AN IMPROVED TELL-TALE FOR PUBLIC VEHICLES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Parker, of Elm House, Homerton, Gentle-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TELL-TALE FOR PUBLIC
VEHICLES."
Sealed the 13th November 1857, and dated the 15th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Parker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
May 1857.
I, FRANCIS PARKER, of Elm House, Homerton, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TELL-TALE FOR PUBLIC
VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing an apparatus for checking the
number of passengers travelling by a vehicle, such apparatus consisting of a
tube or pipe descending to a bell, gong, or other sounding instrument contained
in a box or case which can be securely locked or fastened. A globular or
other missile is to be put in at the upper part of the tube or pipe, when it
will descend and strike the gong or sounding instrument, either by contact
with the surface, or with the end of a clapper or trigger. Thus, should any

page_text: attendant charged with that duty not put in a missile each time a passenger
gets into the vehicle, it would be at once apparent to the passengers and all
persons close to the vehicle, and hence he could be checked as to the number
of passengers going by such vehicle, the number of missiles found in the box
below the gong or bell shewing the number of passengers. The tube might
be of strong clear glass, and the missiles of some strongly contrasting color,
so that by exhibiting the descent of the missile to the bell or gong attention
would be farther attracted to the use of this tell-tale, and it might be desirable
to have an indicator board or dial in connexion with this apparatus.
The above is a statement of the nature of the Invention, which might
probably be varied in its details according to particular circumstances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Parker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
PARKER, of Elm House, Homerton, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Parker, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Parker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Parker, 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
térm 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 "AN IMPROVED TELL-TALE FOR
PUBLIC VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
Parker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and 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 the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Parker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
(I.) The nature of the said Invention, which has been already set forth
in the Provisional Specification accompanying the application for the said
Letters Patent, consists in constructing an apparatus for checking the number
of passengers travelling by a vehicle, such apparatus consisting of a tube or
tubes, pipe or pipes, descending to a bell, gong, or other sounding instrument
contained in a box or, case. When set in motion, as hereafter explained, a
globular or other missile descends from the upper part of the tube (or one
of the tubes where several are employed) and strikes the gong or other
sounding instrument, either by contact with the sounding surface, or may be
by acting on a clapper or trigger; or the missile may even be made to
descend without acting on any sounding instrument, a bell or gong being
sounded by the same movement as will set the apparatus in motion. Thus
should any attendant charged with that duty not put the tell-tale in motion
each time a passenger gets in or upon the vehicle it would be at once apparent
to the passengers and all persons close to the vehicle, and this would assist
in checking. the number of passengers travelling by such vehicle. Having
thus passed the gong or sounding instrument, the missile then passes through
a continuation of the tube before mentioned into a box or case below, which
can be securely locked or fastened, the number of missiles found in which
tells the tale or registers the number of the passengers. The tubes might,
if thought desirable, be of strong clear glass, and the missiles of some strongly
contrasting color, so that by exhibiting the descent of the missiles attention
would be further attracted to the. use of this tell-tale; and it might also be
desirable to have an indicator board or dial in connexion with this apparatus.
(II.) Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention,
I now proceed to describe in what manner, the same is to be performed,
wherein I shall refer to the accompanying Drawings, as follows:-:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, elevation of the back of an omnibus, with a complete view of this.
apparatus adapted to such a vehicle.
Fig. 2, external view of the apparatus detached; Figs. 3. and 4, partial.
sections; Fig. 5, partial external view of apparatus; Fig. 6, partial external
view of apparatus.

page_text: of the same parts. A denotes a box or case fitted near the top of the omnibus,
such box or case having a curvated bottom, in the centre of which is the
upper mouth of the curved pipe B, the lower end of which opens into a
regulator box C, which contains a frame and springs, actuated by a button
or knob at the end of the pistón C¹, in manner and for the purposes hereafter
mentioned, this regulator box C being a case placed horizontally, having an
opening and * (see Figs. 3 and 4) at top, into which the lower mouth of
the pipe B is fitted, and another opening and **(see Figs. 3 and 4)
at the bottom, but not immediately underneath the top opening, into which
fits the upper mouth of the vertical pipe D, the lower mouth of which opens
into a circular box E, which contains the gong or sounding instrument F;
from the lower part of which box E proceeds a second vertical pipe G, which
opens into the top of the box or case H, which is a box without any front
to it, into which is to be fitted a complete drawer box, with an opening in
its lid corresponding with the lower mouth of the pipe G, such drawer box
being capable of being locked and secured in its place in the case H. In
use the box A is supplied with a given quantity of marbles or globular
missiles, which descend into and fill the tube B. The lowest rests in a frame
in the regulator box C (Fig. 3), and remains there on one side of the upper
mouth of the tube D until the button or knob of the piston C', attached to
the coiled spring at one end, is pressed upon by the conductor of the omnibus
in order to register a passenger, when, upon the pressure being applied, the
marble or missile in the frame in the regulator box is brought over the upper
mouth of the tube D and falls into that tube (see Fig. 4), the spring at the
other end of the said frame pressing the piston back again, and the whole
arrangement not suffering more than one marble or missile to drop into the
tube D at one time. The marble or missile descends the tube D into the
box E, strikes the gong F, and falls down the tube G into the box H, the
number of which missiles found in the said box telling the tale or registering
the number of the passengers.
It is evident that various modifications might be made in the construction
of the apparatus before described; thus, instead of the box A, a tube or tubes
might be provided, placed at the top of the vehicle, as convenient; and there
might be several tubes or boxes, or tubes and boxes communicating with
regulator boxes in connection with one gong or sounding instrument, so that
different colored missiles might be employed to register different fares; also
the knob or piston of the regulator box might be actuated by the door of the
vehicle being made to press upon it by the opening or shutting thereof.
(III.) Having: now described the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the Inven-
tion, the nature and character whereof is described in the outset (marked I.)
of this my Specification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Parker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Signed and sealed in my presence,
F. W. CAMPIN, Patent Agent,
Strand.
FRANS PARKER. (L.S.)