Improved Registering Apparatus, Principally for Recording Time of Hire or Use of Public Vehicles or Places, and Indicating the Monetary Value of such Hire or Use.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Registering Apparatus, Principally for Recording Time
of Hire or Use of Public Vehicles or Places, and Indicating the
Monetary Value of such Hire or Use.
We, HENRY ABBOTT, Manufacturer, and EDWIN AUGUSTUS CURRIER,
Restaurateur, citizens of the United States of America, residing respectively at
32 South Clinton Street, and 94 Halstead Street, East Orange, in the County of
Essex and State of New Jersey, one of the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of our machine; Figure 2 is a like
view of another form;
Figure 3 is a plan view with the top plate removed; Figure 4 is a front elevation
thereof, with the casing shown in section; Figure 5 is a side elevation with the
casing in section;
Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line x-x of Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a detail view in section, of the time of day printing devices;
Figure 8 is a section on line y-y of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of the mechanism for causing the printing
of A.M. and P.M. at the appropriate times;
Figure 10 is a detail view in perspective, of the lever pivoting bar or frame ;
Figure 11 is a like view of the ink ribbon carrying frame;
Figure 12 is a perspective view, from the under side of the hinged platen;
Figure 15 is a detail view of the friction device for connecting the gear and its
arbor, by which the recording mechanism is connected with the clock train;
Figure 14 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a mode of
supporting the mechanism upon a bench;
Figures. 15 and 16 are views, respectively, of a card when printed at the
beginning, and at the end of an interval to be recorded.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
The object of our invention is to provide an efficient and reliable machine for
measuring, and making a printed record, of intervals of time, value, and the like,
for use in places where carriages, bicycles, or other conveyances are hired, bowling
alleys, long-distance telephone exchanges, and the like, where the charge for the
conveyance hired, or the apparatus used is according to the time of its use.
The registering mechanism of the machine may be constructed simply to record
the interval in units of time; or to record in units of pecuniary value, the latter
being, obviously, preferable in the uses above noted, as giving at once the charge
to be made without the necessity for any calculation.
And our said invention consists in apparatus and the parts thereof which con-
stitute certain improvements hereinafter fully described, upon similar machines
for which Letters Patent of the United States of America were granted to Henry
Abbott, March 31, 1891, No. 449,192, whereby such machines may be rendered
more efficient in use and their field of work enlarged.
In carrying our invention into practice, the operative parts of the mechanism are
supported by a metal plate A, which forms the top of a casing that otherwise may
be constructed of any preferred material, and given any desired shape to suit the
fancy, or to adapt the machine to the use for which it is designed. Of course we

page_text: do not limit ourselves to any particular shape or material in constructing the
plate A.
Secured to the underside of said plate A is a time train B, of any usual
construction, by which the registering mechanism to be described, is driven, and
which is further utilized as an ordinary clock by the employment of the hands b
and b, and a dial C that are visible from the upper side of the plate A.
Journalled between two plates D and D, which are extensions of, or attached to
the clock movement plates, are two parallel vertical arbors E and F, which, upon.
their upper ends, carry each one of two bars e and f, that, respectively, are
connected with, so as to rotate, two cylindrical blocks G and H, arranged con-
centrically upon the arbors E and F. The upper face of each of said blocks carries
an annular printing die, one of which, G, is divided into twenty equal divisions,
alternate ones of which are numbered consecutively, from 0 to 90, and indicate.
cents; while the other one, H, is divided into twenty-four equal divisions, alternate
ones of which are numbered consecutively, from 0 to 11, and indicate dollars, said
arrangement of dies being designed to record the pecuniary value of time. Each
of the bars e and f carries upon its upper face a printing die having the shape of
an arrow, and under ordinary conditions, each bar and its cylinder are secured in
such relative position that the arrow points towards the zero mark of the cylinder
die. The means we preferably employ to rotatively connect each bar and cylinder,
consists of a pin e' that projects downward from the bar, and an opening g in the
bottom of the cylinder that is engaged by the pin. As the cylinder and bar are
vertically movable independently of each other, to cause printing by their respective
dies, the pin e' is given such length as to prevent its disengagement from the
opening g during such movement.
