IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE DISTANCES BY PERSONS TRAVELLING IN ANY VEHICLE, THE NUMBER OF TRAVELLERS, AND THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED BI THE VEHIC SHICLE ITSELF.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bezer, of 19, Turner Road, Lee, Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE
DISTANCES BY PERSONS TRAVELLING IN ANY VEHICLE, THE NUMBER OF
TRAVELLERS, AND THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED
BI THE
VEHIC
SHICLE ITSELF.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bezer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th November 1872.
I, HENRY BEZER, of 19, Turner Road, Lee, Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING
THE DISTANCES BY PERSONS TRAVELLING IN ANY VEHICLE, THE NUMBER OF
TRAVELLERS, AND THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED BY THE VEHICLE ITSELF," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the distribution of electric wires herein-after.
described applied to vehicles whereby three kinds of marks are produced
upon paper, such marks representing respectively the number of persons
who have travelled by the vehicle, the distance each person has travelled

page_text: and the distance passed over by the vehicle itself, such marks being
produced upon paper, either through the agency of electro-magnets or
by the discoloration of chemically prepared paper moved forward at a
certain speed by a suitable clockwork arrangement, the wires which
produce the currents of electricity being connected by pressure from the
weight of a person or by the revolution of one of the wheels of the
vehicle.
To register the number of persons who have travelled by the vehicle I
employ the following arrangement:-To the flooring or other suitable
part of the vehicle at the place or places of ingress and egress of the
vehicle, and also to those parts of the vehicle by which a person gets to
and leaves the outside thereof, I fix the ends of wires necessary to
establish an electric current from a suitably placed modified Daniel's
sulphate battery, and these wires are brought into contact and the
circuit completed by the pressure of the weight of the person stepping
on to a piece of board forming a step, also fitted to the flooring or other
suitable part of the vehicle; this board works on a hinge or otherwise,
and is slightly raised from the flooring by a flat spring; one end of this
spring is fixed to the flooring, and to this end of the spring is attached
one of the wires, the other wire being fitted to that part of the flooring
which is immediately beneath the other end of the spring, so that when
the spring is pressed down by the weight of the person stepping upon
the board it comes into contact with the wire beneath it, and the
circuit is thus completed, a current is established, and the paper marked
so long only as the person stands upon the piece of board.
The distance travelled by each person in the vehicle is registered in
the following manner, videlicet, to each seat are brought wires necessary
to establish an electric current from the said battery, and similar spring
mechanism to that described for the entrances are applied thereto, each
piece of board in this case forming a false seat, so that by the pressure
of the weight of a person sitting upon the board the circuit is completed,
and a line is marked upon the paper so long only as the seat is occupied
so that the distance each person has travelled can be easily calculated.
The seats are provided with arms to prevent one person making two
contacts.
The mechanism for registering the distance passed over by the vehicle
may be as follows:-An india-rubber band is placed round the nave, say
of the hindmost wheel of the vehicle, and round a small wheel fitted to

page_text: the side or other suitable part of the vehicle, and in the centre of the
smaller wheel there is a pinion which revolves with it. The wheel of
the vehicle therefore turns the smaller wheel, the pinion of which turns
a cog wheel fitted to the vehicle. This cog wheel is furnished on its
outer edge (but free from the cogs) with a metal contact maker. Near
the circumference of the cog wheel are fixed the ends of two wires from
the battery for producing an electric current; these wires are met by
the contact maker at each revolution of the cog wheel by which the
circuit is completed, and the paper is marked so long as the contact
exists, thus enabling the distance which the vehicle has travelled to be
easily calculated.
All the marks herein-before described are produced by separate
markers arranged in a row across the paper in a straight line, so that
the lines denoting the distance travelled by each person run parallel to
each other, and the marks made by persons getting into or outside, and
leaving the vehicle precede each the other, and so that the distance line
is dotted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bezer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BEZER, of 19, Turner Road, Lee, Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Bezer, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Bezer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Bezer, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no.
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR REGISTERING THE DISTANCES BY PERSONS TRAVELLING IN ANY VEHICLE, THE

