IMPROVE- MENTS IN INDICATING AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO ENTER AND LEAVE TRAMWAY CARS, OMNIBUSES, PUBLIC HALLS, STEAMBOATS, OR OTHER PLACES OF PUBLIC RESORT, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robertson, of Nitshill, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INDICATING AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO ENTER
AND LEAVE TRAMWAY CARS, OMNIBUSES, PUBLIC HALLS, STEAMBOATS, OR
OTHER PLACES OF PUBLIC RESORT, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
Sth January 1874.
I, JOHN ROBERTSON, of Nitshill, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO
ENTER AND LEAVE TRAMWAY CARS, OMNIBUSES, PUBLIC HALLS, STEAMBOATS, OR
OTHER PLACES OF PUBLIC RESORT, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to
say:-

page_text: registering the number of persons who enter and leave tramway cars,
omnibuses, public halls, steamboats, or other places of public resort
consists of a small moveable platform placed at the entrance of the
tramway car or other vehicle or place of public resort. The platform is
situated so that each person on entering or leaving the vehicle or place
of public resort must step upon it, and the weight of the person when
so stepping upon the said platform slightly depresses it. To the
moveable platform a connecting link or a pall or the mechanical
equivalent thereof is attached, so that it is moved simultaneously with
the depression of the platform, and the link pall or its equivalent being
again connected to or bearing upon an indicator operates one or more
fingers or pointers, which mark off on one or more dials or scales
the number of persons who have passed over or upon the moveable
platform.
A spring or counterweight is applied to the moveable platform in order
to raise it to its normal position after it has been depressed by a person's
weight upon it.
With the view of more correctly checking the number of persons
entering tramway cars between stations the apparatus is provided with a
pencil point, or pricker, which at each movement of the platform makes
a mark or puncture on or in a card placed in the apparatus at each
station, and it is preferred that these cards should be of different colours
for the respective stations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTSON, of Nitshill, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,
in the 37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Robertson, Her
special license that I, the said John Robertson, my executors, adminis

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Robertson, my
executors, administrators, or 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 INDICATING AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO ENTER AND LEAVE
TRAMWAY CARS, OMNIBUSES, PUBLIC HALLS, STEAMBOATS, OR OTHER PLACES OF
PUBLIC RESORT, AND IN THE APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Robertson, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Robertson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in indicating or
registering the number of persons who enter and leave tramway cars,
omnibuses, public halls, steamboats, or other places of public resort
consists of a small movable platform placed at the entrance of the
tramway car or other vehicle or place of public resort, and so situated
that each person on entering or leaving the vehicle or place of public
resort must step upon the said platform, whereby it is slightly depressed.
To the movable platform a connecting link or rod and a pall or the
mechanical equivalents thereof are attached, which upon being moved
simultaneously with the depression of the platform act upon a ratchet
wheel or indicator operating one or more fingers or pointers, which mark
off on one or more dials or scales the number of persons who have
stepped upon the platform.
A spring or counterweight is applied to the movable platform in order
to raise it to its normal position after it has been depressed by a person's

page_text: With the view of more correctly checking the number of persons
entering tramway cars between stations the apparatus may be provided
with a pencil point, or pricker, which at each movement of the platform
makes a mark or puncture on or in a card placed in the apparatus at
each station, and it is preferred that these cards should be of different
colours for the respective stations.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is an end elevation of a
portion of a tramway car, to which my Invention is shewn applied. A
movable platform A is hinged by levers B to a stud or bar C secured to
the lower framing of the car. Projections D are rivetted to the ends of
the platform A, and a link E passes through and is secured by a pin a to
the projection D on that end of the platform nearest the body of the car.
The link E is passed through a bracket F, which is fixed to the end of
the car, and is connected to a bell-crank lever G (situated at the
indicating part of the apparatus) by means of a connecting rod or link H.
The upper and indicating part of the apparatus consists of two plates I
secured to each other a short distance apart by means of stays J, as
shewn more particularly at Figure 2. A ratchet wheel K is situated
between the plates I, and is acted upon by the pall L, Figure 3, attached
to the bell-crank lever G. A flat steel spring M presses upon the back
of the pall L and also upon the ratchet stop N. The ratchet wheel K is
fixed to a shaft O carried in bearings on the plates I, and the said
shaft O is provided at its outer end with a finger or pointer P, which
indicates upon
the dial Q placed behind it. The shaft O is also provided
near its outer end with a small toothed pinion gearing with a spur
wheel R, the face of which forms a revolving dial, and which is carried
on a stud S, upon the end of which is fixed a stationary finger or
pointer T.
The whole of the herein-before described indicating part of the

