IMPROVEMENTS IN REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward John James Comer, of Kennington, Surrey,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGISTERING APPARATUS
FOR OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES."
Sealed the 29th August 1879, and dated the 1st March 1879,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward John James Comer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1879.
"IMPROVE-
EDWARD JOHN JAMES COMER, of Kennington, Surrey, Engineer.
MENTS IN REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in registering apparatus for
omnibuses, tramway cars, and other similar vehicles, so as to readily ascertain the
exact amount received for fares during a single day.
My Invention consists of a way bill of a sufficient size to allow of the entire day's
journies being registered thereon, and conveniently divided into columns to shew
distinctly the various distances travelled and the fares received therefor during
such period.
Such way bill is wound round rollers working in a suitable frame and supported
by a back plate. Such frame and rollers are placed in a box or recess at the back
of the vehicle, provided with a door or sliding panel secured by a lock or otherwise,
and which fastening is not accessible to the conductor. Such door or panel is made
with a suitable opening, through which the portion of the way bill in use between
each stage is visible.
A suitable clockwork arrangement makes the rollers revolve in such a manner
that as the vehicle arrives at each station the proper column is displayed for the
succeeding stage.
This is accomplished by means of internal slides actuated by a handle at the
back of the vehicle, manipulated by the conductor.
The clockwork is so arranged that the rollers whereon the way bill is wound
move forward periodically across the back plate.
The racks and punches, together with the other parts of the registering apparatus,
are so arranged that upon a passenger treading on the first back or side step when
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page_text: entering or leaving the conveyance he depresses a spiral spring, which brings down
suitable depressing arms. These arms lodge on a slide actuated by levers and con-
nected by wires to a perforating apparatus conveniently placed over the door, so that
when the first step is depressed the depressing arms lodge on the top of the slide
and move it slightly forward. This slide is provided with an arm which actuating
suitable levers causes a corresponding slide in the next step to move the reverse
way. This permits the deprosser arms to come down and lodge on a flange cast
on the first and second steps of the vehicle. By so doing two supplementary
depresser arms are brought down, which actuating a suitable cam and spring, and
also the connecting wires, thereby impart motion to the perforating apparatus and
cause it to register.
The wires are carried round the vehicle through suitable metal tubes or cylinders,
and are connected with each other by means of cranks or in any other convenient
way.
When it is only necessary to register the numbers of the passengers and not the
various distances traversed by them I fix a registering apparatus beneath the
bottom step of the vehicle fitted with slides and levers, and having the registering
punch or apparatus fitted in the bottom of the step. The frame containing the
rollers is made somewhat smaller and is fitted with a ratchet wheel on the journal
of one of the rollers, so that as each passenger depresses the step a perforation is
made by an automatic punch.
A suitable arm, pawl, and spring works the ratchet wheel round one tooth, and
causes the rollers whereon the way bill is rolled to move slightly forward so as to
present a fresh surface for the succeeding perforation.
All the mechanism of the registering apparatus is enclosed within the framework of
the vehicle, so as not only to be out of sight but to preclude all tampering therewith,
as only the person entrusted with the key can remove the way bill or inspect the
mechanism when necessary; and if the conductor does not correctly mark the way
bill his entries thereon will not correspond with the automatic register kept by the
registering apparatus; and should he neglect to properly manipulate the mechanisn
the same will not act, and his own omission will effectually lead to discovery.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Edward John James Comer in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th September 1879.
EDWARD JOHN JAMES COMER, of Kennington, Surrey, Engineer. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REGISTERING APPARATUS FOR OMNIBUSES, TRAMWAY CARS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object to precisely ascertain and check the exact
amount of the several fares taken by the conductor of an omnibus, tramway car,
or other similar vehicle, for all the journies made during the entire day. This I
effect by the employment of a single specially arranged way-bill, which shews the
total traffic of cach day, instead of employing a fresh way bill for each journey
during the day, as now practised. If preferred however one or more way bills may
be employed.
To carry out my Invention I provide a way-bill of any convenient size and form
and divide the same into twice as many vertical columns as there are stations or
stages to or from which the vehicle plies; and I insert therein the names of such
stations or stages in rotation according to their respective distances from the two
starting points, when the vehicle starts either upon its up or down journey one at the
head of each of such vertical columns. In addition thereto I provide in such way bill
a vertical index column, in which the names of such stages or stations are arranged
one under the other; and I provide as many horizontal lines running across the
entire width of the way bill as their are names of stations appearing in such index
column, so that the conductor may insert in each column the number of fares taken
by him during the day for the respective distancos. At the foot of such index
column I place three additional horizontal lines, also extending in a similar manner
across the entire width of the way bill, whereon to mark the respective totals of
such fares both for the up and down journies.
This columnar arrangement occupies about one half of the entire depth of the
way bill, whilst I again divide the remaining half beneath it into a corresponding
number of vertical columns wherein the words "up"-"down" are inserted in con-
venient positions, and suitable spaces are left wherein perforations or other suitable
marks are made by means of a depresser arın and punch, as presently mentioned.
The number of these perforations exactly tallies with the number of passengers who
travel in the vehicle during the day.
One of the great advantages of my employing a single way bill only is that it
prevents all necessity for the conductor having access thereto for the purpose of
removing the same and replacing it by a fresh one, as is now practised, and so
prevents his tampering therewith.
At the commencement of the first journey in the day the greater portion of such
way bill is coiled around suitable rollers and supported by a back plate, so as to
give steadiness thereto. These rollers work in a suitable frame, and when the way
bill is rolled thereon such frame is placed in a suitable box or recess at the back of
the vehicle, conveniently situated to afford the conductor access to the way bill.
