IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING A com- AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR PUBLIC VEHICLES SUCH AS CABS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields,. in the
County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING
A com-
AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR PUBLIC VEHICLES SUCH AS CABS
munication from Charles de Cuyper, a person resident at Ghent, in the
Kingdom of Belgium
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January. 1883.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 46 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR PUBLIC VEHICLES
SUCH AS CABS [A communication from Charles de Cuyper, a person resident
at Ghent, in the Kingdom of Belgium]
"
This invention relates to apparatus applicable to a public conveyance such as a
cab for registering on a dinl how each minute during the twenty four hours has
been occupied thus affording a check against dishonesty on the part of the driver, and
also enabling the hirer to ascertain how much he ought to pay according to time.
For these purposes there is provided a suitable time-keeper with a disc which
completes a rotation once in a given period which I will assume to be twenty-
four hours.
This disc is provided with appliances for holding firmly against its face a
suitably printed and divided paper disc (to be presently described) so that a pencil
pressing against the paper mounted on the disc shall trace freely thereon as the
disc rotates or the pencil moves.
.
The paper disc is printed with three or more concentric circles on its outer
circumference these having between them small annular spaces (say for example
of an inch wide or thereabout).
These annular spaces are divided accurately each into 24 divisions corresponding
to the 24 hours in the day and night-these divisions are subdivided as convenient
into half hours and quarters, and each primary division is marked by a figure
denoting an hour of the day or night.

page_text: The instrument is fixed with the disc face in a vertical plane on the vehicle, and
the pencil is capable of vertical motion when desired, thus, being pressed against
the revolving paper disc it follows that circles or arcs of circles are traced on the
disc and will indicate correctly the time it has been travelling with the pencil
point in contact with any one of the circles dividing or bounding the annular
spaces on the disc, the times being represented by the lengths of the lines traced
when compared with the divisions on the disc.
Assuming that there are three circles on the paper disc,-the inner circle may
represent the time in the cab yard, the next circle the time when plying for
hire, and the outer circle the time engaged with a "fare" or passenger.
Thus if the pencil be shifted in a radial direction from one circle to another it
will by a radial vertical line indicate the moment at which it was shifted and on
that circle on which it comes to rest it will be describing an are until it is shifted
to another circle,-consequently, as the arcs denote the occupation of the vehicle,
and the radial lines denote the exact times at which each occupation commences
and ends, there will be a constant record kept during the twenty four hours.
The radial motion of the pencil in relation to the disc is effected by the
following means;
At a convenient position on the vehicle is mounted in suitable bearings a
horizontal shaft or spindle on to which is fixed a double armed forked lever whose
arms carry two indicators, the one having some word or words indicating
Disengaged," and the other "Engaged." The arms of this lever are capable of
being moved in a plane at right angles to the axis of the shaft and are so arranged
that when the indicator that signifies "Disengaged " is visible, the other is
invisible, and vice versá; the motion of the forked lever also allows of both
indicators being put in an invisible position.
The movement of the before mentioned signal arms and shaft or spindle is
caused by means of cams, levers and springs to impart the requisite radial move-
ment to the pencil which thereupon marks the disc over the circle corresponding
with the occupation of the vehicle for the time being as indicated by the exposed
indicator or signal.
The apparatus is so arranged that besides the external indicators signifying
respectively "Engaged" and "Disengaged" there are simultaneously operated
internal indicators of like tenor so that an occupant of the vehicle can see within it
what signal is exposed outside.
To prevent the accuracy of the indicators from being affected by the vibrations
of the vehicle provision is made for keeping the cams out of contact with the
projections they actuate except during the change from one attitude to another of
the operating lever-which the driver works by hand.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th June 1883.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING AND RECORDING APPARATUS FOR PUBLIC VEHICLES
SUCH AS CABS (a communication from Charles de Cuyper a person resident at
Ghent in the Kingdom of Belgium)
This invention relates to apparatus applicable to public conveyances such as a
cab for registering on a dial how each minute during the twenty four hours has
been occupied thus affording a check against dishonesty on the part of the driver
and also enabling the hirer to ascertain how much he ought to pay according
to time
For these purposes there is provided a suitable timekeeper with a disc which
completes a rotation once in a given period which I will assume to be twenty four
hours. This disc is provided with appliances for holding firmly against its face a
suitably printed and divided paper disc (to be presently described) so that a pencil
pressing against the paper mounted on the disc shall trace freely thereon as the disc
rotates or the pencil moves.
