IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING, INDICATING, AND VERIFYING THE TIME AND DISTANCE PASSED OVER BY VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, of Paris, France,
Clockmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGISTERING, INDICATING, AND VERIFYING THE TIME AND DISTANCE PASSED
OVER BY VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th September 1863, and dated the 25th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Alexandre Joseph
Bruet at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th April 1863.
I, LOUIS ALEXANDRE JOSEPH BRUET, of Paris, France, Clockmaker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR REGISTERING, INDICATING, AND VERIPYING THE TIME AND DISTANCE
PASSED OVER BY VEHICLES, ALSO APPLICABLE TO MACHINERY AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improved mechanism for registering, indicating,
and checking the time employed and distance travelled over by a cab or other
hired vehicle, and for ascertaining the number of revolutions made by a part
or parts of machinery, and consists,―

page_text: Firstly, in a method of morcating whether th
employed.
Secondly, in shewing the distance travelled over and the time the vehicle
has stopped, calculated or represented in distance.
Thirdly, in a mode of marking, indicating, and verifying or proving the
work performed by the vehicle or machine.
A suitable external sign is placed on the front and top of the case of the
mechanism or driver's box for indicating that the vehicle is is disengaged or
not hired; but when a fare is taken, the driver turns a handle a quarter of a
circle, causing thereby the external sign to be lowered and to disappear, and
at the same time to actuate the gearing required for the motion of the appa-
ratus or mechanism of the distance index. The handle in turning performs
three separate operations:-The first indicates that the vehicle is not hired; the
second or the first turn of a quarter of a circle the vehicle driving or hired by the
mile, that is to say, the distance run over, to which may be added the time of
the stoppages represented by the mean proportions of the distance (calculated
at about five miles per hour); the third operation indicates the slow motion
of the vehicle, that is to say, that independantly of the velocity of the vehicle,
the mile or distance index will constantly indicate a mean velocity of the
vehicle when in motion and its stoppages. By this means only one tariff per
inile for all cases is required. When the faro leaves the vehicle the handle is
returned to its rest mark, the mileage index hand returns to 0, and the
external sign appears.
All these operations shewn to the fare or traveller aro
written or marked on an internal plate or dial, and also the time of each of
these operations.
The construction and working of the said mechanism is as follows:-
Between suitable supporting plates is placed a mainspring barrel, which
revolves once. It carries a pivot which turns in a pallet plate and extends suffi-
ciently beyond it so as to support a disc. Each day a cardboard or other dial or
disc divided in 24 hours, half & quarter of hours, and five minutes, is placed
on this latter plate; it is covered with colored tissue paper, on which marks or
impressions are printed or made by the pressure of a spring point or marker
and vibrator, to indicate the working of the vehicle; a small stud is set on the
plate, which prevents the disc from turning without the paper. The motion
of the vehicle causes a ratchet wheel divided in 27 teeth to turn one tooth,
being moved by each revolution of the wheel of the vehicle, which is about
3 ft. 6 in. in diameter. This wheel carries a palette or striker, which, on each
of its revolutions, moves a tooth of a ten-teeth ratchet wheel; the axis of this
Jast carries on the other side of the supporting plate a point holder or marker;

page_text: .
then by means of suitable gearing wheels marks on the card disc four small
strokes, equal to about 218 yards, and one longer equal to about 1094 yards,
thus shewing on the board the mile run over.
A modification may be employed in the construction of these said ratchet
wheels; a train of wheels is actuated, two of which gear and ungear, and
therefore cause or interrupt the communication of the mileage wheelwork
with the axis of one of the said wheels, which is always in motion when the
vehicle moves by an arrangement of wheels, when the mileage wheelwork is
moving draws with it a wheel, but when it rests the same wheel is drawn by
the pendulum movement in two other wheels; and as during these two
motions for giving time and distance at the same time, the said wheel always
gears with other suitable wheels, and it follows that the mile indicator points
out on the disc the distance run over when the vehicle is in motion, and also
the time calculated at the proportional mean of five miles per hour when the
vehicle is at rest. To lessen or increase this proportional mean it suffices to
change the number of the teeth of the wheels.
