Improvements relating to Apparatus for Operating Fare Indicators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by THE TAXAMETER FABRIK WESTENDARP &
PIEPER, of 33, Langereike St. Georg, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany.]
Improvements relating to Apparatus for Operating Fare Indicators.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the transmission of motive power from a rotating axle
or wheel of a vehicle to a fare indicator employed in the same, by the aid of com-
pressed air. The said invention has for its object first, to provide means for
obviating any derangement of working of the transmitting device heretofore
occurring from the escape of air through defective joints of the conducting pipes as
well as from variations of the temperature; second to increase the effect of the
transmitting device, and third to afford facilities for replacing that part of the
device which directly transmits the impulse of the driving axle or wheel through
the medium of compressed air to the fare indicator.
To carry this invention into practice I provide that part of the transmitting
device which is actuated by the driving axle or wheel of the vehicle, hereinafter
called the receptor, with means for drawing air from outside automatically when-
ever the quantity of air enclosed within the conducting pipe needs to be
completed.
To this end the said receptor consists of a cylinder into which fits a recipro-
cating piston. To the latter is attached a piston rod extending through the cover
at one end of the said cylinder within the path of a cam on the driving axle or
wheel of the vehicle and being provided with a shoulder which is designed to limit
the stroke of the piston against the tendency of a spring enclosed within the hollow
space of the cylinder not passed by the piston rod. Through the wall of the
cylinder and just in front of the piston in its position of rest is bored a small hole
forming an air passage between the interior of the cylinder and a hollow space
within the casting surrounding the air cylinder proper and this hollow space
although shut off through a cover may communicate with the outer air or atmo-
sphere in such a manner that no dust or other impurities are allowed to enter the
interior of the cylinder. The front part of the air cylinder occupied by the spring
and not passed by the piston-rod is closed by a cover provided with a suitable
ferrule for the attachment of a flexible pipe which serves to conduct the com-
pressed air produced in the air cylinder to the transmitter proper hereinbefore
mentioned.
The rear part of the air cylinder may also be provided with a passage to
5 communicate permanently with the atmosphere.
Under these conditions the action of the receptor will be as follows.
As soon as the piston under the action of a cam on the wheel nave of the vehicle
and against the tendency of the spring in the air cylinder, is caused to move
inwardly and thereby to shut off the small air passage in the wall of the cylinder,
0 the air enclosed in the front part of the latter will be compressed and the increasing
pressure communicated through the said flexible pipe upon the transmitter proper
which actuates the fare indicator in the vehicle. On the retrograde motion of the
piston caused by the spring within the air cylinder when the said small air passage
in the latter is re-opened just before the piston has completed its out-stroke, the
5 atmospheric air may enter into the air cylinder through the hollow space in the

page_text: casing around and the said small passage in the wall of the latter in case of a partial
vacuum in the front end of the air cylinder. In consequence thereof a diminution
of the normal pressure of the air in the conducting pipe due to slight leakage
in the pipe joints or variation of the temperature may not occur in any way, and
as also the interior of the air cylinder at the opposite side of the piston com-
municates freely with the atmosphere, no particular resistances except friction have
to be overcome by the actuation of the receptor.
The transmitter proper consists of a shallow globular cup provided at its bottom
with a ferrule for the reception of the flexible pipe attached to the receptor herein-
before described.
At its upper end the said cup is closed by a metallic or other flexible membrane
secured thereto by means of a common ring joint and the globular depression of
the said cup is of such a form, that the bulging of the membrane is allowed to
deflect from the convexo-concave into the concavo-convex form as this is for
instance the case with the so called well known "Cri-Cri."
On the commencing of the increase or decrease of the pressure in the said
flexible conducting pipe the deflection of the membrane from the one end position to
the other will be therefore considerably accelerated, as the variations in the pressure
of the air in the said conducting pipe may be used only to impart the necessary
impulse for the deflection of the membrane in either direction. After the deflection
of the membrane has proceeded a certain degree the bulging of the latter will
suddenly be accomplished in itself and thereby it is enabled to actuate a lever
operating the fare-indicator in a well known manner.
The said transmitter is preferably attached to the fare-indicator, through the
medium of a frame open at one side, which serves to receive a projecting flange of
the transmitter within its lateral notches. This frame is connected to the case of
the fare-indicator at an easily accessible place, so that a defective transmitter may
be replaced without any loss of time.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Apparatus for Operating Fare Indicators.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for operating fare indicators, and comprises
means for transmitting the necessary motive power through the medium of
compressed air from a rotating axle or wheel of a vehicle to the fare indicator
arranged in the said vehicle.
The said invention has for its object first, to provide means for obviating any
derangement of the working of the apparatus which has heretofore been caused by
the escape of air through defective joints in the conducting pipes, as well as by
variations of temperature, second, to increase the effect of the apparatus, and third,
to afford facilities for replacing the pump, which directly transmits the power it
receives from the driving axle or wheel to the fare indicator in the form of
compressed air.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the pump and its connections.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1