The paper disc may or may not be printed with three or more concentric circles
on its outer circumference these having between then small annular spaces (say for
example of an inch wide or thereabout).
The paper is divided accurately into 24 divisions corresponding to the 24 hours
in the day and night; these divisions are subdivided as convenient into half hours
and quarters, and each primary division is marked by a figure denoting an hour of
the day or night.
The instrument is fixed with the disc face in a vertical plane on the vehicle, and
the pencil is capable of vertical motion when desired; this being pressed against
the revolving paper disc it follows that circles or arcs of circles are traced on the
disc and will indicate correctly the time it has been travelling with the pencil point
in contact with any one of the circles dividing or bounding the annular spaces on
the disc, or if the disc bo not marked with such circles then the radii of the arcs
traced by the pencil will shew how the vehicle has been employed, the times being
represented by the lengths of the lines traced when compared with the divisions
on the disc
Assuming that there are three circles on the paper disc (or that the pencil is able
to trace circular arcs of three different radii) the inner circle may represent the
time in the cab yard,-the next circle the time when plying for hire, and the
outer circle the time engaged with a "fare" or passenger. Thus if the pencil be
shifted in a radial direction from one circle (or radial position) to another it will
by a radial line indicate the moment at which it was shifted and on that circle
(or at that radius) on which it comes to rest it will be describing an arc until it is
shifted to another circle (or radial position); consequently as the arcs denote the
occupation of the vehicle, and the radial lines denote the exact times at which each
occupation commences and ends, there will be a constant record kept during the
twenty four hours
The radial motion of the pencil in relation to the disc is effected by the following
means:-
At a convenient position on the vehicle is mounted in suitable bearings
horizontal shaft or spindle on to which is fixed a double armed forked lever whose
arms carry two indicators, the one having some word or words indicating

page_text: outside. Two springs L. M. of greater strength than the spring Kỵ cause the rods I
and J to return to their higher positions
To prevent the shaking action of the vehicle being communicated to the pencil
(thus interfering with the proper marking of the paper dial; the cams G. and Hare
when the vehicle is engaged or disengaged, out of contact with the parts I' and J.,
one or both of the springs L M maintaining the rods in the desired position whilst
the upward motion of the rods, which would otherwise- bring 1' or J' into contact
with G or H is limited by projections NO on the rols which bear against recesses
in the lower guide piece f. The principal parts which may he of cast iron are
inclosed within a box or cover provided with a lock; the cover has two glazed
openings, one for the dial and the other for the display within the vehicle of the
word "Engaged" when the vehicle really is so. 7 is a screwed bolt by which to
fasten the apparatus to the vehicle.
The mode of using the apparatus is as follows,-Each morning the employé at
the office of the proprietor of the vehicle, opens the box winds up the clockwork
(or the winding of the clockwork may be effected at longer intervals as desired).
removes the paper dial of the previous day and replaces it by another one. It is
to facilitate removal of the paper dial that the pencil is made with a hinge joint
and by means of the spring which maintains it in its position a slight support is
obtained which maintains the pencil against the paper.
The pencil is preferably metallic and the papers are sensitised
To facilitate fixing the paper dial on the rotating disc the dial has two guide
holes g (Fig 4) corresponding to projections PQ in the rotating disc. An
arrangement of spring R operated by a screw S causes the paper to adhere to the
disc, but it will be evident other arrangements may be employed to attain this
object, for example the screw may be replaced by a cap with rece-ses which
passes over the central pivot with hooks and which in their turning a quarter of a
revolution takes up a determined position in which the spring R itself maintains
the parts.
