Improvements in Fare Indicators for Cabs and other like Conveyances.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fare Indicators for Cabs and other like
Conveyances.
I OTTO_SCHNEIDER, of 50 Rudersdorferstrasse, Berlin in the Empire of
Germany Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to improvements in fare indicators for cabs and
other like conveyances by means of which those disadvantages are obviated which
have attended the employment of the apparatus of this description as heretofore
constructed.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates in section the air pump
cylinder and mechanism for actuating the air pump by means of the nave of the
vehicle.
Figure 2 represents the said air pump and mechanism in side elevation.
Figure 3 illustrates in section the connecting mechanism between the time and
distance indicators.
Figure 4 represents in section a device employed in transmitting motion to the
indicator.
Figures 5, 6 & 7 illustrate a detail hereinafter referred to.
The invention relates in the first place to an improved arrangement of the air
pump which is attached to the axle in a vertical position in place of in the
horizontal position in which it has heretofore been placed. The air pumps as
heretofore arranged allow water to enter the small pipe or tube leading to the
indicator especially when a considerable amount of moisture is present in the
atmosphere which water is liable to freeze in the pipes in cold weather and stop
the working of the indicator. To obviate this disadvantage the pump cylinder A
is arranged vertically upon the axle as represented in Figures 1 and 2 and is
provided with a piston E formed with a hollow space or chamber E' in which the
moisture from the air is deposited and prevented from passing into the tubes.
hygroscopic material or substance such as chloride of calcium may be placed in the
chamber E' if required for the purpose of absorbing the moisture in the air. The
chamber E is moreover provided with means (not shown in the drawing) for
drawing off from time to time the water accumulated therein.
A
The air pump cylinder A is enclosed in a jacket or casing A¹ enclosing a space D
between the cylinder and casing which acts as an air chamber. F¹ are air inlet
orifices and H is a delivery passage formed in a head L screwed to the end of the
cylinder. Two lugs or projections O serve to enable the air pump to be attached
to the axle by means of a bolt and nut Q. The piston E reciprocates vertically in
the cylinder and is provided with a flexible disc F of a diameter somewhat greater
than the cylinder which assists in preventing leakage. The descent of the piston
is produced by the action of a spring G and is limited by the piston coming in
contact with a partition K provided in the interior of the cylinder. The piston is
attached to a piston rod C the lower extremity of which works in guides provided
at the lower extremity of the pump cylinder the intermediate part being in the
form of a toothed rack gearing with a toothed wheel or segment J on a spindle

page_text: working in bearings J' in the sides of the cylinder. One extremity of this spindle
is provided with an arm N carrying a weight P which assists the action of the
spring G being so adjusted as to cause the arm N to tend to assume a vertical
position and draw down the piston. A ring or cap M is placed on the nave B of
the wheel and is provided with a pin or tappet M' which as the wheel of the vehicle
rotates comes in contact with the lever arm N and causes it to elevate the piston
and force air through the passage H. The connection between the toothed
segment J and its spindle is so arranged that the pump works during the forward
movement of the vehicle only but does not work when the vehicle moves
backwards.
The pulsations produced by the difference in the pressures in the air pump
cylinder on the ascent and descent of the piston are transmitted through tubes
connected to the delivery passage H to the device represented in Figure 4
forming the driver which actuates the indicator. This device is constructed with
a plate e screwed to the casing of the indicator and supporting a cylinder b in
which a loose hollow air tight piston a works, being actuated by the difference in
the pressure produced by the action of the air pump hereinbefore described. The
piston a is provided at its upper extremity with a steel head c acting upon a
leverd which is actuated at every rotation of the wheel of the vehicle by the
impulse transmitted by the air to the piston a. At each stroke of the piston the
lever d actuates a toothed wheel with a step by step motion and this intermittent
movement is transmitted to the indicator mechanism in any suitable manner.
The way in which the air pump works in connection with the stroke trans-
mitting mechanism is as follows:-
At each revolution of the carriage wheel, the pin M¹ catches the lever N but
lets it go free again when half the revolution is accomplished; because as may be
seen from the drawings, the bearings of the lever N are not in the plane of the
axle of the carriage but are eccentric to the same being within the outer
covering A of the cylinder A and because the piston-rod C partly provided with
teeth will be driven upwards only to such a length as the segment of the toothed
wheel J is provided with teeth, that is half a revolution; with the help of the
weight P and the spring G, the piston E is brought back till it meets the plate K
contained in the cylinder. In this way at each turn of the wheel pressure of air
acting through a tube H on the hollow piston a and stud c moves the lever d.
