Improvements in Apparatus for Printing and Registering Tickets, Chiefly Designed to Prevent Fraud by Tramway
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Printing and Registering
Tickets, Chiefly Designed to Prevent Fraud by Tramway
[Communicated from abroad by Walter Rathbone Bacon, of Great Winchester
Street Buildings, in the City of London, now residing in Paris, France.]
"
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare.
the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING
AND REGISTERING TICKETS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUD BY TRAMWAY
OR OMNIBUS CONDUCTORS to he as follows:-
"
My invention relates to apparatus for printing and registering tickets to prevent
fraud by tho conductors of tramway cars or omnibuses or by collectors or receivers
of money in theatres or other places where such apparatus may be desirable or
necessary. And my said invention comprises various improvements hereinafter
described.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a suitable box or casing in
which I arrange a wheel or roller. This wheel or roller is formed with a number
of longitudinal grooves or recesses in its periphery and in each of the said grooves
or recesses is arranged suitable type for printing the name of a particular place or
destination or the fare to be paid to such place, or both or for printing numbers or
other characters. Above this wheel or roller I provide a lever which is pivotted to
the casing and operated by a cam or excentric as hereinafter described and in the
free end of which is fixed an india rubber or other suitable pad. This pad is so
placed that it is opposite the uppermost recess in the type-wheel.
I also arrange within the said box or casing a roll of blank paper from which to
form the tickets. The paper from this roll is passed around suitable rollers and
between the type-wheel and the pad. It is then passed between two feeding
rollers into a convenient position for the tickets to be torn off as they are fed out
of the box or casing. An inking ribbon is also arranged upon a roll within the
said casing, and the said ribbon is passed over suitable rollers and between the
type-wheel and the pad below the said paper, the end of this ribbon is secured to
another roller upon which it is subsequently wound as hereinafter set forth.
On one end of the axis of the type-wheel I fix a handle or thumb-piece whereby
the type wheel may be adjusted as required, and on the other end of the said axis
I fix a wheel or disc whose periphery is marked with the desired fares or destina-
tions or with numbers or other characters in such a manner that when a certain
fare or destination thereon is visible through a slot formed for this purpose in the

page_text: casing, the said fare or destination will be printed by the type wheel and the amount
of the fare will be registered. The said disc is provided with projections the spaces
between which correspond in number and width with the grooves or recesses in the
type wheel and a dog or pawl acted upon by a spring is arranged to enter one or
other of the said spaces and thus retain the type-wheel in any position to which it
may be adjusted.
The printing and registration are effected by the partial rotation of a shaft or
axis in one direction, the feeding of the ticket through an aperture in the casing
being accomplished by the movement of the said shaft or axis to a similar extent
in the opposite direction, in the manner hereinafter described that is to say;-A
lever is fitted on the end of the said shaft or axis to facilitate the movement
thereof. Two toothed wheels are mounted loosely on the said shaft and are each
provided with a spring pawl adapted to engage with a ratchet wheel fixed on the
said shaft. These toothed wheels are so arranged that one of them will be moved
only when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and the other of them will be
moved only when the shaft is rotated in the other direction. For convenience of
description I will term these wheels the first and second toothed wheels.
The first toothed wheel gears with a pinion fixed on one end of a shaft on which
is also fixed the cam or excentric for operating the lever carrying the aforesaid
pad. A disc-crank is fixed on the other end of the said shaft and one end of a
connecting rod is coupled to the pin of the said crank. The other end of the said
connecting rod is coupled to a bar arranged to slide to and fro between suitable
guides. This sliding bar forms part of the mechanism for indicating and registering
or recording the fares paid, which mechanism is constructed as follows viz;-The
aforesaid sliding bar is provided_with_a_projecting-arm-which-when-the-said-bar-is-
moved in one direction, presses against a pin projecting from a rack. This rack is
capable of sliding to and fro in a direction parallel to that of the said bar. The
said rack gears with a pinion mounted loosely upon a stud fixed in the casing.
