennies have fallen.
The toothed rollers can be made to bite into the tickets and disfigure them so that
it is impossible to pass them again, and for this purpose, if desirable two axes with
sharp toothed wheels on them at a slight angle with each other may be used, so
that the teeth shall approach and recede from each other as they advance, and thus
inevitably scratch up the ticket. The orifice through which the tickets pass is a simple
mouth-piece only wide enough to admit one ticket at a time and a series of small
rollers parallel with the toothed roller and only slightly above it guide the ticket
absolutely to the orifice. The tickets if desirable can be prepared on one side so as to
slip more easily one upon the other.
Dated this 5th day of February 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Checking the Money
Taken on Tramways and other Places where Fares or the like
are Collected.
1. WALTER HOWARD ST. RUTH of 18, Avondale Road, Liverpool in the County of
Janeester, Gymnastic Master, 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 has for its object a modo of checking the amount of money paid on
tram cars and the like.
The apparatus comprises essentially a cash box, and a ticket box with mechanism
for delivering the tickets. The tickets or trip slips can be of one or of several
different denominations. In the latter case, each denomination is preferably in n
separate compartment or box, provided with delivery mechanism, the feeding rolls of
which are adapted to move in one direction only, so as to prevent any return of
tickets into the compartment through the orifice from which the tickets issue. The
apparatus is designed to deliver a ticket in exchange for the fare paid, or, if there is
more than one fare on the route, to deliver a ticket of corresponding denominations,
to record the number of passengers to whom tickets have been sold, to call, by means
of an audible signal, the attention of cach individual payer to the fact of the
withdrawal of a ticket or trip slip, thus enlisting his attention in the service of the
proprietors, and to retain the fare in sight of the passengers, until the delivery
mechanism has passed a trip slip through the delivery orifice, when it is liberated, and
falls into a cash box heneath.
The invention is best described by aid of the acccompanying drawings which
depict an apparatus adapted for tickets of four denominations.
In these:
Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus with the door or cover removed so as to
display the internal mechanism. A portion of the roller and guide p' are removed
to disclose the feel roller behind.
Figure 2, a transverse section on the line B, ('Figure 1.
Figure 3, an end elevation with a portion of guard removed to display the
mechanism protected thereby.
Figure 4, a transverse section on the line CD, Figure 1.
Figure 5, a plan of the apparatus.
.
Figure 6, a transverse section through the coin tube and parts adjacent thereto,
showing the door, on which the coins fall and which is tilted to discharge them into
the coin box beneath when the apparatus has performed certain given operations.
Figure 7, a longitudinal section through two feeding rolls and operating lovers.
In these
A, is the box or casing of the apparatus, having compartments a', a², a³, a²,
ench
designed for the reception of a roll of tickets of given denomination, and B, a cash
box for receiving the coin which is dropped through the funnel C. The said easing
Imus n hinged door or cover A', capable of being locked to prevent illegal manipulation
of the mechanism, or the unauthorised abstraction of money or tickets. The sides of
the funnel are of glass, or are provided with windows, through which the money
can be seen by a passenger or by an inspector to fall on to a door c, (Figure 6),
where it lies until the said door is tilted, when the coins fall down into the cash box B
beneath. The money slot has slanting plates as shown in section, Figura 4
which allow the coins to drop, but prevent their abstraction. Each ticket
compartment is provided with a tickot delivering mechanism, each operated
independently of the others. The said devices comprise feeding rollers operated from
the outside, preferably by lovers or by milled heads, or their equivalents. The
devices for delivering tickets from ticket compartments a³ and a¹, are shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7.

page_text: Referring first to Figures 1 and 2-
and et are the binding or gripping rollers mounted and adapted to revolve loosely
on spindle F, which is secured to hangers, pivotted at their upper extremities.
E is the feeding roller for ticket compartment at, mounted axially upon and
revolving with spindle G, (Figure 7).
