IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED IN OMNIBUSES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Carriage Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED IN
OMNIBUSES."A communication from abroad by Louis Auguste Gille and
François Beatry, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 18th February 1868, and dated the 21st August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st August 1867.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Carriage
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED
IN OMNIBUSES," a communication to me from abroad by Louis Auguste Gille and
François Beatry, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
Apparatus constructed according to this Invention can be conveniently
described as consisting of three parts; (1) the operating handle; (2) the
motion transmittors; and (3) the registering apparatus proper with visible
dials and signal bell or gong. The first is placed at any convenient part of
the omnibus, preferably at the back near to the step on which the conductor
usually stands. The second is led from the first by way of the frame or other
part of the vehicle to the third, which is placed in a conspicuous part so that
it can be easily seen. Two or more sets of transmitters and registering
apparatus can be used. When there are two rates of charges two complete

page_text: sets of apparatus would be required, and in this case it is advantages to have
corresponding or counterpart dials both inside and on the top of the omnibus.
The manner in which the registration is accomplished so as to secure a proper
indication of the number of passengers carried during a day or other longer
or shorter period is by the conductor moving a handle whenever a passenger
enters or leaves the omnibus or at a particular part of the journey, or the
passengers may move the handle if desired. The movement of the handle
is conveyed by the transmitters to the registering apparatus which each time
it is moved causes the next higher consecutive number to appear, and at
the same time to sound the bell or give an audible signal. In this way
the public are made, so to speak, to exercise a surveillance over the conductor.
As a result securing to the owner of the vehicle the full earnings, which he
ascertains by simply looking at the dial, and relieving the honest conductor
from suspicion.
"
In carrying the Invention into "operation the following as one of the most
advantageous arrangements is pursued. The operating handle is fitted in a slot
and is pushed or made to slide to one end to register one; a spring or balance
weight is provided to bring it back automatically into positions for the next
movement...A wheel or lever inside the frame in which the slot is formed is
made to rotate or move by the movement of the handle, and by sbafts and
gearing or other means the motion is conveyed to the registering apparatus
proper, where a trigger or trip piece sounds the bell. The said trigger or
another similar one takes into the teeth of a wheel on a shaft, and causes
both it and the shaft to make one-tenth part of a revolution. This shaft is
in the centre of the registering apparatus, and is fitted with a ratchet wheel
whereon a pawl falls to prevent it froin moving backwards. A disc on which
the numerals are formed is also secured on the said shaft and moves therewith,
so that each successive figúre is made to move round opposite to a glazed
opening large enough to allow only one figure to be seen at a time. To
register tens and hundreds, and higher numbers if required, in conjunction
with the units' disc other discs are employed. These surround the shaft above
mentioned, but are not secured thereto, and they receive motion at the proper
time by studs or levers, the tens from the shaft or the units' disc, the hundreds
from the tens, and so où upwards: Star wheels and studs can be conveniently
used for the tens and upwards discs.
4

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thiry-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Thomas, Her special license that I, the said William
Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigus, or such others as I,
the said William Thomas, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED
IN OMNIBUSES," the said Invention having been communicated to me from
abroad by Louis Auguste Gille and François, Beatry, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Thomas, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 1, the said William Thomas, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had, to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the figures and letters thereon, that is to say:
Apparatus constructed according to this Invention can be conveniently
described as consisting of three parts; (1) the operating handle; (2) the
notion transmitters; and (3) the registering apparatus proper with visible
ials and signal bell or gong. The first is placed at any convenient part of
he omnibus, preferably at the back near to the step on which the conductor
isually-stands, the-second is led from the first by way of the frame or other
art of the vehicle to the third, which is placed in a conspicuous part so that

page_text: it can be easily seen. Two or more sets of transmittors and registering
apparatus can be used. When there are two rates of charges two complete
sets of apparatus would be required, and in this case it is advantageous to have
corresponding or counterpart dials both inside and on the top of the omnibus.
The manner in which the registration is accomplished, so as to secure a
proper indication of the number of passengers carried during a day or other
longer or shorter period, is by the conductor moving the handle whenever a
passenger enters or leaves the omnibus, or at a particular part of the journey;
or the passengers may move the handle if desired. The movement of the
handle is conveyed by the transmitters to the registering apparatus, which
each time it is moved causes the next higher consecutive number to appear,
and at the same time to sound the bell or give an audible signal. In this way
the public are made, so to speak, to exercise a surveillance over the conductor.
As a result securing to the owner of the vehicle the full earnings, which he
ascertains by simply looking at the dial, and relieving the honest conductor
from suspicion.
The accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings contains various views of
an arrangement of mechanical parts or apparatus suitable for placing at the
back of an omnibus, the said apparatus being provided with two faces or sets
of dials, one to shew the numbers outside and another inside the omnibus.
This apparatus has been found after practical working to give entire- satis-
faction.
Fig. 1 is an exterior elevation; Fig. 2 a front elevation of the working parts,
the outside dials being removed; Fig.. 3 a plan; Fig. 4
front elevation
(part of the cover being removed) shewing the mode of transmitting motion
to the tens' dial from the units' dial, and of locking the apparatus; and Fig. 5
a front view of the dials, also shewing the manner of operating the tens' dial.
This apparatus is made to count forty-nine, and then lock itself, as will bere-
after appear, the object being to provide large easily distinguished numerals
by the use of simple mechanism, and to ensure frequent and attentive super-
vision on the part of the clerks or other persons in charge. In all these views
like letters are marked on the same parts.
a denotes the frame or enclosing case; b, the operating handle moving in
the slot c; b is attached to the lever'd fitted with the pall e, this pall pushes
round the notched wheel secured on the shaft g the distance between two
teeth, each time b is moved d moves freely on g. To bring b, d, and e back to
the position shewn on the Drawings, that is to say, back to their normal
positions and ready for another movement, the expansive energy of a com-
pressed coiled spring connected by a jointed rod and link i to d is employed.