Such box or recess is shut in by a suitable door or sliding panel, or its equivalent,
which is furnished with a lock or other similar fastening which is secured by a
master key.
Such master key is kept by the proprietor or superintendent of the vehicle, and.
so all unauthorised access to the way bill is effectually prevented.
Such door or panel is provided with an opening of sufficient size to display so
much of the surface of the way bill as is required for the conductor's use between
each stage, and the before mentioned rollers are caused to revolve by means of a
suitable clockwork arrangement, so that as the vehicle arrives at each stage or
station the proper column is displayed for the succeeding stage.
In order to ensure such fresh column being brought round to the opening in the

page_text: box or recess I provide for the conductor's use a handle conveniently placed at the
back of the vehicle, which when pulled down or otherwise moved by the conductor
nctuates two internal slides. To the bottom of one of such slides a suitable cord or
cat gut is fastened. When the conductor pulls such handle downward or other-
wise this slide is brought down and the cat gut or cord passing round two or more
pulleys causes a spindle to revolve, so as to turn round a roller one revolution.
Such roller works against the face of the way bill, and so brings another column
across the back plate before mentioned at the same time that a spring is wound up,
which locks the before mentioned slide for a convenient space of time (say, 5 or 6
minutes) at the end of each stage when the same is unlocked by means of any
suitable mechanical arrangement, such as a coiled spring.
The clockwork movement before referred to at the end of, say, 2 minutes causes
the rollers whereon the way bill is wound to move the same about one eighth of an
inch forward across the back plate, so that passengers entering or leaving the vehicle
during its progress between each stage would be correctly registered by the auto-
matic registering apparatus when so doing.
In order to ensure the accurate working of the clockwork and other parts of the
registering apparatus it is necessary that the conductor should pull down or other-
wise move the handle just before each stage, as should he fail to do this a dis-
crepancy would at once occur between his writen register and the mechanical one
effected by the punch, and would thus lead to his detection.
The downward or other movement of the handle when pulled or otherwise
actuated by the conductor produces a compound effect, as thereby two slides are
brought down, as already mentioned. The action of one of these has already been
described, that of the second is as follows:-When brought down the required
distance the first slide is released, and at once flies back to its original position by
means of the spring and cat gut; and when such first slide is pulled down or other-
wise actuated it also brings down suitable racks and punches conveniently arranged
for producing marks in the lower vertical columns of the way bill tallying with the
number of passengers getting into or alighting from the vehicle.
The racks and punches first mentioned form part of a suitable registering
apparatus, which is so arranged that when a passenger either on entering or leaving
treads on the first back or side step of the vehicle it prepares the remainder of the
registering apparatus to act, for by so doing he depresses a suitable spiral or helical
spring and brings down suitable depressing arms, which lodge on the top of a slide
fixed beneath the foremost of such depressing arms. Such slide is actuated by
means of suitable levers and connected by means of wires or other equivalents to a
perforating apparatus placed over the door of the vehiclo, so that when the first step
is depressed such depressing arms lodge on the top of the slide and move it forward,
say, one eighth of an inch. This slide is also provided with an arm which actuates
suitable levers, and thus causes a corresponding slide in the next step to move the
reverso way, thus allowing the depresser arins just mentioned to come down and
lodge on a convenient flange, which is cast on the first and second steps of the
vehicle. By so doing two supplementary depresser arms are brought down, which
actuating a suitable cam and spring, and also the connecting wires, thereby impart
motion to the perforating apparatus and cause it to register.
Such wires are carried round the vehicle through suitable metals, tubes, or
cylinders, or their equivalents, and are connected with each other by means of
cranks or in any other convenient way; or if preferred, they may be actuated by
an electric current.
When it is only necessary to register the number of the passengers and not the
various distances traversed by them (as in cases where the same fare is charged for
a portion of as for the entire journey) I fix a suitable registering apparatus beneath
the bottom step of the vehicle fitted with suitable slides and levers similar to the
first arrangement, but having the registering punch or apparatus fitted in the
bottom of the step instead of over the door, as before described.
The frame containing the rollers is also similar but somewhat smaller in size, and

page_text: is fitted in addition with a ratchet wheel on the journal of one of the rollers, so
that as each passenger depresses the step a perforation is made by an automatic
punch.
A suitable arm furnished with a pawl and spring works the ratchet wheel round
one tooth, and thus causes the rollers whereon the way bill is rolled to move slightly
forward, so as to present a fresh surface for the succeeding perforation being made
therein.
It will be obvious that if the conductor does not correctly mark the way bill his
entries thereon will not correspond with the automatic register kept by the registoring
apparatus; and also that if he neglects to pull or otherwise actuate the handle the
registering mechanism will not act, and his own omission will effectually lead to
discovery.
All the mechanisin of the registering apparatus is enclosed within the framework
of the vehicle, so as not only to be out of sight but to preclude all tampering there-
with either by the conductor or others, as only the superintendent or other person
entrusted with the master key can either remove the way bill or inspect the
mechanism when necessary.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention I would have it under-
stood that I claim,―
1°. The improved arrangement of the way bill together with the mechanism for
actuating the same, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2°. The improved arrangement of registering apparatus, substantially as herein-
before described.
3°. The adaptation of my Invention to one-fare vehicles for the purpose of
registering the number of passengers, substantially in the manner herein before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward John James Comer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
ELT & Co.,
British and Foreign Patent Office,
33, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn,
London,
E. J. J. COMER. (L.S.)