page_text: or
NUMBER OF TRAVELLERS, AND THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED BY THE VEHICLE ITSELF,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bezer, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bezer, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hercto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say
My Invention consists in the distribution or arrangement of electric
wires and mechanism in connection therewith, as herein-after described
and applied to vehicles whereby certain marks are produced upon
paper moved forward at a determined speed by clockwork to represent
respectively the number of persons who have travelled by a vehicle,
the distance each person has travelled, and the distance passed over
by the vehicle itself, such marks being produced upon the paper
either through the agency of electro-magnets or by the discoloration
of chemically prepared paper, the wires which conduct the currents
of electricity being connected by pressure from the weight of a person,
and by the revolutions of one of the wheels of the vehicle, and also by
the revolution of one of the wheels of the clockwork.
Firstly. Marks are produced by each person when in the act of getting
into, or outside of, or leaving the vehicle.
Secondly. Each person. after entering the vehicle produces a mark for
each unoccupied seat which he passes before taking a scat.
Thirdly. A line is produced by each person so long as that person
occupies a seat.
Fourthly. Marks are produced by the revolutions of one of the wheels
of the vehicle, or by the revolution of one of the wheels of the clock-
work. The above-described marks are made upon paper of the required a
form, either revolved on a dial, or moved forward on rollers at a
determined speed by a suitable arrangement of clockwork.

page_text: To register the number of persons who have travelled by a vehicle I
employ the following arrangement:-To an extra step (or more) above
each ordinary step forming approaches to and from a vehicle and also to
each ordinary step I fix the ends of wires necessary to set up an electric
current from a suitably placed battery, the circuit being completed by
the pressure of the weight of the person stepping on to a piece of board
or metal plate with which each step is furnished. These plates work on
hinges, or are otherwise suitably adjusted, and are each raised by a flat
spring. One end of the spring is fixed to the step, and to this end of
the spring is attached one of the wires from the battery, the other wire
being fitted to that part of the step which is immediately beneath the
other end of the spring, so that when the spring is pressed down by
the weight of the person stepping upon the plate the circuit is com-
pleted, a current is set up and the paper marked so long only as the
person stands upon the plate; directly the person leaves it the spring
returns to its normal position carrying the plate with it, and the circuit
is broken.
I construct the seats as shewn in side elevation and section at Figures
1 and 2 of the annexed Drawing. On the edge of the ordinary seats a
of an omnibus or tram car, I fix a stout round iron bar a acting as a pivot
and the whole length is then armed off at the desired intervals; between
the arms the improved seats are placed, these seats are constructed as
follows:-Extending to one half the breadth of the flooring 6 of the
vehicle is a footboard c, which is supported by a stout spring & beneath
it; to each side of this footboard I screw an angle iron e passing over
the said bar a and fixed to the side of the seat and supporting the
same; e¹, tie rod for extra strength. Above the seat fI fix a flap.g,
hinged at the back to the seat, and supported by a spring / fixed
between it and the seat f; a reversing spring contact i is fixed on the
centre of the seat f, and through this spring i is passed the double-headed
bolt j, also passing through the sents f and x, and through the spring k
attached underneath the seat x. To the said reversing contact-are
brought wires necessary to set up a current. By this arrangement,
when a person is in the act of taking his seat he steps upon the foot-
board c, depresses its spring d, and thereby raises the seat fat the back
and the tie bolt j, which brings with it the spring k below the seat, and
forces it against the spring k¹, and forces down the spring contact i,
thereby making contact and commencing to form a line upon the paper.

page_text: When the weight of the person is transferred from the footboard c to the
seat f the seat rocks back on the bar a, the flap 9 is depressed, meeting
and keeping down the spring i, thereby continuing the contact and the
line also. Each of the spring contacts has its own marker, so that
separate marks in the case of persons entering or leaving, and lines in
the case of persons sitting, arc produced upon the paper.
A modification of my improved seat is shewn in end elevation at
Figure 3. In this arrangement the back of the footboard c is hinged
to the side of the vehicle (or it may be to the flooring) and is connected
by a tie rod, shewn in dotted lines with the hinged flap or seat g, the
bar a not being required; similar spring conracts to those shewn in
Figure 2 are placed above and below the fixed seat, the said tie rod
taking the place of the double-headed bolt j, Figure 2.
The mechanism for registering the distance passed over by the vehicle
and the time occupied by the journey is as follows:-A V shaped
friction ring is placed round the nave of, say, the hindmost wheel of
the vehicle and works into a disc with a V cut circumference, which
has a long pinion, say, with eight teeth, and this pinion works into a
toothed wheel, the whole being supported in a moveable frame kept in
its place by a spiral spring pressing against a fixed arm from the spring
of the vehicle; the toothed wheel has a pin acting as a contact maker;
one of the wires from the battery is fixed to the frame, which is of
metal, and the other to an insulated flirt contact, so fixed that the pin
before referred to shall come into contact with it at each revolution of
the toothed wheel; there is also a marker for this contact. The wheel
of the vehicle makes a determined number of revolutions to one revo-
lution of the toothed wheel, which at each revolution marks the paper
as herein-before described; to find therefore the distance which the
vehicle has travelled multiply the circumference of the wheel of the
vehicle by the number of revolutions it makes to one revolution of
the toothed wheel, then multiply the product by the number of marks
upon the paper, and the product thereof will give the distance passed
over by the vehicle; any proportion of the marking will be the same
proportion of the distance, and thereby shew the arrival at any station
in the journey.
The paper. as herein-before described is moved forward at a deter-