For moving the two annular dies upward to cause them to print, each rests upon
one end of a horizontal bar I, that, at its longitudinal centre, is attached to the
upper end of a vertically movable rod i which passes through suitable openings in
the two plates D and D, and at its lower end is adapted to be engaged and raised
by a lever K that is actuated in the manner to appear. A coiled spring ¹ inter-
posed between the bottom plate D and a collar i upon said rod, operates to draw
the latter downward, while the weight of the die cylinders is sufficient to cause
them to drop.
The two arbors E and F, rest, at their lower ends, upon a plate L that is
mounted, slidingly, upon the rod i and is adapted to be engaged upon its under
side, and raised by a lever M similar to lever K, and thus lift the arrow die bars
to cause them to print. A coiled spring e encircling each arbor E and F, is
provided, to supplement the weight of the parts to cause the dropping of said die
bars from printing position.
The plate L is held from falling too far, by means of two rods land l, that depend
from the bottom plate D, and have inturned ends that pass beneath said plate Lat
diametrically opposite points.
The two levers K and M are pivoted between their respective ends to a
U-shaped bar or frame N that is secured by screws to the underside of the plate A,
and said levers extend in opposite directions to enable their operating mechanisms,
which act on their outer ends, to be separated as far as possible to avoid the
accidental operation of one, instead of the other. In each instance, such operating
mechanism consists of a vertical rod O that at its lower end is slotted to straddle
the lever, and at its upper end passes through an opening in the plate to the upper
side thereof where it is engaged by the horizontal arm p of a lever P that is
pivoted to a block a upon the upper side of the plate and provided with a handle
for its convenient manipulation.
Each lever K and M is moved oppositely to the movement given by its hand
lever by a coiled spring, that has one end attached to the underside of the plate A,
and the other end to the lever. Said spring by holding its lever in position in the
slotted end of the respective rod O, obviates the use of a pin or other positive
connection between the lever and post.

page_text: The employment of a pivoted handle or lever to depress the rod O, instead of
striking or pounding upon the same with the hand, the usual manner in mechanism
of this description, is of decided advantage, as the disagreeable and sometimes
painful effect on the operator's hand, and the noise and jar incident to the striking
or pounding, are wholly obviated. The avoidance of noise is quite an important
consideration, when, for instance, the apparatus is employed in telephone exchanges;
where it is customary to charge in accordance with the time of use of the telephone
and, of course, it is desirable to obviate the jarring because of its injurious effect
upon the machine itself, and also upon other mechanism that might happen to be
upon the same support or table therewith.
Furthermore, by reason of the even gentle pressure, instead of the sudden violent
blow imparted by the old construction, a cleaner and better impression free from
blurring, is obtained.
For printing the time of day the following described mechanism is employed :-
Arranged in lines with the printing dies described, is a third annular die Q,
marked off into twelve divisions, corresponding to the dial of a time piece, said die
being supported and guided when moved vertically, by a tubular post or support R
attached to and projecting above the top plate D, into which post a tubular
extension of the die extends. Although movable vertically, the die Q is held
from rotating by a pin qi that projects radially from the extension into a vertical
slot r in the post R. Carried upon the upper end of an arbor S, arranged within
and concentric with the die Q, is a disc s that has upon its upper face a die in the
form of a pointer or arrow, that corresponds to the minute hand of a time piece,
while to designate the hour, a diet in the form of a pointer is carried by a stud or
post located outside of the die Q and mounted upon a disc T that is journaled upon
the post R. The minute pointer is thus within the dial, and the hour pointer
outside of the same.
As the dial die Q rests upon the disk T, and the minute pointer disc s rests upon
an inwardly projecting flange of said dial die, all three of said dies may be raised
simultaneously to print.
The lower end of a sleeve or tubular shift t', on the underside of the disc T,
rests upon the upper side of a horizontal bar u that is secured to the upper end of
a vertically movable rod U, and said rod is adapted to be engaged and raised by a
lever V, similar to the levers K and M, and pivoted to the frame N, and actuated
by one of the hand levers P. The hand lever used is preferably that which causes
the printing of the annular dies G and H, and having an arm pl extending opposite
to the arm p, so that upon being moved alternately in opposite directions, it may
cause the printing of the two annular and the time of day dies.
A coiled spring u, upon the rod U, moves the latter downward in opposition to
the lever.
