IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR ISSUING AND RECORDING THE NUMBER AND PRICES OF TICKETS ISSUED IN PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND PLACES OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Pierce Power, of No. 72, Mortimer Street, Cavendish
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MECHANISM FOR ISSUING AND RECORDING THE NUMBER AND PRICES
OF TICKETS ISSUED IN PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND PLACES OF PUBLIC
AMUSEMENT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Pierce Power at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1881.
JOHN PIERCE POWER, of No. 72, Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR ISSUING AND RECORDING
THE NUMBER AND PRICES OF TICKETS ISSUED IN PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND
PLACES OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT.”
This Invention relates to a method of and apparatus for recording on tickets the
fares, and on those of admission to public buildings the amount of money paid, and
(in the case of fares) showing the particular district or section of the journey in
which the ticket has been issued, and indicating on the apparatus the number of
and the several values of the tickets issued from the apparatus.
For this purpose I provide a hollow casing, through the top of which pass any
suitable number of small wires or rods, which I will call finger rods, the lower ends
of which are provided with stamps, which may be of india rubber (or other elastic
material) or of wood or metal. The finger rods are maintained in a raised or
normal position by means of helical springs. At the bottom of the casing I provide
a receptacle for the tickets to be issued, which tickets may be of ordinary material,
or have undergone some known chemical or electrical preparation, and which tickets
are kept pressed upwards by means of a spring placed underneath them. The
finger rods are all connected together within the casing by a cross bar, but so that
each finger rod may work freely within the same. Each finger rod is provided
with a lug or projection, which upon being pressed down bears on the cross bar, to
each end of which is connected a vertical toothed pawl or rack which gear into
PQ71

page_text: ratchet wheels, these latter in their turn gearing into teeth formed in two of the
edges of a thin metal plate, which in its travel pushes the ticket to be issued partly
out of the apparatus.
When any one of the finger rods is pressed down the stamp at the lower end
thereof stamps a ticket, upon which the lug or projection forces down the cross bar,
which carries with it the vertical toothed pawls or racks, thus causing the ratchet
wheel to perform part of a revolution, in the course of which it operates the dis-
placement of the metal plate so as to partly push forward out of the apparatus the
ticket just previously operated upon.
Upon the pressure being taken off the finger rod the several parts spring back to
their normal position ready for a fresh stamping and issuing operation.
For the purpose of marking on the ticket the stage of the district where such
ticket is issued (simultaneously with the before mentioned operation), I provide
within the casing a wheel having the required stamps or perforators at suitable
parts of its circumference. The wheel is connected with one of the toothed pawls
or racks, so as to rise and fall with it. By means of a handle or other communi-
cator on the outside of the apparatus the stamp or perforator is set lowermost, so
as that on the descent of the toothed pawl or rack the wheel, and with it the
particular stage of the district, will descend and be marked on the ticket.
The number of and the several values of the tickets is recorded on dials within
the apparatus, there being a set of dials to each finger rod to indicate units, tens,
hundreds, and so on respectively. The recording mechanism is operated by a
projection on each of the finger rods, which upon rising from each descent takes
into a toothed wheel, causing it to revolve a certain distance, and thereby, by means
of a pointer in connection therewith, indicate a unit on the unit dial. When, ten
units have been recorded a second wheel, put in operation by the unit wheel, causes
a pointer in connection therewith to indicate 10 on the second dial, and so on with
respect to the dial indicating hundreds, &c., &c.
A bell or gong can be attached if desired, so as to sound simultaneously with the
before mentioned operation.
It will be seen that by means of this apparatus a uniform style of ticket can be
used for various fares or prices.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Pierce Power in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1882.
JOHN PIERCE POWER, of 72, Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square, in the County
of Middlesex. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR ISSUING AND RECORDING
THE NUMBER AND PRICES OF TICKETS ISSUED IN PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND
PLACES OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT."
This Invention relates to a method of and apparatus for recording on tickets
the fares, and on those of admission to public buildings the amount of money paid,
and (in the case of fares) showing the particular date and district or section of the
journey in which the ticket has been issued, and indicating on the apparatus the
number and the several values of the tickets issued from the apparatus, which I
will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying three Sheets of illus-
trative Drawings, in which similar figures of reference indicate like parts. Fig. 1
is a front elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this Invention.
