CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Benjamin Starr, of 14, Finsbury Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Auctioneer, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 24th May 1872, and dated the 27th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Benjamin Starr
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th November 1871.
I, RICHARD BENJAMIN STARR, of 14, Finsbury Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Auctioneer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES AND IMPROVED APPARATUS
IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The main object of my improvements is to provide means of checking
the number of passengers carried by an omnibus more effectually than.
hitherto, and I propose to effect this automatically.

page_text: To attain my object I modify the ordinary omnibus by cutting off all
access to the roof from the fore part, where I reserve no seat excepting
for the driver; I extend the roof about three feet, more or less, beyond
the rear end of the body of the omnibus, supporting this extension in
any convenient manner, and extend the floor or rear of the omnibus
beyond the doorway, so as to obtain a platform immediately beneath the
canopy formed by the extension of the roof. Upon this platform I fix
two turnstiles, and bar ingress or egress to or from the said platform,
excepting through a turnstile by a barrier of any required height, in
which if desired a door may be provided for the conductor only. A
spiral staircase or a ladder will rise from any convenient part of the
platform up to the roof, or the ordinary steps may be used; or the roof
may be reached by steps over the wheels on the one side for ascending
and on the other for descending. One of the turnstiles will be set to
revolve only when its fans are pushed from the outside of the omnibus,
and the other only by pressure from the inside; thus all passengers,
whether for the inside or the roof of the omnibus, must of necessity pass
through one turnstile at starting and another on alighting. The entering
turnstile will be provided with a stop lever to prevent any person passing
through without the cognisance of the conductor.
In order to reduce the platform to the smallest dimensions I have
made an important improvement upon the fans of the turnstile, which
improvement consists in hingeing these fans (using any suitable spring
hinge) so that they will fold during one part of their revolution, and
only open to receive impulsion from the passing passenger, whereby the
turnstile, while offering the same accommodation for passage through
it, will occupy but a fraction more than half the space it otherwise
would. It will be evident that this arrangement of the fans is applicable
wherever a turnstile may be used.
The dials of the two turnstiles
max he placed in onv convenient

page_text: My arrangements will not lessen the outside accommodation of the
omnibus, as I provide for two of the four passengers eliminated from the
ordinary front seat by an extension of the usual longitudinal seat right
and left of the driver, and for the two others, and possibly an additional
number on the extension of the roof or canopy.
My improvements are easily applied to existing omnibuses.
It will be evident that when my combined arrangements are adopted,
the conductor cannot readily misrepresent his takings, for every
passenger being necessarily checked on entrance, and the checking
dial being noted at every station, a very close approximation to the
exact fares received must be attained, even if the divisions of fares
for distances be numerous.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Benjamin Starr in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BENJAMIN STARR, of 14, Finsbury Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Auctioneer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, .by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, Her special
licence, that I, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Benjamin
Starr, 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES AND IMPROVED APPARATUS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or

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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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, and to the figures and letters of reference marked
thereon:-
The main object of my improvements is to provide means of checking
the number of passengers carried by an omnibus more effectually than
hitherto, and to effect this automatically.
To attain my object I modify the ordinary omnibus by cutting off all
access to the roof from the fore part, where I reserve no seat excepting
for the driver; I extend the roof about three feet, more or less, beyond
the rear end of the body of the omnibus, supporting this extension in
any convenient manner, and extend the floor or rear of the omnibus
beyond the doorway, so as to obtain a platform immediately beneath the
canopy formed by the extension of the roof. Upon this platform I fix
two turnstiles, and bar ingress or egress to or from the said platform,
excepting through a turnstile, by a barrier of any required height, in
which, if desired, a door may be provided for the conductor only. A
spiral staircase or a ladder will rise from any convenient part of the
platform up to the roof, or the ordinary steps may be used, or the roof
may be reached by steps over the wheels on the one side for ascending
and on the other for descending. One of the turnstiles will be set to
revolve only when its fans are pushed from the outside of the omnibus,
the other only by pressure from the inside; thus all passengers, whether
for the inside or the roof of the omnibus, must of necessity pass through
one turnstile at starting and another on alighting. The entering turn-
stile may be provided with a stop lever to prevent any person passing
through without the cognisance of the conductor.
In order to reduce the platform to the smallest dimensions I have
made an important improvement upon the fans of the turnstile, which

page_text: improvement consists in hingeing these fans (using any suitable spring
hinge) so that they will fold during one part of their revolution, and
only open to receive impulsion from the passing passenger, whereby the
turnstile, while offering the same accommodation for passage through
it, will occupy but a fraction more than half the space it otherwise
would. It will be evident that this arrangement of the fans will be
applicable wherever a turnstile may be used. I also attain the same
object, namely, a decrease in the diameter of the turnstile, by the sliding
rail or fan arrangement shown Fig. 3 of the Drawing, which may in
some cases be preferred to a simple hinged folding fan.
The dials of the two turnstiles may be placed in any convenient

page_text: rear, on which are erected the two turnstiles D and E, for entrance and
exit; F is the index for registering the number of fares in connection
with the entrance turnstile D; G is a hinged rail to permit the con-
ductor to get on and off of the omnibus without passing through the
turnstile D.
Figure 3 represents a plan of one of the turnstiles.
a, a, are the two
rails or fans, which are so constructed as to slide freely in the head c of
the standard 6; d is a link in connection with the rail or fan a and the
cam plate e, by means of which the rail or fan a is drawn in an inward
direction whilst in the act of revolving, thus reducing the space occupied
by the turnstile to a minimum; f is a ratchet wheel attached to the
lower end of the standard in order to prevent the rails or fans a, a, being
turned in a wrong direction; g is a pulley on which runs the chain h
communicating with the index F.
As above stated, I may, in lieu of the sliding arrangement shown,
simply divide the rail or fan by a hinge which will permit it to fold
during a part of its revolution, and spring open upon arriving near the
point where it will receive impulsion from the passenger. It will be
understood that a variety of well-known mechanical devices might be
employed to carry out this part of my Invention.
Figure 4, plan of a turnstile fitted with folding fans.
a, a, fans;
b, b, hinged joints having a spiral spring c, so arranged as to cause
the outer flap of fan to open after having been folded during its passage
through the cam casing or guided by pressure against said casing.
When my combined arrangements are adopted the conductor
cannot readily misrepresent his takings, for every passenger being
necessarily checked on entrance, and the checking dial being noted
at every station, a very close approximation to the exact fares received
must be obtained even if the divisions of fares for distances be
numerous.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would have it
understood that I do not claim as novel the mere elimination of the
usual front seat for passengers and consequent isolation of the driver,
nor the use of turnstiles of admission and exit when these are taken
separately and not used for the purposes of my Invention, but that what
I claim as of my Invention is,―

page_text: Firstly. The combination, substantially as herein-before set forth,
of seats, platform, and turnstiles, whereby outside as well as inside
passengers necessarily pass through one turnstile on entering the
omnibus and through another on alighting.
Secondly. Decreasing the diameter of turnstiles by making their fans
or rails to shorten during one part of their revolution and elongate at
another, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.