The said spindle is capable of rotation in bearings y and it projects through the
casing of the apparatus. On its extremity is mounted and securely fixed a ratchet
wheel (Figures 3 and 7), and loosely mounted on the same spindle is a lover 4
having a spring pivoted pawl which, when operated by the lever, is adapted to
engage the teeth or shoulders of the ratchet wheel in one direction only, namely,
in the direction of the arrow, the said teeth being of such a shape as to pass the
detent in said direction, but to engage it and lock or detain said wheel in the
intervals between the forward movements of the pawl h. It will be seen that when
the tickets are gripped between the opposing surfaces of the rollers (as shown on
Figure 2) and the lever turned, a ticket will be passed through orifice p² and can then
be torn off and delivered to the passenger.
The feed roller E³ for ticket compartment as is axially attached to the tubular
sleeve H, which is mounted upon spindle G but is adapted to be operated quite
independently thereof. On its extremity is fixed the ratchet wheel ³. The lever 3
is loosely mounted on the sleeve and its spring pivoted pawl and a detent h
respectively, engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel in a similar manner to that
already described in connection with 9. The tappet wheels and are respectively
secured on the sleeve Hand spindle G and they respectively engago ratchet wheels K
and K* mounted on spindle k, which preferably runs throughout the whole length
of the apparatus. The ticket roll in compartment a' is shown by dotted lines in
Figure 2. The binding rollers ese are thrust against the feeding rolls E³ E* by an
adjustable spring device J, supported on the shoulders j of the pivoted hangers, and
the extremities of its arms adapted to grasp respectively the stud j¹ and spindle 72.
The pressure of the spring can be adjusted by the screw j³.
The feeding devices for ticket compartments a¹ and a², the levers for operating the
same, the tappet wheels and mounted upon the axes of the feed rollers adapted to
operate the spindle and the spring devico J, are similar to those above described in
connection with compartments a³ and a and do not therefore require a special
description.
The spindle carries a tappet wheel (Figures 1 and 4) which is adapted to
operate by means of a pivotted rocking beam k, a counting register L' which may be
of any suitable construction, such as, for example, a series of discs of uniform diameter
numbered respectively 0 to 9 and adapted to so gear with one another as to
respectively represent units, tens, hundreds, etcetera. The said spindle k also carries
a tappet wheel (Figures 1 and 6) whose teeth are adapted, by means of a pivoted
rocking lever ³, to tilt or chip the plate cand enable the coins to fall down in the
direction of arrow into the box beneath. When released, the plato e flies back under
the tension of spring into its horizontal position. At one end of the spindle k
aforesaid is a wheel designed to vibrate or otherwise operate the hammer L so as to
strike a suitable bell alarm. The said alarm and the external ticket delivering
mechanism for ticket compartments a¹ and a² are covered by a guard 1, and the
mechanism for compartments a³ and a* by a guard l.
M is a locking bar (Figures 1, 3 and 5) capable of moving in slides M' and having
an elongated slot m at each end, adapted to receive the operating levers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
In the side of each of said elongated slots is a groove or passage m' m², placed in such
a position as to perimit only one of said levers to be operated at once, the others being
locked in their upright position by the elongated slots aforesaid. In the drawings,
the pointer N, of said bar, points to the number 4 on the scale, which indicates that
lever No. 4 is the only lever which is liberated from engagement with the elongated
slot m.
To liberate cach individual lever, the locking bar must be moved in four
distinct positions. O are eyes through which straps may be passed for slinging the
apparatus over the shoulders of the conductor.

page_text: To place the ticket rolls in the respective compartments, the cover A' is opened and
the gripping rollers are drawn back into the position shown by dotted lines Figure 2.
This enables the ends of the respective ticket strips to be passed between the small
rollers 1', along the channels p' and through the orifices p³ ³ (Figures 1 and 2)
without operating the counting mechanism. The respective gripping rollers are then
moved back into the position shown by full lines, Figure 2, and seenred in position by
the springs, the respective tickets being thus gripped between the opposing surfaces
of rollers E, E, etcetera.
In using the apparatus, it it be a threepenny ride, three pence or a threepenny
piece are dropped through the coin slot into the funnel (where the coin or coins
remain on the plate e in view of the passenger through the transparent sides or
windows of the funnel aforesaid.