The thick line in Fig 4 shews the manner in which the dial becomes marked by
the apparatus. It will be seen that the clockwork was wound up at 6.45 in tho
morning, the vehicle left the yard at about 7 o'clock, at 7.15, it was hired for a
period lasting until 7.35,-it was then disengaged until 8.5 at which time the
driver had a fare for 10 minutes, then after an interval of 5 minutes of liberty the
vehicle was hired for 2 h. 10 m; at 10.30 it again became disengaged and at 10.47
another passenger engaged the vehicle and so on.
In this way the company's employed in the office can verify the exact work done
by the driver, and besides the passenger can ascertain with exactitude how long he
has employed the vehicle, thus obviating disputes.
It may be added that the paper dials can bear the number of the vehicle, the date
and other useful indications if desired.
On sheet 2 is illustrated a construction of apparatus according to this invention
differing in various details from the foregoing and providing for a contingency (as
hereinafter explained) not provided for in the first arrangement.
Fig. 6 is a front view with the cover removed
Fig. 7 a horizontal section
Fig. 8. a sectional elevation
Figs 10. 11 and 12 are views to a smaller scale shewing the invention applied to
a vehicle.
The cams G and H are carried by a shaft F as in the, preceding arrangement and
the construction of the parts within the box or cover is (with the exceptions referred
to hereinafter) similar to that arrangement.
The apparatus is fixed to the driver's seat on the left of the vehicle and the shaft
F passes into the seat of the vehicle and by any simple combination (varying
according to the form and arrangement of the vehicle) is put in motion automati-
cally by the hirer on entering the vehicle. Each angular or rotative movement of
the shaft F is then transinitted through two segments of wheels to the arm h which

page_text: carries a plate in which are set two glass discs one red and bearing the word
Engaged," the other green and bearing the word "Disengaged."
"
"
Tho shaft F is operated in such manner that the cam G bears on the part I' of
the rod I and puts the pencil in the "Engaged position; at the same time the
disc of red glass bearing the word " Engaged" passes in front of the carriage
lamp
A simple method amongst others of causing the cam G to operate and consequently
also the glass disc is to make the seats upon which the cushions are placed to tip or
tilt upon the passenger taking his seat and on his leaving it thus through the
operation of a lever, effecting, the aforesaid movement. So long as the seat is
loaded it is impossible for the driver to return the cam shaft to its first position and
consequently to cause the plate and also the apparatus to indicato " Disengaged."
Further when the seat is unloaded whether the passenger may have left the
vehicle momentarily or permanently, the indicator and the apparatus will always
remain in the "Engaged" position. When the passenger has definitely left the
vehicle the driver must operate the indicator plate and replace the apparatus in
the "Disengaged" position. The three positions which the lever C assumes
correspond to the three notches Z Z Z" in the plate a behind which the arm with
the two glasses slides When the detent is in the notch Z the word "Engaged"
appears before the lamp, when in the notch Z the word "disengaged" and when
in the notch Z" the two glasses have passed in front of the lamp and only the white
glass is seen.
"
The small plate carried by the rod I bears in this case both the words
"Engaged and "
'Disengaged," one of the words being presented before the
rectangular opening in the cover according as the vehicle is engaged or not.
In order to check the driver in the case where a passenger is taken by the
vehicle out of the town, or to a sufficiently great distance for him to have to make
a payment not only for the time he has occupied the vehicle but also for the return
of the vehicle although he has discharged it, a second pencil T is so placed that it
marks on the paper dial concentric arcs other than those marked by the pencil A
as shewn at Fig. 9 This pencil is carried at the end of an arm U which is
adjusted very exactly between the projections which are in one piece with the
lever V perpendicular to the arm. The arm U may be moved forward about 90°
so as not to impede the placing and removal of the paper dial; a spring presses on
the arm U in such manner that the pencil (preferably of copper) is constantly
pressed against the sensitised dial. The lever V is of the form represented in the
drawing, it oscillates on the pivot W, and is constructed in such a way that in
the middle position ("Disengaged") which is that represented in the drawing, it is
perfectly in equilibrium the arm U being counterbalanced by a part X.