For indicating that the time of day printed is either A. M. or P.M., as the case
may be, there are provided two dies, that respectively bear said characters each
being mounted upon the top of a block W that is arranged vertically movable
upon a rod w secured to the top plåte D. The blocks W and W are placed upon
opposite sides of the lifting bar u and pivoted upon the upper side of the latter is
a triangular shaped plate X whose angles are adapted to be placed alternately
beneath one block or the other, so that upon the lifting of the bar u, the block W
having the angle beneath it, will be lifted and the die carried thereby, caused to
print. Upon the upper side of said plate X, there is provided a star wheel .c,
having six points or teeth, which are adapted to be successively engaged, and the
wheel thereby rotated, through the space of one tooth, by means of a downwardly
projecting pin on the disc T. As the latter revolves but once in twelve hours,
it will be seen that at every twelfth hour, the star wheel will be rotated one sixth
of a revolution, and in consequence, one angle of the triangular plate will be moved
from one block and another placed under the other block.
Of course, twelve o'clock is the time selected for this operation to take place.
A flat spring a¹, fixed to the bar u and having its free end adapted to bear

page_text: against the teeth of the wheel a, is provided to ensure the completion of the
movement of the same to shift the position of the triangular plate, and to yieldingly
hold said plate in its shifted position.
The clock train is geared to a wheel Y, upon an arbor y journaled vertically
within openings in the two plates D and D, and thus is adapted to revolve said
arbor, and upon the latter is a wheel y' that meshes with a pinion s' upon the
minute pointer arbor S, to revolve said pointer, while to revolve the hour pointer,
a pinion y upon the upper end of said arbor y meshes with and drives a wheel t
at the lower end of the disc shaft t'. The cents and dollars printing dics, also
receive their revolution from said arbor y, a wheel y³ being placed on the latter
that meshes with a pinion e³ on the arbor E of the arrow of the cents die. Motion
from said arbor E is transmitted to the other arbor F by gearing consisting of a
wheel e on the former arbor, that meshes with a pinion 3 journalled loosely on the
lifting rod i, and a wheel connected with said pinion that meshes with a pinion f¹
on said second named arbor F.
The wheel y³ and pinion 3 that gear the arbor y to the cents and dollars dies,
are placed beneath the lower plate D so as to permit their easy removal, and the
substitution of differently proportioned wheels and pinions, to enable the rate at
which said dies are revolved to be readily changed, to meet varied requirements in
this regard.
Since it may be necessary to set the time of day mechanism, and as so to do,
would, unless guarded against, derange the record being made by the cents and
dollars dies, both of said mechanisms being geared to and driven from the arbor y,
the wheels Y and y which are connected by a sleeve are not positively fixed to the
arbor y, but are held frictionally thereon, the connecting means being a plate Z
that encircles the arbor and is secured thereto by a pin 2, and has two spring
arms,, that bear against the upper side of the wheel Y with sufficient force to
cause the same to drive the arbor." When power is applied to said arbor, however,
to set the time of day mechanism, the friction will be insufficient to revolve the
wheel, as said wheel is geared to the clock movement, and is thereby held from
rotation. A turning head may be applied to the lower end of the arbor y for
setting purposes, or, if preferred, an arbor accessible through an opening in the
clock dial, and geared to the arbor y may be employed.
As it is customary in many instances, as in bicycle and carriage hiring, and the
like, to change the rate charged per hour, after the first hour, as, in the former
case, to charge, say, fifty cents for the first hour, and twenty-five cents for each
succeeding hour, it is very desirable to have a mechanism capable of use under
these conditions.
To adapt this machine to such use, we provide, in the instance named, an opening
or hole g in the annular cents die block G for the reception of the pine of the
arrow die block, which will hold said arrow die pointing towards the twenty-five
cents mark, instead of zero, and gear the dies to run at the rate of twenty-five cents
per hour. Virtually this amounts to starting in with a charge of twenty-five cents,
and it will be seen results in a charge of fifty cents at the completion of the first
hour, seventy-five at the end of the second, and so on.
Of course the same idea can be carried out where other units of measurement
than money units, as for instance units of time or quantity are used, although,
manifestly, it will be practised principally in connection with the money
values.
The platen employed consists of a plate A arranged over the several dies,
which has its under face covered with rubber or other yielding material, against
which the dies act in printing on an interposed card or piece of paper, the
supporting plate A being provided with an opening a' through which the dies
may move.