This pinion is fixed to a disc also mounted loosely on the said stud and carrying
a pawl acted upon by a spring and adapted to engage with a ratchet-wheel so as to
turn the same in one direction. The said ratchet wheel is also mounted loosely on
the said stud, but is prevented from turning in the other direction by another
spring pawl pivotted to the casing. The aforesaid sliding rack also gears with a
toothed wheel forming part of a drum or box in which is arranged a volute spring,
such as an ordinary watch spring. A hand or pointer is fixed or connected to the
Baid ratchet wheel so as to indicate upon a dial, and this dial and pointer may be
arranged in any well known manner in combination with one or more additional
dials and pointers. When the aforesaid disc crank is turned in one direction by
operating the hand-lever above mentioned, it causes the ratchet, wheel to be
partially rotated and at the same time winds up the spring in the said drum or
box. But when the crank pin has passed the dead centre, the said spring causes
the parts, with the exception of the ratchet wheel, to resume their normal
position.
In order that the said ratchet wheel shall be rotated more or less according to
the amount to be registered I provide the disc that is fixed on one end of the
type-wheel shaft with a series of radial slots extending from the periphery of the
disc to different distances from the centre thereof. These slots are adapted to
receive the pin projecting from the aforesaid rack and to regulate the space through
which the said rack shall be moved by the aforesaid sliding har at each revolution
of the disc crank. The shortest of these slots corresponds with the smallest fare
and the successive slots increase in length according to the amount of the fares with
which they are to correspond.
I sometimes provide a pin or stud upon the projecting arm of the aforesaid
sliding bar in such a manner that when the disc is adjusted into any of its proper
positions the said pin will enter one of a series of radial slots in the said disc or in
another disc fixed to the back thereof. These slots are of sufficient length to
permit the sliding bar to move up far enough to allow the aforesaid disc crank to

page_text: be rotated. It is obvious that unless the disc is properly adjusted the pin not
entering one of the slots will prevent the operation of the mechanism.
The second toothed wheel herein before referred to is geared in any suitable
manner with a pinion fixed on the axis of one of the feed rollers and the two feed-
rollers are provided with toothed wheels in gear with each other.
I provide the following mechanism for unwinding and re-winding the aforesaid
inking ribbon, that is to say; on an axis or shaft carried in suitable bearings in the
casing I fix a disc which is formed with a series of notches in its periphery like a
Geneva stop and is so arranged that a tooth or projection on one of the feed-rollers
will enter one of the said motches at each revolution of the said feed roller. The
said notched disc is provided with a pin or projection which at each revolution of
the said disc will act upon a toothed wheel and thereby partially rotate the roller
for rewinding the ribbon. A spring pawl is arranged to engage with the said
toothed wheel to prevent the same from turning when not acted upon by the said
pin or projection. By these means after ten or other suitable number of fares or
destinations have been printed upon the paper, the ribbon is moved a sufficient
distance to present a fresh surface to the type.
I sometimes provide a can or projection upon the axis of one of the feed rollers
and arrange a bell and hammer in such a manner that at each revolution of the
feed roller the said cam or projection will move the hammer against the force of a
spring and will then release the said hammer so that it will strike the bell.
According to a modification of my invention I provide an adjustable type-wheel
and mechanism similar to that above described for printing and delivering the
tickets, but instead of the arrangement above described for permitting the feed
rollers and other devices to be turned one revolution and then arresting their
motion I form in one of the said feed rollers a spiral slot which extends once
around the said roller and the ends of which are joined by a longitudinal slot. In
the said slot fits a pin fixed to the end of a lever or bar pivotted to the casing and
capable of being moved by a push knob or button from one end of the said longi-
tudinal slot to the other by hand. When the said pin is at one end of the slot, the
said feed roller can be turned one revolution, but its motion will then be arrested
and it cannot be again rotated until the said pin or stud is pushed from one end to
the other of the longitudinal slot. The saine movement that effects this operation
locks the type-wheel in position and thus ensures the printing of the correct fare.