page_text: I also provide a marker having a contact at certain intervals effected
by one of the wheels of the clockwork marking time upon the paper,
therefore the number of time marks will shew the time in which the
full or any part of the journey was performed.
I will now describe the arrangement of the needles or markers by
reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawing. All the markers are
arranged in a row, as shewn, across the paper in a straight line. 1, 1,
are the needles or markers, twelve only being shewn to avoid confusion;
they are mounted in a frame m, m, of insulating material, such as
ebonite, perforated to the size of the needles, so that the points of each
project below the said frame and come down upon the paper at right
angles. The outer end of a light spring n is passed through the eye at
the top of each needle; these springs force the needles forward as they
wear, and to each of these springs is brought a wire o necessary to set
up the separate electric currents required, as herein-before described.
The paper is placed on a metal dial p of suitable dimensions mounted
upon an axis p¹ and revolved by the clockwork, either by a suitable
train acting upon the said axis or by a friction gear acting upon the
periphery of the dial, the needles 1, 1, being placed upon it in the desired
position, the several contacts, as herein-before described, producing the
marks from the needles as the dial revolves. The sheet of paper may
be either chemically prepared before it is placed upon the dial or pass
under a felt roller charged with the chemicals.
I will now describe how the travel of paper may be increased at will
so as to obtain a greater speed when passengers are entering and leaving
or changing seats, thereby more clearly shewing the marks made. Round
the dial p (or the outside edge of a metal drum, if the paper be supplied
by rollers,) I cut a number of notches at definite intervals. In these
notches drops the catch 8 of a lever & proceeding from the armature &² of a
magnet t. This lever pivots at t¹, so as to be raised from out the notches r
by the magnet t, and lowered by the spiral spring & directly the current
ceases. Spring contacts for this magnet, to be made by similar spring
mechanism to that herein-before described, are also placed at each of
the steps, and contact is made at the rocking seats by the springs k
and ¹. There is also a contact at the distance wheel, it therefore
follows that when there is no contact the lever is in position in one of
the notches of the dial, thereby stopping the travel of the paper. When
the distance wheel has accomplished its given number of revolutions-

page_text: and contact takes place, the lever is raised and the paper begins to
move, and will move so long as the lever is raised. If then for pro-
ducing the desired extra speed to shew the steps and changes of seat
marks more clearly the paper be set to move at the rate of two inches
per minute or one hundred and twenty in the hour, and the vehicle is
travelling at the rate of six miles per hour, and it is desired to produce
contact at every eighty-eight yards, which would give one hundred and
twenty contacts in the hour, I cut a notch at each eighth of an inch of
the periphery of the dial or drum, each notch being an eighth of an inch
broad, the catch of the lever filling up the space between them, then
the distance marks would be contained in fifteen inches of paper.
When the magnet is brought into play by any of the step or rocking
seat contacts the paper moves so long as such contact or contacts exist,
so that if the movements of one or more passengers occupy one minute
two inches of paper would be marked. When a roll of paper is employed
and moved forward by the clockwork arrangement it is supplied by a
reservoir of suitable chemicals continually flowing through a syphon
into a bath, through which the paper passes. It will be understood that
the required number of rollers for moving the paper forward are driven
by the clockwork; one of these is a metal drum, and when a current
is set up by the weight of a person or by the wheel of the vehicle, or by
the wheel of the clockwork, it flows from the needle through the paper
to the drum, the needle parting with its oxide and marking the paper.
To destroy the superfluous. oxidation of the needles the spring contacts
are so arranged in the ordinary manner as to reverse the current. To
overcome any irregularities on the surface of the paper, and also to
economise the battery, I employ a lifting gear placed under the
springs n, the side bars u² of the lifting gear pivot at u¹, and carry an
armature v worked by an electro-magnet v², contact being made by one
of the wheels of the clockwork at intervals. (Or the lifting gear may be
worked at intervals by the clockwork only.) By this arrangement all
the needles are continuously raised and lowered. The whole is enclosed
in a case q, and to the lid q³ of the case is fitted the frame containing the
needles, the magnet which lifts the needles, the upper friction wheel if
friction gear be used, and the charged felt roller; consequently when the
lid of the case is hinged back at q³ the dial will be left free and can be
easily removed and replaced by another or be supplied with another
sheet of paper; upon shutting to the lid the apparatus is again ready
for work.

