IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED BY CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE INDICATING OF THE FARES PAYABLE FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Telford Macneill, of No. 23, Cockspur
Street, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE DISTANCES TRAVELLED
BY CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE INDICATING OF THE
FARES PAYABLE FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED."
Sealed the 17th October 1868, and .dated the 24th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said "Thomas Telford
Macneill .at .the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 24th April 1868.
I, THOMAS TELFORD MACNEILL, of No. 23, Oockspur Street, Charing
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR 'INDICATING THE
DISTANCES TRAVELLED BY CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
INDICATING OF THE FARES PAYABLE FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED," to 'be'as
follows:-
One part of my Invention consists in fixing upon the nave or other
part of one wheel of a cab or other vehicle a grooved wheel or pulley

page_text: the diameter of which bears a definite proportion to the diameter of
the wheel; round such grooved wheel is passed an elastic band, by
preference wholly or partly of india-rubber, which band passes round
a second grooved wheel or pulley which is always made of one definite
size to suit the before-mentioned proportion of the other pulley and the
wheel of the vehicle, and which imparts motion to any arrangement of
mechanism for indicating the distance travelled or the fare payable, but
by preference I employ in combination therewith the arrangement of
mechanism herefter described.
Another part of my Invention consists in arranging such mechanism
for indicating the distance travelled or the fares payable in the following
manner :-I construct a dial graduated on one or both faces so as to
indicate either miles and fractions thereof or the corresponding fares
or both. This dial is loose upon a spindle and is weighted at one
part so that when left free it will adjust itself to zero. Pointing to
such zero point is an index, either fixed to the framework carrying
the dial or loose and weighted so as when free to set in the same
position as zero on the dial. The dial has a worm wheel formed or
fixed upon its circumference, with which a worm or endless screw is
..held in gear by means of a spring or weight acting either upon the
dial or the worm in such a manner that they can be drawn out of
gear so as to leave the dial and index or pointer free to turn as before
described. The spindle of the worm carries small worm wheel
in gear with another worm, the spindle of which receives rotary
motion from the wheel of the vehicle either by the grooved pulleys
and elastic band herein-before described, the pulley of definite
diameter being fixed upon such spindle, or any other suitable known
arrangement may be employed for imparting the motion of the wheel
of the vehicle to the worm. In starting with a fare the driver of the
vehicle draws the dial and worm out of gear by means of a string,
handle, or other contrivance so as to bring the dial to zero point, after
which they are allowed to come into gear again, when the motion of
the vehicle being imparted to the dial the distance travelled will be
indicated by the revolution of the dial past the pointer. The said
dial may be made to indicate only the fractions of a mile, and the
number of miles be indicated by a separate disc or cylinder receiving
motion from the spindle of the dial indicating fractions of a mile by
means of a worm and worm wheel or other suitable speed reducing
gear. The indicating dial and cylinder being connected to the driving

page_text: gear by friction clutches or other clutch apparatus, they can be dis-
connected from the driving gear, when being weighted they turn to
The driving gear may be made to carry round a graduated disc
upon which the total distance travelled by the vehicle in a day or
other interval of time may be read off. The dial or driving gear may
in revolving be caused to strike a bell or gong at the termination of
every mile or fraction of a mile, and such bell or gong may also be
struck in the act of setting the dials or pointer to zero.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Telford Macneill in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
TELFORD MACNEILL, of No. 23, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Telford Macneill, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas, Telford Macneill, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Telford
Macneill, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE DISTANCES
TRAVELLED BY CABS AND OTHER VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE INDICATING.
OF THE FARES PAYABLE FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Telford Macneill, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands 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

page_text: 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 Thomas Telford Macneill, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
One part of my Invention consists in fixing upon the nave or other
part of one wheel of a cab or other vehicle a grooved wheel or pulley,
the diameter of which bears a a definite proportion to the diameter of
the wheel. Round such grooved wheel is passed an an elastic band,.
by preference wholly or partly of india-rubber, which band passes round
a second grooved wheel or pulley which is always made of one definite
size to suit the before-mentioned proportion of the other pulley and
the wheel of the vehicle, and which imparts motion to any arrangement
of mechanism for indicating the distance travelled or the fare payable,
but by preference I employ in combination therewith the arrangement
of mechanism hereafter described. By this arrangement it will be
seen that one and the, same construction of indicating apparatus. with
driving pulley may be employed for any cab or other vehicle, no matter
what the size of the wheels may be, by simply fixing upon the latter.
a grooved pulley of corresponding proportionate diameter.
Another part of my Invention consists in constructing the mechanism
for indicating the distance travelled in the manner shown on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a front
elevation of the indicating apparatus; Figure 2 shows the same view
with the dial plate and pointer removed; Figure 3 shows a cross section;
and Figure 4 shows a sectional plan. Similar letters of reference indicate
similar parts in each of the Figures.
A is the before-mentioned grooved wheel or pulley of a definite
diameter receiving motion from the other grooved wheel or pulley on
the cab wheel by means of an elastic band. This pulley is fixed upon
the spindle B carried by the casing C of the mechanism, upon the
farther end of which spindle is formed the worm D. This worm is
in gear with the worm wheel E on the spindle F, which carries a toothed
pinion G in gear with a second larger pinion H on the spindle I. This