The conductor then moves the locking bar M into register with 3 on the indicating
scale, and turns the lever 3. The movement of the said lever performs coincidently
four distinct operations, firstly, it operate the feeding mechanism of ticket
compartment in the manner already described and delivers a trip slip representing
the value of the money paid through the slit, which can be torn off and handed to
the passenger in exchange for or as an acknowledgment of the receipt of his fare.
Secondly, one of the projections on tappet wheel engages a tooth on ratchet
wheel mounted on spindle and rotates said spindle and wheel & the space or
pitch of one of said teeth; this operates the hammer L. and strikes an audible aların
on the gong calling the attention of each individual payer to the fact that a ticket is
being withdrawn, thus enlisting his attention in the service of the proprietors.
Thirdly, the tappet wheel (Figures 1 and 4) on the spindle aforesaid operates
the counting register L' which is caused to indicate that one ticket has been
withdrawn. Fourthly, the tappet wheel (Figures 1 and 6) tilts the plate enabling
the coins which lie on said plate to drop into the face box B beneath, the said plate
almost immediately flying back by virtue of the tension of spring ƒª, thus preventing
an unauthorised person from abstracting the coin in the box by breaking the windows
or otherwise. The lack movement of the lever 3 is inoperative, no part of the
mochanism of the apparatus boing moved; the pawl passes the teeth of the ratchet
wheel while the detent engages or locks the said wheel, until the same lever is
again moved forward to repeat the operations already described.
The
If it be a twopenny ride, twopence are dropped into the funnel C where the coins
remain in view of the passenger until liberated to fall into the box beneath.
locking bar is then moved to register 2 on the scale, and the lever 2 is turned. A
twopunny ticket is thereby delivered through the orifice from tiekot compartment aª
and the operation of the machine is in other respects similar to that hitherto
described.
When the coin is removed from the cash box by an authorised official, he can
examine the tickets (which are preferably numbered consecutively) and the figures
recorded by the counting register. These form an infallible record of the number and
value of the tickets sold, and constitute a check upon the honesty of the conductor.
The delivering rollers can if desired be made to bite into the tickets and disfigure or
mutilate them or perforate them with a date or number so that it is impossible to pass
them again, and for this purpose, if desirable, two axos with wheols having sharp
tooth or needle points on them at a slight angle with each other may be used, so that
the teeth or points shall approach and recede from each other as the tickets advance.
The orifices through which the tickets pass are simple mouthpieces only wide
enough to admit one ticket at a time and the small rollers PP parallel with the feed
rollers and only slightly below them guide the ticket absolutely to the said feed
rollers. The tickets if desirable can be prepared on one side so as to slip more easily
one upon the other.
The outside of the casing of the machine may have advertisements printed for
otherwise displayed upon its surface, it may have a hinged flap or plate bearing
advertisements or announcements adapted to be moved or vibrated when the
apparatus is operated for the purpose of drawing the attention of passengers thereto.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. An apparatus for checking the money taken in fares, tolls or the like, in which
one or more devices for delivering tickets or checks of different denominations in
exchange for equivalent coin-each comprising two parallel drums, adapted to bind
the ticket strip between their opposing gripping surfaces are, each capable of being
independently rotated by an external hand lever or its equivalent in the direction
necessary for delivering or feeding a ticket or check through the ticket orifice, but are
each adapted to be independently locked by a detent device and to remain stationary
during any retrograde movement of their external hand lever aforesaid, whereby any
fraudulent return of the said tickets through the ticket orifice is prevented,
substantially as describe!.
2. In an apparatus for checking the receipt of money as described, the delivering
mechanism for delivering tickets of different denominations in exchange for
equivalent coin, consisting of a series of feeding drums axially mounted upon
separate rotatable spindles (or upon concentric sleeves and spindles) a similar series of
external hand levers each adapted to rotate its respective drum in one direction only
by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl, and a series of adjustable gripping rollers,
mounted in hinged brackets in close proximity to the drums aforesaid, the said drums
and rollers being adapted to bind their respective ticket strips between their opposing
surfaces and feed them forth in one direction only through their respective delivery
orificos, substantially as described.
3. The improved money checking apparatus consisting of a cash box, one or more
receptacles for tickets of different denominations, and moans substantially as described
of feeding a ticket forth out of any desired receptacle, the whole constructed and
arranged, substantially as described and shown and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 5th
1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.