page_text: From the arrangements herein-before described it will be seen, by
reference to Figure 7 (which represents the paper), that the marks
caused by the entrance of a person will follow up to and be followed by
a mark for each unoccupied seat which he passed, ending by a line
commenced for the seat taken by the person, and also that the mark or
mark's caused by the person leaving the scat would follow from the
termination of the said line. Should such mark or marks lead up to a
line commenced upon the paper it would be evident that the
to change seats, the line commenced shewing which seat was taken.
person rose
The arrival at each station in the journey may also be shewn by a
mark produced from a needle having contact to be effected by hand
pressure by the conductor, which marks could be checked by comparison
with the time marks.
If this arrangement be preferred the wheel
mechanism for registering distance may be dispensed with.
1
To allow of the marks or diagram produced by my improved apparatus.
being clearly understood I will describe the same by reference to Figure 7.
1, 1, shew the position of the needles on the sheet of paper placed as
herein-before described on the dial. The two first or upper needles
are the markers for the steps, the next eight needles are the markers for
the scats, and the last two needles are the markers for time and distance
respectively. The first passenger entering the vehicle and treading on
the steps causes the two first needles to produce the two marks a, a, and
on the passenger taking the first seat in the vehicle a line is commenced
at b, and continued until it reaches c, when the passenger alights, as
shown by the marks d, d, produced by the step markers. The second
passenger produces similar step marks to the first passenger, as shewn
at a, a, and taking the second scat a line is commenced at e, and is
continued. The third passenger causing the usual step marks, as shewn
at a², a², passes four unoccupied seats, as indicated by the marks at 1,
2, 3, 4, and on taking bis seat a line is commenced at fand continued
to g, when the passenger rises, and passing an unoccupied seat, as shewn
by the mark at 5, again seats himself, a line being commenced at h
and continued. A fourth passenger making the usual step marks, as
shewn at a³, as, passes two unoccupied seats, as indicated by the marks
at 6 and 7, and on taking his seat a line is commenced at i and con-
tinued to j; the passenger then changes his seat, as shewn by the marks
at 8 and 9, and takes the first seat, a line being commenced at k, and
continued. A fifth passenger entering the vehicle, as shewn, by the step
•

page_text: marks at a, a, takes the first unoccupied seat, as seen by the line com-
menced at 1, and continued. The dots or marks made by the two
lower needles represent respectively distance and time, as herein-before
described. The cessation of the distance dots between m and n shews
how long the vehicle stopped. The paper on the drawing is supposed
to be still moving, and cach passenger on alighting would make similar
step marks to those shewn at d. When the paper is moved forward on
rollers it will be understood that the lines and marks produced by the
needles will be in parallel straight lines instead of in concentric circles,
as herein-before described and shewn in Figure 7.
Having thus described my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein laid down, as the same may be varied without
departing from the principle of the Invention; but what I claim is,―
First. The general arrangement and construction of apparatus for
registering the distances by persons travelling in any vehicle, the number
of travellers, and the distances travelled by the vehicle itself, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The construction and employment of rocking seats, as
shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Thirdly. The employment of a spring footboard operating upon a
spring seat, as shewn in Figure 3.
Fourthly. The use of needles as markers, and the arrangement by
which they are kept at right angles with the paper; also the arrange-
ment of gear for raising the needles at intervals, as herein-before
described.
Fifthly. The employment of a lever acting upon the periphery of a
metal dial or a metal drum, and operated by the movement of passengers,
and operated also either by the revolution of one of the wheels of the
vehicle or by the revolution of one of the wheels of the clockwork,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Sixthly. The combination and application of markers with wires from
a battery with a metal dial or a metal drum carrying chemically pre-
pared paper moved forward by clockwork for the purposes herein-before
described.

page_text: Seventhly. The peculiar distribution of wires connected by spring
mechanism for conducting the separate electric currents, as herein-before
described.
Eighthly. The arrangement of spring reversing contacts whereby the
marks are instantaneously suspended when required, as herein-before
described.
Ninthly. The producing a diagram shewing the time and place of
entry into a vehicle, the movements if any while in the vehicle, and the
time and place of exit from the vehicle of each passenger, whereby
the amount of each separate fare can be ascertained, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bezer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
4, South St. Finsbury.
HENKY BEZER. (L.S.)