For printing upon cards or sheets of paper of sufficient stiffness to be readily
passed beneath the platen, the latter may be immovably secured in place, as shown
in Figures 1 and 3, but for use with thin cards or paper, the .construction shown

page_text: in Figures 2 and 12 is employed. In this instance the plate A' is hinged at its
rear edge to lugs a³ and a upon the upper side of the plate A, so as to permit
access to the underside thereof for the easy placing in position of the card or
paper to be printed, and the latter is securely held in such position by means of a
pivoted spring actuated clamping bar B¹ that binds one edge of the card or paper
against the platen.
A latch consisting of two spring actuated bars C¹ and C, adapted to respectively
engage the heads of studs D and D', attached to the plate A adjacent to opposite
ends of the plate, is provided, to securely hold the platen down when the dies are
pressed against the same for printing. Of course, should the size of the card or
sheet to be printed necessitate it, one of the studs and locking bars may be
omitted.
Ink for printing is supplied by a ribbon E' that is wound upon two spools F
and F journalled at the opposite ends of a frame composed of two suitably
connected parallel plates G and G¹ (see Figure 11) which are provided with two
parallel guide and supporting rods 92 and 9 to and over which the ribbon passes.
from the spools and by which it is held straight and smooth over the dies.
Each plate G¹ bas two horizontal lugs 93 and 93 through which screws may pass:
to fasten the frame to the underside of the plate A, and as the ribbon and spools.
are supported wholly by said frame, it will be seen that the removal and
replacement of the inking mechanism is a very easy and simple thing.
Both spools F and F are provided with a ratchet wheel f¹, each, which wheels
are adapted to be, respectively, engaged and rotated to feed the ribbon longi-
tudinally, by means of pawls H and H', pivoted at their lower ends to the
vertically movable rods O and O. Each pawl H' has a spring to normally press.
it into engagement with its ratchet wheel, but as it is desirable that both should
not be in operative position at the same time, I provide means whereby one may-
be thrown out of position when the other is to act. Said means consists of a.
straight bar or rod I, pivoted at mid-length to the side of the frame bar N, and
carrying at each end an upwardly extending spring finger, which is adapted by
the swinging of the bar 1 to alternately engage a pawl H' and move and hold the
same from operating on its ratchet wheel.
Just below its upper end each finger has a groove that is adapted to fit,
over a pin n that projects horizontally from the frame bar N, and when said
groove does so engage the pin, the pawl is engaged and held out of operative.
position by the finger. When the latter is moved, by the rocking of the bar I'
to disengage the groove from the pin, the pin, by engaging a flat portion of the;
finger, moves and holds the same out of contact with the pawl, and the latter is
then free to act upon its wheel.
The movement of the bar 1' is limited by stop pins n' and n¹, projecting from.
the frame bar N, that, respectively, engage its upper and lower sides; and,.
preferably a handle is provided upon said bar I¹ to enable it to be conveniently
manipulated.
As the bar I and the three levers K, M and V, are all attached to the frame
bar N, it will be seen that the removal of all of these parts from the machine,,
and their replacement, can be effected simply by detaching and replacing said
bar N.
In Figure 14 we show a manner of mounting and supporting the machine which
is very desirable when the same is to be placed upon a wooden bench. An
opening is formed in the latter in which the machine is placed, with the face of
the plate A flush with the surface of the bench, and with said plate resting upon.
the vertical flange m' of a horizontal metal ring M' that is held to the underside
of the bench by screws N' which pass down through the table into the ring. By
the use of the latter, the screws thus enter metal instead of wood, and a firm.
support for the machine is provided. A light casing O' is placed over the exposed
portions of the mechanism beneath the table, and is detachably connected to the
ring M' to permit ready access to said mechanism from beneath.