For this purpose a rod for moving the lever carrying the said pin or stud is
extended so that it will enter an aperture in a disc for indicating the adjustment
of the type wheel.
I also provide means for automatically printing a record of the number of tickets
issued and the amounts of the different fares printed thereon. For this purpose
I prefer to proceed as follows, that is to say, I provide a narrow strip of paper
which is placed upon a suitable roller or reel and is passed between a type wheel
and an india-rubber pad carried by a lever in a similar manner to that above
described. I also provide an inking ribbon of about the same width as the paper
which ribbon is passed between the said type-wheel and the paper and is arranged
to be wound off one roller on to another. This type-wheel is formed with figures
or other characters and is adjustable with the main type-wheel.
In order that the said strip of paper shall be fed forward a short distance each
time the feed rollers are rotated, I provide one of the said rollers with a tooth or
series of teeth which at each revolution of the said roller press the paper against a
spring and feed it slightly forward.
Moreover I provide suitable mechanisin for striking a bell at each revolution of
the said feed rollers.
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Í, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents;
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND REGISTERING
TICKETS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUD BY TRAMWAY OR OMNIBUS
CONDUCTORS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to apparatus, for printing tickets on a strip of paper, which
is intermittently moved forward so that the said tickets can be severed therefrom,
and for registering the number of tickets thus printed and the amount of the
different fares or prices to be paid for such tickets.
My said invention is chiefly designed to prevent fraud by the conductors of
tramway-cars or omnibuses, or by collectors or receivers of money in theatres or
other places, and comprises various improvements hereinafter described.
One object of my invention is to so construct such apparatus that it will print
different fares, destinations, or other particulars, according to the special circum-
stances for which-each-ticket-is-issued. For this purpose, I provide an adjustable
wheel or roller which I will hereinafter term a type-wheel or printing roller, and
which carries a series of stereotypes or the like, or is formed with a series of grooves
or recesses in which the required types are set up.
Another object of my said invention is to provide for printing the tickets and
operating the registering mechanism simultaneously. For this purpose, I employ,
in combination with the type-wheel or printing roller, a lever and pad arranged to
be actuated by the same shaft that operates the registering mechanism.
A further object of my said invention is to construct the apparatus in such a
manner that, after each ticket is printed and delivered, the said apparatus will
require adjustment before another ticket can be printed, which adjustment will lock
the type-wheel or printing roller in the position to which it has been set; and so
that the correct registration of the fares printed on the tickets will be ensured.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn how my said invention may be
carried into practice..
Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the apparatus with the outer casing or
box open and with some of the parts removed.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the other side of the said apparatus with part of the
outer casing or box.removed.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view with the said casing or box shewn in section on
the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side, elevation with one side of the casing or box, and one of the
plates hereinafter referred to, removed to shew the type-wheel and other parts.
Like lettors of reference indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
-
a is the said casing or box enclosing the mechanism, and b b¹ are plates secured
together by screws or otherwise to form a frame or support for the said mechanism.
c is the type-wheel or printing roller. This wheel or roller is provided with a
series of stereotypes arranged around its periphery and each bearing the name of
a particular place or destination and the fare to be paid to such destination. It
is obvious, however, that the said stereotypes inay also bear serial numbers or other
characters, or they may be adapted for printing any other particulars, according to
the purpose for which the apparatus is required. Above this wheel or roller, I
arrange a lever d which is pivotted at d* between the plates b, b¹, and is operated,

page_text: as hereinafter described, by means of the cam or excentric e¹ fixed on the shaft e.
On the free end of the lever d is fixed an india-rubber or other suitable pad d', and
the said lever is so placed that this pad is opposite the uppermost stereotypo
on the wheel c.
Within the box or casing a, between the plates b, b', I place a roll ƒ of blank
paper cut into a strip of the proper width to form the tickets. One end of this
strip is passed around a roller or guide-bar f¹ and between the type-wheel c and
the pad d. It is then passed between two feed-rollers g, g¹ into a convenient
position for the tickets to be torn off as they are fed out of the box or casing a.
