An Apparatus for Automatically Indicating and Controlling Fares in Vehicles, and applicable in connection with Distance or Time.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Mr. E. KNOOP, of St. Petersburgh, Russia.]
An Apparatus for Automatically Indicating and Controlling Fares in
Vehicles, and applicable in connection with Distance or Time.
I HANS MULLER of 29 St Mary's Road, Canonbury in the County of Middlesex do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for an apparatus as above and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The apparatus is connected with one of the two hind wheels and indicates the
amount of the fare according to any fixed tax per mile (or according to any other
road measure in use). Taking into consideration the circumference of the wheel
and the number of teeth in the wheelwork of the apparatus any distance may be
determined as required. As is apparent from Figures I and II, the apparatus has two
dial-plates, the faces of which mark the price for each finished journey. The driver
is furnished with a key, by means of which he turns back after each journey the
indicator on the front dial Fig. I to the figure ought, whilst the figures on the back
dial-plate Fig. II are left to go on as they are, showing eventually the total sum of
fares taken, thus enabling the coach proprietor to control the takings of the day.
This latter dial plate is provided with a cover A (Fig. II) which may be locked; the
front dial is under glass and is visible to anybody. The working of the apparatus is
effected by transmission (treated of further on), which enters the coupling-box a
(Fig. IV & VIII) and is further connected with the endless screw b. For the purpose
of keeping this endless screw b inactive whilst the vehicle is backing, it is furnished at its
lower end with two stop-cogwheels c, cl, and at its upper end with a stop-wheel furnished
with a catch d (Fig. V). By turning the endless screw b (Fig. IV & VIII) the
spring box e (Fig. VIII) is put in motion, thus stretching the spring contained in the
On the surface of the spring-box there are studs B, B', (Fig. [V) by means
of which on giving the spring-box half a turn the lever f. (Fig. IV & Fig. C) is
gradually moved from its original position. This lever is connected with the prop g
(Fig. IV & Fig. C); upon this prop is resting the stud of the wheel k (Fig. IV),
which is connected with the wheel 1. The wheel is fixed to the axis E (Fig. IV) on
which the spring box is turning by the endless screw and thus strains the spring.
same.
On the lever f. (Fig. IV) being moved away by the stud B, of the spring box
after each half turn of the same, the stud h of the wheel k. slides away from the
prop g and by the tightening of the spring it descends upon the projection of the
lever f. (Fig. C). On the lever f being removed further, the wheel k makes a
complete turn, it having only half the number of cogs of the wheel 1, and the stud /
of wheel k takes again its position on the prop g (Fig. IV) which prop is being at
the same time brought back to its original place by a spiral spring (Fig. C).
In order to regulate the impact of the wheelstud h upon the prop g, the latter is
furnished with a spring and a number of further cogwheels, pinions as well as a
regulator M, (Fig. IV) are also and for the same purpose connected with the
wheel k.
In order that the said regulator may be able to keep in motion at any sudden
stoppage of the wheel k this wheel k (Fig. IV) has for the purpose of obviating the
breaking of any of its cogs, on one of its surfaces a stop-wheel F. (Fig. A) with
stop-spring and on the other surface a sliding rod which enters the counter-sunk
groove L, of the axis (Fig. B). The axis i, passes with its square ends through the
plates m (Fig. VIII) and those square ends are furnished with notched circular
plates n (Fig. III). These notches make the cogwheels o (Fig. III) advance by one
cog at each full turn of the wheel k and of the axis i, returning at once with the
wheel to their original position. As may be seen from the diagram Fig. III,
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the notches in the circular plates on the front- as well as on the control-side turn to the
right.
Over the cogwheels o (Fig. III) are the cogwheels p and these latter are again
connected with similar cogwheels q. On the surfaces of those cogwheels there are
studs, by means of which the last cog of the wheel o, being pushed on, the hook
moves the cogwheels s, forward by one cog. Under the above there are also cog-
wheels t which are connected with the cogwheels u which latter make the wheel w
advance by one cog by means of their studs and by the hook v, the last cog of the
wheels is moving on. The dial plates which are fixed over all these wheelworks are
moving simultaneously with same on each axis and one of the numbers of each of
same can be seen through the openings in the covering plate (Fig. II).
For the purpose of stopping the dials at certain places there are fixed under the
cogwheels stars a (Fig. III) with clinch-pins. For the purpose of re-arranging the
figures which indicate on the front dial plate the resulting amount, there are under
the stars heart shaped disks a¹ (Fig. VI) with levers (Fig. VI) acting upon them.
The latter are kept by small springs c¹ at a certain distance from the heartshaped
disks a (Fig. VI). The upper ends of the levers 6 run into the key-swage d'.
By the introduction of the bevelled key the levers are being pressed down one after
the other in consequence of which the heartshaped disks set the number-dials at
ought. The same works regulate the side for the control with the exception of the
system for the above mentioned re-arrangement of the figures. Here the re-arrange-
iment of the dial numbers is effected by means of a single turnscrew, as through the
dials there are passing notched projections f¹ (Fig. II) which proceed from the
coupling-boxes gl (Fig. VIII) on which the wheelwork and the dials are fixed.