I will now describe how the gearing and ungearing take place when the
vehicle is not engaged or driven at the rate of about 1094 yards, or moving
only at a gentle pace.
The driver acting on the aforesaid handle pats in motion an axis, which
causes the action of suitable levers, and by turning the said handle a quarter
of a circle, in this instance, from left to right, two pawls permit three springs
to act on the moveable plate, and thereby causes the gearing of a series of
wheels. If it be desired to drive more slowly than the proportional mean, it
suffices to turn the handle another quarter of the circle, which ungears only.
certain wheels and mechanism, interrupting thereby the mile gearing wheels
and permitting the movement to conduct the mile index at the mean velocity.
When the vehicle is not engaged the handle is put to its rest point, two
detents cause three moveable plates to be raised, and the wheels in connection
to be ungeared; the raising of one of the said detents causes a lever bearing
on the style or marker to be raised until it is disengaged from a ratchet wheel
and spiral spring.
The indications or marks on the dial or disc are made as follows:-By the
force of a spring a detent is constantly bearing on a lever, and the point bearer
being placed on a spindle placed at the other end of the arm of the aforesaid
lever, the detent removes the point holder the necessary space required to pro-
duce on the board three strokes having different circumferences, which indicate
three operations; the vehicle, when disengaged, driving according to distance
and at the pace of the horse, shewing also the space of time employed for each

page_text: of these operations. When the aforesaid ratchet wheel revolves each of the
teeth raises the point or marker until it catches with another tooth, by the force
of a spring the dots on the plate are produced. The verification or proving of
the time employed during the driving and stopping of the vehicles takes place
by the vibration of a hammer fixed at the end of a spring attached to a support
screwed to the frame plate. A point fixed on the hammer and going beyond
it is made to strike the board for each vibration produced by the motion of the
vehicle, and thus producing a stroke on the disc, whilst the stoppages leave
the disc blank. A wheel placed on an axis causes several wheels to revolve,
the last of which carries a hand indicating on a dial the kind of work done by
the vehicle. The supports of the external sign are fixed on the seat of the
vehicle, a handle is attached to an axis revolving in suitable brackets or bridges,
which axis is provided with a square rest block to maintain the said axis in
the three positions. At its extremity a grooved cam or eccentric is placed.
In the groove a part of the small cam of a lever enters, in order to lower it
when the aforesaid axis is turning; by this movement the long arm of the
lever is lowered, and also at the same moment that the sign is free or dis-
engaged, and is made to hide bobind a plate fixed at the top of the vehicle, at
the same time producing on the said axis the required movements to put
the apparatus at work.
The above apparatus is enclosed in a box, and the said axis passes beyond
to receive the cam. Motion is given by an eccentric placed on the nave of one
of the back wheels. The reciprocating motion of the eccentric disengages one
of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and gives the movement to the mileage
wheelwork. Instead of this arrangement I obtain the required motion by
putting in contact for each turn of the wheel two electric wires, the battery
being placed in any suitable part of the vehicle, and the electric magnet of
which is placed so as to produce the attraction of an armature, causing one of
the cogs of the said ratchet wheel to be disengaged. I reserve also the right
of indicating on a dial the time employed by the apparatus by means of a
minute system, gearing and ungearing with the pin of the minute hand.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, Her special licence that I, the
said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, 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 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 APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING, INDICATING,
AND VERIFYING THE TIME AND DISTANCE PASSED OVER BY VEHICLES, ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO MACHINERY AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSEES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
bands 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, 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 Drawings hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The nature of my Invention consists, firstly, in a method of indicating
whether the vebicle is disengaged or employed.
Secondly, in shewing the distance travelled over, and the time the vehicle
has stopped, calculated or represented in distance.
Thirdly, in a mode of marking, indicating, and verifying or proving the
work performed by the vehicle or machine.
