IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, OR SIMILAR VEHICLES TO REGISTER THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED, AND THE VARIOUS FARES PAID DURING A JOURNEY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Benjamin Starr, of Finsbury Square, in*
:
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
TO BE APPLIED TO OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, OR SIMILAR VEHICLES TO
REGISTER THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED, AND THE VARIOUS FARES
PAID DURING A JOURNEY,"
Sealed the 7th January 1878, and dated the 10th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Benjamin
Starr at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th July 1872.
I, RICHARD BENJAMIN STARB, of Finsbury Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, OR SIMILAR
VEHICLES TO REGISTER THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED, AND THE VARIOUS
FARES PAID DURING A JOURNEY," to be as follows:
My improved apparatus is intended to be applied to omnibuses
arranged as set forth in the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 8201;
=

page_text: A.D. 1871, whereby the passengers are compelled to enter the vehicle
by one turnstile and to leave it through another, as well as to tramway
cars and any vehicle provided with an entrance and an exit turnstile.
I propose to place upon the lower part of the vertical shaft of each
turnstile a bevel pinion gearing with another bevel pinion set on a screw
shaft carrying a traversing cylinder, the bearings of which will be screw
threaded so as to move to and fro by the rotation of the screw shaft.
A plate at each end of the traversing cylinder will have indentations at
regular intervals on its periphery, these indentations corresponding in
number with the number of changes of fares in the entire journey. A
guide bar will be set in one or other of the indentations of the cylinder
plates to keep the traversing cylinder from rotating with its screw shaft
instead of travelling along it. The vertical shaft of the turnstile will
also carry a ratchet wheel the number of inclined planes upon the
periphery of which will correspond to the number of arms of the turn-
stile; one end of a pivoting marking lever will be kept by a spring
against the periphery of said wheel, its other end being furnished with
a sharp point, pencil, or other marking apparatus to pierce, cut, or mark
paper, strips of parchment, or other suitable material placed on the
traversing cylinder.
It will be understood that each turnstile has its own separate traversing
cylinder, guide bar, and marking lever, and that the entrance register
is to a certain extent under the control of the conductor, the exit
turnstile being controlled by the timekeepers.
The working of the apparatus will be substantially as follows:-The
traversing cylinder being brought near to one end of its screw shaft,
and one end of the marking lever being at the bottom of one of the
inclined planes of ratchet wheel on turnstile shaft, upon a passenger
entering the vehicle he will cause the turnstile shaft to revolve; its bevel
pinion gearing with that on the screw shaft will rotate this latter, and
the traversing cylinder will thereby be compelled to move along it, as
the guide bar will prevent its rotating with its shaft; during this move:
ment the ratchet wheel has also been revolving with the turnstile shaft,
and that end of the marking lever which is in contact with its periphery.
will have risen from the bottom to the top of an inclined plane, the
opposite end of said lever being then pressed against the paper, parch.
ment, or other material carried on the cylinder, and thus a perforation
or mark indicating the entrance of a passenger will have been made.

