IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY TRAMWAY AND OTHER OMNIBUSES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR REGISTERING PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Altamount Smythe, of Portarlington,
Queen's County, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY TRAMWAY AND
OTHER OMNIBUSES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR
REGISTERING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th July 1873, and dated the 23rd May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Altamount
Smythe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd May 1873.
I, RICHARD ALTAMOUNT SMYTHE, of Portarlington, Queen's County,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED BY
TRAMWAY AND OTHER OMNIBUSES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
SIMILAR REGISTERING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed principally for ascertaining and registering
the number of passengers carried by omnibuses, but it will be evident
that it will also be equally applicable for checking the number of
persons entering a theatre or other place of public amusement. It

page_text: consists principally of a turnstile fixed upon an axis, upon which is also
mounted a barrel or drum; but the latter, instead of being fixed, is only
connected to the axis by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl, so that as
the people on entering turn the turnstile in one direction it turns the
barrels also with it, but as the people move the turnstile in the reverse
direction on leaving the vehicle the barrel docs not turn but remains
stationary. To this barrel is attached one end of a long tape which is
wound round a second barrel. This tape is divided and marked with
figures, andi tis the uncoiling of this tape from the last named barrel
and the coiling of it on to the barrel connected to the axis of the turn-
stile by the revolving of the latter which effects the registering of the
number of persons that have passed inwards through the turnstile,
whilst it is evident that no indication is made of those who pass out-
wards, as they cause the turnstile to revolve in the reverse direction, and
the pawl merely overruns the teeth of the ratchet wheel.
The turnstile is provided with a spring catch so formed that the
former can revolve freely to permit of the egress of any number of
persons, but it cannot revolve in the direction to admit passengers or
other persons unless released by means of a key, handle, or treadle, by
the guard or other attendant.
The whole of the apparatus is concealed and protected by a casing, so
that it cannot be tampered with; an opening being made in the casing
through which the figures on the tape may be inspected, and a locked
door is provided by means of which access may be obtained by a super-
intendant or other person, to whom the key is entrusted to enable him
at the termination of a journey or at any other required time to wind
back the tape to "zero," after having taken note of the last number
indicated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Altamount Smythe in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 21st November 1873.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Altamount Smythe, Her special
license that I, the said Richard Altamount Smythe, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Altamount Smythe, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF
PASSENGERS CARRIED BY TRAMWAY AND OTHER OMNIBUSES, WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR REGISTERING PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Altamount Smythe, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Altamount Smythe, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, and accompanying Drawings (that
is to say) :-
This Invention is designed principally for ascertaining and registering
the number of passengers carried by omnibuses, but it will be evident
that it will also be equally applicable for checking the number of
persons entering a theatre or other place of public amusement.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that
the same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof.

page_text: The Drawing represents the application of my Invention to an
omnibus or tramway car; Fig. 1 being a partial side elevation; Fig. 2, an
end view; Fig. 3, a top plan view; and Fig. 4, a ground plan view.
The Invention consists principally of a turnstile a, a, fixed upon an
axis b, b, upon which is also mounted a barrel or drum c, c, (see enlarged
detached section Fig. 5); but the latter instead of being fixed is only
connected to the axis by means of a ratchet wheel d, d, and pawls e, e,
so that as the people on entering turn the turnstile a, a, in one direction,
it turns the barrels c, c, also with it; but as the people move the turn-
stile in the reverse direction on leaving the vehicle, the barrel c, c, does
not turn, but remains stationary as the pawls e, e, overrun the ratchet
wheel d, d. To this barrel c, c, is attached one end of a long tape f, f,
which is wound round a second barrel g, g. This tape f,f, is divided and
marked with figures, and it is the uncoiling of this tape from the last-
named barrel and the coiling of it on to the barrel c, c, connected to the
axis b, b, of the turnstile a, a, by the revolving of the latter which
effects the registering of the number of persons that have passed inwards
through the turnstile, whilst it is evident that no indication is made of
those who pass outwards as they cause the turnstile to revolve in the
reverse direction, and the pawl merely overruns the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, as before stated.
The turnstile is provided with a spring catch h, h, so formed that the
former can revolve freely to permit of the egress of any number of
persons, but it cannot revolve in the direction to admit passengers or
other persons unless released by means of a key, handle, or treadle, by
the guard or other attendant.
The whole of the apparatus is concealed and protected by a casing i, i,
so that it cannot be tampered with, an opening being made in the
casing, through which the figures on the tape f, f, may be inspected,
and a locked door is provided, by means of which access may be obtained
by a superintendant or other person to whom the key is intrusted to
enable him at the termination of a journey or at any other required time
to wind back the tape to "zero," after having taken note of the last
number indicated.
The above description refers to the arrangement for registering the
number of passengers carried inside the vehicle and it will be seen. on

page_text: entrance to the roof, the same parts being marked with similar letters a¹,
6¹, c¹, &c.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the combination for such purposes of a turnstile
having connected to its axis a drum, on which is coiled a numbered tape
or ribbon, such drum being connected to the axis by a ratchet and pawl,
or otherwise, in such a manner that the drum turns with the axis as the
passengers or other people pass inwards, but the turnstile moves freely
in the reverse direction without turning the drum.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Altamount Smythe, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November
in the year of our Lord One thosuand eight hundred and seventy-
thrco.