IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OMNIBUSES, AND. IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ENTERING THEREIN
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Wood at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
April 1870.
I, THOMAS WOOD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF OMNIBUSES, AND. IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER
OF PASSENGERS ENTERING THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention is intended principally to be applied to omnibuses
constructed to run upon tramways, but parts of the improvements are
also equally applicable to ordinary omnibuses for running upon common
roads. The body of the omnibus is made with swing folding, doors. at
each end, outside which is a platform having steps. at the side. There
is a passage through the centre of the omnibus with a row of divided
seats, for (say), ten passengers on each side. At each end is a ladder
for ascending to the roof, where there are two rows of seats placed back
to back, the said scats being covered in at the top and either enclosed
at the front, (that is, at the sides of the omnibuses) with separate

page_text: folding doors and windows like a "Hansom cab," or provided with
waterproof curtains and aprons, a safety rail being carried round the
roof outside the seats. Access to the interior and also to the exterior
of the vehicle is obtained through turnstiles or swing gates, which are
connected to the indicating apparatus herein-after described in such a
way that the said apparatus indicates each passenger entering in or upon
the vehicle, but allows them to pass out without registering.
In applying my Invention to an ordinary omnibus, the access would
only be from the back, and two turnstiles or swing gates would be
applied, one for ingress which would register, and the other (non-
registering) for egress.
The indicating or registering apparatus which I propose to employ is
as follows:-The upper part of the turnstile or swing gate is provided
with a catch, and upon the upper end of the post on which the gate
turns or swings is screwed the case of the apparatus, the lower part of
which is formed of a plate (which I call the "detector plate ") having
a ring of ratchet teeth formed on the inside. Part of this plate (and
of the said ratchet teeth) is cut or slotted away so as to allow of one of
the pallets of a pallet wheel in connection therewith to fall down and
project through the said plate so as to come into contact with the catch
on the upper part of the turnstile or gate, so that each time the gate is
moved to admit a person it turns the pallet wheel a portion of a revolution
and causes it by means of a train of gearing to indicate on a dial or
dials the number of persons admitted, the other pallets over running the
ratchet teeth till they each one in turn fall through the slot and are
acted upon by the catch. The pallets are hung upon the pallet wheel
by a hinge joint in such a way that when the turnstile or gate is turned
or swung in the opposite direction to allow a passenger to alight they
move out of the way of the catch and allow it to pass without effecting
the indicator.
When a swing gate is employed a spiral or other spring is provided to
return the gate to its original position after the passage of each person,
and one gate will be required for ingress, and one for egress, but if a
turnstile be used only one will be required, which, as above described,
will register when turned in one direction for the admission of a
passenger, but will not register on being turned in the reverse direction
to allow of egress.

page_text: A spring bolt or catch is also provided which is put in action by the
guard or conductor by means of a key, and will, during any temporary
absence of the guard or conductor, prevent any person from leaving the
omnibus, at the same time that it will allow of people entering the same
and thus prevent fraud.