page_text: The passenger having entered the turnstile shaft ceases to revolve, and
the end of lever in contact with ratchet wheel having passed beyond
the summit of inclined plane is brought by its spring to the bottom of
succeeding incline, this pivoting of the lever bringing the marking point
away from the cylinder. Upon the entrance of another passenger the
cylinder will again be moved on, another mark will be made by the
lever, and so on for every succeeding passenger.
Upon a passenger alighting his exit will be registered in like manner
upon cylinder connected with exit turnstile.
•
The vehicle having arrived at the end of the first division of its
journey, which I will assume to be a twopenny fare, the conductor
immediately moves the guide bar out of the indentation of cylinder
plates in which it has hitherto been engaged, and by means of a key or
otherwise turns the screw shaft which now carries the cylinder with it,
until he brings the suceeeding indentation facing the guide bar, which
being then passed into it or entering it automatically by the aid of a
spring again secures the cylinder from revolving with its shaft and
presents another part of its diameter to the action of the marking
lever.
When the vehicle is starting upon the next division of the journey,
the timekeeper turns the cylinder of the exit turnstile as the conductor
turned the entrance register upon his arrival at that station, and thus
it will be evident that the number of twopences to be accounted for by
the conductor is marked on the cylinder connected with exit turnstile,
the difference between the number of marks upon that division of
entrance and exit registers representing the number of passengers'carried
beyond this stage and subject to a threepenny or other increase of
fare..
:
The cylinder in connection with entrance turnstile is placed under
control of conductor (in so far that he can turn it in one direction
but without possibility of reversing it), because if it were left to the
timekeeper and he should neglect to turn this cylinder immediately
upon the arrival of the vehicle, the passengers entering it would be
registered as if they had entered during the first division of the journey
instead of the second, and the conductor would have to pay accordingly,
that is to say, the increased fare of one more section than the passenger
had actually travelled over. By placing this cylinder under his own
control such a loss to him could only arise from his own negligence. ⠀

page_text: The cylinders will be turned in the same manner at every station until
the journey is completed, when a person specially appointed for that
purpose
will open
the door of the casing enclosing the apparatus, with-
draw the tell-tale paper, parchment, or other material (which may be
of one piece or in strips for each division of fares or of any convenient
shape), substitute other registering material, and return the cylinders to
their first position, or this might be done automatically, the registering
slips being removed at the end of each day.
The number of timekeepers might be lessened or they might be entirely
dispensed with by placing the exit as well as the entrance register under
the control of the conductor in so far as relates to change of section,
in which case I propose by band and pulley or otherwise to connect the
oylinder of exit turnstile with a series of numbers or an index with
double dial plate in such a manner that the number pointed to or exposed
shall indicate the position of the cylinder both to inside passengers and
to persons passing along the pavement, and thus should the conductor
fail to turn the cylinder to the point indicating the section over which
he is actually travelling, this will be manifest at a glance to any inspector
whom he may pass, wherefore it may reasonably be expected that he
will not attempt such fraud,
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 10th January 1878,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD,
BENJAMIN STARR, of Finsbury Square, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
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, administrators, 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

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, OR SIMILAR VEHICLES
TO REGISTER THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED AND THE VARIOUS FARES PAID
DURING A JOURNEY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Benjamin Starr, my executors or administrators, by an instru
ment in writing under my, 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 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 :-
My improved apparatus is intended to be applied to omnibuses
arranged as set forth in the Specification to my Letters Patent, No. 3201
A.D. 1871, whereby the passengers are compelled to enter the vehicle
by one turnstile and to leave it through another, as well as to tram-
way cars and any vehicle provided with an entrance and an exit
turnstile.
I place upon the lower or upper part of the vertical shaft of each
turnstile a bevel pinion gearing with another bevel pinion set on a
screw shaft carrying a traversing oylinder, the bearings of which will
be screw threaded so as to move to and fro by the rotation of the screw
shaft. A plate at each end of the traversing cylinder has indentations
at regular intervals on its periphery, these indentations corresponding in
number with the number of changes of fares in the entire journey. A
guide bar is set in one or other of the indentations of the cylinder
plates to keep the traversing cylinder from rotating with its screw shaft
instead of travelling along it, or in lieu of these plates and guide bars
I attach a spur wheel at either end of the cylinder, into which gear two
shrouded wheels sliding on a countershaft having a notched plate
secured at one end. The vertical shaft of the turnstile also carries a
ratchet wheel, the number of inclined planes upon the periphery of
which corresponds to the number of arms of the turnstile; one end of

page_text: a pivoting marking lever is kept by a spring against the periphery of
said wheel, its other end being furnished with a sharp pointed pencil
or other marking apparatus to pierce, cut, or mark paper, strips of
parchment, or other suitable material placed on the traversing cylinder.
It will be understood that each turnstile has its own separate traversing
cylinder, guide bar, or equivalent mechanism and marking lever, and
that the entrance register is to a certain extent under the control of the
conductor, the exit turnstile being controlled by the timekeepers.

