IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CABS, HACKNEY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES, TO INDICATE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS CARRIED, THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED, AND THE AMOUNT OF FARES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Moritz Auerbach, of the City of London, Commission
Merchant and Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
APPLIED TO CABS, HACKNEY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES, TO
INDICATE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS CARRIED, THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED, AND
THE AMOUNT OF FARES."-A communication from abroad by Eduard
Schroder and Julius Amuel, both of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 1st May 1860, and dated the 26th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Moritz Auerbach at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
November 1859.
I, MORITZ AUERBACH, of the City of London, Commission Merchant and
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CABS, HACKNEY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER SIMILAR
VEHICLES, TO INDICATE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS CARRIED, THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED,
AND THE AMOUNT OF FARES," (a communication to me from abroad by Eduard
Schroder and Julius Amuel, both of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,) to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus to be applied to cabs, hackney
carriages, and such other vehicles as are hired to drive from place to place at
the option of the passenger or passengers, and are paid at a fixed rate of so
much per mile, and has for its object to afford to the proprietor of the vehicle
a certain check against the receipts of the driver of the same, and to protect

page_text: the public against being overcharged. The apparatus is provided with two
dials, one of which is always at "zero" when the cab or vehicle is empty,
whether the same be moving or stationary; but on one or more persons
getting into the vehicle, the apparatus connected with this dial is thrown into
gear, and at the end of the journey or drive will indicate in figures or letters
the exact fare to be paid according to the distance travelled and the number
of persons carried, returning to "zero" as soon as the passengers all alight.
The other dial is for the proprietor, and only indicates "zero" at the com-
mencement of the day's work. It adds all the fares indicated by the other
dial together, and at the end of the day's work indicates the sum of all the
fares received. The apparatus consists principally of a suitable arrangement
of toothed gearing actuated by an endless chain passing round a grooved
pulley, and driven by the nave of one of the wheels for indicating the distance
travelled. The apparatus is thrown into gear by a person occupying a seat in
the vehicle (being connected to the seat), and continues in action so long as
the seat is occupied. It may also be connected to the floor of the vehicle, so
as not to remain inactive should the passenger or passengers choose to stand.
The seats of the vehicle are constructed so as to turn on a hinge at the front,
and are (when unoccupied) raised out of the horizontal position by a spring,
and when in this position hold the counting apparatus out of gear, but upon a
passenger occupying a seat, the weight of the passenger brings the seat into
the horizontal position, and thus puts the apparatus in action. The floor of
the vehicle may also be made capable of a slight motion in a vertical direction
for the same purpose. The precise construction of the counting apparatus
will, of course, depend on the tariff of fares which may be adopted, and it may
easily be so arranged as to indicate the number of seats occupied, as well as
the distance travelled, and add the amount of extra fare (if any) on to the
ordinary fare for the distance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Moritz Auerbach in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30
26th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MORITZ
AUERBACH, of the City of London, Commission Merchant and Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Moritz Auerbach, Her special licence that I, the said Moritz
Auerbach, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Moritz Auerbach, 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-
PROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CABS, HACKNEY CARRIAGES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR VEHICLES, TO INDICATE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS CARRIED, THE DISTANCE
TRAVELLED, AND THE AMOUNT OF FARES," being a communication to me from
abroad by Eduard Schroder and Julius Amuel, both of Berlin, in the Kingdom.
of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Moritz:
Auerbach, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
or 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 Moritz Auerbach, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say-
This Invention relates to an apparatus to be applied to cabs, hackney car-
riages, and such other vehicles as are hired to drive from place to place, at the
option of the passenger or passengers, and are paid at a fixed rate of so much
per mile; and has for its object to afford to the proprietor of the vehicle a
certain check against the receipts of the driver of the same, and to protect the
public against being overcharged. The apparatus is provided with two dials,
one of which is always at "zero" when the cab or vehicle is empty, whether
the same be moving or stationary, but on one or more persons getting into the
vehicle the apparatus connected with this dial is thrown into gear, and at the
end of the journey or drive will indicate in figures, or letters, or both, the exact
fare to be paid, according to the distance travelled and the number of persons
carried, returning to "zero" as soon as the passengers all alight; the other
dial is for the proprietor, and only indicates "zero" at the commencement of
the day's work. It adds all the fares indicated by the other dial together, and