page_text: On the shaft g a star wheel with ten teeth is fixed; this wheel moves round
one tooth every time 6 is depressed; is a round pall fixed on lever
controlled by a coiled spring, the object being to retain j in position, and
bring the dials shortly to be mentioned into their exact places. At the instant
one of the teeth of j escapes k the trigger 1 of the hammer m should be re-
leased, so as at the same time that the next consecutive number appears on
the dial the bell n shall be sounded. The trigger and hammer may be variously.
arranged, but it is of great importance that the registration and audible signal:
should be simultaneous. It may here be mentioned that the bell trigger,
spring, and hammer may be arranged in various ways. The shaft g has also
affixed to it, in addition to the parts above described, the units' dial, and parts
by which consecutive registration is effected; these dials are of novel con-
struction, the manner in which they are operated is also new. o is the units'
dial fixed as aforesaid to g; this dial consists of a plain disc with the numerals
formed thereon, such numerals reading either from right to left, or vice versa,
according to the direction in which it is rotated. p is the tens' disc, this sur-
rounds g, but is not affixed thereon; it consists of a flat disc pierced in five
places, so that the numerals on. the units' disc can be seen therethrough.
Motion is given to p as follows:-On the outer end of 9 there is a disc'q.
with one tooth or projection on its periphery, this gears with the notched wheel r
fixed on the spindle s; the said spindle passes through the frame a, and carries
another wheel t which gears with a wheel u secured near the centre of the said
tens' dial p, every time therefore q makes a revolution p is moved so as thereby
to shew either of the numerals 1, 2, 3, or 4 formed on its side, and during the
time each of these so-called "tens' numerals" appears at the opening v covered
by glass the units wheel makes an entire revolution, and in succession shews all
its numerals at the opening in p, and the two together exhibit numbers in
progressive order up to fifty. When the said registering mechanism has con-
secutively exhibited forty-nine, and another or fiftieth movement of the handle b
is made, the apparatus locks automatically by the means and in the manner
following: On the inside of the wheel r on its fifth tooth there is affixed a
small stud at, this (on the fiftieth movement of 6 being given as aforesaid)
comes into contact with the end of the click b¹, and disengages it from the
catch c', which up to that time it had supported c¹ is provided with a spring,
5 which tends to draw it downwards, so that the moment it is relieved from 6¹ it
falls down, and its notched end fits over one of the teeth of the wheelfand
prevents further movement. To set the apparatus the person in possession
of the proper key inserts it at the hole d¹, and lifts c¹ over 6¹ free from f.
With apparatus constructed in the manner described with the object of

page_text: shewing large nnmerals by simple apparatus, and the exhibiting of large
numerals, is one of the distinctive features of my Invention. It will be obvious,
and indeed this has already been indicated that frequent supervision by clerks
or others is necessary, in all cases such supervision is desireable. To these
clerks it is proposed the keys should be entrusted. But as an omnibus would
make a considerable number of journeys in a day, each with fifty or nearly
fifty passengers it is intended to use similar discs, but much smaller to those
above described, and to operate them by a hand or thumb nut so as to register
mechanically one for each journey of fifty, or motion can be given automatically
from the wheel r or other operating part to cause mechanical registration.
These parts are not shewn on the Drawings. It will be obvious that by a
train of wheels similar to those employed in gas or water meter indexes.the
number of passengers carried could be registered for a lengthened period.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and particularized
the same by details which in practice answer well, I would have it under-
stood that. various modifications may be made, without departing from those
features which distinguish the said Invention. What, I claim is,
First. The discs o, p, with numerals on their sides; constructed; and acting
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In combination with the said discs o, p, other dics or mechanical
registering apparatus to indicate the number of journeys an omnibus has run,
substantially as described.
And, third. The construction and arrangement of the parts of the apparatus
herein described and shewn on the Drawings, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM THOMAS. (L.S.)