Checking Apparatus
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
1 WILLIAM HUTCHINSON of 118 Camp Road Leeds in the County of York Boot
and Shoe Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Hitherto Checking Apparatus employed in connection with Cabs and other vehicles
on hire or carrying passengers have been designed to check either the distance
travelled, or the time occupied. Neither of these methods affords absolute security
in checking the fares received by the cabman or conductor of the vehicle, since they
afford only approximate means of calculating the number of hires. It is therefore
essential to any checking apparatus which registers merely the distance travelled, or
the total time of hire, or even both; that it should also be supplemented or arranged
with apparatus for indicating the number of hires or fares, and this is the principal
object of my present Invention.
This I effect by means of a ratchet or toothed wheel, which is moved through a
space of one tooth when the seat or platform is depressed by the hirer entering or
taking his seat in the vehicle. After the hirer has once stepped in or taken his seat,
a second hire cannot be registered until the first is complete. The above mentioned
ratchet or toothed wheel may be arranged to pass behind an aperture so as to exhibit
the number of the hire, or it may be made to actuate a single pointer indicating
the number of the hire on a dial face, or by means of a decimal train of wheels,
it may be made to actuate two or more pointers, and so to indicate the number of
the hire.
Instead of actuating the above mechanism from the seat or foot board of the vehicle,
it may be arranged to be actuated by the opening or closing of the door.
My Invention comprises the use of such an apparatus for checking the number of

page_text: hires either independently, or connected with apparatus for registering either the
time during which a vehicle has been on hire, or the distance travelled, or both.
By suitable mechanism I propose also so to connect the apparatus for checking the
number of hires, with apparatus for checking the time occupied, or distance travelled,
or both; that either the time, or the distance, or both, of each separate hire is also
indicated; thus affording the most complete checking apparatus for cabs and other
vehicles on hire.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Checking Apparatus for Cabs and other Vehicles
on Hire.
I WILLIAM HUTCHINSON of 118 Camp Road Leeds in the County of York, Boot
and Shoe Merchant 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:-
Hitherto checking apparatus employed in connection with cabs and other vehicles
on hire or carry passengers have been designed to check either the distance travelled
or the time occupied. Neither of these methods affords absolute security in checking
the fares received by the cabman or conductor of the vehicle, since they afford only
approximate means of calculating the number of hires. It is therefore essential to
any checking apparatus, which registers merely the distance travelled or the total
time of hire or even both, that it should also be supplemented or arranged with
apparatus for indicating the number of hires or fares, and this is the principal object
of my present Invention.
This I effect by means of a ratchet or toothed wheel, which is moved through the
space of one tooth when the seat or platform is depressed by the hirer entering or
taking his seat in the vehicle. After the hirer has one stepped in, or taken his seat,
a second hire cannot be registered until the first is complete. The above mentioned
ratchet or toothed wheel may be arranged to pass behind an aperture so as to exhibit
the number of the hire, or it may be made to actuate a pointer indicating the
number of the hire on a dia! face, or by means of a decimal train of wheels it
may be made to actuate two or more pointers and so to indicate the number of
the hire.

page_text: Instead of actuating the above mechanism from the seat or foot board of the vehicle,
it may be arranged to be actuated by the opening or closing of the door.
My Invention comprises the use of such an apparatus for checking the number of
hires either independently or connected with apparatus for registering either the time
during which a vehicle has been on hire, or the distance travelled or both.
By suitable mechanism I propose so to connect the apparatus for checking the
number of hires with apparatus for checking the time occupied, or distance travelled
or both, that either the time or the distance or both of each separate hire is also
indicated, thus affording a most complete checking apparatus for cabs and other
vehicles on hire.
And in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood reference is given
to the accompanying drawings, which represent my present Invention as applied to
my Improvements described in Specification of Patent No. 12662-1886.
In Fig. 1a are the dial faces for indicating the time of the hire or hires. is the
balance or stop wheel of the clock mechanism for actuating the pointers of the time
indicator dial a. One arm of the stop lever c is formed of a very light spring, and
bears against the rim of the stop wheel b, thus stopping the time indicator. The cord d
is attached to the long arm of the lever c, and also to the seat or hinged floor board.
When the hirer takes his seat, the cord d is drawn down moving the spring end of the
stop lever c away from the balance or stop-wheel b, thereby setting in movement the
time indicating mechanism. To the short arm of the stop lever c is attached a catch
or ratchet pawl e, which engages with the ratchet wheel g. This wheel g actuates the
pointer of the unit dial for indicating the number of hires, say up to ten. By means
of an ordinary train of wheels as shewn in Fig. 1 or a counter wheel arrangement, a
second hire number dial pointer may be driven from the first to give a greater range
of numbers, as shewn up to 100.
Only when the hire is completed can the cabman stop the time indicating apparatus
by pulling up the cord h, and the catch or ratchet pawl e moves back through the
space of one tooth ready to drive forward the ratchet wheel, through the space of
another tooth when the next hirer enters the vehicle.
Fig. 2 shows a modification of my present Invention which may be conveniently
adopted where it is applied to an indicator which registers both the time and distance.
In Fig. 2 the pointers of the dials a indicate the time of the hire or hires, and those
of the dials i, the distance travelled. The ratchet wheel is formed on or attached to
the indicator disc j. This disc passes behind an aperture k, so that only one number
on the disc is exposed to view at a time, indicating the number of the hire.
The indication of the time or distance of each separate hire may be effected by
connecting the apparatus for checking the number of hires with apparatus for
checking the time occupied or the distance travelled in the following manner. A disc
of paper or light cardboard is arranged in front of the time dials, attached to the
minute hand. A pricker or marker released or actuated from the lever c marks or
perforates the paper disc, whenever the cabman pulls the cord h to stop the apparatus.
The same or a reverse motion of the lever c is arranged to give a slight radial motion
to the pricker or marker, so that each successive mark is made nearer to the centre
than the previous one. A line passing through these points therefore, is generally
irregularly spiral, and the angular distance between any two successive points
indicates the length of time of the corresponding hire.
The distance indicator may be worked from the axis of the vehicle by any of the
means now in use for such purpose; or instead of marking hours and minutes on the
dials corresponding divisions may be made to represent miles and furlongs on any
assumed equivalent basis. A similar arrangement of pricker or marker and disc,
would then indicate in a similar manner by angular distance the mileage of each and
all of the hires.
Although I have described this my Invention as applied to my own apparatus for
indicating the time of the hire or hires, it will be readily understood that it is more or
less applicable also to other arrangements for indicating the time, or distance or both
of the hire or hires.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1° In checking apparatus for cabs or other vehicles on hire, the arrangement of
ratchet or pawl e and ratchet wheel g for actuating the pointer (or pointers) of a hire
number dial substantially as herein set forth.
2° In checking apparatus for cabs or other vehicles on hire, the arrangement of
ratchet or pawl fand ratchet wheel g forming, or on, or actuating the hire number
discj substantially as herein set forth.
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