On the back of the hooks r & v (Fig. III) there are fixed springs, placed there for
the object of jerking away the hooks so that they cannot impede the re-arrangement
of the figures to ought. On the case of the apparatus there are two loops (Fig. II)
with bolts by which the apparatus can be screwed on the plate, which is fixed on to
the vehicle. The keyhole d' (Fig. III; VI & VIII) has an independent cover N
(Fig. II).
TRANSMISSION.
The cogwheel O (Fig. I & IIª) is fixed on the wheel-box and is connected with the
cog wheel P. The latter is furnished at its lower end with a peg, which turns in its
bed R (Fig. IIA) this bed is fitted in between the axis and the carriage spring. The
upper end of the cogwheel P, is furnished with a loop, into which a spiral spring S
(Fig. I & IIA) is fixed. The upper end of this spiral spring is connected with the
loop of the piston which turns in the bed W (Fig. IIA) fitted on to the seat of the
vehicle and ends at the top with a cylindrical cogwheel c; the latter has a hollow
sunk in from the top, where the piston V₁ begins. On this piston there is a similar
cylindrical cogwheel c', which can rise and sink on the conducting rod.
The upper
part of the piston runs into the holder of the apparatus X and its square shaped top
end is connected with the coupling box of the mechanism. At the side of the back-
seat of the coach there passes a knee-shaped lever Y (Fig. II) the horizontal branch
of which is placed under the cushion of the vehicle whilst its vertical arm passes to
the outside and is guided by two loops r. r, which act as conductors (Fig. 4). At
the upper end this lever is bent at right angles again and is made to grip the
vlindrical cogwheel c¹. When there are no passengers and the coachman wants to
drive on without setting the apparatus in motion he places the lever 3 (Fig. 1A) in a
horizontal position. This being done the spiral wire 4 raises the lever Y, by means of
the excentric cam at T', when the cylindrical cogwheels c, c¹ will disengage and the
action of the mechanism is stopped and that of the wheel acts only as far as the cog-
wheel c.
On a passenger entering the coach the lever 3 is compelled to leave its horizontal
position and in falling down the excentric cam at T¹ liberates the lever Y which is
then pressed down by the spring Q, and the connection between the cylindrical
cogwheels c & c¹ being reestablished, the apparatus resumes its activity.

page_text: For the purpose of controlling and estimating the time during which passengers
have kept the vehicle waiting, the coachman is furnished with a pocket-apparatus,
consisting of a watch-movement, the working of which can be retarded or quickened
according to the amount of the fare as fixed per hour. Under the glass cover as well
as under the metal cover there are dial plates graduated in accordance with the current
money. This apparatus is only to be set in motion when the passenger is keeping the
coach waiting and must be stopped again forthwith when the passenger enters the
coach again or when he dismisses the same, these changes are effected by the runner a
and the small spring b (Fig. 1VB). The passenger having settled with the coachman,
the latter simply presses the button of the lever c (Fig. IVB) which is directed upon
a double-barbed balance & (Fig. II³). These barbs release the heartshaped disks
which are connected with the indexes or hands of the front dial and bring same back
to ought. The indexes of the control-dial remain where they are and by way of
control are summing up all the amounts received for times of waiting. In order to
put it out of the power of the coachman to tamper with the hands on the control
dial both the rim holding the glass and the metal corner are each furnished with a loop
through which a leaded cord is drawn.
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. The combination as described and specified heretofore of an apparatus for
indicating automatically the fares in vehicles.
2. In an apparatus as described and referred to in the accompanying drawings a
system of double cog-wheels one of which is automatically thrown out of gear and
thus stops or sets the whole indicating apparatus into motion.
3. In an apparatus as set forth in the present Specification and described in reference
to Figures 14, II & III of the accompanying drawings, the use of a double set of
wheels, pinions, and mechanism generally allowing both these movements to be
working simultaneously and in which each of the two sets can be rendered independent
and brought back to its starting point without interfering with the other set.
4. In an automatic apparatus as described and set forth in the above Specification
the combination of two sets of dials one of which has for its object to give single
indications of each fare and the other of which has the purpose of giving the total of
all such single fares, substantially as described.
5. In combination with the above an apparatus recording, in monetary values, the
time to be paid for vehicles when same are at rest but still hired and the disposition as
referred and specified in reference to Figures 1º, II, III³ & IV³ of the accompanying
drawings.
6. In an apparatus as described and for the purpose set forth the combination by
which the set of wheels, dial-plates and the whole series of pinions &c. of one of the
two sets is being brought back to its starting point by means of one organ viz. the key
as set out in Figures III & V, although these wheels, pinions &c. are working in
opposite directions.
7. The use in reference to the above apparatus of a spiral spring substantially as
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings when used in connection with such
indicating appliance adapted to vehicles.
8. In an apparatus for the above said purpose the introduction and use of the round
or ball shaped cog-wheels as described and shewn in Figures 1 & 2 of the accom-
panying drawings-the whole substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
Landon this Twenty seventh day of February 1890.
HANS MÜLLER,
Applicant.