A suitable external sign is placed on the front and top of the case of the
mechanism, or on the driver's box, for indicating that the vehicle is disengaged
or not hired; but when a fare is taken, the driver turns a handle a quarter
of a circle, causing thereby the external sign to be lowered and to disappear,
and at the same time to actuate the gearing required for the motion of the
apparatus or mechanism of the distance index. The handle, in turning,
performs three separate operations. The first indicates that the vehicle is not
hired; the second, or the first turn of a quarter of a circle, the vehicle driving

page_text: or hired by the mile, that is to say, the distance run over, to which may be
added the time of the stoppages, represented by the proportional mean of the
distance (calculated at about five miles per hour. The third operation indi-
cates the slow motion of the vehicle, that is to say, that independantly of the
velocity of the vehicle, the mile or distance index will constantly indicate a
mean velocity of the vehicle when in motion and its stoppages. By these
means only one tariff' per mile for all cases is required. When the fare leaves
the vehicle the handle is returned to its rest mark, the mileage index hand
returns to 0, and the external sign reappears. All these operations, shown to
the fare or traveller, are written or marked on an internal plate or dial; also
the time of each of these operations.
To enable others skilled in the art to make use of my Invention I will
proceed to describe the construction and operation.
Figure 1. Sheet 1, of the accompanying Drawings represents a front view
of the aforesaid apparatus or mechanism with a portion removed to shew
some of the working parts; Figure 2, Sheet 1, a plan, and Figure 3 an end
view from A of the same; Figure 4, Sheet 1, a section shewing the interior
mechanism; Figure 5, Sheet 1, a section exhibiting other details of the same.
The various Figures on Sheet 2 represent working details of the mechanism
herein-after referred to, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts.
Between suitable supporting plates P, P', is placed a main spring barrel A,
which revolves once during twenty-four hours. It carries a pivot A', and the
arbor A revolves on one side whilst turning on the barrel on the other. The
pivot A' turns in a pallet plate P and extends sufficiently beyond it so as to
pass through the disc or dial plate A", having its end screwed to the nut A"
against the base of the pivot A'. Each day a dial or disc, divided into twenty-
four half hours, quarter hours, and five minutes, of card-board or other
material, is placed on the disc or dial A". It is covered with coloured tissue
paper, on which marks or impressions are printed or made by the pressure of
a spring steel point or marker O and vibrating hammer L to indicate the
working of the vehicle.
A small stud A is fixed on the dial or disc which
prevents it from turning without the paper.
enters into a groove of the dial plate A" to maintain the same in its proper
position. The pinion of the centre wheel B', Figures 2, 3, 5, is provided with
two spindles, one serves for the motion pin, the other is squaro and receives
the wheel C with sixty-four teeth. The wheel F revolves once every one
hundred and twenty-five yards. The motion of the vehicle causes a ratchet
wheel F, divided into twenty-seven teeth, to revolve, one tooth being moved
A ferrule A having eight arms

page_text: by each revolution of the wheel of the vehicle, and which wheel is about three
feet six inches in diameter. The wheel F carries a palette or striker which,
on each revolution of the said wheel, moves a tooth of the (ten-teeth) ratchet
wheel G. The axis of this wheel carries on the other side of the frame plate P
the ratchet wheel G", having one of the five teeth longer than the others, and
as the lever K" is pushed by each of these teeth, its motion corresponds to
the length and number of the said teeth. It is provided with a point holder
or marker K, which marks on the aforesaid disc A" four small strokes,
equal to about two hundred and fifty yards, and the longest equal to about a
mile, thus shewing on the disc or dial the distance actually run over. I can
replace the wheel G" by a volute or ratchet wheel. The point holder K
would then constantly bear on the said volute or ratchet and produce on the
disc or dial A" an oblique stroke when the vehicle is in motion, and a con-
centric one when stopping, and finally a stroke directed to the centre of the
dial as soon as the ratchet makes one revolution. The strokes will represent
one thousand and ninety-four yards, or two thousand one hundred and eighty-
seven yards if the length of the stroke is divided into five equal parts. The
wheel G may also be replaced by a wheel receiving its motion from a pinion
placed on the axis F'. The wheel F is equal in diameter and has the same
number of teeth as the wheel F'. It carries a pinion having ten teeth, and
revolves on a spindle E" and gears with the wheel D.