page_text: at the end of the day's work indicates the sum of all the fares received. The
apparatus consists principally of a suitable arrangement of toothed gearing
actuated by an endless chain passing round a grooved pulley, and driven by the
nave of one of the wheels for indicating the distance travelled. This appa-
ratus is thrown into gear by a person occupying a seat in the vehicle (being
connected to the seat), and continues in action so long as the seat is occupied.
It may also be connected to the floor of the vehicle, so as not to remain inac-
tive, should the passenger or passengers choose to stand. The seats of the
vehicles are constructed so as to turn on a binge at the front, and are (when
unoccupied) raised out of the horizontal position by a spring, and when in this
position hold the counting apparatus out of gear; but upon a passenger occupying
a seat, the weight of the passenger brings the seat into the horizontal position,
and thus puts the apparatus in action. The floor of the vehicle may also be
made capable of slight motion in a vertical direction for the same purpose.
The precise construction of the counting apparatus will of course depend on
the tariff of fares which may be adopted, and it may easily be so arranged as to
indicate the number of seats occupied as well as the distance travelled, and
add the amount of extra fare (if any) on to the ordinary fare for the distance.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more in detail the manner of carrying the same into practical effect;
and for the sake of clearly illustrating the same, I have annexed hereunto two
Sheets of Drawings, representing various views of the apparatus as arranged
for a cab or other similar vehicle having only two seats.
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of this apparatus with
one of the ends removed, in order to show the internal construction, and
Figure 2 is a vertical section through about the centre of the same. In these
two views the apparatus is shown as out of gear, or in the position it assumes
when the vehicle is unoccupied. Figures 1* and 2* are similar views of the
apparatus when in gear, or as it would appear when the vehicle is occupied ;
Figure 3 is a section taken through about the line A, B, in Figure 1; and
Figure 4 is a section through about the line C, D, in the same Figure. In
Sheet 2 of the Drawings, Figure 5 is a section taken through about the line
E, F, in Figure 1; Figures 6 and 7 are similar views taken through about
the lines G, H, and I, K, in the same Figure; Figures 8 and 9 are similar
views to Figure 4, but with the apparatus in a different position; and Figure 5*
is a similar view to Figure 5, also in a different position; Figure 10 being
a detached view of part of the mechanism. a, a, represents the casing of the
apparatus. A chain roller is connected to each seat in such a manner that by
turning the scat from the vertical into the horizontal position, its corresponding

page_text: roller shall be turned half round by means of an endless chain. These chain
rollers serve also for excentrics to actuate the rods c, Figure 3. If both
seats be occupied, the turning of these excentrics brings the rods b and c, the
levers and c', and connecting rods 6" and c¹, and the segments A and B
(Figure 5), out of the position shown in Figures 3 and 5 into the position
shown in Figure 4. But if only one seat be occupied, the rods, levers, and
segments assume the position shown in Figure 8 or Figure 9, according as
the passenger may take either the one or the other seat.
The object of this motion of the connecting rods is, firstly, to shut up 4 or
8 spaces of the peg circle C according as there are one or two seats occupied ;
and, secondly, to couple the three-armed ratchet lever D (Figure 6), with the
ratchet wheel E, (Figure 5). The latter is effected by the motion of the
levers c' or ', or both, at the same time acting on small pins (Figure 3), the
wheel is moved a fourth part round. This latter turns the spindle F by
means of pinion G, and by the turning of spindle F the clutch box G* is
brought out of position (Figure 1) into the position (Figure 1*), and at the
same time the bracket m (Figure 5), fixed to wheel E, is brought into a
level with star wheel o, and the catch is also brought into the level of the
peg circle C. The segment 9 on pinion G is to hold the spindle F steady,
and prevent the shaking of the vehicle from moving it too much, or causing
it to make incorrect movements. When the vehicle is occupied and begins to
move, the chain roller L is put into motion by the nave of the carriage
wheel by means of an endless chain, and the three-armed lever L and the
three-armed ratchet D are caused to vibrate to and fro by the crank N, and
as the ratchet D is coupled with wheel E, it must move accordingly. At the
first forward motion of the wheel E, the bracket m lays itself behind the fixed
stud n (Figure 5), whereby the wheel E is prevented from following the
backward motion of the three-armed ratchet D, which latter in returning will
shift as many teeth backwards on the wheel E as the wheel E had gone forward
with it. The same will be repeated at the second forward and backward
Whilst the
motion, the bracket m laying itself behind second stud n².
bracket m proceeds, passing through the space between the studs n and n¹, it
turns at the same time the star wheel O one tooth, and this motion is trans-
mitted by the spindle and pinion P (Figure 7) to the large spur wheel Q,
which transmission is repeated as often as the bracket m travels round the
circumference of the peg circle C. By the third and following forward and
backward motion of ratchet D, the catch prevents the backward motion of
the wheel E. At each forward motion the catch / slips past one peg, and lays
itself into the following space; if therefore ratchet D moves forward and back-