page_text: spindle has a worm J in gear simultaneously with two separate toothed
discs K and I, of which K has one or more teeth less than L, so that as
they are caused to revolve by the worm J they receive at the same time.
a differential motion due to such difference in the number of their teeth,
for a purpose to be presently described. These discs are both loose.
upon a bush M. fixed to the casing C, through which bush passes a
spindle N carrying in front loose upon it the pointer O to which is
fixed a disc P, the toothed or serrated surface of which is in contact
with a second disc Q fixed on the toothed disc K, and which may
either be of india-rubber or be made with a corresponding toothed or
serrated surface. At the back of the mechanism the spindle N is acted
upon by the spring R pressing against a nut on the spindle, as shown.
in such manner as to cause it to press the pointer O with its disc P
firmly against the disc Q, and thus to cause the pointer to be carried
round with the disc K. Immediately behind the pointer is the annular
dial plate S, the circumference of which is marked with any desired
graduations denoting one or more miles or fractions of a mile or other
distances, or even the corresponding fares, or both.
In the present
case the dial is graduated in such manner that the pointer O by one
complete revolution indicates a distance of five miles thereon. For
indicating distances beyond five miles the toothed disc L is graduated,
as shown, with any number of divisions denoting miles, and the disc K.
is formed with an aperture acting as an index, whereby as it, moves
over the graduations on the disc L owing to the differential motion
of the two discs it will indicate. successively any desired number of
miles travelled by the vehicle. For the ready indication of the distance
travelled by any one fare up to five miles the pointer O is at the
commencement of every journey set to zero by the driver by the following
arrangement:-Behind the spring R is a lever T pivotted at t'and
having at a vertical incline, against which presses the stud u on the
trigger bolt U. This trigger bolt is pressed down by a spring inside
the barrel V, as indicated in dotted lines at Figure 2, and is provided
outside the casing with a loop, to which is attached a cord. The driver
on pulling this cord consequently raises the bolt U, and thus causes
the stud in passing up the incline of the lever T to press this lever
against the end of the spindle N so as to counteract the pressure of
the spring R. By this means the frictional contact between the disc P.
of the pointer O and the disc Q will cease, and the pointer in being
connected in the manner shown to the one end of the spring W (which

page_text: may either be of india-rubber, as shown, or of coiled wire, and which,
or any other form of spring, might be attached to the back end of the
spindle N instead of to the pointer) will then be drawn thereby into
the vertical position, so as to point to zero. The pointer might also,
but less advantageously, be brought into the vertical position by
weighting the tail end thereof sufficiently. It will be seen that as
the discs K, L, do not partake of this adjustment at the commencement
of each journey they will at the end of a day or other interval of time
indicate the total distance travelled by the vehicle, thus affording the
proprietor some check upon the driver as to the amount of fares he
has received.
.
In order to prevent the possibility of the drivers causing the
mechanism to work backwards by crossing the driving band or otherwise
in order that the discs K, L, may show a less distance than that actually
travelled the pinions G, H, are made loose upon their spindles, and
are so connected thereto by spring pawls and ratchet wheels, as indicated
in Figure 2, that the spindle I is only caused to revolve and to actuate
the indicating discs when the spindle F and pinions G, H, turn in the
right direction. If desired the intermediate spindle I and the
pinions G, H, may be dispensed with and the discs K, L, be driven
direct by means of a worm on the spindle F, the proportion between
the worm wheel E on the same and the worm D on the driving spindle B
being in that case altered as may be requisite. Y is a guard projecting
from the casing C over the pulley A so as to prevent the driving band
from being removed; a similar guard is made to project over the groove
of the pulley on the cab wheel.
The apparatus may be provided with a bell, as shown in dotted lines
at X, Figure 3, which may be arranged to be struck on setting the
apparatus at the commencement of the journey by the trigger bolt U
being made to act on a striking lever, and it may also be arranged in
any convenient manner to be struck on the pointer O completing one
mile or one revolution.
It will be evident that in place of the dial being fixed and the pointer
moveable the apparatus may be easily modified so as to make the dial
rotate by connecting it by means of arms to the disc P and the pointer
be made stationary.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that

page_text: I do not limit myself to the precise details of the indicating apparatus
shown on the accompanying Drawing, as these may be variously modified
as before stated without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
what I claim is,-
First. Actuating mechanism for indicating the distance travelled by
cabs and other vehicles or the corresponding fares by means of two
pulleys or wheels, of which one is fixed on the indicating mechanism
while the other is fixed on a wheel of the vehicle and has a diameter
bearing a definite proportion to that of such driving wheel, motion being
imparted by the second-named pulley or wheel to the first one by
means of an elastic band or strap, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. Constructing mechanism for indicating the distance travelled
by cabs and other vehicles or the corresponding fares wherein the
pointer or the dial is carried round by frictional contact with the driving
mechanism in such manner that on releasing such frictional contact
the pointer or dial will be caused by a spring or balance weight to
adjust itself to zero point. Also in combination with the above the
use of two toothed discs imparting the said motion to the pointer or
dial and serving to indicate the total distance travelled by the vehicle
during a day or other given time, substantially in manner herein-before
set forth with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Third. I claim the general arrangement of apparatus for indicating
the distance travelled by cabs and other vehicles actuated in manner
herein-before described with reference to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Telford Macneill, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
T. TELFORD MACNEILL. (L.S.)