Improved Method of and Means for Checking Fares on Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Checking Fares on Vehicles.
I, PERCY ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, trading as Messrs. Percy A. Robertson & Co.
of No. 41 Minet Avenue, Harlesden, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of, and means for accurately and
effectively checking the receipts of omnibuses, tramcars and like public vehicles,
the object thereof being to provide an absolute check independently of the
conductor or receiver of fares.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide a rotating drum disc or other
device to which may be attached a card or the like, indicating the distance travelled
by the vehicle this indicating device is rotated by suitable gearing connected to a
wheel, wheels or axle of the vehicle. I employ also at the entrance of the vehicle
to which my invention is applied a turnstile or rotary passway connected to
suitable stamps punches or other device for indicating on the aforesaid card or the
like the precise point on the route at which a passenger enters or leaves the vehicle
by which means the factor of distance may be integrated with that of the ingress
and egress of passengers respectively. I do not specify any particular appliance
or apparatus for this purpose, as there are numerous types at present in use for
other purposes any of which is applicable in the adoption of the method of checking
hereinafter to be described. It is assumed therefore that in the case of an empty
vehicle traversing its route, the recording apparatus will merely indicate the
distance in miles or fractions thereof, but upon the entry or exit of a passenger the
exact period is recorded in each case upon the register of distance, and at
approximately the correct point of route when such entry or exit was effected.
Having thus described the mechanical means employed, and assuming the
functions thereof to be as stated the method or system may be described as follows;
that is to say:-
The point on the route being registered as aforesaid, at which a passenger enters
the vebicle, the full fare for the whole route, from and including the point of entry
is debited to the conductor or other person taking the fares, and similarly when a
passenger alights from said vehicle, the point on the route at which he alights
being also registered, the fare from the said point to the end of the route is credited
to the conductor or the like.
At the end of the journey the difference between the debits and credits represents
the exact amount due to the owners of the vehicle as its earnings on that journey.
As an example, a distance of ten miles may be taken as a route the fare being
one penny per mile or the fraction of a mile, the whole fare thus being tenpence for
the journey, and fifty people may be assumed to travel from point to point on the
route in the example journey.

page_text: It is evident therefore that this method or system is absolute as a safety check,
and does not admit of tampering on the part of a conductor or other person deputed
to receive fares.
Since I do not confine myself to any particular type or form of turnstile or
register of distance or the like, so long as the factors of distance and ingress and
egress of persons are automatically registered at the proper time the method or
system hereinbefore described constitutes the essential feature of my said
invention.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Checking Fares on Vehicles.
I, PERCY ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, of No. 41 Minet Avenue, Harlesden, in
the County of Middlesex, Shipping Clerk, lately trading as Percy A. Robertson
and Co. Engineers, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved method of and means for accurately and
effectively checking the receipts of omnibuses tramcars and like public vehicles the
object thereof being to provide an absolute check independently of the conductor
or receiver of fares.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a rotating drum disc or other
device to which may be attached a card or the like indicating the distance travelled
by the vehicle this indicating device is rotated by suitable gearing connected to a
measuring wheel or wheels.
I employ also at the entrance of the vehicle to which my invention is applied one
or more turnstiles or rotary passways connected to suitable stamps punches or other
device for indicating on the aforesaid card or the like the precise point on the
route at which a passenger enters or leaves the vehicle by which means the factor
of distance may be integrated with that of the ingress and egress of passengers
respectively. In the case of an empty vehicle traversing its route the recording
apparatus will merely indicate the distance travelled in miles or other standard of
length or fractions thereof but upon the entry or exit of a passenger the exact
period is recorded in each case upon the register of distance and at the correct
point of route when such entry or exit was effected.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood 1 will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 represents an elevation of one form of apparatus constructed according
to this invention for registering the ingress and egress of passengers to or from
vehicles as applied to tramcars.
-
Figure 2 is plan of same.
Figure 3 is elevation of the marking or punching apparatus to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 4 is plan of same.
Figure 5 is elevation of a modified form of the apparatus.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the body of the tramway car & the rear platform c d turnstiles to permit only
one passenger at a time to enter or leave the vehicle the turnstile e actuating the
registering mechanism in the manner hereinafter described d' is a measuring wheel
of any suitable diameter making a known number of revolutions in a given distance
this wheel is attached to a shaft e carried in axle boxes as shewn at Figure 1 or in
bearings at one end of a lever the other end of which is pivoted to the body of the
car so as to allow of the said wheel following any inequalities in the roadway
without slipping the said wheel preferably travelling between the rails forming one
track and being pressed down on the roadway by means of springs acting on the
said axle boxes or lever.
Secured to the wheel d' or axle e is a sprocket wheel which by means of a
pitch chain g communicates the motion of the wheel d¹ to a second sprocket
wheel which is keyed to the shaft i rotating in suitable bearings. The shaft i
has keyed thereto the bevil wheel gearing with the bevil wheel / which latter is
attached to the worm shaft l, m is a worm attached to or forming part of the shaft
and gears with the worm wheel n which is attached to the shaft o to which is
attached or formed thereon a second worm f
which gears with the worm wheel q
attached to a sleeve r rotating on the shaft cf of the turnstile c.