The rod 1 carries a projection Y so placed that when the parts are in such a
position that the word "Engaged" is visible it will have come into the position Y'.
in the recessed part of the lever V and the lever will then be in the extreme right
hand position In this position the pencil T will mark the circle m n. In the
position of the parts when the vehicle is disengaged, ie; the position represented
in the drawing, the pencil marks the circle m' n' and by the oscillation of the
lever the circle m" n" and all intermediate positions
Thus when the vehicle is hired, this lever V will be locked by the projection Y
in the position Y, and the pencil will mark in the circle m. n. When the vehicle
is disengaged and at a standstill one side or the other of the recess in the lever V
will bear against the projection Y according as the vehicle is inclined a little more
towards the front or back and the pencil will mark an arc of a circle in one of the
positions m¹, n'. or m" n". If while the vehicle is disengaged it travels, the lever
will oscillate continually by reason of the vibrations to which it will be subject
and the pencil will trace an undulated line, thus proving that the vehicle has
travelled whilst it was disengaged
To provide against the joltings of the carriage communicating to the pencil
vibrations of too accentuated a character a light spring may be applied to the lower

page_text: •
portion of the part X which to this end is made in the form of an arc of a circle.
In this arrangement the paper dial is fastened to the rotating disc by a disc or
plate R which is caused to press on the paper by a spring plate S provided with a
kind of bayonet slide.
In the dial illustrated in Fig. 9 the concentric lines are dispensed with and the
pencil traces on imaginary circles. It will be seen that the vehicle has passed the
time in almost the same manner as in the case represented by Fig. 4 but the interior
marking indicates that the vehicle has been at rest from 6.45 to 7 o'clock, it has
then travelled until 7.15 (all the while disengaged as shewn by the undulated
line); it was then hired (and the pencil locked) until 7.35 it then travelled
whilst disengaged until 7.45.-from 7.45 it was at rest till 8.5 when it was hired
for 10 minutes; during the next 5 minutes it was disengaged and travelled during
that time, at 8.20 it was hired for 2 h. and 10 m, and became free at 10.30; it
wus then disengaged (but travelling) until 11.25; and at 11.47 it was again hired
The dial thus indicates that there was an interval from 10.30 to 11.25 during
which the vehicle has travelled whilst disengaged which may be the case for a
return journey, if as the case supposes the proprietor limits the driver to a
maximum of time during which he may travel with the vehicle free
Having described the nature of the said invention and the manner in which the
same is or may be carried into practical effect as communicated to me as aforesaid
I would have it understood that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited
Letters Patent is:—
1 In an indicating and recording apparatus for vehicles causing a marking
instrument to draw on a revolving dial arcs of concentric circles indicating now
the vehicle has been occupied for any given time the occupations of the vehicle
being distinguished by varying the radii of the arcs which in turn correspond to
the position for the time being of an indicator or indicators substantially as
described
2 The use, for indicating and recording the periods during which a vehicle has
been engaged with and without passengers, of apparatus comprising clockwork for
imparting rotary movement to a disc marked with appropriate divisions an
instrument for marking thereon circular arcs of different radii, and means operated
substantially as described whereby the radial position of the marking instrument
can be adjusted by turning a shaft with cams to accord with the occupation of the
vehicle for the time being and the corresponding position of an indicator
substantially as described
3 In an apparatus of the kind referred to in claim 2 the arrangement described
for preventing the communication of vibratory movement through the cam shaft to
the marking instrument.
4 The improved indicating and recording apparatus for vehicles constructed
arranged and operating substantially as described with reference to and illustrated
on sheet 1 of the accompanying drawings
5 The modified arrangement wherein two pencils or marking instruments are
employed substantially as and for the purposes described with reference to sheet 2
of the drawings
In Witness whereof I the said William Lloyd Wise have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty eighth day of June in the year of our Lord