An inking ribbon h is wound at one end upon a roller h¹, and the other end of the
said ribbon is passed between the type-wheel c and the pad d, below the said
paper, and then over a guide bar or roller h² and is secured to another roller ³
upon which it is subsequently wound as hereinafter set forth.
On one end of the axis c¹ of the type-wheel c I fix a milled handle or thumb-
piece c whereby the said type-wheel may be adjusted as required; on the other
end of the said axis I fix a wheel or disc i whose periphery is marked with numbers
representing the desired fares. This disc is situated beneath a slot in the casing a,
and is arranged relatively to the type-wheel c in such a manner that, when a certain
number or character on the disc is visible through the said slot, the type-whee! will
be in position to print upon the paper the corresponding fare and destination.
The said disc or another disc attached thereto is provided with recesses or
notches which correspond in number with the stereotypes on the wheel c; and a
pawl j, pivotted to the plate and acted upon by a spring j', is arranged to enter
one of the said recesses, when the type-wheel c is adjusted as above described, and
thus retain the same in position.
The mechanism for registering the amount of fares for which tickets are issued
is constructed as follows, that is to say, a disc-crank is fixed on one end of the
shaft c, and one end of a connecting rod is coupled to the pin of the said crank.
The other end of this connecting rod is coupled to a bar arranged to slide to and
fro between the guides . This sliding bar is provided with a projecting arm l
which, when the said bar is moved in one direction, presses against a pin or
projection m¹ on the rack m. This rack is capable of sliding to and fro in a
direction parallel with the said bar, and gears with a pinion n' fixed on, or forming
part of, a disc n, which is mounted loosely on the stud n² and carries a pawl n³
acted upon by a spring n' and adapted to engage with the teeth of a ratchet-
wheel o.
This ratchet-wheel is also mounted loosely on the stud n; it is free to
turn in one direction but is prevented from turning in the other direction by a
spring pawl o' pivotted to the plate b.
The rack m also gears with a toothed wheel p attached to, or forming part of, a
drum or box in which is arranged a volute spring, such as an ordinary watch-
spring, for effecting the return movement of the rack as hereinafter explained.
A hand or pointer o is carried by the ratchet-wheel o, and is arranged in combi-
nation with a dial painted or otherwise formed on the plate o¹. The said ratchet-
wheel, dial and pointer may, if desired, be arranged in combination with a suitable
train of wheels and one or more additional dials and pointers. One additional
pointer is shown in the drawing. This pointer is attached to a ratchet-wheel o*
mounted loosely upon a stud o³ fixed in the plate b. A pawl-carrier 06, acted upon
by a spring o, is also mounted loosely on the said stud, so that its spring-pawl o'
will engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel o', which is also acted upon by a
retaining pawl o. A can o³, attached to the ratchet-wheel o, actuates the pawl-
carrier o once for each revolution of the said ratchet-wheel, and thereby partially
rotates the ratchet-wheel o' and pointer o³, which is arranged in combination with
a dial on the plate o¹º.
When the disc-crank is turned in one direction, by operating the hand-lever
hereinafter described, it acts, through the medium of the sliding bar l, rack m, and
disc n, on the ratchet-wheel o and partially rotates the latter, and, at the same
time, acts upon the toothed wheel p and winds up the spring in the drum or box

page_text: attached thereto. When, however, the crank-pin has passed.its dead centre, the
said spring raises the rack m until its movement is arrested as hereinafter explained,
thereby partially rotating the disc n, so that its pawl will engage with another
tooth of the ratchet-wheel o, which is held from rotating by the pawl o¹.