The hollow piston is brought back into its position of rest partly by the action of
the descending piston E that is by suction and partly by a spring a¹ acting upon
the lever d.
The end of the lever d is formed with a separate part d³ pivotted in bearings d'
to the lever d and is provided with a spring d and a stop d'; at each revolution
of the carriage wheel the lever d being turned on its pivot by means of the hollow
piston a and stud c advances the wheel with which it is placed in suitable relative
position by the distance of one tooth; on the upward or return movement of the
lever d the part d³ can yield to a tooth or teeth on the wheel r against the
pressure of the spring d²; the wheel and the hand S being both fastened to
the hand shaft m, the hand S will follow the movement of the said wheel r.
The driving device arranged as herein before described presents important
advantages compared to the cylinder provided with a diaphragm as heretofore
employed and which ceases to act properly after working for a relatively short
time.
An important disadvantage connected with the fare indicators heretofore
employed is that their indications of the fares for time and distance are not to be
depended upon. A fare indicator is required to indicate the fare according to a
given scale or tariff so long as the vehicle is used for travelling and must indicate
according to another scale the time during which the vehicle is not used by the
hirer for travelling but is stopped owing to a block in the traffic for example.
The apparatus consequently is provided with a distance scale or tariff and a time
scale or tariff and must comply with the following conditions namely

page_text: 1. The time indicator or meter which consists of an ordinary clockwork
movement must come into action directly the vehicle stops.
2. The said indicator or meter must cease to act directly the speed of the
vehicle is sufficient to enable the fare to be calculated according to a higher
tariff than the time tariff.
3. The time indicator must again come into action immediately on the speed of
the vehicle being reduced to such an extent that the distance indicator falls
behind the time tariff. The hirer is consequently charged according to the low or
time tariff so long as the vehicle is in use whether the latter be travelling or
stationary.
The mechanism employed according to this invention for obtaining this result as
represented in Figure 3 is connected with the main air pipe by a branch u leading
from the main pipe to a cylinder one end of which is provided with or formed by
a flexible membrane or diaphragm i. The cylinder is rigidly attached to the
casing of the indicator and is provided with an orifice controlled by an adjusting
screw t. When pressure is exerted by the air in the cylinder h the diaphragm i
which is attached to the cylinder by two rings is caused to bulge outwards and acts
through a sleeve attached to the diaphragm upon a friction cone p sliding upon
a spindle m so as to force this cone out of engagement with a wheel n connected
with the clock movement. When the pressure in the cylinder h diminishes, the
cone p is forced back and caused to engage with the wheel n by the action of the
spring q.
The wheel n is attached by arms o to a boss capable of rotating upon the
spindle m which is actuated by the driver d and can also be caused to rotate
continuously by the clockwork connected with the time tariff. The cone p is capable
of sliding upon the spindle m but is caused to rotate with the latter by means of a
groove and feather. The said spindle m is provided with a hand or pointer s whose
movements are visible on the exterior of the apparatus. When the friction cone or
clutch p engages with the wheel n as represented in Figure 3 the clock drives the
pointer s. As hereinbefore explained the cone p assumes this position directly the
pressure in the cylinder h is insufficient to bulge out the diaphragm i. By means
of the adjusting screw t the pressure on the said diaphragm can be so regulated as
to cause the cone p to drive the wheel n and cause the movement of the clockwork
to be transmitted through the spindle m to the pointers precisely at the moment
when the vehicle is stopped or commences to travel so slowly as to render it
necessary to use the time tariff.
An arrangement of this description is especially necessary for cases in which the
driver is required by the hirer to go for considerable distance at walking pace.
As this arrangement and mechanism acts with precision when travelling slowly
pressure being continuously supplied by the air pump according to the exact
adjustment of the regulating screw the clockwork is put into and out of gear
directly the vehicle stops and the pump consequently ceases to produce pressure in
the cylinder h.
When
A wheel is fixed upon the indicator spindle m and is actuated by the driving
lever d (Figure 4) when the pointer is working according to distance.
the speed of the vehicle is sufficiently increased the pressure produced at the back
of the diaphragm i by the rapid movement of the air pump piston is sufficient to
put the clutch p out of gear with the wheel n and prevent the clock from acting
upon the pointer s which is then actuated solely by the air pump or apparatus for
measuring the distance. In case the rate of speed is now reduced to such an
extent that the mechanism for measuring the distance does not move with sufficient
speed to enable the fare to be reckoned by the time tariff the clock is brought into
action by means of the arrangement hereinbefore described and overtakes the
distance indicator. The driving mechanism for the wheel r is so arranged as not to
interfere with the movement of the spindle m when under the influence of
the clock.