page_text: Secured to the sleeve is a drums on which is placed a card or paper marked'
with as many
units of distance as there are units of distance travelled by the car on
its journey for example if the vehicle travels 5 miles in each direction and has a
recording drum on each platform the card would be divided in 5 spaces representing
one mile each the said card may be secured to the drum by means of clips as. used.
on steam engine indicators.
If the vehicle has only one platform the drum card may be ruled to record the
whole distance travelled on outward and homeward journeys or the cards may be
ruled to indicate one journey and be changed at each end of the route. tt Figures 2
3 and 4 are punches or stamps for perforating or marking the card on the drum
every time a passenger enters or leaves the vehicle the "entry" punch or stamp t
being preferably constructed to make the mark on the card and the " exit
punch or stamp t' constructed to make the mark o on or punch a circular hole in
the card.
-
"
- These punches or stamps are normally held in the position shewn at Figures 3
and 4 by the spring u attached to the bearing and are caused to mark or punch.
the card by means of the hammers w w¹.
Each hammer forms a bent lever oscillating on a suitable axis or spindle & the
short end of the lever being adapted to be depressed by the star wheels y y¹.
The star wheels y y' to which are attached ratchets z z¹ rotate on the shaft A.
and are caused to revolve by means of pawls attached to the sprocket wheels B
and B' which wheels are driven by a pitch chain C passing round the sprocket
wheel D on the turnstile shaft c¹ then under the guide pulley E over the sprocket
wheel B under the guide pulley F over the sprocket wheel B' under another guide
pulley parallel to E and back to the sprocket wheel D so that when a person enters
the vehicle the movement of the turnstile c causes the star wheel y to revolve and
depress the short end of the hammer lever which moves the hammer w into a
position for striking as soon as the star wheel releases the hammer lever a spring
causes the hammer w to fly back and strike the head of the punch or stamp t. and
impress the mark on the indicator card. When a person leaves the car the
reverse movement of the turnstile actuates in a similar manner the hammer w' and
causes the "exit" stamp or punch to impress the mark o on the indicator card.
-
When the vehicle is at the end of its journey and passengers enter or leave the
car while the indicator drum is stationary it is obvious that unless the drum or
the punches or stamps are caused to move vertically each movement of the turnstile
will only cause several marks to be superimposed one on the other leaving no record
of the number of persons entering or leaving the vehicle.
To obviate this I cause the drum to move up and down by means of the heart
shaped cam G which is keyed to a shaft to which is also secured a worm wheel H
gearing with a worm I on the vertical shaft J.
The lower end of the shaft J has secured to it ratchets K and L the ratchet K
being driven by pawls secured to the spur wheel M gearing with the wheel N on
the shaft c and the ratchet L by pawls secured to the wheel O which is driven by
the wheel P on the shaft c¹ an idle wheel Q being interposed between the wheels
and P to cause the said wheels to rotate in the same direction.
By this arrangement the cam G always rotates in the same direction whether a
person enters or alights from the vehicle. R is a guide for the axis of the roller S
which is attached to a collar on the sleeve r. TT are sprocket wheels connected
by a crossed chain U to cause the two turnstiles c and d to rotate together.
Instead of cards attached to the drum s I may cause the punches or stamps to
mark the ingress and egress of passengers on a strip of paper which is wound off
one roller on to another at a uniform rate by means of a friction roller or other
suitable means.
In the modified form of the apparatus shewn at Figure 5 the drums and the
mechanism for operating the same is shewn under the seat of the car the shaft J
being made in two portions connected by bevil wheels J¹ J".
The sleeve r rotates on a fixed shaft supported by brackets
at either end

page_text: thereof the roller S being constantly pressed against the cam G by the spring si
acting on the interior of drum s.
Having thus described the mechanical means employed and assuming the
functions thereof to be as stated the method or system may be described as
follows:-that is to say:
The point on the route being registered as aforesaid at which a passenger enters
the vehicle the full fare for the whole route from and including the point of entry
is debited to the conductor or other person taking the fares and similarly when a
passenger alights from said vehicle the point on the route at which he alights being
also registered the fare from the said point to the end of the route credited to
the conductor or the like.
At the end of the journey the difference between the debits and credits
represents the exact amount due to the owners of the vehicle as its earnings on
that journey.
As an example a distance of ten miles may be taken as a route the fare being one
penny per mile or the fraction of a mile the whole fare thus being tenpence for the
journey and fifty people may be assumed to travel from point to point on the route
in the example journey.

page_text: 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 herein described method of checking fares in a public conveyance by the
positions and number of marks made on a paper or other surface by the movements
of a turnstile or rotary passway caused by the entrances and exits of passengers.
2. In an apparatus for registering the ingress and egress of passengers to or from
vehicles the combination of a rotating drum or disc having a chart divided into
distances thereon with stamps or punches for marking on the said chart the precise
point on the route at which a passenger enters and leaves the vehicle the whole
adapted to be operated by a measuring wheel and turnstile or rotary passway all
substantially as hereinbefore specified..
3. In a means for checking fares on vehicles the combination of a revolving
drum rotated by suitable gearing from a measuring wheel with a cam for raising
and lowering the said drum operated by the movement of a turnstile or equivalent
device substantially as described and for the purpose stated.
4. In a means for checking fares on vehicles the combination of the wheels M
and P attached to the turnstile shaft d¹ with the wheels O and Q and ratchet
wheels K and L for causing the cam G to rotate in one direction substantially as
hereinbefore specified and shewn. by the accompanying drawings for the purpose
stated.
5. In an apparatus for checking fares on vehicles the combination of punches t
and operated by the hammers w and w' with the star wheels y and y' rotated by
the sprocket wheels B B' and ratchets the said sprocket wheels being driven
by a pitch chain from the turnstile shaft substantially as described and shewn and
for the purpose stated.
6. The modified form of the apparatus for registering the ingress and egress of
passengers to or from a vehicle shewn at Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1893.
FREDK. WALKER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.