In order that the said rack and bar shall be raised more or less, according to the
amount of the fare to be registered, and thereby move the pawl n³ through a
greater or smaller angle, I provide the disc i, or another disc attached thereto, with
a series of radial slots extending from its periphery to different distances from
its centre, according to the fares with which they correspond. When the disc
and type-wheel c are adjusted for printing a certain fare, the pin or projection m¹
on the rack m, when raised by the spring as above, described, enters the slot
corresponding with such fare, and the rack m will be raised more or less according
to the length of the said slot.
It will, therefore, be seen that, by these means, the extent of movement of the
ratchet-wheel o is regulated or determined for each fare to be registered.
I provide for first operating the printing and registering mechanism and then
rotating the feed-rollers g, g¹ in the following manner, that is to say, I employ a
hand-lever g, to which is firmly secured a ratchet-wheel q'. The said lever and
ratchet-wheel are mounted loosely upon a pin or stud q fixed in the plate bl, and
are arranged in combination with a toothed wheel also mounted loosely on
the said stud. This wheel is provided with a spring pawl r, with which one or
other of the teeth of the wheel q' engages, when the lever q is moved in the
direction indicated by the arrow, Figure 2. The wheel gears with a smaller
toothed wheel 2 firmly connected with a wheel ³, part of_the_periphery_of_which-
-is-toothed, the remainder thereof being plain or smooth. The wheel 7.3 has,
moreover, a cam * firmly secured to it for the purpose hereinafter explained. A
pinion 8 is fixed on the axis of the feed-roller g, and a similar pinion s¹ is fixed on
the shaft c. The latter pinion gears with another pinion 8 mounted loosely upon
a stud fixed in the plate bl. To the pinions 8 and 82 are secured the stops 8*
and 85.
Assuming the lever q to be in the position shewn in Figure 2, by turning it half
a revolution in the direction indicated by the arrow, the wheel will be partially
rotated and will cause the wheel and cam to make a complete revolution.
During the first half of this revolution, the teeth on the wheel 23 will act upon the
pinions and operate the printing and registering mechanism, and the stop s will
bear against the circular portion of the can r, so that the rotation of the feed-
rollers will be prevented. Whereas, during the second half of the revolution of
the wheel, its teeth will act upon the pinion 8 and rotate the feed-rollers, and
the stop will bear against the circular portion of the said cam, so that the
rotation of the shaft c, and consequently the operation of the printing and
registering mechanism, will be prevented. The cam is made with a shoulder
which, at the proper times, acts upon the stops 84, 8 and ensures the gearing of the
teeth on the wheel with the corresponding pinions.
I provide the following mechanisin for unwinding and re-winding the inking
ribbon, that is to say-On an axis or shaft t carried in bearings in the plate b
and bracket 2, I fix a disc t which is formed with a series of notches in its
periphery like a Geneva stop and is so arranged that a tooth or projection g' on a
disc fixed on the axis of the feed-roller g' will enter one of the said notches, at
each revolution of the said feed-roller, and rotate the disc t through a space equal
to the distance between two adjacent notches. The said notched disc is provided
with a pin or projection, which, at each revolution of the disc, acts upon a
similar notched dise u fixed on the axis of the roller h³ for the inking ribbon h,
and thereby partially rotates the said roller. By these means, after ten or any
other suitable number of tickets have been printed, that is to say, when the disc t¹
has made one revolution, the ribbon is moved a sufficient distance to present a
fresh surface to the type.

page_text: g3 is a pin or projection upon the feed roller g; v is a bell, and v¹ a hammer
carried by a shaft v2, having a pin or projection v³. These parts are so arrangod
that, at each revolution of the feed-roller g, the pin or projection g³ will act upon
the pin or projection and thereby raise the hammer against the force of n
spring, and will then release the said hammer so that the spring will cause it to
strike the bell. The bell will, therefore, be sounded whenever a ticket is printed
and delivered. This mechanism may, however, be dispensed with if desired.