Fare indicators of this class as heretofore constructed present the defect that the

page_text: driver in starting the apparatus by striking the controlling lever of the indicator
with sufficient force is enabled to influence the latter to the disadvantage of the
hirer and cause the apparatus to indicate a larger sum than that corresponding to
the minimum fare payable.
In order to obviate this, that is to say, in order to render the indicating mechanism
incapable of being tampered with in this manner the following arrangement is
employed namely. In place of the toothed wheel Figure 3 a series of three
discs 1, 2, 3 is employed as represented in Figures 5, 6 and 7 being so arranged
that the disc 1 is driven by the apparatus for measuring distance and the disc 3 is
driven by the apparatus for measuring time. These two discs 1 and 3 are fice to
rotate upon the spindle m but the intermediate disc 2 is fixed upon the said spindle.
The two discs 1 and 3 are provided with concentric slots or recesses marked 4 and 5
respectively as represented in Figures 5 and 7 engaging with pins attached to the
disc 2. It is evident that by these means the discs 1 and 3 can be connected to the
spindle m but this connection does not take place until after the two discs have
been rotated through an angle corresponding to the length of the concentric slots so
that the pin is brought in contact with the end of the said slot.
Now in order to understand the action of this arrangement it must be supposed
that the apparatus is adjusted for the primary or minimum fare at the com-
mencement of the journey. The clock and distance meter both work whilst the
vehicle is in motion but the indicator of the fare cannot pass beyond the figure
showing the primary or minimum fare until one of the two slots 4 or 5 influences
the rotation of the spindle m. From the foregoing explanation it will be under-
stood that either the time indicator or the distance indicator must commence to
operate according to the speed of the vehicle with the rotation of the spindle m.
At the conclusion of the journey the two discs 1 and 3 are automatically moved
back into the original or starting position by the action of two springs 6 and 7
(Figures 5 and 6) directly the apparatus is put out of action by the controlling
lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. A fare indicator in which the air pressure produced in a cylinder by the
rotation of the travelling wheel acts simultaneously upon the driving device of the
distance meter and in the cylinder controlling the time indicator substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In a fare indicator of the class hereinbefore described and claimed an
arrangement for producing pulsations or an intermittently acting air pressure by
means of a hollow piston actuated by the wheel of the vehicle and serving to
separate the moisture deposited by the air and prevent it from passing into the
air tubes substantially as herein before set forth.
3. In a fare indicator as herein before described and claimed an air pump
cylinder A with an air chamber D and a piston E working in the said cylinder
and actuated by a spring G and wheel or segment J the latter being connected
with a lever N actuated by a pin or tappet M' on the nave of the wheel
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In fare indicators the arrangement of a driver or device for transmitting
motion (Figure 4) provided with a cylinder containing a reciprocating piston a
actuating a driving lever d substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a fare indicator the arrangement of an elastic or flexible device influenced
by the pressure produced by the air pump and effecting the connection between
the clock movement and the spindle of the pointer with precision at the proper
time substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a fare indicator a cylinder h provided with a regulating device such as

page_text: the adjusting screw t and a diaphragm i which is forced outwards by the pressure
of the air pump and disconnects the cone or clutch p from the wheel n the said
cone p being forced into re-engagement with the said wheel by the action of a
spring 9 directly the pressure in the cylinder has diminished sufficiently so that
the distance meter immediately comes into action when owing to increased speed
the fare payable according to time becomes less than that calculated by distance
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a fare indicator of the class referred to in the first claiming clause an
arrangement for preventing the pointer or disc indicating the amount payable from
being jerked and fraudulently actuated so as to give a false indication of the fare
to the disadvantage of the hirer by disconnecting the time and distance measuring
mechanism from the indicator driving mechanism until after the time or distance
corresponding to the minimum amount payable has expired or been travelled over
substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. In a fare indicator of the class referred to in the first claiming clause the
combination of the discs and concentric slots or recesses of a length corresponding
to the primary or minimum fare payable and inserted in the driving mechanism
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of June 1803
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.