page_text: Ine operation of the machine is as follows:
The card or paper to be printed upon, having been placed in position under or
upon the platen, the hand lever P for causing the printing of the two annular
cents and dollars dies, and the time of day dies is alternately moved in opposite
directions. The card, when taken from the platen will, as seen in Figure 15, be
found to bear imprints of the two annular dies, and show the time of day, and
A.M. or P.M., as the case might be, when the impression was made. At the end
of the interval to be measured, the card is replaced beneath or upon the platen,
in the same position it first had, and then the lever P for causing the printing of
the cents and dollars arrow dies is operated. As the position of said arrow dies
has changed relative to the imprints of the annular dies since such were made, it
will be seen that the imprints of the arrows now made, will point to divisions on
the annular imprints corresponding to the new position of said arrows, and show
the money value of the elapsed time, which can thus be directly read from the
card.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination of mechanism for measuring and recording intervals,
comprising dial and pointer dies and means for printing therefrom, time of day
dies, and means for printing from the same, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. In a mechanism for making printed records, the combination with inde-
pendently operative printing dies, of a single lever adapted to operate both of the
same, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
3. In a mechanism for making printed records, the combination of dies for
printing the record of intervals, dies for printing the time of day, and a single
lever for printing from each of said dies, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
4. In a machine for making printed records, the combination of dies for printing
the record of intervals, dies for printing the time of day, and a single lever
adapted by alternate movement to print from each of said dies, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
5. In a recording machine, the combination of recording mechanism, a time of
day mechanism, a clock movement for driving both of said mechanisms, and
gearing whereby the time of day mechanism may be set without affecting the
recording mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a machine for making printed records, the combination of a supporting
plate, the several sets of dies, levers for actuating said dies to cause them to print,
and a single bar or frame to which all of such levers are pivoted, that is
removably secured to said supporting plate, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
7. In a machine for making printed records, the combination of the printing
die, an operating lever adapted to be grasped by the hand of the operator, and
means connecting said hand lever to the die, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
8. In a machine for making printed records, the combination of the vertically
movable die, the lever adapted to move the same, the vertically movable rod
engaging said lever, and the hand lever engaging said rod, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
9. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of an
indicator having a progressive series of indices, means for moving said indicator
at a certain rate, a pointer to co-operate with said indices, and means whereby the
indication for a certain interval may be in excess of that actually measured by
the machine at the rate at which it is run during the interval, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.

page_text: 10. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of a
rotary part having an annular progressive series of indices, means for rotating
said part at a certain rate, a pointer for co-operating with said indices, and means
whereby said pointer may be held in indicating position relative to an index
of the series between the first and last thereof, substantially as and for the purpose
shown.
11. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of a
rotary die having a progressive series of indices, means for rotating said die, a
pointer, and means for holding said pointer in any one of several positions
relative to the die indices, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In a recording machine, the combination of time of day indicating mechanism,
devices for indicating A.M. and P.M., respectively, and means whereby said
devices are automatically placed in and out of operative position, substantially as
aud for the purpose described.
13. In a printing recording mechanism, the combination of time of day printing
dies, dies for printing A.M. and P.M., respectively, and devices operated by the
time of day mechanism for determining which of the latter two dies shall print,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
14. In a printing recording mechanism, the combination of time of day printing
dies, movable blocks carrying dies for printing A.M. and P.M., respectively, the
rotary plate movable alternately into and out of engagement with said blocks,
means for moving said plate, and means for simultaneously moving said plate
and the time of day dies, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
15. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of
printing dies, a time train to drive the same, a supporting plate, and a platen
hinged to said plate, having a suitable card or paper clamp, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
16. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of
printing dies, a time train to drive the same, a supporting plate, a platen hinged
to the top of the latter having a card or paper clamp, and latch mechanism to
hold said platen in its lowered position, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
17. The combination of two ribbon holding spools, having each a feed
mechanism, means to alternately render the latter operative to feed the ribbon
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
18. The combination of two ribbon holding spools, having each a ratohet wheel,
a pawl for each wheel, and a pivoted bar carrying fingers adapted to engage each
pawl alternately to throw and hold the same out of engagement with its ratchet
wheel, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
19. In a printing recording mechanism, the combination of the printing dies, a
supporting plate, two ink ribbon holding spools, feed mechanism for such ribbon,
and a frame journalling said spools and having ribbon supports and guides, that is
detachably connected to the supporting plate, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
20. In a machine for measuring and recording intervals, the combination of the
printing dies, the motor for driving the same, gearing for connecting the motor
and the dies, a supporting frame for such parts and gear wheels for determining
the rate at which the motor shall drive the dies placed upon the outside of the
frame, whereby they may be readily removed and replaced, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
Dated this 14th day of January 1900
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.