page_text: In order to restore the platform A to its normal position when freed
from the weight of a passenger stepping upon it springs U are placed to
and on the platform A between the projections D and brackets V fixed
to the lower framing of the car, and by the reaction of these springs the
platform is restored to its original or normal position, or the same result
may be obtained by extending the levers B and placing counterweights
thereon, as shewn in dotted lines at Figure 1.
The above described mechanism is put in action as follows:-Any
person entering the car or descending therefrom must step upon the
platform A, which is thereby slightly depressed, and the bell-crank
lever G thrown into the position indicated in dotted lines, Figure 3.
The pall L acts upon the ratchet wheel K and causes it to revolve
through a short space equal to the pitch of the teeth, the stop N
preventing it from returning. The pointer P fixed upon the shaft O
indicates upon the dial Q that one passenger has entered or left the car.
The smaller dial Q, as shewn on the Drawings, indicates units up to
fifty, while the larger dial R actuated by a pinion on the shaft O will
indicate up to one thousand, or any other suitable ratios may be
employed.
In applying my Invention to steamboats, public halls, or other places
of public resort where it is desirable that the apparatus should register
a high number an arrangement of multiplying mechanism may be used,
as illustrated at Figures 4 and 5. The ratchet wheel A (actuated by
the connecting rod B, bell-crank lever C, and pall D from any con-
veniently arranged platform or step) is fixed to a shaft E, the outer end
of which is provided with a pointer a, which indicates fifty units upon
its corresponding dial. The shaft E has also a bevil wheel F gearing
with another bevil wheel G fixed to a countershaft H, whereby motion
is imparted to the tangent screw or worm I, which gears with the worm
wheel J. Upon the axis of the worm wheel J is a pinion gearing with
the spur wheel K, the axis of which is provided with a pointer 6 indicating
five thousand units upon its dial. A pinion on the axis of the spur
wheel K gears with a spur wheel L, whose axis actuates a third pointer c
indicating fifty thousand, and in like manner a fourth pointer d is caused
to indicate up to five hundred thousand.
The herein before described multinlving mechanism is sunnorted in

page_text: the apparatus shewing the dials inscribed on the front plate M;
Figure 5 is a view of the apparatus with the front plate M removed so
as to shew more particularly the arrangement of the herein-before
described multiplying gear; Figure 6 is a front elevation, Figure 7, a
plan, and Figures 8 and 9 vertical sections of a modification of my
Invention, whereby a puncture or pencil mark is made in or upon a
card placed in the apparatus. Under this arrangement two ratchet
wheels are employed, one of which A runs loose upon the shaft B, while
the other C is fixed thereon. The ratchet wheel A is actuated by the
pall D in the manner described with reference to the other Figures, but
in addition to the ratchet teeth on its outer periphery ratchet teeth are
formed on one of its sides, which act upon a horizontal pall E, the outer
end of which is provided with a pencil point or pricker, whereby the
card F is marked or punctured. The pall E (which also acts as a stop)
slides horizontally through a bracket a, and is supported at its outer end
by the front plate G. A coiled steel spring is employed in connection
with the pall E acting against the thrust of the ratchet teeth, whereby
the pencil point or pricker is withdrawn from the card and the pall E
placed in position for being again acted upon by the ratchet teeth. The
ratchet wheel C, Figure 9, is actuated by the pall H, which is attached
to the side of the bell-crank lever. The upward reaction of the step or
platform, whereby the apparatus is actuated, lifts the bell-crank lever
(shewn in dotted lines) and pushes forward the pall H, whereby the
ratchet wheel C is caused to revolve through a distance equal to the
pitch of the teeth. A pinion I fixed upon the shaft B gears with a spur
wheel J fixed on a shaft K. The shaft K is carried in bearings in the
front and back plates, and its outer end is provided with a washer L,
between which and a similar washer M the card F is placed and firmly
secured by a thumbscrew, as shewn.
To facilitate the counting of the pencil marks or punctures the card F
may be divided into equal spaces, each calculated to contain a certain
number of punctures or marks.
By the herein-before described arrangement the platform on being
depressed pulls down the bell-crank lever, whereby the ratchet wheel A
is actuated and the horizontal pall E thrust forward so as to mark or
puncture the card F, which meanwhile remains stationary. The coiled
spring causes the pall to return, and withdraws the pricker or pencil
point from the card.

page_text: When the platform is relieved from the weight of the person who has
stepped upon it it rises and lifts the bell-crank lever, thereby actuating
the ratchet wheel C by means of the pall H, and the card F actuated by
the pinion I and spur wheel J is caused to revolve slightly, so that a
fresh portion of the card is presented to the pencil, point, or pricker.
A
stop N prevents the ratchet wheel C from returning after it has been
advanced by the pall H.
Instead of the circular card F, as herein-before described, a straight
slip of cardboard or paper may be employed, and fed across the pencil
point, or pricker, by means of feeding rollers actuated by a ratchet, and
the said slip of paper or cardboard may be coiled upon a barrel or roller,
or barrels or rollers, from which it is fed in the manner herein-before
described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement of mechanism whereby a platform operating
one or more fingers or pointers constitutes an indicator or registry of the
number of persons who enter and leave tramway cars, omnibuses,
steamboats, public halls, or other places of public resort, substantially as
herein-before described.
Second. The use of cards, whether plain or coloured, and the apparatus
for marking or puncturing the same, or any mere modification thereof,
as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robertson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Sixth day of July One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN ROBERTSON. (L.S.)