Fig. 2 represents in front elevation a modification of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a
side elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan of the ticket receptacle; Fig. 5 is a back
view of the apparatus with the back recording plate removed; Fig. 6 is an inside
view of the back plate, to which is fitted the recording mechanism. I provide a
hollow casing or frame 1, through the top of which pass any suitable number
(within moderate limits) of small wires or rods 2, which I will call finger rods, the
lower ends of which are provided with stamps 3, which may be of india-rubber or
other elastic material, or of wood or metal. The finger rods are maintained in
their raised or normal position by means of the helical springs 4 on the finger rods,
and similar springs 5 placed within the hollow columns or stays 6, which latter
serve to maintain the top and bottom parts of the casing 1 in position. At the
bottom of the casing 1 I provide a receptacle for the tickets to be issued, which are
kept pressed in an upward direction by means of a spring placed underneath them.
The finger rods are all connected together within the casing or frame by a cross
plate or bar 8, but so that each finger rod may work through apertures freely
within the same. Each finger rod is provided with a lug or projection 2, which upon
being pressed down bears on the cross plate or bar 8, to each end of which is
connected a vertical toothed pawl or rack 9, the lower end of which passes through
a slot in the bottom plate of the apparatus; and the teeth of which would be seen
from the back of the apparatus' when the recording plates are removed. These
racks gear into toothed pinions 10 fixed on the spindle 11, which turns in bearings
fixed on either side of the apparatus to the bottom plate of the casing 1. The
toothed pinions 10 when turning give motion to toothed wheels 10x, which in their
turn gear into teeth 12 formed on the upper surface of a thin metal pusher plate 13,
which is loosely connected to a second pusher plate 14 by means of two pins or
studs 15, the pusher plate 14 in its travel pushing forward the tickets to be issued
partly out of and at the front of the apparatus. When any one of the finger rods
is pressed down, the lug or projection first forcing down the cross plate or bar 8,
and with it the vertical toothed racks 9, to perform part of a revolution in the
course of which they (by turning the spindle on which the toothed wheels 10x are
fixed) operate the displacement in a horizontal direction of the plate 13, and with
it the plate 14 (in front of which is the ticket to be issued), so as to partly push
forward out of the apparatus the ticket just previously operated upon. Upon the
pressure being taken off the finger rod, the same, together with the cross plate or

page_text: bar 8, and the other parts connected thereto, springs back to its normal position
(the position shewn in the Drawing) ready for a fresh stamping and issuing
operation. For the purpose of marking on the tickets simultaneously with the
before-mentioned operation the stage of the journey in which they were issued,
the number of the journey, and the date of the journey, I provide within the casing
and fixed so as to be capable of turning on the spindle 16 five separate wheels 17,
18, 19, 20, and 21, bearing the required stamps at equidistant points of their
peripheries, say, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, for the number of the journey, and A, B, C, D, for
the several stages for dating the tickets, the wheels 19, 20, and 21, bear respec-
tively the figures (units and tens) and months. For the purpose of correctly
setting the various stamping wheels, I provide on the spindle 16 a loose sleeve 17
on which the stage wheel 18 is fixed. On the same sleeve are two toothed
wheels 23 and 24, the former being attached to number wheel 17, and turning
freely on the sleeve 17x, the latter, together with wheel 18, being fixed to the
sleeve. On the end of a spindle which turns in bearings 25 attached to the cross
plate or bar are two wheels 26 and 27, wheel 26 having one tooth only, and
wheel 27 being provided with teeth round its periphery, as is also wheel 24.
Upon turning the handle 22; the wheel 27 causes wheel 24 to turn, and with it the
stage wheel 18, so that any one of the letters on said wheel may be brought
undermost. The wheel 26 is provided with one tooth only, and wheel 23 with the
same number of teeth as there are figures on the number wheel. Consequently,
supposing the stage wheel carries from letter stamp A, B, C, D, to represent four
stages in a journey, the number wheel would only have to turn the distance of one
figure when the stage had performed one revolution. The three date wheels 19,
20, and 21, turn with considerable friction on the spindle 16, and are set by hand
every day, for which purpose the outer casing of the machine is unlocked. The
number of tickets issued and their several values are recorded on dials 28, there
being a set of three dials to each finger rod, the upper dial indicating units, the
middle one tens, and the lower one bundreds. The recording mechanism is operated
by a finger or lever projecting from each of the finger rods which takes into a tooth
wheel at the back of the unit dial, causing the pointer of the said dial to turn a
certain distance on its centre, thereby indicating a unit on the unit dial. When
ten units have been recorded on the upper dial, a wheel at the back of the middle
dial receives motion to the extent of a figure representing ten from the wheel of the
-unit dial-by-means-of-a-single-long-tooth-on-the-periphery_of_the_unit dial, and so
on with respect to the lower dial indicating hundreds. In Fig. 1 are shewn two sets
of dials, and two other sets may be supposed to be on the back face of the apparatus,
thus allowing for four finger rods instead of two, as shewn. Each set of three
dials is arranged on a thin metal plate fixed to the top and bottom plates, which
with the dial plates form the casing or frame of the apparatus. Only one set of
figures is shewn, the other dials being set out in a precisely similar manner.