The wheelwork being thus arranged, I will now describe how it works in
different cases. The lever arm E' is moveable on the axis of the wheel E and
is provided with a spindle E", on which turns the wheel and its pinion F,
which is fastened by a pin, therefore the wheel F moves without the pinion
ungearing the wheel E, whilst at the same time the wheels F and F can gear
and ungear, and therefore cause or interrupt the communication of the mileage
wheelwork with the axis of the wheel F, which is always in motion when the
vehicle moves. A moveable plate D' is placed on the axis of the wheel D, to
which it is fastened by a pin. On the same axis is placed the free wheel D",
having eighty teeth and two pawls with springs. Above this wheel D" is
permanently fixed the ratchet wheel D" with sixty teeth, into which the two
pawls catch. By this arrangement, when the mileage wheel work is in motion
it actuates the wheel D", but when it rests the same wheel is put in gear by
a pendulum movement with the wheels C and D, and as, during these two
motions for giving time and distance, the wheel D" always gears with the
wheels I and I, it follows that the mile indicator points out on the disc or
dial the distance run over when the vehicle is in motion, and also the time,
calculated at the proportional mean of about five miles per hour, when the

page_text: vehicle is at rest. To lessen or increase this proportional mean time it suffices
to change the number of the teeth of the wheels. I also fix on the axis F¹ the
(twenty-seven teeth) ratchet wheel F"; each of its teeth pushes the brass pin
on the lever Q", causing it to advance until it has passed behind the lever D
and moves the spring Q at the same time. When the tooth of the wheel F"
is returning to its former point by the force of its spring it causes the lever D'
to rise by pushing the lever D. The ungearing of the wheels C and D is
thereforo produced at each revolution of the wheel of the vehicle. Thus the
mileage wheelwork being acted upon directly the vehicle is in motion, and
when the vehicle is stopped the wheel C, by the pendulum movement, actuates
the wheels D, D", I, and I, indicating and registering thereby the distance
per mile, and also the time calculated in miles.
I will now describe how the gearing and ungearing take place when the
vehicle is not engaged or driven per mile, but moving only at a gentle
расс.
The driver, by turning the handle S, Sheet 2, puts in motion an axis El,
which actuates the pin S in the plate S, and causes the said handle to
revolve a quarter of a circle from left to right. The two detents H', II",
permit the springs D, E, I, to act on the moveablo plates, and thereby
causes the gearing of the wheels C, D, I, D", F, and F. If it is desired
to drive more slowly than the proportional mean it suffices to turn the bandle
another quarter of a circle, which takes out of gear the wheels F and F'; at
the same time the link Q moves the lever Q', which raises the detent Q",
until its stud is disengaged from the ratchet wheel F", interrupting thereby
the mile gearing wheels, and permitting the movement to conduct the mile
index at the mean velocity. When the vehicle is not engaged the handle is
put to its rest point, and the two detents HI' and II" cause three moveable
plates D, E, and I, to be raised, and the wheels C, D, I, D", F, and F', to
be ungeared. The raising of the detent HI" causes the lever O, bearing on
the marker or registering point 0 to be raised until it is disengaged from the
ratchet wheel I", and the motion of the spiral spring (behind the bridge or
bracket I), on the axis of the wheel I, compels the mile indicator to return
to 0. On the axis of the wheel I a second wheel is placed, having sixty
teeth, and gearing with the (seventy-five teeth) wheel 1, each wheel being
provided with a pawl. The detent of the wheel I bears against that of the
wheel I, which is the rest point of the milo indicator. These two wheels
enable the wheel I to perform several revolutions and to return afterwards to
the rest point. The indications or marks on the disc or dial A" are made as
follows: By the force of a spring X, the det. nt II' is constantly bearing on

page_text: the lever K, and the point bearer K¹ being on a spindle placed at the other
end of the aforesaid lever, the ratchet removes the point holder or marker the
necessary space required to produce on the board three strokes, having
different circumferences, which indicate the three operations, videlicet, the
vehicle when disengaged driving according to distance and at the pace of the
horse, shewing also the space of time employed for each of these operations.
