Year: 1886

page_text: I, GEORGE BOND SMITH of The Oaks Heathfield Road Handsworth in the
County of Stafford Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a new or improved indicator for cabs and other
vehicles by which the distance travelled is distinctly indicated to the passenger
with the fare for that distance and at the same time the total number of fares taken
in the day and total distance travelled is also indicated on a second index. This
has been a want for many years as Cab Proprietors have had practically no check
upon the driver as to the total amount of work done-I carry out my invention as
follows:-
I place in any convenient position inside the cab or other part easily accessible
an indicator similar to the works of a clock and having one main or driving shaft
projecting outside the cab from the outer part of the clockwork.-This shaft is
driven from the hub of the cab wheel by chain gear working upon flanged pulleys
which are faced with india rubber or other soft material, the first chain driving
from the hub in a horizontal direction is kept in a regular tension by a roller and
spring arm issuing from the under part or side of the cab body so that the action
of the cab springs does not materially interfere with the certain driving action of
the chain. In this manner and through a series of tooth wheels the speed is
reduced to the main shaft in the indicator.
The indicating dial is fixed at the centre of the clock work the shaft being driven
by reducing wheels and pinions from the main side shaft. The centre shaft projects
through the back and front plates carrying a finger at the inside by which the
distance of each fare is shown on a suitable centre dial.
The opposite end or other part of this spindle carries a spring which winds as the
spindle moves and the spindle is capable of moving end wise by the depression of a
lever by the driver which throws it out of gear with the train and immediately
returns the hand to zero when the spindle is automatically replaced in gear by a
second spring.
Now this centre shaft drives a secondary shaft nearer the outside of the clock
work upon which is fixed a pinion at its outside end. Around the outside of the

page_text: passenger index is a casing or other arrangement upon which a sleeve or ring plate
is placed to revolve easily and this ring carries a tooth wheel at its back gearing
into the pinion immediately aforesaid and is therefore revolved with the centre
sbaft only much slower. Now upon this sleeve or ring plate I place a moveable
paper or other index so divided as to be capable of indexing the very largest days
work or other period of work. Now just behind the zero point of this index is a
sliding bar or pricker which moves horizontally and pricks a hole in the large or
proprietors index every time a fare is concluded and by the same action of the
lever which returns the passenger hand to zero and thus the length of every journey
and every fare and the total distance run are all indexed and cannot be reached
by the driver as the whole is enclosed and locked up, the key being kept by an
authorized person who changes the proprietors index each day, a little hinged clip
turns down upon the paper index for the purpose of holding it whilst the pricker
pierces it.
The lever for throwing the centre shaft out of gear and piercing the index is
hinged to one plate and works in a alot in the other and carries a projecting pin
which lies against a corresponding pin in the pricker bar and thus as the lever is
depressed by the cabman or driver the action is quite easy.
The pricker bar carries an arm with a forked or other end down to the centre
shaft which moves that endwise and thus both actions must take place together by
one movement only. The driver has a suitable handle near the top or other
position which is the only command he has of the instrument except that he can
throw the apparatus out of gear with the hub of the wheel which stops indicating
when he has no passengers Connected with this is a board which turns vertically
or horizontally indicating whether the cab is hired or not.
The 14th Jon of Ton 1000

page_text: Vehicles.
I GEORGE BOND SMITH of The Oaks Heathfield Road Handsworth Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement that is to say:—
This invention has for its object a new or improved indicator for cabs and other
vehicles by which the distance travelled is distinctly indicated to the passenger
with the fare for that distance and at the same time the total number of fares taken
in the day and total distance travelled is also indicated on a second index. This
has been a want for many years as Cab proprietors have had practically no check
upon the driver as to the total amount of work done. I carry out my invention as
follows:-
I place in any convenient position inside the cab or other part easily accessible
an indicator similar to the works of a clock and having one main or driving shaft
projecting outside the cab from the outer part of the clock-work. This shaft is
driven from the hub of the cab wheel by chain gear working upon flanged pulleys
which are faced with india-rubber or other soft material, the first chain driving
from the hub in a horizontal direction is kept in a regular tension by a roller and
spring arm issuing from the under part or side of. the cab body so that the action
of the cab springs does not materially interfere with the certain driving action of
the chain. In this manner and through a series of tooth wheels the speed is
reduced to the main shaft in the indicator. The indicating dial is fixed at the
centre of the clock-work the shaft being driven by reducing wheels and pinions
from the main side shaft. The centre shaft projects through the back and front
plates carrying a finger at the inside by which the distance of each fare is shown
on a suitable centre dial. The opposite end or other part of this spindle carries a
spring which winds as the spindle moves and the spindle is capable of moving end-
wise by the depression of a lever by the driver which throws it out of gear
with the train, and immediately returns the hand to zero when the spindle is
automatically replaced in gear by a second spring. Now this centre shaft drives a
secondary shaft nearer the outside of the clockwork upon which is fixed & pinion
at its outside end. Around the outside of the passenger index is a casing or other
arrangement upon which a sleeve or ring plate is placed to revolve easily and this
ring carries a tooth wheel at its back gearing into the pinion immediately aforesaid
and is therefore revolved with the centre shaft only much slower. Now upon this
sleeve or ring plate I place a movabbl paper or other index so divided as to be
capable of indexing the very largest days work or other period of work. Now
just behind the zero point of this index a sliding bar or pricker which moves hori-
zontally and pricks a hole in the large or proprietors index every time a fare is
concluded and by the same action of the lever which returns the passenger hand
zero and thus, the length of every journey and every fare and the total distance run
are all indexed and cannot be reached by the driver as the whole is enclosed and