page_text: Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections through the device for transmitting
motion to the fare indicator showing the several parts in different positions.
Figure 6 shows the complete arrangement of the apparatus.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
I provide the pump A of the transmitting device which is actuated by the
driving axle or wheel of the vehicle, with means for drawing air from outside
automatically, whenever the quantity of air enclosed within the conducting pipe
requires to be augmented.
To this end the said pump A consists of a cylinder a into which fits a recipro-
cating piston b. To the latter is attached a piston-rod c extending through the
cover g at one end of the said cylinder and projecting within the path of a cum d
on the driving axle or wheel y of the vehicle the said piston rod being provided
with a shoulder c' which is designed to limit the stroke of the piston b, against
the tendency of a spring f enclosed within the space at the opposite end of the
cylinder.
Through the wall of the cylinder a and just in front of the piston bin its position
of rest is formed a small hole r forming an air-passage between the interior of the
cylinder a and a space within a casing n surrounding the air-cylinder a and this
space although shut off through a cover p may communicate with the outer air
or atmosphere in such a manner, that no dust or other impurities are allowed to
enter the interior of the cylinder a. This may be effected by interposing between
the cover p and its seat on the cylinder a a piece of narrow woven textile fabric or
felt, which admits the passage of air from and to the bottom space of the cylinder
but is capable of retaining the dust and other impurities of the air and thus serving
as a sort of air filter. The front part of the air-cylinder occupied by the spring f
is closed by a cover provided with a suitable nozzle i and coupling for the
attachment of a flexible pipe k, which serves to conduct the air from the air
cylinder a to the device B hereinbefore mentioned. The rear part of the air
cylinder may also be provided with a passage q to communicate permanently with
the atmosphere.
Under these conditions the action of the pump will be as follows:-
As soon as the piston b under the action of the cam d on the wheel nave of
the vehicle is caused to move inwardly against the tendency of the spring in
the air cylinder and thereby to shut off the small air passager in the wall of the
cylinder, the air enclosed in the front part of the latter will be compressed and the
increasing pressure communicated through the said flexible pipe k to the device B
which actuates the fare indicator in the vehicle.
When the cam d leaves the piston rod band the spring reacts to return the
piston to its original position the small air passager in the cylinder will be
re-opened just before the piston b has completed its return stroke (Figure 1) thus
allowing the atmospheric air to enter the air cylinder through the space in the
casing around the same and through the said small passage in the wall thereof by
reason of a partial vacuum formed in the front end of the said air cylinder.
In consequence thereof a diminution of the normal pressure of the air in the
conducting pipe k due to slight leakage in the pipe joints or variation of the
temperature can not occur in any way, and as also the interior of the air cylinder a
at the opposite side of the piston communicates freely with the atmosphere, no
particular resistance except friction has to be overcome by the operation of the
receptor pump A.
The device B consists of a shallow globular cup 1 provided at its bottom with a
nozzle 2 for the reception of the flexible pipe k attached to the pump hereinbefore
described. At its upper end the said cup is closed by a metallic or other flexible
membrane 3 secured thereto by means of a common ring joint 6 and the globular
depression of the said cup is of such a form, that the membrane is allowed to
deflect from the convexo-concave into the cancavo-convex form as shown in
Figures 4 and 5 as is for instance the case with the so-called well known "Cri-Cri,"

page_text: After the commencement of the increase or decrease of pressure in the said
flexible conducting pipe & the movement of the membrane 3 from one end position
to the other will be considerably accelerated, as the variations in the pressure of
the air in the said conducting pipe k is only used to impart the necessary motion to
the membrane in either direction. After the deflection of the membrane has
proceeded to a certain degree, the complete bulging or inflation of the latter will
suddenly be accomplished the membrane actuating a lever 5 engaging with a lever u
pivoted at to the fare indicator thereby actuating the said indicator.
The said device B is preferably attached to the fare indicator through the
medium of a frame 8 open at one side, which serves to receive a flange or ring 6
within its lateral notches 7. This frame is connected to the case of the fare-
indicator at an easily accessible place so that a defective device may be replaced
without any considerable loss of time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
In an apparatus for transmitting motive power to a fare indicator by means of
compressed air, the combination with a pump A consisting of a cylinder a a piston b
space 1, passager and a cover p, of a transmitting apparatus B consisting of a
shallow globular cup 1 and a flexible membrane 3, substantially as set forth with
reference to the annexed drawings and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.