page_text: ward past six spaces, the wheel E follows just as many forwards, but only
five backwards; the wheel E therefore at every forward and backward motion of
ratchet D comes one tooth further round, and the bracket m only catches
again into the star wheel O after so many forward and backward motions of
ratchet D as the peg circle has open spaces. If on the contrary a space is
closed, the catch 7 prevents the backward turning entirely, and the wheel E
turns five spaces farther forward than if the space had been open; and as
the spaces are closed by the seats in the carriage acting on the segments
A and B, the wheel F will therefore accomplish its revolution in as much
shorter distances as there are seats filled in the vehicle.
The wheel Q (see enlarged view Figure 10) has two sets of teeth, which
stand side by side. The pinion P catches into the larger teeth, and with the
smaller steel teeth S, S, which are separately fixed at intervals, only it gears
with the steel pinion R. The triangle on the pinion R answers the same
purpose as the segment on pinion G, and slides along the periphery**of the
brass ring on the wheel Q. The number of the steel teeth S on the wheel Q,
and the spaces in the brass ring, and the distance from each other, is to be
arranged according to the tariff, the number and distances of which (teeth and
spaces) may at any time easily be altered if an alteration in the tariff
should be deemed necessary. The tariff is proposed to be arranged in a
progressive manner, so that the passengers travel in proportion more advan-
tageously the longer they make use of the vehicle.
The steel pinion R imparts its motion by means of wheel R* (Figure 7) to
the dial T, and this dial T works the ratchet wheel U by means of a catch P
(Figure 6) the dial T indicates the fares on one side for the passengers, and on
the other for the driver, and the dial attached to the wheel U (which follows
the motion of the dial T by means of the catch p) is prevented by the holding
ratchet 'from following the backward motion of the dial T, and indicates the
receipts for the proprietor, and transmits the same in shillings to the toothed
dial X by means of pinion W, in the same way as the wheel Q transmits its
motion to the dial T by the pinion R.
As soon as the passengers have alighted the wheel H is brought back by the
spring into its original position, and the pinion G and spindle F are, by
means of the wheel H, again brought back into the position of Figure 3, and
thus by means of the clutch box G* the ratchet D is withdrawn from contact
with the wheel E. The wheel E is now, by the weight of the bracket m and
catch 1, so turned, that the bracket m catches at the beginning of the next
journey again directly into the star wheel O, in order to indicate always
beforehand the fare of one journey.

page_text: When the coupling between D and E is thrown out of gear, there is at the
same time (by means of a bolt s) a coupling effected between the three-armed
lever Land the wheel Q, and as soon as the empty carriage begins to drive on,
the bolts lays itself at each upward motion of the three-armed lever behind
one of the teeth on the face of the wheel Q, and moves (by the downward
motion) the wheel Q, and thereby and by means of the pinion R, brings the
dial T back to 0 (zero); but in order that the dials may not go further back
than they have advanced, there is one space between the teeth on the face of
the wheel Q larger than the stroke of the crank N, so that the bolts cannot
catch any tooth further on the wheel Q, and the dials will then remain inactive.
As then, by driving empty, the dial T returns to 0 (zero), but the dials V and
X can only be turned forwards and not backwards, they the dials V and X
denote the sums of all that has been indicated during the day, and afford thus
to the proprietor a sure check against the driver.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for "Im-
proved Apparatus to be applied to Cabs, Hackney Carriages, and other similar
Vehicles, to indicate the Number of Persons carried, the Distance travelled,
and the Amount of Fares," together with the manner of carrying the same into
practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as the Invention
communicated to me, the apparatus or mechanism above described and shewn
in the Drawings, or any mere modification thereof by which the same ends
may be attained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moritz Auerbach, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
MORITZ AUERBACH. (L.s.)
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT, Sol and Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.