page_text: locked up the key being kept by an authorized person who changes the proprietors
index each day a little hinged clip turns down upon the paper index for the
purpose of holding it whilst the pricker pierces it. The lever for throwing the
centre shaft out of gear and piercing the index is hinged to one plate and works in
a slot in the other a carries a projecting pin which lies against a corresponding pin
in the pricker bar and thus as the lever is depressed by the cabman or driver the
action is quite easy.
The pricker bar carries an arm with a forked or other end
down to the centre shaft which moves that endwise and thus both actions must
take place together by one movement only. The driver has a suitable handle near
the top or other position which is the only command he has of the instrument
except that he can throw the apparatus out of gear with the hub of the wheel
which stops indicating when he has no passenger connected with this is a board
which turns vertically or horizontally indicating whether the cab is hired or not.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which I have
illustrated an example of its application to a hansom Cab and from which the
application may be extended to other descriptions of Cabs and to other vehicles of
almost any design.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hansom cab with the road wheel broken away
sufficiently to enable the driving gear to be clearly seen as will be hereafter more
fully explained.
Figure 2 is a part sectional plan showing the same road wheel and the mode of
securing the pulley A to the fixed under plate B.
Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of mechanism at the top of the cab for bringing
the indicators into use.
Figure 4 is a back view of a portion of the same mechanism as shown by
Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a staple fixed on the top of the cab to take the weight of rod and
handle U keeping it always up and bringing it back when thrust down.
.
Figure 6 is an enlayed view of the fixed under plate B with the clutch
arrangement for throwing the distance indicator in and out of gear.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation on line 1. 2. looking towards the clutch C.
Figure 8 is a front view of the distance indicator from the inside of the vehicle.
Figure 9 is a back view of the distance indicator and Figure 10 is a side
elevation showing the works thereof.
My Indicator is worked by the revolving of the road wheel and for this purpose
I attach to the inside boss of the said wheel the pulley C which by preference is
made one with the collar c¹ which therefore takes the place of the usual lock collar.
From this pulley C I drive on to the enlarged pulley A which runs loose upon the
plate spindle B which is secured to the under part of the Cab in this case but this
spindle may be otherwise fixed but it is best to keep it in a somewhat horizontal
line with the main axle because by this means the action of the spring has less
effect upon the distance of the centres and the bite of the driving band. The
sliding clutch D also carries a groove for a band and drives up to the pulley E at
the back of the distance indicator. By sliding the clutch D along the spindle B
which is accomplised by the driver at handle F1 through the rod F the teeth d
and d are engaged in the slots a¹ and a³ in the boss of pulley A as shown at
Figure 7. and motion is thus imported to the distance indicator at the will of the
driver. While speaking of the driver and handle F it is well to explain that the
hire indicator H is also operated by the handle F so that when the distance
indicator is at work the hire indicator H shows back and front one being on each
side as marked in drawing Figure 4 the shaft h³ running through the cab but when
there is no fare in the cab it is turned down as shown by dotted lines H¹ which is
accomplished by the movement of the lever J. as the handle F is moved outwards
upon its fixed pivot K. We have now seen how motion is imported to the pulley E
on the main shaft of distance indicator and also how it is started or stopped at the
pleasure of the driver, we therefore now come to the clock work connected with

page_text: the main spindle 1 which carries the pulley E. The speed from the spindle 1 is
rapidly reduced by pinions and wheels through the spindles 2. 3 and 4 which drives
the centre spindle carrying the passenger indicator finger M The further spindle
6 is driven from spindle 5 by a pair of wheels. This spindle 6 carries pinion N
which drives the wheel P which is fast with the plate R. The plate R thus
revolves much slower than the finger M say five times slower thus while one
revolution of M indicates five miles, one revolution of R would indicate thirty-five
miles. Now upon the plate R an annular index paper R¹ fits and it is held by the
clutch S while the pricker T is brought forward to mark the dial shut R¹ by a thrust
of the drivers hand upon handle U which depresses the lever ▼ carrying the pin vl
which works upon the bent wire t¹ of pricker T the pricker being brought back by
the spring W. The pricker rod T also carries a rod X down to shaft 5 which slides
it along in a horizontal direction sufficiently to take wheel Y out of gear when the
spring Z carries the finger M back to zero. The dial R¹ has four journeys
indicated thereon viz:-zero to 1 = 2 and of a mile, 1 to 2 of a mile,
2- to 3 = 2 and of a mile and 3 to 4 = 4 and of a mile and their collective
total is 9 and of a mile as shown on inner edge of annular index.
-
At sixpence per mile the driver would receive for these four journeys six
shillings but the collective total distance of the four only gives five shillings at
the same rate which clearly illustrates the great advantage of this system. It will
thus be seen that when a fare hires the cab the finger M is at zero and as it would
be the drivers loss if he commenced or did any part of the journey without
throwing his clutch D into gear this will be done and the distance commences to
show upon the centre dial which may be arranged for any number of miles, when
the fare is settled the driver throws out the clutch D and pressed the handle U
which pricks the proprietors index paper R¹ and at the same time the finger M
comes back to zero and this is repeated each journey the outer index paper R¹
being removed each day as the face is covered and locked up with a suitable
door and is only accessible to an authorized person. The driving bands may
be of India-Rubber or other material with a wire or chain running through so
that they cannot be cut and the pulleys A, E and D may have shields partially
covering them to prevent the driving bands being slipped off or on as the case
may be.
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 -
The new or improved distance indicator for cabs and other vehicles having a
passenger and proprietors index arranged so that the number of journeys and
length of each journey are accurately indicated and also collectively registered
substantially. as herein set forth.
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for Applicant.