page_text: "
:
be compelled to move along it, owing to its being in gear with the
wheels K. and L on the countershaft I, which is held from revolving by
means of the ratchet wheel i; during this movement the ratchet wheel C¹
has also been revolving with the turnstile shaft, and that end N of the
marking lever which is in contact with its periphery will 'have risen
from the bottom to the top of an inclined plane, the opposite and P of.
said lever being then pressed against the paper, parchment, or other
material carried on the cylinder and thus a perforation or mark indicating
the entrance of a passenger will have been made. The passenger having
entered the turnstile shaft ceases to revolve, and the end N of lever in
contact with ratchet wheel having passed beyond the summit of inclined
plane is brought by its spring O to the bottom of succeeding incline,
this pivoting of the lever bringing the marking point away from the
cylinder. Upon the entrance of another passenger the cylinder will again
be moved on, another mark will be made by the lever, and so on for
every succeeding passenger.
Upon a passenger alighting his exit will be registered in like manner
upon another similar arrangement connected with exit turnstile. .
The vehicle having arrived at the end of the first division of its journey,
which I will assume to be a twopenny fare, the conductor immediately
places the handle M on the end of the countershaft I and turns it the
distance of one notch of the wheel i, thus presenting another part of the
diameter of the cylinder F to the action of the marking lever P.
When the vehicle is starting upon the next division of the journey
the timekeeper or other person sets the cylinder of the exit turnstile as
the conductor set the entrance register upon his arrival at that station,
and thus it will be evident that the number of twopences to be accounted
for by the conductor is marked on the cylinder connected with exit
turnstile, the difference between the number of marks upon that division
of entrance and exit registers representing the number of passengers
carried beyond this stage and subject to a threepenny or other increase
of fare.
The cylinder in connection with entrance turnstile is placed under
control of conductor (in so far that he can turn it in one direction, but
without possibility of reversing it), because if it were left to the time-
keeper and he should neglect to turn this cylinder immediately upon
the arrival of the vehicle, the passengers entering would be registered

page_text: as if they had entered during the first division of the journey instead of
the second, and the conductor would have to pay accordingly, that is
to say, the increased fare of one more section than the passenger had
actually travelled over. By placing this cylinder under his own control,
such a loss to him could only arise from his own negligence.
The cylinders will be turned in the same manner at every station
until the journey is completed, when a person specially appointed for
that purpose will open the door of the casing enclosing the apparatus,
withdraw the tell-tale paper, parchment, or other material (which may
be of one piece or in strips for each division of fares or of any convenient
shape), substitute other registering material, and return the cylinders to
their first position by turning the shaft E by means of the handle M,
or this might be done automatically, the registering slips being removed
at the end of each day.
Instead of depending upon timekeepers for turning the exit cylinder
to change section, this might also be entirely left to the conductor, but
in such case I propose by the mitre wheels a and b, and band and
pulley d, or otherwise, to connect the cylinder with a series of numbers
or an index and dial with plate both inside and outside the vehicle in
such a manner that the number of the section at which the cylinders is
set shall be indicated on the dial or by a figure exposed to general
view; and thus if the conductor should fail to turn the cylinder at the
proper time this will be manifest to any inspector who may see the
vehicle while it is travelling over that section.
The several parts of the apparatus may be made of any suitable metal
or material.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would
have it understood that I do not absolutely confine myself to the precise
details herein set forth and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing, as variations may be made therein while retaining the essential
characteristics of my Invention, for example, the registering apparatus
may be connected with the turnstile at any convenient point, and the
dial showing the position of the registering cylinder might be dispensed
with if desired, neither do I limit myself to any precise relative
dimensions of parts, nor do I lay claim to any of the parts taken as
parts and not used in combination for the purposes of my Invention;

page_text: but what I do claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the use of the combination of mechanism herein-
before described, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Benjamin Starr, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.