Referring to the modified apparatus, as represented in Figs. 2 & 3, the finger rods
are shortened, so that when in their normal position their lowest points just touch
the cross plate or bar 8. When the said finger rods are severally pressed down
their ends pass through slots a in the cross plate or bar 8 until the projecting
studs b bear upon the cross plate or bar 8, carrying it down until the end of the
particular finger rod which is being operated bears upon the cross plate or bar 8*
carrying both cross plates or bars downward in a sliding movement over the
columns c, and with them the whole of the stamping apparatus, until it reaches the
surface of the ticket in front of the pusher plate 14 (shewn in Fig. 1). Instead of
the spiral spring within the hollow columns 6 for bringing back the cross bar 8 to
its normal position (see Fig. 1), in this modification I provide within the case ca
coil spring, an end of which is attached to the spindle & and the other end to a
fixed point within the casing, so that it tends to maintain the spindle d in one
position. On each end of the spindle d is fixed a pitch chain wheel e, to the
circumference of which (at x, see Fig. 3) one end of a pitch chain is attached,

page_text: whence it passes over the wheel c, thence over the wheels F, g, H, I, where its end
is connected to the end of a stud which passes freely through the cross plate or
bar 8, and is fixed, by rivetting or otherwise, to the cross plate or bar 8*. At the
pitch chain is connected by means of the attachment to the pusher plate 13,
which pushes the tickets partly out of the machine after stamping them; thus
when the cross plates or bars are pushed downward the pitch chain travels with
them, and in its movement carries with it the pusher plate 13 until it uncovers so
much of the ticket holder beneath as to allow a ticket to be pressed against the
bottom plate of the machine, simultaneously with which the stamp wheels descend,
stamp the tickets which have been pressed upwards, and in springing back draws
back the pusher plate 13, which pushes the ticket partly out of the apparatus. In
order to stamp the value of each fare on the several tickets instead of the stamps
at the end of the finger rods I fix an additional stamping wheel 18* on the stamp
spindle 16, which is operated by the cross plate or bar 8 through the connecting
links, toothed quadrant m, and pinion n on the spindle 16, the particular fare
stamped on the ticket depending on the height of the stud b on the several finger
rods; thus each finger rod would be for different fare. The stamp wheels are
inked by the pad 29, which is hung by two side rods o, adjustable by means of
the nuts p (only one side rod and nut shewn in the Drawing), the frame of the
pad being connected to each of the side rods by a cranked lever q. In its normal
position the inking pad is pressed up against the stamp wheels, and falls away from
them by gravity when the cross plate or bars are pressed down. The ticket
receptacle is provided with three compartments for holding tickets; it may be
hinged to the bottom plate of the apparatus, and fastened by a catch; r is a flange,
to the upper surface of which is fastened a bovilled plate 8, by means of which the
receptacle may turn, as on a pivot in the rim T, for the purpose of bringing each
compartment under the stamps at will. The rim t is fastened on to the flange by
the screw n. When the last ticket has been pushed up out of any one of the
compartments, the upper extremity of the spring being free enters the pusher
plate 13 and retains it, by which the operator may know that the whole of the
tickets in that particular compartment have been exhausted.
The remaining
portion of the ticket receptacle is described with reference to Fig. 1 of the Drawings.
The recording mechanism, according to this modification, consists of dials carried
on the outside of the back plate, the pointers of which are operated from the cross
spindle which carries the two quadrants m. When any one of the finger rods is
pressed down fingers or pins w fixed on the said spindle operate a corresponding
pawl and ratchet mechanism x, y, z, which can only work in one direction by
reason of the action of the catch lever z. As in the case of stamping the fares the
studs h on the finger rods regulate the working of each of the unit dials (the
bottom ones) by the circumferential travel of the spindle, and with it the fingers
or pins on its circumference; for instance, on pressing down the 1st finger rod the
corresponding finger on the spindle will operate the 1st unit dial. I provide a
lock up case for covering the apparatus when in use, the back and front of which
may be opened by turning on hinges for the purpose of inking the pad and
arranging the stamp wheels for commencing each day's work.
Having now described my Invention, and the method of carrying it into effect,
I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. The arrangement of mechanism for simultaneously stamping on tickets
the date of issue, the stage or section of the journey, the number of the journey,
and the amount of the fare paid, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2
to 6 inclusive of the Drawings.
Second. The combination of the apparatus, the receptacle for tickets, and the
method of feeding them to the apparatus, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, as regards the apparatus
properly so called, and with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the Drawing.
Third. The general construction and arrangements of the whole of the apparatus,

page_text: substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pierce Power, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JNO. P. POWER. (L.S.)