The point O, acting on an axis, the pivots of which revolve on the two
potances O' and O", marks by dots the disc A", the paying miles; the short
arm carries a small roller catching with the cogs of the ten-teeth ratchet
wheel I when the vehicle is hired; therefore, when the aforesaid ratchet
wheel revolves each of the teeth raises the point style or marker O until it
catches with another tooth by the force of a spring placed on the bridge O",
and thereby the dots on the plate disc are produced. The small roller placed
on the short arm of the point O acts as soon as a catching takes place on the
top extremity of the tooth to enable the point striking on the disc or plate,
one or two minutes after the mile is begun. The same action may be produced
when the mile is run over. The ratchet wheel 1" can be made flat to direct
a point which would constantly bear on the disc, and would produce a stroke
when the style marker would catch the tooth. The verification or proving of
the time employed during the driving and stopping of the vehicles is
accomplished by the vibration of a hammer L, fixed at the end of a spring
attached to a support screwed to the frame plate P, a point fixed in the
hammer, and going beyond it is made to strike the disc A", for each vibration
produced by the motion of the vehicle, and thus producing a stroke on the
disc, whilst all the stoppages leave the disc blank. A bridge or bracket K
set on the plate P, carries two rollers between which slide the two point
holders K and K. The screw-like key prevents the point holder being
raised too high. A knob N, fixed to axis N, the wheel of which gears with
the pin N", serves to set the hands at the hour on the dials on the opposite side.
The wheel placed on the axis II causes several wheels to revolve, on the last
of which carries a hand indicating on a dial the kind of work done by the
vehicle. The supports of the external sign are attached on the seat of the
vehicle; a handle is fixed on an axis revolving in suitable brackets or bridges,
which axis is provided with a square rest block S', on which bears a spring S"
to maintain the axis S in the three positions. At its extremity the grooved
cam or excentric S is placed. In that groove a part of the small cam of a
lever Senters in order to lower it when the aforesaid axis S is turning; by
this movement the long arm of the lever Sx is lowered, and also at the same
moment the sign is free or disengaged, and is made to hide behind a plate

page_text: fixed at the top of the vehicle. The continuation of the groove S" is con-
centric to prevent its acting on the lever S, when the handle R makes a
second turn, and thus hides the sign. But when the handle R is made to
return to the point of rest or of departure, the excentric groove causes the
small arm of the lever S to be raised, and at the same time the sign free
becomes apparent. A square plate S, on the axis of H, is provided with a
stud pin, which entering into the notch of the piece S" produces on the
axis H the required movements to put the apparatus at work. The position
of the axis S is represented in the Drawing at the point of rest, whilst the
gearing is set according to the mile. The above apparatus is enclosed in a
box, and the axis Il passes beyond to receive the cam S. Motion is given
by an excentric placed on the nave of one of the back wheels; it is composed
of a ring T excentrically fixed on the centre of the nave, and of a second
ring T" turning on the first, and is formed with a fork to receive the rod T.
A plate T, fixed on the ring T', supports the ring T". The crank lever T
passes underneath the vehicle, and is connected to a
turning in a fork T, fixed at the lower part of the front body of the vehicle;
therefore, when the turning of the wheel takes place it causes the lower part
of the rods T and T to receive an alternate vertical motion, and gives at
the same time an alternate movement to the double ratchet T The
lever M", on the stem of the double lever M, is then made to fit in the fork
of the rod T, where it is bolted. The reciprocating motion of the excentric
disengages one of the teeth of a ratchet wheel F, and gives the movement to
the mileage wheelwork. Instead of this arrangement I obtain the required
motion by putting in contact for each turn of the wheel two electric wires, the
battery being placed in any suitable part of the vehicle, and the electro-magnet
of which is placed so as to produce the attraction of an armature, causing one
of the cogs of the said ratchet wheel F to be disengaged; I also indicate on
a dial the time employed by the apparatus by means of a minute system
gearing and ungearing with the pin of the minute band.
rod of a square T",
Having now fully described my Invention, and the manner of operating, I
hereby declare what I claim as my Invention, and desire to be secured by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, the mode or method of indicating that a cab or other hired vehicle
is engaged or disengaged, as herein-before described with reference to Sheet 2
of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, the arrangement and construction of the mechanism for shewing
the distance travelled over and time employed, calculated in distances, as
herein-before described and represented in the Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly, the peculiar construction and arrangement of the apparatus for
marking, registering, or indicating on a dial the work performed by the
vehicle or machine in motion, as herein-before described with reference to the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Alexandre Joseph Bruet, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
L. BRUET. (L.S.)