w is a bent lever pivotted to a bracket w attached to the plate bl. The long
arm of this lever is connected with a sliding bar or rod w' passing through the
plates b, b and having a push-knob or button w³ for operating it by hand. The
long arm of the lever wis, moreover, provided with a pin or stud w³, which enters
a slot g' in the feed-roller g¹. This slot extends in a spiral form once around the
said roller, and the ends of this spiral portion are joined by a longitudinal portion
of the said slot. When the pin or stud w³ is at one end of this longitudinal
portion, the said feed-roller can be turned one revolution, but, during this
revolution, by reason of the spiral form of the slot, the lever w will be moved
until the pin or stud w³ is at the other end of the longitudinal portion, and the
motion of the feed-roller will be arrested. The said feed roller cannot then be
again rotated until the said pin or stud is adjusted or moved from one end to the
other of the longitudinal portion of the slot.
'
In order that, by this adjustment, the type-wheel shall be locked in position and
the correct printing of the ticket ensured, the disc is provided with a series of
apertures corresponding with the different fares marked upon it, and the bar or
rod wis extended so that it will enter one or other of the said apertures and
retain the said disc and type-wheel in the position to which they have been
adjusted.
A catch y is pivotted to the plate b and arranged to be operated by the lever w,
the short arm of which enters a notch in the said catch. When the feed-rollers are
rotated and the lever wis moved by the feed roller g¹ as above described, the short
arm of the said lever forces the catch y towards the disc-crank until it enters
a notch in the said disc. The movement of the registering mechanism is thus
prevented until the lever wis adjusted to the position shewn in Figure 3 by
pushing in the bar or rod w¹.
I sometimes provide the means hereinafter described for automatically printing
a record of the number of tickets issued and the different fares printed thereon, that
is to say I provide a narrow strip of paper which is placed upon a suitable roller
and is passed between a type-wheel and an india-rubber pad carried by a lever in
a similar manner to that above described. I also provide an inking ribbon of about
the same width as the paper, which ribbon is passed between the said type-wheel
and the paper, and is arranged to be unwound from the said roller and wound upon
another roller. This type-wheel is formed with numbers or other characters and is
adjustable with the main type-wheel. In order that the strip of paper shall be fed
forward a short distance each time the feed-rollers are rotated, I provide one of the
said rollers with one or more teeth, which, at each revolution of the said roller,
press the paper against a spring and feed it slightly forward,
It is obvious that the construction of the apparatus may be somewhat modified
without departing from the nature of my invention, and that, although I have more
particularly described the said apparatus for use on tramway-cars or omnibuses, it
can be adapted for use in theatres or other places.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. An apparatus for printing and registering tickets, which bas a type-wheel
or printing roller capable of adjustment for printing different fares, destinations, or
5 other particulars, according to the special circumstances for which the tickets are
issued

page_text: Second. The combination, with the type-wheel or printing roller, of a lever and
pad arranged to be operated simultaneously with the registering mechanism, as,
and for the purpose, specified.
Third. The improved mechanism, substantially as above described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing, for registering the fares or prices to be paid for the
tickets printed and issued, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Fourth. The combination, with the type-wheel or printing roller and the
registering mechanism, of the disc i formed with the radial slots as above set forth,
and arranged to operate in conjunction with the pin or projection on the rack, to
regulate or determine the amount registered, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Fifth. The combination of parts comprising the lever w, catch y, and rod w
substantially as described, whereby the type-wheel is locked in position while each
ticket is being printed, the turning of the feed-rollers more than one complete
revolution for each ticket issued is prevented, and the registering mechanism is
locked in position after each ticket is issued until the said lever, catch, and rod are
again adjusted, as, and for the purposes, specified.
Sixth. The combination of parts comprising the lever q, wheels r, ³, cam 74,
pinions 8, 81, 83, and stops 84, 85, substantially as described, whereby the printing,
registering and delivering of the tickets are effected by a single movement of the
said lever, as above specified.
Seventh. The combination, with the printing and registering mechanism, of
means substantially as described for obtaining a printed record of the tickets
-issued.
Eighth. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and com-
bined substantially as described with reference to-the-accompanying-drawing-and-
operating as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated this 5th January 188K
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.